One of the best-designed electric scooters in the world finally comes to the US
Last summer I had the chance to test out the European designed and manufactured electric scooter Äike T at its world debut launch. As one of the first-ever test riders, I didn’t quite know what to expect. But after checking it out and doing my first few parking lot donuts, I knew this would be something special. Now nearly a year later, the Äike T is finally coming to the US via a new subscription service known as Tempo.
The Äike T is one of the first partners of Tempo, a new electric mobility subscription platform led by the founder of e-scooter pioneer Scoot, Michael Keating.
The subscription service is first launching in San Francisco, but the team behind the 20 mph (32 km/h) Äike T electric scooter expect to expand further around the US in the coming year.
As part of the exclusive partnership with Tempo, Äike customers can subscribe to the company’s award-winning Äike T scooter on a month-to-month or annual basis.
When I first covered the scooter, I called it one of the best designed options on the market. And nearly a year later I still stand by that description. The Äike T is a groundbreaking electric scooter in a number of ways.
First, it is entirely developed and produced in Europe, bucking the industry trend of relying on Chinese off-the-shelf parts and assembly for nearly all other electric scooters. It is one of the only electric scooters in the world designed and built in-house, and it shows.
It was also built by the team behind Comodule, the connectivity platform that powers countless electric mobility products from e-bikes like SUPER73s to high-end CAKE electric motorcycles. That gives the Äike T industry-leading connectivity for features like GPS tracking for anti-theft as well as telemetrics that communicate between riders’ phones and their scooters.
The scooter can be locked remotely by the rider and even disabled remotely, removing any resale value in a stolen scooter (and hopefully eventually making the scooters unattractive to thieves once word gets out that they can’t be used or resold).
Riders can also control features like the regenerative braking intensity, which is used to recharge the battery and add more support to the sealed drum brakes.
Unlike disc brakes that fade when wet, the drum brakes could theoretically work just as well even submerged under water. And thanks to the waterproof design of the scooter, wet riding is entirely possible (though still not all that advisable… friction being what it is and all).
The scooter is one of only a handful on the market to include a removable battery, making it possible to swap out batteries to double a rider’s range or simply charge the battery inside while leaving the scooter locked outside or in a garage.
The 583 Wh battery is rated for around 25 miles (40 km) per charge. While that range isn’t groundbreaking by itself, the removable battery is still a rarity in this industry.
And speaking of charging, the Äike T is also the only electric vehicle in the world that can charge from a USB-C laptop charger, making it easy to top up the battery on the go even if riders didn’t bring their charger from home. Nearly any USB-C laptop charger will work, though the higher power 100W models will make the charging process quicker.
Äike CEO Kristjan Maruste explained that the US launch will hopefully help push the local e-scooter market forward:
As we kick off our North American launch in San Francisco, we think consumers will be shocked how different, and how fun, the Äike T e-scooter is compared to the mass-produced e-scooters currently flooding the U.S. market. With its sleek award winning design, user-friendly features, removable battery, and high customizability, having the Äike T now available on Tempo is an important stepping stone to converting the U.S. to high-quality electric scooters.
In terms of construction, the Äike T is built like a tank. Don’t let the elegant-looking single side-supported wheels fool you; the Äike T is rated for riders weighing up to 150 kg (330 lb.). I could stack five cases of beer on the spacious deck, sit on those to ride it, and still be under the weight limit.
That would probably work pretty well, too. The deck is designed to be wide enough to accomodate a rider with feet side-by-side, though I’m not sure why anyone would want to ride that way. Perhaps it’s because I’m used to riding electric skateboards, but having a forward and rearward point of contact on a deck just seems more stable to me so I can shift my weight while braking or accelerating. But if you like to ride your scooter like a bathroom scale, you can do it on the Äike T.
The scooter is also designed to handle potholes and rough road conditions that could shake other scooters to bits. The 11-inch wheels with automotive-style tubeless pneumatic tires and rims help to upgrade that durability and longevity. The hub motor is rated at 350W nominal, though puts out 1,000W of peak power. The top speed in the US is limited to 20 mph (32 km/h). While at the launch, I asked Maruste what the true top speed was if the scooter was unlocked. With a sly smile he replied, “Much faster.”
