Lectric eBikes is know for two things – making affordable e-bikes and making a lot of them. The company’s main goal has been to look at the e-bike market, figure out what people want, and find a way to make it more affordable. They’v’e done it time and again with their other e-bikes and that’s exactly what they’ve done this time with the new Lectric XP Trike.
The company invited me out to see the new e-trike at their headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. There I had the chance to hop aboard and get a sense of just what this $1,499 electric trike can do.
And the answer, it turns out, is a lot. It can haul. It can climb. It can fold. It’s a three-wheeled Swiss Army knife with a ridiculous amount of torque and seating for one.
I only spent a single day with the capable little trike, and so this isn’t a full review… yet. That’s still to come. But even with only a few hours in the saddle, I can already tell you that this is absolutely going to be a major hit… if they can keep it in stock.
Check out how the Lectric XP Trike performed in my first ride video below. Then keep reading for the nitty gritty details.
Lectric XP First Ride video
What the e-trike offers
Let’s nail the specs right away, so we can quickly get to the ride.
I’d say that the trike is almost like a three-wheeled version of the famous $999 Lectric XP 3.0 folding e-bike, albeit with hydraulic brakes, a bigger battery, and an extra wheel.
The Lectric XP Trike has a 500W motor that puts out 1,092 peak watts of power. It’s mounted in a mid-drive setup as the trike’s jackshaft, giving it the ability to power both of the rear wheels via an open differential axle.
It draws power from a 48V 14Ah battery with 672 Wh of capacity, which is enough for 60 miles (96 km) of range in the lowest power mode on pedal assist. But honestly, even on throttle at the trike’s top speed of 14 mph (22 km/h), you’ll probably still get a solid 30-40 miles (48-64 km).
The bike rolls on 20″ x 2.6″ tires, has a single speed drivetrain, and rocks hydraulic disc brakes on 180 mm discs. The brake levers each have a parking brake, which I’ve never seen before on hydraulic brakes.
The 69.5 lb (31.5 kg) e-bike folds to fit in tight spaces, and that folding trick allows it to arrive in fully-assembled form. You don’t have to bolt anything together, you just unfold it and ride. That’s going to be a major benefit for many riders, especially older ones that don’t want to be bent over a box lifting a 70 pound bike around.
Speaking of weight, it’s actually relatively lightweight for an electric trike. And the low step-through size makes it great for shorter riders down to 4’10” (147 cm). It’s apparently good for taller riders also, with a rating for folks up to 6’4″ (193 cm). I’m squarely in the middle of that range, so I can’t personally speak to the extremes, but it felt great to me in terms of sizing.
It can also fit a wide range of rider weights thanks to its maximum capacity of 330 lb (150 kg). In addition to the rider payload, the rear rack can carry 75 lb (34 kg), while the front basket can carry 35 lb (16 kg).
And as part of the launch, Lectric is including the cargo package consisting of the front and rear basket for free! Getting an entire trike plus the cargo package for just $1,499 is a hell of a deal.
So how does it ride?
Here’s the crazy part: Despite being nice and gentle when you keep it in the lower power modes, there’s some significant torque in the higher power modes that is great for hill climbing.
The Lectric team took me to a hill that looked like a small mountain, and I was able to ride the Lectric XP Trike right up the side of it. We even put a few dozen pounds of steel weight in the rear basket to give me a sense of what it’d be like if I was a heavier rider. The trike didn’t care – it just kept climbing like a machine.
Coming back down the side of the mountain helped me appreciate those hydraulic disc brakes, especially when I remembered how much steel weight I had in the back.
Moving to a park next, I did a combination of paved trail and off-road grass riding. The trike performed well at both. Tight donuts are even possible, though you have to be careful about going too tight. I could get the outer wheel to lift up in tight turns if I really tried, but it was something I had to make an effort to achieve. I never felt like I would tip in a normal turn.
Is it as stable as the RadTrike? Not quite. That one feels like the king of stable trikes to me. And the Lectric XP Trike is a tad narrower in the back and has a bit higher center of gravity with taller wheels and a higher cargo rack in back. But it still feels plenty stable, and I’d be comfortable putting my parents on it – if that puts things into perspective.
