RadRunner 3 Plus unveiled as Rad’s new high-end electric utility bike with 100-mile range
Rad Power Bikes is back with a new version of the company’s RadRunner Plus. The new model, known as the RadRunner 3 Plus (not to be confused with the RadRunner 2 that is still available as the more budget-friendly model), is the brand’s new high-end electric utility bike. This latest model sees several important upgrades to bike’s components, design, and performance.
A brief RadRunner history
For those that aren’t aware, the RadRunner line is THE budget utility e-bike. It was unveiled back in 2019 (which is practically “vintage” considering the short timeline of e-bikes in the US), and it launched a new wave of low-cost utility e-bike copycats. The step-through design, ease of carrying a passenger, and conveniently short wheelbase made it a runaway hit. The design has been imitated all over the place but never truly matched.
The RadRunner was refined over the years, first with the RadRunner Plus and then with the RadRunner 2. And now we’ve come up to the present with today’s launch of the RadRunner 3 Plus.
The RadRunner 3 Plus carries the same basic performance specs as all the earlier models, namely a 20 mph (32 km/h) top speed and a range of 25-45 miles (40-70 km) on throttle or pedal assist. The company is working on a second battery option to boost the range to 100 miles (160 km), though more on that in a moment.
While the flat land speed remains unchanged, the 750W motor has been reworked to offer improved hill climbing performance that should help riders summit local climbs 10% faster.
The bike’s frame has also been revised to improve the handling and offer a longer bench seat for more cargo on back. That’s a key consideration for a bike rated to support up to 350 lb. (160 kg).
Several other new components grace the bike, such as the brand’s updated battery that is now half-integrated into the frame. The 48V 14Ah design offers the same 672 Wh of capacity, but it’s a slicker-looking package now than on the former RadRunner Plus.
Tektro hydraulic brakes bring the bike to a quick and controlled stop, and the levers even include adjustability so that smaller and larger hands can feel equally comfortable reaching for the levers.
In fact, the bike has a wide rider height range as well. Anyone from 4’11” to 6’2″ (150-188 cm) should feel at home on the bike.
For those that opt for pedal assist, there are five levels to choose from. For throttle-only riders, well they’ve got that too. But the RadRunner 3 Plus design makes it one of the few moped-style or utility-style e-bikes that is actually comfortable to pedal thanks to a real bike saddle featuring true adjustability.
For those who want to pedal even further, a second battery that will slot in under the rack will help offer up to 100 miles (160 km) of range.
However, it looks like that second battery isn’t quite ready for purchase yet. Hopefully Rad can get that option out soon, because it looks like a great add-on for delivery riders or anyone else who regularly travels long distances on their e-bike.
The RadRunner 3 Plus is compatible with a pile of accessories including locking center console, upgraded passenger seat in back, hardshell locking panniers, a new RadTrailer for towing cargo behind the bike, and more. In fact, Rad says there are over 350 accessory combinations for the new e-bike, meaning you could have a pretty darn unique setup if you want to go nuts with the accessory options.
It’s a major part of the design, as CEO of Rad Power Bikes Phil Molyneux explained:
“Designed for work, play and everything in between, the latest additions to our lineup of e-bikes and accessories are as versatile as our riders. We know our e-bikes are an extension of our riders’ lifestyles, and we’re excited to see how each individual within our expansive Rad community customizes their ride to upgrade their lives and make everyday experiences, even errands, joyrides.”
That new RadTrailer is particularly interesting, especially with the pet insert that gives you a stable setup to safely carry your four-legged friend with you.
The RadRunner 3 Plus is already available for purchase online and in Rad’s brick-and-mortar stores around the US where prospective riders can test out the bike in person.
The bike is priced at US $2,499 in the US. Canadians, Brits, and the rest of Europe can pick it up for CA $2,999, UK £$2,199, and EU €2,499.
