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In the highly-competitive world of electric bike design, there are often originators and follow-on imitators. But when Himiway rolled out its new Pony micro e-bike a few months ago, the blurry line between imitation and inspiration seemed quite clear to JackRabbit, who alleges that Himiway ripped off the design of its popular electric micro e-bike.

JackRabbit landed on the micromobility scene around five years ago when it debuted a novel electric two-wheeler design.

Technically more of a “seated scooter” than a traditional e-bike due to the lack of pedals, the JackRabbit sports a bike-like seating posture on a shortened wheel-base and with a much more compact design.

The 24 lb (10.9 kg) weight and high maneuverability of the $999 micro e-bike rivals scooters, but the ride posture offers the comfort and stability of most e-bikes. And with a throttle-operated top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) and an airline-approved battery allowing riders to fly with the bike, the JackRabbit quickly began racking up fans around North America.

After crowdfunding success and then a subsequent second generation product release, JackRabbit has developed a large and dedicated fanbase of riders who tout the funky little ride’s extreme convenience compared to both e-bikes and e-scooters.

And so you can imagine their dismay when the JackRabbit team awoke to see what looked like a nearly identical copy of the JackRabbit unveiled as part of rival e-bike company Himiway’s 2023 product line announcement less than two months ago.

Comparing the two side by side, it’s easy to see the similarities. While many e-bikes and e-scooters seem to display convergent evolution dictated by common trends in the industry, the JackRabbit went its own way with several key design features. The extremely short wheel base with truncated box tube frame, relatively large diameter wheels (for a small ride like this), folding foot pegs, and stubby handlebars all combine to create the unique look, ride and portability for which JackRabbit has become famous.

JackRabbit (left); Himiway Pony (right)

Based on Himiway’s apparent copy of much of the design, JackRabbit announced today that it has filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California against Himiway for patent infringement and trade dress infringement. In its complaint, JackRabbit Mobility alleges that the Himiway Pony electric bike infringes the trade dress of its JackRabbit micro ebike under 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a) and infringes JackRabbit Mobility’s Design patent, No. D964,218, among other claims.

In the lawsuit, the JackRabbit team explains that they have been able to – “develop a product that, until copied by the Himiway Pony, is visually unlike any other product previously seen and that performs impressively well despite the appearance to some professionals in the bicycle industry that such a design would have performance problems. Up until now, this JackRabbit is the only vehicle that uniquely employs two 20-inch diameter wheels in a short wheelbase configuration and in which the rear wheel is electrically powered, uses fold-down foot pegs instead of operable pedals, utilizes a rectangularly shaped main frame area, and a single rear brake. Extensive ride testing and interviews occurred throughout the inventive process and for several years the JackRabbit was uniquely different from a product impression and performance standpoint.”

To be fair, I can attest to those claims from my own firsthand experience using the JackRabbit. I’ve even seen riders braver than I that have taken the micro e-bike off dirt jumps and performed other extreme stunts that I wouldn’t have believed the bike would have been capable of without seeing it in action.

Suffice it to say that the design may be unorthodox, but it has resulted in a highly capable and extremely portable little ride.

As JackRabbit’s CEO Jason Kenagy explained:

JackRabbit Mobility has taken this action today to protect and enforce its valuable intellectual property rights by bringing suit against those responsible for selling or offering to sell the Himiway Pony, which we believe infringes JackRabbit Mobility’s trade dress and Patent rights. This lawsuit seeks to stop Himiway’s infringement and provides notice to others that we will vigilantly protect our rights and will make use of any and all legal means to do so.

Electrek’s Take

I have very little legal background (i.e. none whatsoever), and so I’ll let the courts decide the final outcome here. But as a fairly well researched and longtime member of the electric bike community who perhaps stands closer than anyone else to the title of having sat on the most e-bikes, it’s quite obvious to me that JackRabbit has a strong case here.

While there are subtle differences in the two designs, most come down to the fact that the JackRabbit simply has more features. In other words, it looks like the Himiway Pony is a JackRabbit copy, but that they just didn’t finish copying some of the cooler parts like the airline-sized battery or the way the handlebars clip onto the side of the frame to fold even more compactly.

I even stated as much in my original article about the Himiway Pony’s unveiling, so surely this won’t come as a shock to anyone.

I’ll be interested to see how this case is resolved, and we’ll be sure to update when we learn more.

In the meantime, check out this video of a skilled rider doing things on a JackRabbit that make my palms sweaty.

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Mercedes-Benz unveils the new CLA Shooting Brake EV with impressive range

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Mercedes-Benz unveils the new CLA Shooting Brake EV with impressive range

The new CLA Shooting Brake is the first electric Mercedes vehicle available as an estate. It’s more spacious, more capable, and more high-tech than ever.

Meet the new Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake EV

Mercedes introduced the new CLA Shooting Brake on Tuesday, its first electric estate car. The Shooting Brake arrives as the second EV from the luxury brand’s new entry-level family of vehicles.

The electric wagon takes the best of the new CLA, which was revealed just a few weeks ago, and adds more space and capability.

It’s also bigger than the current CLA Shooting Brake, offering a more spacious interior. The new EV measures 4,723 mm in length, or 35 mm longer than the outgoing model.

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With an extended wheelbase of 2,790 mm (+61 mm), the electric version offers 14 mm more headroom and 11 mm more legroom in the front. Rear passengers gain 7 mm of headroom but lose 6 mm of legroom compared to the current model.

