The discount, announced as a form of “credit” provided by the company, was said to be available for the next 1,000 customers who put down a $500 deposit.
Those bikes would be slated for Q4 2023 deliveries.
A week after announcing the discount, SONDORS now says that all of the credits have been used up.
The fire sale seems to have created quick demand, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. $4,000 can get you a pretty nice 20 mph (32 km/h) electric bicycle, so a highway-capable electric motorcycle for the same price sounds quite enticing.
But the surprise discount fueled more than just quick demand. It also created significant speculation about the company’s financial standing. After the company filed for an IPO late last year and revealed a less than rosy financial report, SONDORS has since postponed the planned IPO.
The $2,500 Metacycle discount was seen by many as a way to shore up some quick demand, though it would have only resulted in an immediate cash infusion of US $500,000 from the reservation deposits. Once the bikes are produced, that would turn into $US 4 million.
The company has long operated on a presale model, where deposits or full presale amounts are used to fund production of each successive round of bikes. The model is commonly used in the electric bicycle industry, but SONDORS has relied on its e-bike roots to bring the model into the e-moto world.
SONDORS has been ramping up deliveries of its Metacycle, which was first unveiled in early 2021. The bike had a rocky rollout after suffering from production delays and surprise design changes.
The Metacycle, despite failing to deliver on some of its loftier original promises, has proven itself to be a capable urban commuter bike that is still fast enough for short jaunts at highway speeds.
The maximum claimed range of 80 miles (130 km) is only achievable at slower city speeds, but mixed ranges of 40-50 miles (64-80 km) with combined city and limited highway riding have been reported by riders. That’s not going to make this into a touring bike, but should be sufficient for most commuters.
I took the bike on one of its first public review rides (see my video review below) and found it to be a fun and nimble ride. I’d gladly own and ride it as a commuter bike, and I’d recommend it for that use case. My testing showed that the bike felt like the perfect upgrade for someone that comes from an electric bicycle background and is ready to upgrade to a motorcycle.
The scooter-style setup with modest power and acceleration as well as dual hand brake levers makes the bike easy to ride for newcomers to motorcycles. Yet, it still has fun performance that you can’t get from a typical electric bicycle.
The Metacycle became one of the first low-cost light electric motorcycles to hit the market in the US, but will soon face competition from other models.
The CSC RX1E is said to be arriving in the US in April, and the folks at RYVID are surely hoping to take their own significant slice of the light electric motorcycle pie when the RYVID Anthem bike launches sometime later this year.
In the meantime though, the Metacycle is largely the only low-cost light electric motorcycle in town.
Electrek’s Take
I don’t have any other information on SONDORS’ financial situation other than what I’ve reported on, but the rapid pre-sale of 1,000 bikes with a price tag lower than even the promotional launch price doesn’t imply a strong position.
That being said, I’m seriously rooting for SONDORS and I hope that this can help launch the Metacycle even further. While it’s no sport bike, I will always praise the Metacycle’s innovative design and accessible price. The bike works well, is fun to ride and has the serious potential to bring commuter/recreational e-motorcycle riding to so many more people than would have been possible before.
So let’s hope this works, because for all its faults, the Metacycle is here. It rides. And we need more things like it.
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The Kia EV4 will be “delayed until further notice” in the US, according to a Kia rep and reported by InsideEVs. Kia said the change is because “market conditions for EVs have changed.”
The EV4 was expected to be released in 2026 at a price in the ~$30k range, entering Kia’s model like alongside the existing EV3 as the smaller, more affordable electric models below the EV6 and EV9. The EV4 will have the style of a boxy sedan, while the EV3 is a small SUV.
The EV3 is already available in Korea, Europe and other territories, but has not made it to the US (and may not ever).
Bringing that car to a US auto show with an official reveal suggested that the US would get access to this smart, more affordable Kia. And Kia said that the car would hit US roads in early 2026, which would have been just a few months from now.
Kia abruptly “delays” EV4’s introduction to the US
But now, a Kia rep has confirmed that the car won’t come to America after all, at least until further notice. Kia gave a statement to InsideEVs, saying:
“Kia’s full range of vehicles offers meaningful value and inspiring performance to customers. However, as market conditions for EVs have changed, the release of the upcoming EV4 electric sedan will be delayed until further notice.”
We reached out to Kia to confirm, and received the same statement back.
The reversal is a bit of a surprise, and we’re not sure why we’re hearing this today in particular. Heck, we wrote a story about the EV4 GT’s interior just a couple hours ago.
So, unfortunately it looks like Americans will have one less potential choice to get away from the land-yacht disease currently infecting our populace. For what it’s worth, the EV4 is still listed as “coming 2026” on Kia Canada’s website.
We’ve seen models get delayed suddenly before, and while Kia did not directly say that the model will never come to the US, the fate of other “delayed” EV models in the past does not give us significant hope. Usually, a “delay” like this ends up meaning that the car just won’t ever make it to US roads (see: VW ID.7, Gen 2 Kia Soul EV, Ram 1500 EV, and others).
While Kia did not state a specific reason for the reversal, it’s not hard to guess what some of the influences are.