Electrek’s Take
I’m a huge RadRunner fan. I own one of the first RadRunner’s to ever come off the line, and it’s a point of pride. This is truly the model that opened the door to utility e-bikes for so many people, especially at a time when e-bikes were largely considered either recreational or for purely commuter use. The RadRunner showed you could have a fun e-bike that offered big utility in a small package.
The RadRunner Plus only made it better by adding suspension, gearing, and a slick colorway. And the RadRunner 3 Plus takes it even further with even nicer refinements.
But as much of a RadRunner fanboy as I am, this pricing is killing me. $2,500 is steep new territory for Rad, at least in the two-wheeler space. That’s especially true when you consider that the original RadRunner debuted at $1,299 – though that was admittedly in the before times.
Sure, you definitely get a lot from Rad. The bikes are solid, and the company is always there to stand behind them – something you don’t get from cheaper fly-by-night companies that seem to spring up every month. Rad has a smattering of physical retail stores where you can test out their bikes. Rad even has the largest customer service team in the industry, and second place isn’t even close. So there’s more to the equation here. But wow, that $2,500 sticker shock hits me like a fully-laden RadRunner 3 Plus loaded up to its 350 lb. weight capacity.
I’m sure the bike is awesome, and I look forward to testing one soon and letting you all know. Maybe once I try it, the $2.5K price will make sense. And speaking of trying it out, I’m also super stoked to try pulling that RadTrailer around.
I really like the utility of a cargo platform trailer from Rad, and the pet insert sounds like a great idea. As someone without a car, back in 2014 I built a wood and chicken wire trailer to take my pup to the beach behind my e-bike, though it wasn’t anywhere as slick as Rad’s. Something tells me she would have preferred the upgrade.
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DJI may be best known for drones, but the company just launched a ground-based product that has the power to keep all your tech airborne – and then some. The new DJI Power 2000 is a 2,048 Wh portable power station with a 3,000 W output that quietly muscles its way into the heavy-hitter end of the mobile power world. I’ve been testing it for the past week in a wide range of scenarios – from charging up my electric tractor in the field to power my family’s chest freezer. And of course smaller jobs like charging up my phone and drone are easy jobs too. From my experience so far, I can tell you that this thing delivers.
But before I get into all the praise, let me get my one gripe out of the way early: You can’t use the DJI Power 2000 until you pair it with the DJI Home app.
That step alone doesn’t take long, but I’m not a fan of products that require a phone connection to get started.
When I take a power station out of the box, I want to push a button and see juice, not start pairing like I’m connecting Bluetooth earbuds.
With that said, once it’s set up, the Power 2000 makes a compelling case as the go-to portable power station for everything from remote camping to emergency home use.
It’s quiet. It’s fast. It’s powerful. And it might be one of the most rugged unit I’ve tested – which is a LOT of power stations by this point.
You can definitely tell that it’s built solidly, and I really like the 1/4-20 threaded inserts on the sides for mounting accessories – either those from DJI or others that I could possibly dream up.
Big power, fast charging
Let’s start with the headline numbers: 2,048 watt-hours of capacity and a continuous 3,000W output. That’s enough to run nearly any household appliance, including a microwave, power tools, or even charging up my electric UTV.
When I plugged in my Kandi UTV, the DJI Power 2000 didn’t even flinch. This would be a great way to recharge in the field if you ever accidentally ran low on power in the field. To put it in slightly outdated terms, it’s the equivalent of a little red gasoline can, but in the electric era.
As another “charging out in the field” test, I tried it out with my NESHER L880 electric loader. You shouldn’t ever run out of charge in an electric tractor as long as you’re watching your battery meter – but if you ever did, this would be a convenient way to get some charge back into it to drive home.
And as an added bonus, the NESHER L880’s loader bucket makes a great way to carry the fairly heavy power station around in the pasture.
For ports, the unit features four AC outlets, four USB-A ports, and four USB-C ports (two at 140W and two at 65W), plus dedicated SDC drone ports and a DC car outlet. I also used it to power my chest freezer for a test – it ran smoothly for hours, simulating a blackout scenario where this could genuinely save hundreds of dollars in spoiled food.
