Velotric Thunder 1 launched as fast, lightweight urban e-bikes with torque sensors
Velotric is back with a brand-new electric bike design, this time focusing on a lightweight city ride. The new Thunder line actually comes in two variants, the Velotric Thunder 1 and the Thunder 1 ST.
Both bikes are streamlined, efficient pedal assist e-bikes designed to be both easy on your back and easy on your wallet. At just 36 lb. (16 kg), the Thunder 1 and Thunder 1 ST are practically featherweights in the budget e-bike industry and come with very little extra heft.
But that doesn’t mean that Velotric didn’t pack in extra features.
Both bikes include hydraulic disc brakes with adjustable brake levers, torque sensors for highly responsive pedal assist, 8-speed transmissions, automatically activating LED headlights, thru-axle hubs for higher strength and ruggedness, and internally routed cables running through the triple-butted 6061 aluminum frame.
The Thunder 1 also has a few fancier features that aren’t included in the slightly smaller Thunder 1 ST. The former has built-in GPS tracking for anti-theft, which works with the Velotric app to locate a stolen or misplaced e-bike. The app enables other features too such as ride tracking, and the bike also comes with fingerprint unlocking, automatic rider recognition, and compatibility with an optional range extender battery accessory for 50% more battery range.
While the Thunder 1 ST doesn’t have the same level of built-in anti-theft features, it does include Apple’s Find My integration, which works just like a built-in AirTag to find the bike if it wanders away. It only works in areas where people have Apple products such as iPhones, but that basically covers every urban area of the world.
If you plan on getting your bike stolen in the middle of a forest, you might want to opt for the Thunder 1’s GPS tracking. For anyone that lives and rides around people though, either model should be fairly easy to track if it goes missing.
As far as the drivetrain, both models share a 350W continuous and 600W peak-rated hub motor that gets powered by a built-in 352 Wh battery.
The Thunder 1 ST has a rated range of 50 miles (80 km), while the Thunder 1 has a higher range of 70 miles (112 km). There’s no throttle, but the five different levels of pedal assist along with the torque sensor and 8-speed derailleur should give riders plenty of pedaling options.
The top speed out of the box is 20 mph (32 km/h), which keeps the bike designated as a Class 1 e-bike. There’s an unlock option that can boost the top speed to 25 mph (40 km/h), which puts riders in Class 3 territory (and probably shaves a bit off the range).
The bikes don’t come with racks or fenders, but those will apparently become available from Velotric as add-on accessories.
The Thunder 1 has 700 x 38c tires while the Thunder 1 ST inexplicably has slightly wider 700 x 40c tires.
The Thunder 1 ST is launching at $1,499 and is available in sizes S and M, while the Thunder 1 carries a slight premium putting it at $1,799 and is available in sizes M and L. The former comes in a neutral Sand color as well as a vibrant Lava orange. The latter’s color options are a bit less in your face with a soft Frozen Blue gradient and a grayscale Crystal Black.
Electrek’s Take
If you aren’t a pedal assist fan, then these aren’t the bikes for you. I know a lot of American readers are “throttle or nothing, thank you very much.” But I’ve come to really appreciate pedal assist e-bikes for their lighter, more efficient designs, and so I love what I see here.
This looks like a slick frame and a nice collection of parts, including the hydraulic brakes and torque sensor. I wish the fenders and rear rack were included, but at least the bikes are built to accept them as accessories.
That GPS tracking is a HUGE deal, though even the Apple Find My integration is awesome. I’ve come to love AirTags for tracking all of my stuff, so the ability to have an AirTag’s guts essentially integrated as part of the bike is awesome.
Lastly, I’m head over heels for that Lava color. I know I went a bit overboard with my love for the bright yellow Mango color when I reviewed the Velotric Nomad 1 fat tire adventure bike, but I’m going to do it again here. The bright orange Lava is just a great look for a bike like this. Not only is it fun to have bright and expressive colors on bikes, but I also consider it a safety feature for being noticed by drivers on the road.
