Velotric Nomad 1 review: A UL-listed fat tire electric bike for dirty adventures
The first thing I noticed about the Velotric Nomad 1 was the screaming yellow color (technically called “Mango”). But the second thing, and perhaps more important, was just how much fun the bike is to take off-road where the asphalt ends and the adventures begin.
Technically there are several nice colors, but I instantly fell in love with this bright Mango colorway that feels both fun and like a nod towards safety via high-visibility. But of course an e-bike is more about performance than looks, so let’s dig into just how well this e-bike works.
Take a gander at my video review below if you want to see it in action, or keep on reading for my complete thoughts.
Velotric Nomad 1 Video Review
Veloric Nomad 1 tech specs
- Motor: 750 W continuous-rated rear geared hub motor (1,200W peak)
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle and pedal assist
- Range: Up to 55 mi (88 km)
- Battery: 48V 14.4Ah (691 Wh) frame-integrated, removable
- Charge time: 6 hours
- Max load: 440 lb (200 kg)
- Weight: 73 lb (33 kg)
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, 180 mm rotors
- Extras: Backlit LCD display with speedometer, tripmeter/odometer, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, left side thumb throttle, included front and rear fenders, optional rear rack, integrated headlight and tail lights, kickstand
Safety meets performance
First of all, let’s talk safety. The Velotric Nomad 1 has UL certification for both the bike itself and the battery.
That not only provides extra peace of mind for owners, but also is an increasingly important consideration as more areas consider bans on e-bike sales for non UL-certified models.
And like I mentioned above, while there are many other attractive color options, the bright yellow paint job makes the bike harder to ignore by drivers. Combined with front and rear LED lighting, that’s another key factor in safety and visibility.
But beyond mere appearances, let’s talk shop. With 1,200W of peak power and a set of fat tires, this e-bike is built to take it to the dirt just as well as it can handle commuting on the streets.
There’s nothing terribly special about the tires, they’re commonly available CST BFT 26 x 4.0 fat tires. But they certainly get the job done, as I experience on a combination of sand and dirt, as well as some fun excursions on mulched nature trails.
I also really like the included fenders for keeping all that sand, dirt, and mulch off of my back and the front of my jeans, which isn’t always a given in off-road e-bikes. But since the Velotric is one of those world-colliding e-bikes designed for the tarmac and the turf, the fenders are a nice touch. And they aren’t cheap dinky fenders either, like many fat tire e-bikes unfortunately use. These are well supported fenders that do their job without flopping around.
As usual, I’m guilty of using too much throttle when I get off-road, as it is hard to resist treating the Nomad 1 like a dirt bike and throttling over little hops and bumps.
The 750W rear hub motor is happy to dish out that power all day, and the siren’s call of that thumb throttle is like music to my ears. The left side thumb throttle setup has never been my favorite, as I’m more of a half-twist right side throttle man myself. But when in Rome, I can make do.
Despite enjoying throttle riding a bit too much, I always try to get in some good pedal assist testing as well. Without a torque sensor, the Nomad 1 has to rely on a more basic cadence sensor for pedal assist. It seems to work fine, minus the telltale lag when you try to get rolling. It’s especially important to remember to downshift before stops when you only have a cadence sensor, as getting rolling in high gear with fat tires while you wait for the electric assist to kick in is a real doozy.
So I’ll ding the Nomad 1 there, as I have to for any cadence sensor-based pedal assist e-bike. Torque sensors are just so much nicer, and I miss them when they aren’t there.
But the lack of a torque sensor surely helped Velotric bring the Nomad 1 in at a reasonable price, which is currently the sale price of $1,499.
That’s an attractive price for a UL-listed fat tire e-bike with 1,200W of power and a set of nice features like front suspension, grippy hydraulic disc brakes, 8-speed Shimano transmission, full fender set, LED lighting, and a large nearly 700 Wh battery.
One more addition that I would have loved to see would be a rear rack included as standard equipment, but you can always add that $69 component yourself if you need the storage. Mounts for a front rack seen on either side of the head tube imply that you could almost turn this thing into a cargo bike if you needed to.
But to me, I still think the Velotric Nomad 1 finds it true home in the overlap between commuter and adventure bike. Most people aren’t like me with a storage room full of e-bikes. Most people have to settle on a single model, and so to have a bike that feels good in the bike lane yet can still handle a fun trail ride is a major advantage, and that’s exactly what the Nomad 1 seems to offer.
This isn’t a high-end electric bike, don’t make any mistake. You’ll find much higher quality with bike shop bikes like a Trek, Specialized, or other several thousand dollar e-bikes. But at under $1,500 for a great performing e-bike, I’d say this is more than fair. Bigger names will charge you more for less bike, and they don’t even come with the safety certification of the Nomad 1.
So to wrap this review up in a sentence, I’d say the Velotric Nomad 1 is a great budget offering that can get you out on a safe, fun adventure (or a normal boring cruise to the coffee shop) without breaking the bank.
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Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.
To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.
Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back
Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:
Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.
Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.
Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.
Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”
Permitting: Germany sets the standard
Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.
If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.
Grid connections: a growing crisis
Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.
This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.
Electrification: falling behind
Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.
More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist
On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.
Investments and corporate interest
Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.
Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs.
Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.
What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far
We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.
BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.
The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.
BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.
To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).
BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).
Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.
Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT
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