While there’s no suspension on the trike, you’re never really going fast enough to feel like it’s critical. Suspension is more important to me at higher speeds where I hit obstacles with more force and where I have less time to avoid them. At a maximum speed of 14 mph, you see things coming up in slow motion and can easily wiggle around them.
As you can see in the video above, I even took the Lectric XP Trike over some seriously rugged terrain in a washed out dry riverbed. I was truly surprised how well it handled such rough off-road conditions.
That being said, the three wheels takes some getting used to when avoiding obstacles. You have to learn how to put the pot holes or rocks between two of the three wheels or take a wide berth around them.
It’s something that new trike riders will take a few days to get used to, but quickly becomes second nature.
Is the Lectric XP Trike worth the price?
At just $1,499, this is a smoking hot deal, and it follows Lectric’s playbook of bringing popular e-bikes at affordable prices to the masses.
How long will the bike last? I have no idea. I only spent a day with it.
But the trike felt solid so far, and I also saw a room full of customer service representatives sitting in Lectric’s Phoenix headquarters waiting to help anyone should they have an issue in the future, which gives me good confidence on the customer support side.
For the thousands of people aging into electric trike territory every day, I’m excited to see options like this hitting the market. And once I get even more time on the XP Trike than just a fun day in the sun, I’m sure I’ll like it even more.
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In a bold bid to combat the crippling air pollution crisis in its capital, Delhi, Indian lawmakers have begun high-level discussions about a plan to phase out gas and diesel combustion vehicles by 2035 – a move that could cause a seismic shift in the global EV space and provide a cleaner, greener future for India’s capital.
Long considered one of the world’s most polluted capital cities, Indian capital Delhi is taking drastic steps to cut back pollution with a gas and diesel engine ban coming soon – but they want results faster than that. As such, Delhi is starting with a city-wide ban on refueling vehicles more than 15 years old, and it went into effect earlier this week. (!)
“We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa … but they’re not stopping there. “Additionally, we will intensify scrutiny of heavy vehicles entering Delhi to ensure they meet prescribed environmental standards before being allowed entry.”
The Economic Times is reporting that discussions are underway to pass laws requiring that all future bus purchases will be required to be electric or “clean fuel” (read: CNG or hydrogen) by the end of this year, with a gas/diesel ban on “three-wheelers and light goods vehicles,” (commercial tuk-tuks and delivery mopeds) potentially coming 2026 to 2027 and a similar ban privately owned and operated cars and bikes coming “between 2030 and 2035.”
Electrek’s Take
Xpeng EV with Turing AI and Bulletproof battery; via XPeng.
Last week, Parker Hannifin launched what they’re calling the industry’s first certified Mobile Electrification Technology Center to train mobile equipment technicians make the transition from conventional diesel engines to modern electric motors.
The electrification of mobile equipment is opening new doors for construction and engineering companies working in indoor, environmentally sensitive, or noise-regulated urban environments – but it also poses a new set of challenges that, while they mirror some of the challenges internal combustion faced a century ago, aren’t yet fully solved. These go beyond just getting energy to the equipment assets’ batteries, and include the integration of hydraulic implements, electronic controls, and the myriad of upfit accessories that have been developed over the last five decades to operate on 12V power.
At the same time, manufacturers and dealers have to ensure the safety of their technicians, which includes providing comprehensive training on the intricacies of high-voltage electric vehicle repair and maintenance – and that’s where Parker’s new mobile equipment training program comes in, helping to accelerate the shift to EVs.
“We are excited to partner with these outstanding distributors at a higher level. Their commitment to designing innovative mobile electrification systems aligns perfectly with our vision to empower machine manufacturers in reducing their environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency,” explains Mark Schoessler, VP of sales for Parker’s Motion Systems Group. “Their expertise in designing mobile electrification systems and their capability to deliver integrated solutions will help to maximize the impact of Parker’s expanding METC network.”
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The manufacturing equipment experts at Nott Company were among the first to go through the Parker Hannifin training program, certifying their technicians on Parker’s electric motors, drives, coolers, controllers and control systems.
