Yes, I ride my electric bike with the power off. Here’s why
It might sound strange since electric bikes are known for their ability to ride faster and farther with less exertion, but I often ride my e-bike with the power turned off.
I wasn’t always this way. Especially not in the beginning. I first got into electric bicycles back around 2009. That was before it was easy to buy one, so I built one instead.
How I got into electric bikes
I wasn’t a cyclist and I wasn’t drawn to electric bikes because they were bikes. Instead, they were just a better way to get around the city. No car ownership hassles. No bus schedules. Just going.
My first e-bike didn’t even have pedal assist. It was built on a rigid Trek mountain bike with a twist throttle that unleashed 2,000 watts of power to get me flying at over 30 mph (48 km/h). Rim brakes, zero suspension, and the foolish bravery of a 20-year-old male. Oh, college.
This was a decade and a half ago, before most e-bike laws were a thing, and I had unwittingly built what was basically a DIY light electric motorcycle. That was my introduction to electric bikes. So it should come as no surprise that I wasn’t what most people would consider a cyclist.
My early years of e-biking were entirely utilitarian. E-bikes were always just a fast, efficient way to slice through the heart of a city in a fraction of time it would take a car (and with several times the amount of fun!).
But over time, the idea of pedal assist began to grow on me. I wasn’t really in search of the fitness aspect; I ran 3-5 miles a day. But I eventually discovered just how much fun pedaling could be. There was something to the idea that you weren’t on a machine, you were part of it.
Over time I became better and better at it. My cycling fitness improved (though I was by no means an athletic cyclist). I would use lower and lower levels of pedal assist power until eventually I realized that maybe I don’t even need the pedal assist. At least, not sometimes. And so I started just turning the pedal assist power off.
Pedal assist level zero became a new concept to me.
Turning off the pedal assist power
I know you might be thinking, “well then just ride a non-electric bike, ya dingbat.” And I hear you, but I don’t want that either. Because it’s not that I always ride with the bike off. In fact, I almost always have my e-bikes “on,” just with the pedal assist set to zero.
Essentially, I’ve turned off the bike’s pedal assist power. That means I’m the only thing supplying any power when I pedal. But whenever I need it, such as when trying to quickly get across a major road full of death machines with heated seats, a twist of the throttle unleashes the power of two to three highly conditioned cyclists cranking on my pedals for me. It’s a comforting safety net, and also a nice way to take the edge off if I do happen to come across a hill that is just a bit too painful for my single-speed e-bike that day.
So essentially, the “e” part of my e-bike is always there. It’s just not getting used on those rides unless I suddenly need it in a pinch.
I don’t always eschew my throttle for the duration of rides. In fact, during times when I’m still focused primarily on transportation, I’ll use higher pedal assist power levels or even purely throttle to get where I’m going quickly. I still think of my e-bikes fundamentally as forms of transportation, not fitness. That’s the way my brain is wired and it will probably never change. E-bikes are car replacers.
But the ability to take the same machine that I use to visit friends, buy groceries, or zip on over to the beach, and instead use it for fitness without any modification, is one of the coolest aspects of e-bikes.
So yes, not all of my rides are purely pizza-powered. But the ones where time isn’t of the essence often are. When I don’t need to go fast, I can enjoy going slow and doing the work myself. Just this morning my wife sent me out to buy a bottle of wine to bring to some friends hosting dinner tonight. Where’s the rush? I’m getting something I don’t understand and will undoubtedly pay too much for. Why hurry?
Instead, I dropped it into pedal assist level zero and had a lovely morning ride through a quiet city (Friday is the weekend here), all at my own pace and with my own two legs doing the work. It was so nice that I’m still coming down off of that high, which I used to immediately bang out this article.
All of this is to say that if you have an e-bike that you use purely for urban transport, then I totally understand you. That’s exactly how I started.
But over time, I learned just how much more there was to the world of e-biking than just getting around. From the mental health benefits to the physical health benefits, a slow, easy pedal ride once in a while may just be a nice way to connect with your e-bike in a manner you haven’t considered before.
Think about it.
Read more: I took the Rad Power Bikes RadMission e-bike off-roading. Here’s how it went.
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Following approval from Transport Canada, EV startup Workhorse will be bringing the W56 and W750 model electric delivery vans to commercial truck dealers in Canada as early as this spring.
Workhorse first showed its W56 medium-duty electric truck at Indiana’s Work Truck Week in 2023, and has sold the trucks to logistics and delivery companies like FedEx and Pride Group – which ordered more than six thousand of the electric vans in 2021, and continues to expand its fleet.
“This is a major step forward for Workhorse,” says Josh Anderson, Workhorse’s chief technology officer in a press statement. “Pre-clearance from Transport Canada opens up a large new market for our products throughout Canada, including with fleets that operate across borders in North America.”
As part of the approval process, Workhorse completed its registration as a foreign manufacturer under Transport Canada’s Appendix G clearance program. Transport Canada confirmed the vans’ compliance with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) for both vehicles – but it remains to be seen if and how the latest tariff-driven trade war between the Trump Administration’s US and Canada will impact Workhorse’s plans to expand throughout North America.
