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The Lectric XP Trike, which was unveiled with quite a fanfare last month, has now launched for pre-orders at a surprisingly affordable price. The electric trike claims to be the first folding, fully-assembled electric trike in the industry, and it looks set to shake things up for all types of riders.

Lectric XP Trike launches for pre-order

The Lectric XP Trike, which is priced at just $1,499, is built on a similar base as the company’s best-selling Lectric XP series of e-bikes.

It offers a powerful motor, folding design and an approachable price. But in this case, the XP Trike gains a third wheel, a differential rear axle, hydraulic disc brakes and a super-accessible design.

As the company described the new three-wheeler:

“The XP Trike accommodates a wide range of abilities and preferences with our lowest standover height ever of just 13.8 inches. As the industry’s first fully foldable and fully assembled electric tricycle, The XP Trike includes the award-winning features our XP series e-bikes demonstrate, plus a bigger battery, hydraulic brakes, and a third wheel. A sturdy rear hub motor setup with a differential axle provides a whopping 65NM of torque – accommodating even the heftiest of payloads without a problem.”

And they weren’t kidding about hefty loads, as the trike comes with a 415 lb (188 kg) payload rating for rider and cargo. That includes up to 330 lb (150 kg) riders, as well as a max rating of 75 lb (34 kg) on the rear rack and 35 lb (16 kg) on the front basket.

The bike even includes the front and rear baskets as part of a free cargo bundle, though it’s listed as “while supplies last”. The cargo package seems to be part of a launch promotion, so if you’re on the fence but really like the free front and rear cargo baskets, then you may want to consider pulling the trigger on this one before that option is gone.

lectric xp trike

The XP Trike itself weighs 69.5 lb with the 48V 14Ah battery, though unlocking and removing the battery can probably get the trike down to around 60 lb even. That battery is probably larger than most riders will even need, offering around 60 miles (96 km) of range on pedal assist, and probably at least 40 miles (65 km) on throttle-only riding considering the lower top speed of the trike.

The top speed of 14 mph (22.5 km) is obtainable under throttle or pedal assist, though only in the highest speed setting (level 5).

Lower speed levels can keep the trike from getting away from new riders while they get re-accustomed to being back on a bike (or trike).

The single-speed drivetrain means there is no shifter to deal with, though it also precludes having a lower gear to shift into on hills. But with two-wheel drive from a 500W motor that peaks at an actual 1,092W and puts out 65 Nm of torque, hills won’t be a problem.

And I’m not just saying that — I recently visited the company in Phoenix to test out the first XP Trike on a massive hill up the side of a small mountain. It was tough to walk up the road, which wasn’t even a public road but rather sort of an access road to an antenna at the top of the mountain (I’m not sure public roads are allowed to be this steep). Even so, the XP Trike pulled me up just fine. I was blown away by how much torque it had, even when we added a pile of steel weights into the rear basket to drag up the hill with me. In fact, the road was so steep that I was thankful Lectric outfitted the trike with hydraulic disc brakes so I could make a confident descent. It’s also great to see the the XP Trike has a parking brake, in case you ever need to park on a hill.

Micah Toll taking the XP Trike up a massive hill with extra steel weights in the rear basket

Despite that impressive power, keeping the pedal assist in lower speed levels made the power gentle and manageable on startups so that it didn’t feel overwhelming.

I’ll have a complete first ride experience coming soon. But if you don’t mind spoilers, know that I’ll definitely be recommending this trike to those who are looking for an accessible three-wheeler that won’t break the bank. At just $1,499, this is a seriously good deal.

Electric trikes as a new battleground?

Electric tricycles have become a growing category in the e-bike world and even a hot new battleground after Lectric eBikes followed Rad Power Bikes’ launch of the RadTrike with their own Lectric XP Trike announcement.

Other companies are also getting into the trike game, though these are definitely the two major players at the moment.

Having ridden both, I can say that the RadTrike felt a bit more stable with an extra wide rear end, though both were more than comfortable in turns and I had to go out of my way to try to get them up on two wheels. With Rad offering what is likely a more elegant ground up design and Lectric coming in with arguably more features (including that key fully-assembled delivery), both e-trikes have strong selling propositions.