Electrek’s Take – EV4 likely delayed due to US policy changes favoring higher costs, dirty air
Many companies have recently cited a claimed but not substantiated lack of EV demand in the US as reasons for delaying their EV ambitions. To be clear, EVs have seen a long string of consistent sales growth in the US, stretching back more than a decade (with only a few interruptions to that growth, the largest being the start of COVID).
But this likely drop in demand is hitting right around the same time the EV4 was supposed to launch in the US, so it’s not unreasonable for Kia to look at a market in a temporary downswing, especially when considering all the other factors laid out above (and the country’s current hostility to foreign investment, specifically investment from Kia’s partner company Hyundai), and wonder why they’ve gotten cold feet right now of all times.
While Kia didn’t lay out these reasons above in its statement, it sure seems likely that each of them could have had an effect on this decision.
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New data from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) shows that the US solar supply chain has been fully reshored, with manufacturing capacity growing across every part of the solar and storage sector.
A US solar system from start to finish
With Hemlock’s new ingot and wafer facility coming online in Q3 2025, the US can now produce every major solar component domestically, from polysilicon to modules. According to SEIA, 65 new or expanded solar and storage factories have come online this year, bringing $4.5 billion in private investment to US communities.
However, SEIA warns that more than 100 factories and $31 billion in the pipeline could be at risk if the Trump administration continues its attacks on solar energy.
Solar manufacturing is booming – for now
The SEIA Solar & Storage Supply Chain Dashboard reports major capacity growth across every segment since late 2024. As of October 2025, US module production capacity has surpassed 60 gigawatts (GW), a 37% increase from December 2024. Solar cell production has more than tripled, jumping from 1 GW to 3.2 GW.
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Battery cell manufacturing for stationary storage has climbed to over 21 gigawatt-hours (GWh), which SEIA says is enough to power the city of Houston from sunset to sunrise.
“This growth is a testament to the power of American innovation,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO. “We’re building factories, hiring American workers, and showing that solar energy means made-in-America energy.”
Inverter manufacturing, which converts solar power into usable electricity, has jumped nearly 50% since the end of 2024, rising from 19 GW to 28 GW of capacity. Mounting system production is also up 14%, with 23 new factories added since 2024.
A pipeline under political threat
The US solar pipeline remains strong, with 23 GW of new module capacity, 34 GW of cell capacity, 25 GW of inverter capacity, and 95 GWh of battery cell capacity either under construction or announced. But SEIA says that Trump administration policies, regulations, and trade actions are creating uncertainty that could hurt progress.
“We’re seeing strong growth today, but that momentum isn’t guaranteed,” Hopper said. “If the administration continues down this path, they risk driving investment overseas, stifling job creation, raising costs on consumers, and handing America’s manufacturing advantage to our competitors.
“If the administration does not reverse its harmful actions that have undermined market certainty, energy costs will rise even further, and the next wave of factories and jobs could be at risk.”
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Kia’s electric hot hatch will be here before you know it. After getting a sneak peek of the EV4 GT’s interior for the first time, it looks a bit familiar.
First look at the Kia EV4 GT’s interior
Kia’s bringing the hatchback back in style. The EV4 is Kia’s first all-electric hatchback, also available as a sedan or fastback.
Although it’s already pretty cool-looking with Kia’s new design elements like the Digital Tiger Face grille, Star Map Lighting, and aggressive stance, the GT version promises even more style, performance, and fun features.
Kia revealed the electric hot hatch for the first time earlier this week, showcasing its new GT Wrap. The new foil design “infuses models in development with the energy and attitude that define Kia’s GT production models.”
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By reimagining the Gran Turismo for a new generation of drivers, Kia said it’s bridging the gap between its heritage and future innovation. The GT Wrap will be used for a new generation of Kia performance vehicles. It still features the signature neon color, which has become a “symbol of electricity,” Kia said.
Now, we are getting our first look at the interior. The video from HealerTV offers a closer look at the EV4 GT’s interior, free of camouflage.
Right off the bat, you can see this is clearly a Kia GT. It has about the same setup as the EV9 GT and EV6 GT, including the steering wheel, infotainment, and seat design.
Kia EV9 GT interior (Source: Kia)
The EV4 GT’s interior is essentially a blend of the regular EV4 and the EV9 GT. One slight difference is that the GT’s armrest has storage space rather than just a flat surface.
The back seats also look about the same as Kia’s other GT models. It appears to include ambient lighting on the door panel and back of the driver’s seat, like the EV9 GT.
Kia EV4 GT prototype with “GT Wrap” design (Source: Kia)
Although it has similar features, HealerTV noted that the EV4 GT still has a unique interior and decent design, which should help differentiate it. According to Autocar, which saw it firsthand, the interior “received a significant makeover” with lower-sitting seats, neon green accent colors throughout, and an added GT Mode button on the steering wheel.
Like Kia’s other GT vehicles, the electric hot hatch will be equipped with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive (AWD) powertrain with around 400 horsepower.
The EV4 GT will launch in 2026, joining the EV6 GT and EV9 GT in Kia’s expanding performance EV lineup. Looking ahead, the EV3 and EV5 are also in line for a GT upgrade.
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