Despite that uncertainty, Workhorse execs remain upbeat. “We’re excited that our electric step vans can now reach Canadian roads and highways, providing reliable, zero-emission solutions that customers can depend on,” added Anderson.
Canadian pricing has yet to be announced.
Electrek’s Take
There’s no other way to say it: the Trump/Musk co-presidency is disrupting a lot of companies’ plans – and that’s especially true across North American borders. But in all this chaos and turmoil there undoubtedly lies opportunity, and it will be interesting to see who ends up on top.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Workhorse, via Electric Autonomy Canada.
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![Liebherr developing giant, 140-ton Segway-style autonomous haulers [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/operational-area-earth-moving-copy.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The new Liebherr S1 Vision 140-ton hauler is unlike any heavy haul truck currently on the market – primarily because the giant, self-propelled, single-axle autonomous bucket doesn’t look anything like any truck you’ve ever seen.
Liebherr says its latest heavy equipment concept was born from a desire to rethink truck design with a focus only on core functions. The resulting S1 Vision is primarily just a single axle with two powerful electric motors sending power to a pair of massive airless tires designed carry loads up to 131 tonnes (just over 140 tons).
The design enables rapid maintenance, as important components easily accessible for quick servicing. Wear parts can be replaced efficiently, and the electric drive significantly reduces maintenance work. This helps to minimise downtimes and increases operational efficiency.
LIEBHERR
Because of its versatility, durability, and ability to perform zero-turn maneuvers that other equipment simply can’t, the Liebherr S1 Vision can be adapted for various applications, including earthmoving, mining, and even agriculture. There’s also a nonzero chance of this technology finding applications supporting other on-site equipment through charging or fuel delivery.
The S1 accomplishes that trick safely with the help of an automatic load leveling system that ensures maximum stability, even on bumpy or rough terrain. The company says this technology significantly reduces the risk of tipping while providing smooth and secure operation across various environments.
Liebherr will show the S1 Vision at this year’s bauma equipment exhibition in Munich, Germany. The design has already been nominated for the bauma Innovation Award in the Mechanical Engineering category – and my money’s on it winning.
Electrek’s Take
This is such goofy, stupid fun that if it was wheelbarrow-sized I’d have three of them. I can’t imagine the insanity of watching one of these things roll across a job site with 100 tons of granite in the bucket – and will have nightmares about the kind of damage it could do if it flipped out like a poorly made Chinese hoverboard clone whipping a toddler across a living room … which, in fairness, would probably get a billion views on Instagram or TikTok or whatever.
I can’t wait.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Liebherr.
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The HD arm of Hyundai has just released the first official images of the new, battery-electric HX19e mini excavator – the first ever production electric excavator from the global South Korean manufacturer.
The HX19e will be the first all-electric asset to enter series production at Hyundai Construction Equipment, with manufacturing set to begin this April.
The new HX19e will be offered with either a 32 kWh or 40 kWh li-ion battery pack – which, according to Hyundai, is nearly double the capacity offered by its nearest competitor (pretty sure that’s not correct –Ed.). The 40kWh battery allows for up to 6 hours and 40 minutes of continuous operation between charges, with a break time top-up on delivering full shift usability.
Those batteries send power to a 13 kW (17.5 hp) electric motor that drives an open-center hydraulic system. Hyundai claims the system delivers job site performance that is at least equal to, if not better than, that of its diesel-powered HX19A mini excavator.
To that end, the Hyundai XH19e offers the same 16 kN bucket breakout force and a slightly higher 9.4 kN (just over 2100 lb-ft) dipper arm breakout force. The maximum digging depth is 7.6 feet, and the maximum digging reach is 12.9 feet. Hyundai will offer the new electric excavator with just four selectable options:
- enclosed cab vs. open canopy
- 32 or 40 kWh battery capacity
All HX19es will ship with a high standard specification that includes safety valves on the main boom, dipper arm, and dozer blade hydraulic cylinders, as well as two-way auxiliary hydraulic piping allows the machine to be used with a range of commercially available implements. The hydraulics needed to operate a quick coupler, LED booms lights, rotating beacons, an MP3 radio with USB connectivity, and an operator’s seat with mechanical suspension are also standard.
Like its counterparts at Volvo CE, the new Hyundai excavator uses automotive-style charging ports to take advantage of existing infrastructure at fleet depots and public charging stations. More detailed specifications, dimensions, and pricing should be announced by bauma.
Electrek’s Take
The ability to operate indoors, underground, or in environments like zoos and hospitals were keeping noise levels down is of critical importance to the success of an operation makes electric equipment assets like these coming from Hyundai a must-have for fleet operators and construction crews that hope to remain competitive in the face of ever-increasing noise regulations. The fact that these are cleaner, safer, and cheaper to operate is just icing on that cake.
SOURCE | IMAGES: HD Hyundai; via Construction Index, Equipment World.
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