I’m definitely excited about the future of electric trikes. Companies like these are pushing the industry forward, and that’s good for everyone.

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China’s nationwide ‘cash for clunkers’ trade-in program causing huge e-bike boom

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China's nationwide 'cash for clunkers' trade-in program causing huge e-bike boom

While much of the Western world is still figuring out how to get more people on electric bikes, China just flipped a switch, and the results are staggering. Thanks to a generous nationwide trade-in program rolled out around six months ago, China has seen an explosive surge in electric bicycle sales, with over 8.47 million new e-bikes hitting the road in the first half of 2025 alone.

The program, which offers subsidies to riders who trade in their old, often outdated electric bikes for newer, safer, and more efficient models, has sparked a new e-bike sale boom in a country already dominated by e-bike travel. In major provinces like Jiangsu, Hebei, and Zhejiang, over one million new e-bikes were sold in each region in just six months. That’s a tidal wave of e-bike sales.

The incentives vary depending on location and the model being traded in, but for many consumers, the subsidies cover a substantial portion of a new e-bike’s price – enough to turn a “maybe next year” purchase into a “right now” upgrade. And these aren’t just budget bikes either. The program has driven demand for higher-quality models with better batteries, safer braking systems, and more reliable electronics, accelerating both adoption and innovation across the industry.

The move has proven successful in replacing the millions of older models with lower-quality lithium-ion batteries that had posed safety risks around the country. Instead, China has pushed for higher-quality lithium-ion batteries, a return to a newer generation of higher-performance AGM batteries, and even interesting new sodium-ion battery options.

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Most e-bikes in China look more like what we’d consider seated scooters

According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, more than 8.4 million consumers have participated in the e-bike trade-in program so far, contributing to a sales increase of 643.5% year-over-year and more than doubling sales month-over-month. Meanwhile, production of new electric bicycles rose by nearly 28%, as manufacturers scrambled to meet demand. The sales boosts have already been seen in the financial reports of major industry players like NIU.

And it’s not just the big players benefiting – over 82,000 small independent e-bike dealers reported average sales increases of ¥302,000 (around US $42,000), giving a serious boost to local economies.

What’s particularly striking here is how fast this happened. The program was officially launched late last year as part of a broader effort to stimulate domestic consumption and phase out outdated vehicles and appliances. But while most analysts expected gradual growth, the e-bike sector responded much more quickly. In less than a year, the trade-in subsidies have reshaped the electric bicycle market, creating a consumer-driven boom that shows no signs of slowing.

For those of us watching from outside China, it’s hard not to wonder what might happen if other countries tried something similar. While most families in Chinese cities already own an electric bike and thus see this as an opportunity to trade it in for a newer model, Western countries like the US are still figuring out how to stimulate commuters into buying their first e-bike.

It’s too soon to know exactly how long the boom will last or whether the momentum will carry into 2026 and beyond. We’ve seen bicycle industry bubbles grow and burst before. But one thing’s clear: with the right incentives, even modest ones, it’s possible to ignite real, large-scale change. China just proved it with nearly 8.5 million new e-bikes to show for it.

And if you’re wondering what it looks like when a country takes electric micromobility seriously, this is it.

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Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

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Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]

Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!

In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.

Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.

Stay tuned for more!

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Tesla sold 5,000 Cybertrucks Q2, Optimus is in chaos, plus: the Infinity Train!

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Tesla sold 5,000 Cybertrucks Q2, Optimus is in chaos, plus: the Infinity Train!

The numbers are in and they are all bad for Tesla fans – the company sold just 5,000 Cybertruck models in Q4 of 2025, and built some 30% more “other” vehicles than it delivered. It just gets worse and worse, on today’s tension-building episode of Quick Charge!

We’ve also got day 1 coverage of the 2025 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix, reports that the Tesla Optimus program is in chaos after its chief engineer jumps ship, and a look ahead at the fresh new Hyundai IONIQ 2 set to bow early next year, thanks to some battery specs from the Kia EV2.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


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