“We are proud to be recognized for our unwavering dedication to advancing mobile electrification technologies and delivering cutting-edge solutions,” says Nott CEO, Markus Rauchhaus. “This milestone would not have been possible without our incredible partners, customers and the team at Nott Company.”
In addition to Nott, two other North American distributors (Depatie Fluid Power in Portage, Michigan, and Hydradyne in Fort Worth, Texas) have completed the Parker certification.
Electrek’s Take
T7X all-electric track loader at CES 2022; via Doosan Bobcat.
With the rise of electric equipment assets like Bobcat’s T7X compact track loader and E10e electric excavator that eliminate traditional hydraulics and rely on high-voltage battery systems, specialized electrical systems training is becoming increasingly important. Seasoned, steady hands with decades of diesel and hydraulic systems experience are obsolete, and they’ll need to learn new skills to stay relevant.
Certification programs like Parker’s are working to bridge that skills gap, equipping technicians with the skills to maximize performance while mitigating risks associated with high-voltage systems. Here’s hoping more of these start popping up sooner than later.
Based on a Peterbilt 579 commercial semi truck, the ReVolt EREV hybrid electric semi truck promises 40% better fuel economy and more than twice the torque of a conventional, diesel-powered semi. The concept has promise – and now, it has customers.
Austin, Texas-based ReVolt Motors scored its first win with specialist carrier Page Trucking, who’s rolling the dice on five of the Peterbilt 579-based hybrid big rigs — with another order for 15 more of the modified Petes waiting in the wings if the initial five work out.
The deal will see ReVolt’s “dual-power system” put to the test in real-world conditions, pairing its e-axles’ battery-electric torque with up to 1,200 miles of diesel-extended range.
ReVolt Motors team
ReVolt Motors team; via ReVolt.
The ReVolt team starts off with a Peterbilt, then removes the transmission and drive axle, replacing them with a large genhead and batteries. As the big Pete’s diesel engine runs (that’s right, kids – the engine stays in place), it creates electrical energy that’s stored in the trucks’ batteries. Those electrons then flow to the truck’s 670 hp e-axles, putting down a massive, 3500 lb-ft of Earth-moving torque to the ground at 0 rpm.
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The result is an electrically-driven semi truck that works like a big BMW i3 or other EREV, and packs enough battery capacity to operate as a ZEV (sorry, ZET) in ports and urban clean zones. And, more importantly, allows over-the-road drivers to hotel for up to 34 hours without idling the engine or requiring a grid connection.
That ability to “hotel” in the cab is incredibly important, especially as the national shortage of semi truck parking continues to worsen and the number of goods shipped across America’s roads continues to increase.
And, because the ReVolt trucks can hotel without the noise and emissions of diesel or the loss of range of pure electric, they can immediately “plug in” to existing long-haul routes without the need to wait for a commercial truck charging infrastructure to materialize.
“Drivers should not have to choose between losing their longtime routes because of changing regulatory environments or losing the truck in which they have already made significant investments,” explains Gus Gardner, ReVolt founder and CEO. “American truckers want their trucks to reflect their identity, and our retrofit technology allows them to continue driving the trucks they love while still making a living.”
If all of that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of Hyliion.
In addition to being located in the same town and employing the same idea in the same Peterbilt 579 tractor, ReVolt even employs some of the same key players as Hyliion: both the company’s CTO, Chandra Patil, and its Director of Engineering, Blake Witchie, previously worked at Hyliion’s truck works.
Still, Hyliion made their choice when they shut down their truck business. ReVolt seems to have picked up the ball – and their first customer is eager to run with it.
“Our industry is undergoing a major transition, and fleet owners need practical solutions that make financial sense while reducing our environmental impact,” said Dan Titus, CEO of Page Trucking. “ReVolt’s hybrid drivetrain lowers our fuel costs, providing our drivers with a powerful and efficient truck, all without the need for expensive charging infrastructure or worrying about state compliance mandates. The reduced emissions also enable our customers to reduce their Scope 2 emissions.”
Page Trucking has a fleet of approximately 500 trucks in service, serving the agriculture, hazardous materials, and bulk commodities industries throughout Texas. And, if ReVolt’s EREV semis live up to their promise, expect them to operate a lot more than 20 of ’em.