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.
My DIY e-bike + DIY trailer solution for taking my dog to the beach. We’ve come a long way in the last nine years.
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National Grid Renewables has broken ground on its 100 MW Apple River Solar Project in Polk County, Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin solar farm, which will use US-made First Solar Series 6 Plus bifacial modules, will be constructed by The Boldt Company, creating 150 construction and service jobs. Apple River Solar will generate over $36 million in direct economic benefits over its first 20 years.
Once it comes online in late 2025, Apple River Solar will supply clean energy to Xcel Energy, which serves customers throughout the Upper Midwest. According to National Grid Renewables, the solar farm will generate enough energy to power around 26,000 homes annually. It will also offset about 129,900 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year – equivalent to taking 30,900 cars off the road.
“We are excited to see this project begin as it underscores our dedication to delivering clean, reliable and affordable energy to our customers,” said Karl Hoesly, President, Xcel Energy-Wisconsin and Michigan. “This project is an important step in those goals while bringing significant economic benefits to Polk County and the local townships.”
Electrekreported in February that Xcel Energy, Minnesota’s largest utility, expects to cut more than 80% – and possibly up to 88% – of its emissions by 2030, putting it on track to hit Minnesota’s goal of net zero by 2040. It also says it’s on track to achieve its clean energy goals for all the Upper Midwest states it serves – Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Michigan.
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Tesla has announced that it will finally deliver 500 kW charging as it is about to install its long-awaited V4 Supercharger cabinets.
The rollout of Supercharger V4 has been a strange one, to say the least.
Tesla has been deploying the new charging stations for two years and calling them “Supercharger V4”, but it has only been deploying the charging stalls.
Supercharger stations are made of two main parts: the stalls, which are where the charging cable is located, and the cabinets, which are generally located further back and include all the power electronics.
For all these new “Supercharger V4”, Tesla was actually using Supercharger V3 cabinets. This has been limiting the power output of the charging stations to 250 kW – although
Today, Tesla officially announced its “V4 Cabinet”, which the automaker claims will enable of “delivering up to 500kW for cars and 1.2MW for Semi.”
Here are the main features of the V4 Cabinet as per Tesla:
Faster charging: Supports 400V-1000V vehicle architectures, including 30% faster charging for Cybertruck. S3XY vehicles enjoy 250kW charge rates they already experience on V3 Cabinet — charging up to 200 miles in 15 minutes.
Faster deployments: V4 Cabinet powers 8 posts, 2X the stalls per cabinet. Lower footprint and complexity = more sites coming online faster.
Next-generation hardware: Cutting-edge power electronics designed to be the most reliable on the planet, with 3X power density enabling higher throughput with lower costs.
Tesla reports that its first sites with the new V4 Cabinets are going into permitting now. The company expects its first sites to open next year.
We recently reported about Tesla’s new Oasis Supercharger project, which includes larger solar arrays and battery packs to operate the charging station mostly off-grid.
Early in the deployment of the Supercharger network, Tesla promised to add solar arrays and batteries to all Supercharger stations, and Musk even said that most stations would be able to operate off-grid.
While Tesla did add solar and batteries to a few stations, the vast majority of them don’t have their own power system or have only minimal solar canopies.
Back in 2016, I asked Musk about this, and he said that it would now happen as Tesla had the “pieces now in place” with Supercharger V3, Powerpack V2, and SolarCity:
It took about 8 years, but it sounds like the pieces are now getting actually in place with Supercharger V4, Megapacks, and this new Oasis project.
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Hyundai has a new secret weapon it’s about ready to unleash. To revamp the brand in China and counter BYD’s surge, Hyundai is launching a new AI-powered EV next year. The new model will be Hyundai’s first dedicated electric car for the world’s largest EV market.
With the help of Haomo, a Chinese autonomous startup, Hyundai will launch its first EV equipped with generative AI. It will also be its first model designed specifically for China.
A Hyundai Motor official said (via The Korea Herald) the company is “working to load the software” onto the new EV model, “which will be released in the Chinese market next year.” The spokesperson added, “The level of autonomous driving is somewhere between 2 and 2.5.”
In comparison, Tesla’s Autopilot is considered a level 2 advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) on the SAE scale (0 to 5), meaning it offers limited hands-free features.
With Autopilot, you still have to keep your eyes on the road and hands on the steering wheel, or the system will notify you and eventually disengage.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 with Waymo autonomous driving tech (Source: Hyundai)
Haomo’s system, DriveGPT, unveiled last spring, takes inspiration from the OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT.
The system can continuously update in real-time to optimize decision-making by absorbing traffic data patterns. According to Haomo, DriveGPT is used in around 20 models as it looks to play a bigger role in China.
Hyundai at the Beijing Auto Show 2024 (Source: Hyundai Motor)
Hyundai hopes new AI-powered EV boosts sales in China
Electric vehicle sales continue surging in China. According to Rho Motion, China set another EV sales record last month with 1.2 million units sold, up 50% from October 2023.
Over 8.4 million EVs were sold in China in the first ten months of 2024, a notable 38% increase from last year.
Hyundai IONIQ 6 (Source: Hyundai)
BYD continues to dominate its home market. According to Autovista24, BYD accounted for 32.9% of all PHEV and EV (NEV) sales in China through September, with over half of the top 20 best-selling EV models.
Tesla was second with a 6.5% share of the market, but keep in mind these numbers only include plug-in models (PHEV).
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)
Like most foreign automakers, Hyundai is struggling to keep up with the influx of low-cost electric models in China. Beijing Hyundai’s sales have been slipping since 2017. Through September, Korean automaker’s share of the Chinese market fell to just 1.2%.
According to local reports, Hyundai is partnering with other local tech companies like Thundersoft, a smart cockpit provider, and others in China to power up its next-gen EVs
With its first AI-powered EV launching next year, Hyundai hopes to turn things around in the region quickly. The new model will be one of five to launch in China through 2026.
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