I don’t expect that riders will be given that option to unlock the speed, but it shows that the scooter is built to handle much more than its likely use case, meaning riders won’t have to worry about longevity. But of course that’s one of the advantages to subscription services anyway, that riders don’t have to worry about as many of the hassles of conventional ownership. They also get the chance to use higher-quality machines than they might not otherwise be able to afford to buy outright. Subscription prices for the Äike T start at US $75 per month in the US, compared to the scooter’s purchase price in Europe of between €1,400 to €2,000 (US $1,500 to $2,150), depending on the model.
Keating further expanded on the subscription model:
At Tempo, we believe we can all have freedom of movement while protecting our communities and our planet. By offering electric bikes and scooters on a subscription basis, we are opening up electric mobility to millions of new riders. To show the world how great this can be, we are launching our service with the world’s best performing, best designed, and most technologically advanced scooter: the Äike T.
Electrek’s Take
The Äike T is by far one of the nicest electric scooters I’ve ever tested, and seeing the engineering that went into its design makes it that much more beautiful, inside and out. To see it finally come stateside is an exciting day! They’re also just a really fun company that takes a huge amount of pride in their work. They even put their own employees in the marketing images. That’s the CEO in the old-timey bathing suit at the top of this article, and the head of growth in the next two pictures.
But as nice as the scooter is, the subscription model is a really cool addition to this story since most electric scooter riders aren’t chomping at the bit to lay down nearly two g’s for a scooter.
Other premium electric scooter models like Unagi have found major success with a subscription model, and it certainly makes sense in cities like San Francisco, New York, and other major metropolitan areas where so many trips can easily be completed by a scooter, yet many younger workers are living on tighter budgets stretched even thinner due to high rents and a soaring cost of living.
Here’s to hoping that we’ll see Äike expand even further around the US soon!
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We knew SUPER73 had something new coming soon based on recent teasers dropped on the e-bike brand’s social media pages. But after the big unveiling of the new SUPER73 MZFT late last week, riders and fans have seemingly been left with more questions than answers regarding the new electric two-wheeler.
SUPER73 took to the Moto Beach Classic in Orange County, California, to roll out its newest model, which had already drummed up hype for an expected new platform.
The company delivered on that promise, showcasing the MZFT with its new frame and features, including multiple battery options and locking storage under the flip-up seat. While some familiar features remain, such as the rear hub motor, wide dual-sport tires, and rigid frame/fork setup, the new platform definitely looks like a novel swing at a moped-style electric bike that stays true to SUPER73’s design legacy.
But beyond the obvious Class 2 sticker on the frame – indicating a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) and an included throttle – SUPER73 has been tight-lipped about any other specs. The result is an unveiling that has left many scratching their heads and asking, “But what is it?”.
Without any real sizing information, we’re left to speculate from the bike’s proportions. The bike certainly looks smaller than the large, rugged SUPER73 bikes that dominated the brand’s flagship lineup for years.
A photo with several young boys on the MZFT series seems to nail the target crowd, likely positioning the MZFT as a smaller, teen-friendly e-bike designed for the quickly growing teen boy e-bike market.
Many cities in the US are now home to groups of teenagers that ride e-bikes in packs. The trend has proven divisive, with some praising the electric two-wheelers for getting more youths outdoors and away from screens, while others bemoan the tendency for these ‘e-bike gangs’ to stray from strictly following the rules of the road.
For its part, SUPER73 has been relatively proactive with its response to criticism, focusing on ensuring its new models maintain street legal compliance and even pushing updates to older models that removed the ability to unlock higher speeds, even to the chagrin of much of the brand’s customer base.
If SUPER73 is targeting the tween boy crowd, it could be a shot at attracting those young riders before they get swayed over to Sur Rons and other non-street legal e-motos, instead drawing them into class-correct e-bikes that still invoke the fun moto-styling. One of the bikes in the image above even has two boys seated together, which would explain the apparent mounting point for additional pillion pegs on the rear chainstays of the frame (though no pillion pegs are visible in the photos or renderings).
For now, we can’t say for sure exactly what these MZFT e-bikes will be packing under the hood, and we will have to await more news from SUPER73 regarding sizing, performance, and other specs.
But whatever the MZFT turns out to be, SUPER73 says the bikes will be hitting retail stores on November 8th and will become available online by November 10th, so we should know significantly more by then.