Charging the Power 2000 itself is no slouch, either. DJI claims it can go from 0 to 100% in 90 minutes from a standard wall outlet, and my tests confirmed it. I clocked just under an hour to nearly 80%, which is pretty impressive for a battery this size. It also supports car charging and solar input – dual 1.8 kW fast charging if you have the right panels and setup.
Quiet, durable, and smart
What impressed me most beyond the specs was how thoughtfully rugged the Power 2000 is. It uses LFP battery cells (my favorite for safety and longevity), is built with flame-retardant materials, and can allegedly support up to one ton of static weight. While I didn’t park a car on it, I did load it into the back of my electric UTV and bounce it down a dirt trail and across many acres of pasture land. It kept powering devices without interruption, despite getting a decent workout and tossed around quite a bit.
DJI claims that the unit includes 26 built-in temperature sensors that provide constant real-time monitoring, along with 21 fuses to handle any operation abnormality. Those seem like weirdly high numbers, but sure, why not?
DJI also offers a Zignes 100W solar panel and a solar panel adapter, which I tested out for a solar charging setup. It’s not enough to fully recharge the unit quickly on its own, but it’s a nice bonus for trickle charging during daylight hours or topping off mid-campout. And of course you can bundle more solar panels to double or triple the charging power via DJI’s adapter, which can also mount to the side of the unit with the built-in threaded inserts in the side of the power station.
Drone-friendly by design
As expected from DJI, there’s native support for their drone ecosystem. It’s a nice touch that makes this more than just a generic battery box – it’s clearly built for creators and drone operators in mind.
The system works to rapid charge DJI drones including the Air 3, Mavic 3, Inspire 3, and Matrice series. Of course I’ve got the one that doesn’t work: the Mini series. But that’s ok, since I was still able to charge it and the controller directly from the USB-C ports on the power station.
Final Thoughts
At $1,299, the DJI Power 2000 isn’t the cheapest battery in town, but for the performance, safety, and sheer ruggedness it delivers, the price seems quite fair compared to other units in the market that don’t feel as well put together. This isn’t just a big battery in a plastic shell. It’s an industrial-grade power station built to handle your wildest overlanding trips, blackouts, and gear-charging needs with ease.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But I’d recommend DJI also rethink requiring an app just to get started. The Power 2000 deserves to shine on its own, right out of the box.
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Mercedes-Benz continues to demonstrate the capabilities of its future lineup of all-electric vans and multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), all atop its new 800V Van Architecture. Most recently, Mercedes drove two test versions of its VLE MPVs nearly 1,100 kilometers, from Germany to Rome, Italy.
While Mercedes-Benz remains a leading provider of vans, that is one of the few vehicle segments it has truly electrified. At least, not yet. Beginning in 2026, Mercedes intends to begin launching a new series of all-electric, ultra-efficient vans and multi-purpose vehicles on its new Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA).
VAN.EA was unveiled in 2023 as a new 800-volt purpose-built EV architecture that will support both mid and large vans. These new models will feature 4MATIC AWD, significantly expanding driving range and ensuring the BEVs “meet the highest standards regardless of weather conditions.”
In the fall of 2024, we first looked at early camouflaged prototypes testing on public roads. One model, originally codenamed the VAN.EA-P has completed winter testing in Sweden and has since been renamed the VLE by Mercedes.
The VLE and a second all-electric model called the VLS will be the first two Mercedes vehicles to hit the market atop the new Van Electric Architecture. Still, before then, the German automaker took two test models of the former through the Alps to Rome, only stopping to charge twice along the way.
Mercedes’ VLE demonstrates efficiency through EU
According to Mercedes-Benz, two VLE electric van test models recently completed a real-world trip from Stuttgart to Rome, covering 1,090 kilometers (677 miles) and traversing steep, winding mountain passes in the Alps.