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Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake models (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Boot space is 455 L, which is 50 L more than the CLA sedan, but 30 L less than the outgoing Shooting Brake. However, it does include an added Frunk (front trunk) for an extra 101 L of storage space.

With all seats folded, overall storage space is 1,290 L. It also comes with standard roof rails, which Mercedes claims can easily fit surfboards or bicycles with a 75 kg (165 lbs) load capacity.

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Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake with EQ Technology (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Inside, the new Shooting Brake is nearly identical to the CLA Sedan. It features the new Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) with its fourth-gen infotainment.

The setup includes a 14″ infotainment and 10.25″ driver display screens. An extra 14″ passenger screen is available. A trim piece with star-pattern graphics replaces it if not. All three screens are powered by the latest-gen chips and graphics from Unity Game Engine.

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Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake EV interior (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Powered by the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture and an 85 kWh battery, the new Shooting Brake EV offers up to 473 miles (761 km) WLTP range.

It will be available in single and dual-motor powertrains. The base CLA 250+ Shooting Brake has 268 hp (200 kW) output and a WLTP range of up to 473 miles (761 km). Meanwhile, the dual-motor CLA 350 4MATIC Shooting Brake has combined 349 hp (260 kW) and a range of up to 454 miles (730 km).

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Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake EV interior (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

Based on its 800V architecture, the new electric estate can add 193 miles (310 km) WLTP driving range within 10 minutes. Mercedes said that should be plenty to get from Geneva to Milan or Berlin to Hamburg.

Mercedes will introduce new EV variants in early 2026, followed by a 1.5 L hybrid model. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but it’s expected to start slightly higher than the current model. The current CLA Shooting Brake starts at around €40,000 ($46,500) in Europe.

Following the new CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, Mercedes-Benz plans to launch two SUVs. Check back soon for more info on the upcoming lineup.

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U.S. moving fast to secure access to critical minerals to counter China’s dominance of market, Pentagon says

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U.S. moving fast to secure access to critical minerals to counter China's dominance of market, Pentagon says

MP Materials CEO on deal with the Defense Department

The Pentagon is taking immediate action to boost critical mineral production in the U.S. and counter China’s dominance of the supply chain for rare earth magnets, a defense official told CNBC on Tuesday.

The Defense Department last week agreed to buy a direct equity stake in MP Materials, which will make the U.S. government the miner’s largest shareholder. MP operates the only rare earth mine in the U.S. located at Mountain Pass, California, and a magnet plant in Forth Worth, Texas.

When asked whether the Pentagon is considering similar investments in other U.S. mining companies, the defense official said it is looking at opportunities to strengthen domestic critical mineral production.

“Rebuilding the critical minerals and rare earth magnet sectors of the U.S. industrial base won’t happen overnight, but DoD is taking immediate action to streamline processes and identify opportunities to strengthen critical minerals production,” official said in a statement.

Rare earths are used in weapons such as the F-35 warplane, drones and submarines among other other military platforms. The U.S. was almost entirely dependent on foreign countries for rare earths in 2023, with China representing about 70% of imports, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

MP Materials CEO James Litinsky told CNBC last week that he views the public-private partnership with the Defense Department as a model for other companies in industries that are important for national security but struggle to compete against the state-backed enterprises in China.

“I’d like to think that this is sort of the first, it’s a model,” Litinsky told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Thursday. “We have to deliver at MP and show that this is an incredible route to go. But it’s a new way forward to accelerate free markets, to get the supply chain on shore that we want.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in April that the U.S. government was looking at taking direct equity stakes in critical mineral and rare earth miners to break China’s dominance. The Trump administration is also looking at stockpiling critical minerals and creating a sovereign risk insurance fund to protect companies investments’ in federally approved projects, Burgum said at an energy conference in Oklahoma City.

The Pentagon makes long-term investments in mining, processing and refining critical minerals, the defense official told CNBC. It has invested $540 million so far to support a critical mineral and rare earth supply chain in the U.S. and allied nations, the official said.

“That is significant, and DoD will continue to such efforts in accordance with congressional appropriations and statutory authorities,” the official said.

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Crypto super PAC Fairshake reports $141 million war chest

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Crypto super PAC Fairshake reports 1 million war chest

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Fairshake, the cryptocurrency industry’s most powerful political action committee, announced Tuesday that it now holds more than $141 million in cash on hand, underscoring the sector’s growing influence as Congress takes up landmark legislation this week.

The total, which includes liquid assets like crypto, stock, and cash, reflects a surge of donations from digital asset executives and firms, including a fresh $25 million from Coinbase.

Fairshake and its two affiliated PACs — Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress — have raised $109 million since Election Day in 2024 and $52 million during just the first half of this year.

“We are building an aggressive, targeted strategy for next year to ensure that pro-crypto voices are heard in key races across the country,” said spokesperson Josh Vlasto.

Ethereum succeeded beyond anyone's expectations, says network co-founder Vitalik Buterin at EthCC

The announcement lands in the middle of what lawmakers are calling “Crypto Week” on Capitol Hill, as the House begins deliberations on a trio of long-awaited bills that would define how digital assets are regulated.

The legislation includes the dividing of oversight, setting new stablecoin rules, and a bill banning the creation of a central bank digital currency.

The crypto industry is no longer just lobbying for survival, it is shaping the political landscape. Fairshake saw nearly every candidate it backed in 2024 win their race.

“We stuck to our core strategy from Day 1,” Fairshake previously told CNBC. “We supported pro-crypto candidates and opposed those who played politics with jobs and innovation, and won.”

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How crypto and fintech may perform under the second Trump administration

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