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The average US new car price crossed the $50,000 mark for the first time in September, according to new estimates from Kelley Blue Book (KBB). Prices have been climbing steadily for over a year, and the pace picked up this summer – but that hasn’t stopped Americans from buying.
KBB says September’s record average transaction price (ATP) was partly driven by luxury models and EVs, which pushed the market into record territory. EVs made up an estimated 11.6% of all new vehicles sold last month, which is also a record high. The average EV sold for $58,124 – up 3.5% from August’s adjusted figure.
In Q3, EV sales hit another milestone: 437,487 EVs were sold in the US, giving them a 10.5% market share. That’s nearly a 30% jump from the same period last year. With government-backed EV incentives expiring at the end of September, many buyers hurried to lock in their purchases.
Year-over-year, the average EV transaction price is basically flat, down just 0.4%. Incentives averaged 15.3% of ATP in September, or about $8,900 per vehicle – slightly lower than August but higher than a year ago, when incentives averaged 13%.
Tesla, which continues to dominate the EV market, saw an average ATP of $54,138 in September. That’s a slight dip from August and down 6.8% from a year earlier. With Tesla recently introducing the new Standard versions of the Model 3 and Model Y, KBB expects average prices across the segment to fall in the coming months. Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, thinks the market is “ripe for disruption.”
“It is important to remember that the new-vehicle market is inflationary. Prices go up over time, and today’s market is certainly reminding us of that,” said Keating. “The $20,000 vehicle is now mostly extinct, and many price-conscious buyers are sidelined or cruising in the used-vehicle market. Tariffs have introduced new cost pressure to the business, but the pricing story in September was mostly driven by the healthy mix of EVs and higher-end vehicles pushing the new-vehicle ATP into uncharted territory.”
Read more: US EV sales smash records in August as Tesla loses ground
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It’s official. The Genesis GV70 is about to get two new electrified options, including its first hybrid and extended-range (EREV) versions.
Two new Genesis GV70 electrified SUVs are coming soon
Genesis is turning 10, and it’s planning to go all out. Hyundai gave us a look at what’s coming last month during its CEO Investor Day.
The plans include Genesis expanding with new electrified powertrain offerings, including its first hybrid and extended-range electric vehicles.
Up until now, the luxury automaker has focused on fully electric (EV) or internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. By expanding into different electrified powertrains, Genesis hopes to attract new buyers to the brand while grabbing a bigger share of the luxury market.
Genesis will launch its first hybrid in 2026, the GV80. We knew the GV70 EREV would follow shortly after, but now it’s been confirmed that a hybrid model is also set to join the lineup.
We got our first look at the Genesis GV70 EREV last week. The vehicle was parked in South Korea and appeared to be nearly identical to the current model. Aside from a tag labeling it an EREV and a massive muffler at the back, it looks about the same as the Electrified GV70.
Now, we are finally getting a glimpse of the Hybrid version. The Genesis GV70 Hybrid was also caught by HealerTV in South Korea, this time with an HEV tag.
Like the EREV, the GV70 Hybrid is still covered in camouflage, but this time, you can see the vehicle has the brand’s sport package. The optional package adds sporty exterior and interior elements, including chrome around the Crest Grille and window trim.
The vehicle is still a prototype, so it could change by the time it reaches production form. However, as the reporter points out, the GV70 Hybrid could bring a unique new look to the GV70 series.
On the side of the tire, the letters “FL” are printed, which is typically shown on Hyundai vehicles set to receive a facelift.
Genesis is expected to launch the GV70 EREV in late 2026, followed by the Hybrid version sometime in early 2027.
According to Hyundai, the EREV will have a combined driving range of over 1,000 km (620 miles). Although it still runs on an electric motor, it will feature a small gas motor that acts as a generator to charge the battery and extend the driving range.
Genesis is betting on new electrified vehicles, including EVs, hybrids, and EREVs, to drive growth. The luxury brand aims to expand into up to 20 new European markets while gaining a bigger share of the US market. By 2030, Genesis aims to sell 350,000 vehicles.
Although it had planned to only offer fully electric vehicles from 2030, Genesis backed off on its commitment. Instead, it will use hybrids and EREVs as a bridge to an all-electric future.
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