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Vässla pedal e-bike

Swedish mobility company Vässla has become well known over several years for its electric scooters and mopeds, but last year it joined the e-bike party when it launched a highly acclaimed electric bike known as the Vässla Pedal. Now the company has brought that model to the US with a combination of direct purchase and subscription plans.

The Vässla Pedal is available as a direct-to-consumer electric bike, meaning you can hop on the company’s website, click a few buttons, wave your credit card, and have a shiny new US $2,690 Scandinavian e-bike show up at your front door.

But perhaps even more interestingly, the company has embraced a subscription model as well. For as little as $109 per month, you can be rolling around on your own Vässla Pedal.

The subscription is only available in New York City, where Vässla set up its US headquarters, but founder and CEO Rickard Bröms thinks that it’s a perfect city to start:

The average speed for cars in NYC is 7.5 mph, which is half the speed of e-bikes and slower than the horse and carriage we used 200 years ag. Replacing cars, ride shares and taxis with an e-bike for short urban trips is by far the easiest way to improve CO2 emissions and noise-pollution in cities.

Anyone interested in a Scandinavian e-bike but who doesn’t call themselves a New Yorker can still enjoy getting a Vässla Pedal the old-fashioned way.

Vässla pedal

The bike’s design is both minimalist and striking, lacking exposed wires or buttons and using a single frame tube instead of a conventional front triangle.

A 250W nominal and 45 Nm rear hub motor sheds gears in exchange for a Gates carbon belt drive system. The single-speed operation won’t be ideal for ultra-hilly areas, but should work great in relatively flat cities. Modest hills can still be conquered relatively easy thanks to the electric assist.

While the EU version of the Vässla Pedal came with a 25 km/h (15 mph) top speed, the US version gets a speed boost to max out the Class 1 e-bike limit of 20 mph (32 km/h).

The 24″ wheels and unisex frame were designed to be as accessible as possible, while the lightweight setup at just 42 lb. (19 kg) makes the bike easier to lug around or carry up the stairs into an apartment. And in case you’re worried that someone will try to make off with such a fancy-looking bike, a built-in GPS tracker will keep constant tabs on the bike’s location.

“With the Pedal we have created a new type of electric bicycle,” says designer Christian Zanzotti. “The goal was to create a modern masterpiece with a high level of performance, and more inclusive than any bike on the market. The Pedal stands for the new urban era, and is an amazing product that I am very proud of.”

Vässla

The Vässla Pedal’s 5-pound (2.3 kg) removable battery offers up to 62 miles (100 km) of range on pedal assist, though higher power levels will cut into that range figure.

The bike includes a torque sensor for a more intuitive and refined pedaling experience. Hydraulic disc brakes offer strong stopping power as well as a low-maintenance solution.

Commuters will be happy to see that integrated LED lights and included fenders are both standard features.

Between the lack of gears, mechanical brakes, or a chain, there’s almost nothing to maintain other than the tires and the brake pads. Depending on how much you ride, that might mean performing maintenance just once or twice a year. Though with the subscription model, even that gets taken care of for you.

Electrek’s Take

I like the bike, but I can already tell you that reactions will be mixed. Those that understand what goes into European designed e-bikes with higher-quality parts and a focus on daily usability will see the value. Americans that for some reason think an e-bike’s price should be solely determined by its motor power will be disappointed.

For true commuters though, this seems like a good quality, nearly maintenance-free electric bike. And that subscription model is seriously enticing. Rarely can you get such a nice e-bike for barely more than a Benjamin per month. Of course you’ve got to live in NYC to enjoy that benefit, but it doesn’t seem like Vässla is going to be able to saturate that massive market too quickly.

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When will Tesla cars be capable of unsupervised full self-driving (SAE Level 5)?

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May 8, 2024

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Elon Musk outlines upcoming Tesla Full Self-Driving updates

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2 hours ago

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May 8, 2024

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Elon Musk outlines upcoming Tesla Full Self-Driving updates

Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta 10.69 barrier

Elon Musk has given an update with an outline for Tesla’s upcoming Full Self-Driving (FSD) software updates.

With FSD v12 and the upcoming launch of Tesla’s dedicated Robotaxi, there’s a lot of excitement around Tesla’s self-driving effort.

Musk is again in the too-familiar position of predicting that the automaker is close to releasing a true self-driving system, but the path to get there is still far from clear.

Now the CEO is providing some new comments on the upcoming release schedule for FSD:

“12.4 has almost completely retrained models. The final touches are for comfort, as it sometimes accelerates or brakes too fast for most people’s taste.”

Tesla FSD drivers are currently on 12.3.6 and the .4 update is expected to be a bigger step change, which Musk appears to confirm by saying that Tesla “completely retrained” the models.

The CEO recently said that Tesla is no longer constrained by training compute power after bringing more capacity online, giving the FSD team more opportunities to retrain neural nets with increasingly cleaner data.

Musk then continued about Tesla’s upcoming updates:

12.5 and 12.6 are in various stages of testing. We’re getting into rare, complex situations, for example: going down a narrow, one-way road, encountering a road closure and having to reverse out to find a new route. That closure also needs to be communicated to the rest of the fleet, so you don’t get a whole bunch of Teslas stuck down a road.

There’s no timeline for these upcoming updates beyond the fact that they are currently in internal testing, but Musk did say that v12.4 could come to the Tesla fleet as soon next week.