All in all, I’d say Velotric nailed it with the new Thunder 1 series. I’m looking forward to testing these bikes out myself, and I’ll be sure to let you know if they ride as good as they look.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Trump halts wind projects, including Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Dominion stock drops 5%
Thanks to a clever, fully electric swing system and “boom up” power assist features, the big PC365-11 hybrid excavator from Komatsu promises better performance and serious fuel savings compared to conventional diesel machines.
Komatsu says its PC365-11 hybrid excavator uses a “boom-up” power assist feature that captures and stores kinetic energy during different operation cycles, then taps into that power to provide an extra energy boost when needed. The result is 15% more productivity and a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency when compared to non-hybrid excavators in ~40 ton class.
“The PC365LC-11 was engineered for excellence in multifunction applications by leveraging its innovative electric powertrain system to boost job site productivity while reducing fuel consumption,” says Matthew Moen, Komatsu’s product manager. “To highlight these performance enhancements, we’re emphasizing the concept of ‘multifunction plus’ as the defining feature of this machine.”
How it works
Komatsu’s hybrid system replaces the conventional hydraulic swing function with a fully electric swing motor that draws power from an ultracapacitor (as opposed to a battery) energy storage unit. As excavator slows or stops swinging, something like a regenerative braking system captures the kinetic energy that would normally be lost as heat and stores it in the capacitor. Once there, the stored energy can be quickly released to power the swing motor or assist the engine, delivering up to an extra 70 hp when needed to support heavy lifting or digging cycles.
And, thanks to Komatsu’s proprietary software, all of this energy capture and reuse happens automagically during normal work, without the need for external charging. The fuel savings happen because removing the hydraulic load from the ICE engine allows it to run at an ultra-low idle, while the productivity comes from the greater power and overall speed of the electric operations vs. conventional hydraulics.
Electrek’s Take
Trust me when I tell you that Komatsu didn’t wake up one day and decide to build a capacitor-based hybrid crane. One of their customers had the idea and came to them, promising orders. That’s what Komatsu does – from undersea remote control dozers to lunar mining rigs (above), if you bring Komatsu an order, they will absolutely find a way to fill it.
As for PC365-11 hybrid excavator, it’s packed with clever tech, overall – offering significant fuel, emissions, and TCO reductions without dramatically changing the operational logistics of an existing fleet’s operations. That’s all the sales pitch it needs.
SOURCE: Komatsu, via Equipment World.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
For serious fleet buyers, safety isn’t a “nice-to-have,” it’s an absolute must – and Kia’s new PV5 electric van meets that need with a positively stellar, five-star safety rating on the tough European NCAP safety test.
The new “do-it-all” Kia PV5 showed strong performance across a number of key safety categories, including Occupant Protection, Safety Assist/Crash Avoidance, and Post-Crash Safety. The PV5’s robust suite of standard ADAS technologies that includes AEB, Lane Support System, and Speed Assistance System also helped the new electric work van to deliver top marks in the NCAP’s “real world” test scenarios.
“The PV5 opens a new chapter in practical, electrified mobility, offering generous space and modular versatility for everyday use,” explains Sangdae Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the (relatively) new PBV Business Division at Kia. “Achieving the top Euro NCAP five-star rating is clear validation of its safety performance and will serve as strong momentum as Kia expands its PBV lineup across Europe.”
The Euro NCAP tests highlighted the strong performance of a number of the PV5’s ADAS features, specifically calling out the following:
- Demonstrated strong responsiveness in vehicle-to-vehicle scenarios
- Provides additional protection for pedestrians behind the vehicle
- Avoided collisions in most pedestrian and cyclist test cases
The Kia PV5 slots into familiar territory for US buyers, landing roughly in the same size class as the Ford Transit Connect or Ram ProMaster City, with ~180 cubic feet of interior cargo space available, which is plenty to make it attractive for last-mile delivery and trade work in tight urban markets.
Globally, the PV5 is offered with a number of battery options, including a smaller 43.3 kWh Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) pack, as well as larger Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NCM) packs at 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh. The longest-range versions are good for about 250 miles of estimated range – more than enough for Kia to make a case for it as a practical, city-focused alternative to much larger (and pricier) electric vans.
Larger vans, by the way, that may not have that 5 star Euro NCAP rating.
Kia PV5
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kia; photo by Scooter Doll.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024