The trip lasted approximately 13 hours and faced steady traffic. It began at Mercedes HQ in Stuttgart, Germany, where temperatures were 52°F, and ended in Rome, where temperatures were significantly higher at 91°F. Despite the long route and weather changes, Mercedes said the cabin temperature of each VLE remained comfortable at 72°F.
During the nearly 1,110-kilometer journey, Mercedes says the VLE vans only stopped to charge twice, completing sessions around 15 minutes each time. By completing the journey, Mercedes-Benz says it has confirmed the VLE is ready for real-world use and will bring space and efficiency to families and adventure seekers alike. Per Dr. Andreas Zygan, Head of Development Mercedes-Benz Vans, Mercedes-Benz AG:
Our future MPVs have once again impressively demonstrated their suitability for everyday use on the long-distance route. With just two short charging stops from Stuttgart to the Alps to Rome – the Mercedes-Benz VLE demonstrates impressive efficiency of the new Van Electric Architecture.
Mercedes said it will continue to test the VLE and its Van Electric Architecture in Stuttgart and in real-world environments en route to product launches in 2026 as promised. As mentioned before, two of those initial models have now been confirmed with the names “Mercedes-Benz VLE” and the “Mercedes-Benz VLS.”
The VLE can accommodate up to 8 seats and serves a multitude of purposes, from family-friendly transport to exclusive VIP shuttles. Like the VLE, Mercedes is hailing the VLS as a “Grand Limousine” that will “define a unique segment of its own that bestows true greatness to automotive luxury.”
Better yet, Mercedes says it will offer these all-electric MPVs or Grand Limousines for the first time in the US, Canada, and China. As we move closer to 2026, we expect to see more of the VLE and VLS inside and out, and learn more about the performance specifications and pricing Mercedes intends to deliver. Stay tuned.
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As it struggles to sell EVs in the US, Toyota is resorting to bigger, gas-powered SUVs. That new Toyota electric SUV we are still waiting on? It’s delayed again, but there’s more to it.
Toyota pushes to sell gas SUVs as EV sales slump
Toyota sold 1,223 models of the bZ4X, its sole electric SUV in the US, last month. That’s less than the nearly 1,400 it sold in June 2024 despite upgrading it for the 2025 model year.
Through the first half of 2025, Toyota has sold 9,249 bZ4X models in the US, down from the nearly 9,500 sold in the same period last year.
Its luxury Lexus brand is also struggling to sell its electric SUV, the RZ. Last month, Lexus RZ sales fell 30% to just 763 units. Through the first half of 2025, RZ sales are down by a third (-33%), with just 3,779 units sold.
As the struggles continue, Toyota is now delaying more EV models as it shifts its focus back to gas-powered SUVs.
Toyota plans to begin producing a new electric SUV at its Kentucky plant in 2028, a year later than initially expected. The new EV was scheduled to be built at the automaker’s Princeton, Indiana, facility, following an additional $1.4 billion investment made last April.
According to AutoNews, the sudden shift is to free up capacity for its massive gas-powered Grand Highlander SUV.
Toyota is consolidating EV production and will build the new EV in Kentucky alongside a separate three-row electric SUV. The larger electric SUV is set for production in late 2026, rather than earlier in the year as initially planned.
“As previously announced, Toyota plans to produce two all-new, three-row battery electric SUVs in the US. Toyota will now assemble both vehicles at Toyota Kentucky,” Toyota said in a statement.
Toyota will ramp up production of the Grand Highlander in Indiana with a new dedicated assembly line. Through the first half of 2025, Toyota Grand Highlander sales are 20% with over 65,000 units sold.
Despite the delay, Toyota is still planning to launch seven new EVs in the US by mid-2027, including under the Lexus brand.
Later this year, Toyota will introduce the new bZ electric SUV (an upgraded bZ4X) with more driving range and an added NACS port to charge at Tesla Superchargers.
The smaller Toyota C-HR and rugged bZ Woodland electric SUVs are expected to arrive sometime next year.
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