Electrek’s Take

Again, I’ve been impressed with v12.3.3-4. I’ve just got v12.3.6, but I haven’t had time to test it yet. I plan to do that this weekend. Also, I’ve been saying that if I start seeing decent improvements with the upcoming updates, I think I’ll start to see a clearer path to Tesla finally delivering on its promise – or at least a level 4 self-driving system.

However, as usual, when talking about FSD and especially when praising the system, I think it’s important to remind everyone that the keyword in ‘Supervised Full Self-Driving’ is ‘Supervised.’ Drivers need to remain attentive at all times and ready to take control.

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Save up to $400 on NIU electric scooters starting from $210, Anker SOLIX C800 Plus, EGO Power+ pole saw, and more

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May 8, 2024

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Save up to 0 on NIU electric scooters starting from 0, Anker SOLIX C800 Plus, EGO Power+ pole saw, and more

Headlining today’s Green Deals is the NIU Mother’s Day sale that is taking up to 46% off a selection of electric scooters, like the KQi1 Pro Electric Kick Scooter at $270. It is joined by Anker’s latest C800 Plus Portable Power Station that’s fallen back to its $499 low, as well as the EGO Power+ 10-inch Telescopic LED Cut Line Indicator Pole Saw Kit at $304. Plus, more hangover Green Deals still alive and well.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

NIU Mother’s Day sale takes up to 46% off electric scooters

NIU has launched a Mother’s Day sale that is taking up to 46% off a selection of its electric scooter models through May 19. The biggest of these discounts and subsequently the most affordable of the models (aside from one for kids) is the NIU KQi1 Pro Electric Kick Scooter for $269.98 shipped. Normally fetching $499, this model saw a handful of discounts over the last year, often to its lowest rates during major sales events, with higher rates being more long-term at other retailers like Best Buy. Most recently we saw it fall to $300 during NIU’s Earth Day sale last month, with this month’s deal coming in as an even greater 46% markdown off the going rate that beats our previous mention by $30, giving you $229 in savings and landing it at the lowest price we have tracked.

Equipped with a 250W motor (450W peak) and a 243Wh battery, the NIU KQi1 Pro can reach top speeds of 15.5 MPH with a range of 15.5 miles on a single charge and it can handle up to a 14% incline. You’ll have four riding modes to choose from (E-save, sport, custom, pedestrian) as well as a dual braking system of a front drum brake with rear regenerative braking alongside pneumatic tires with “excellent shock absorbtion.” It also features a headlight, taillight, a foldable frame, a backlit LED display, and an array of smart capabilities through the NIU app, such as allowing you to lock your scooter, check your riding statistics, and even customize your scooter’s settings.

More NIU Mother’s Day discounts:

Anker’s latest SOLIX C800 Plus Portable Power Station returns to $499 low

The official Anker Amazon storefront is offering its SOLIX C800 Plus Portable Power Station for $499 shipped, after clipping the on-page $150 off coupon. Down from its $649 price tag, this is only the third official discount since the device’s release in March, which saw a similar launch discount down to the $499 low. You can get a full rundown on what to expect from our initial launch coverage, or head below. All-in-all, you’re looking at a repeat 23% markdown off the going rate, which also matches the current discount on Anker’s website as well and returns costs to the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. You’ll also find bundle options available, with it coming with a 100W or 200W solar panel for $698 or $1,048, after clipping the on-page coupons.

The SOLIX C800 Plus sports a compact 768Wh capacity with 1,600W of power output. It can fully recharge in just 58 minutes via a wall outlet, 7.2 hours via your car, or just under three hours when paired with 300W of solar panel input. It features two water-resistant LED camping lights that have three modes to choose from: a candlelight mode that covers up to 10m², a flood light mode that covers up to 20m², and a flashlight mode that covers up to 20m² – all of them lasting up to eight hours.

The lights can be easily recharged by stowing them back inside the top of the power station’s case, and they even come with a versatile retractable pole arm that can be used as a hanger, tripod, or selfie stick when not being used to extend the camping light’s reach. To cover your other devices and appliances, you’ll have five AC ports, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and a car port. You’ll also be able to completely monitor and control its settings through the Anker SOLIX app, including enabling and disabling ports via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. You can also score the same model without the camping lights for $50 less, after clipping the on-page $150 off coupon.

EGO Power+ 10-inch Telescopic LED Cut Line Indicator Pole Saw Kit now $304

Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 10-Inch Telescopic LED Cut Line Indicator Pole Saw Kit for $304 shipped. Down from its $399 price tag, it only saw a few discounts over the last year, with four of them dropping costs to the same $299 low – the most recent being in February. Today’s deal comes in as a 24% markdown off the going rate and lands at the second-lowest price we have tracked. This 10-inch pole saw introduces an LED cut line indicator that improves visibility and accuracy when working under dark, shaded canopies and low light conditions. It’s brushless motor gives low vibrations for better control and extended life, while the 56V ARC lithium-ion battery allows it to make up to 100 cuts on a single charge. It features a telescopic carbon fiber shaft that extends out to a maximum length of 16 feet, a 10-inch bar, and 1/4-inch chain which all together can deliver smooth, precise cuts with a chain speed of 20 meters-per-second. It also has a quick-adjust handle and a shoulder strap for added comfort and control.

Spring e-bike deals!

Jackery 2000 Pro portable power station being held by handle within post for NIU electric scooter

Other new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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