I’ve seen some big batteries in my day, but nothing prepared me for the monstrosity of a 60Ah battery hidden in the frame of the Aniioki A8 Pro Max. If you want a super-long-range electric bike, this is the type of battery you’ll want.
This 48V 60Ah battery manages to stuff in 2,880 Wh of energy when fully charged. To put that into perspective, an average electric bike these days has around 600-700 Wh of capacity, and we generally call anything with 1,000 Wh “long range.”
So when you come in with nearly triple the capacity of a traditionally large battery, you’ve pretty much put yourself in an entirely new category of extra-super-duper-long-range e-bikes.
Meet that new category of e-bikes, population: Aniioki A8 Pro Max.
Aniioki A8 Pro Max video review
Aniioki A8 Pro Max tech specs
Motor: 1,000W (1,400W peak) geared hub motor
Top speed: 51.5 km/h (32 mph)
Average Range: Up to 320 km (200 mi) on pedal assist
Battery: 48V 60Ah (2,880 Wh)
Charge time: 7-8 hours
Max load: 158 kg (350 lb.)
Weight: 46 kg (101 lb.)
Suspension: Hydraulic suspension fork and dual rear spring shocks
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, 180 mm rotors
Extras: LCD display with speedometer, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, odometer, tripmeter, front/rear LED lighting with brake lights, included rear rack, included fenders, adjustable height saddle, keyless start with remote key fob, kickstand
The Aniioki is trying to be a lot of things. First of all, what’s with that name? It almost sounds like a play on the famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley, though that might be giving too much American history credit to a company that seems to be another one of these Asian import e-bike brands that tend to spring up overnight.
And when we take a deeper look at the bike itself, it seems to go in a number of directions. On the one hand, the ultra-long-range battery and the 1,400W motor start to push it toward the moped category. The 32 mph (51.5 km/h) top speed and the 20″ fat tires also help support that moped classification.
The dual suspension design adds a bit of a more premium feel to the bike, and the adjustable saddle gives us something most mopeds don’t: a prayer at actually fitting a wider range of rider heights while feeling marginally pedalable.
To set realistic expectations though, you should know that I’m rather short at 5’7″ (170 cm), and I still had the seat up at its highest position. So while I commend Aniioki for having an adjustable seat on a moped-style e-bike, don’t think that you’re going to be able to set it up for a super-tall person. That isn’t in the cards.
So the design of the bike is certainly a bit of a mashup, but they seem to land it fairly well. It’s a heavy bike, so don’t be mistaken there. At just over 100 lb. (46 kg), this sucker is one of the heaviest e-bikes I’ve ever ridden. But it’s also the longest range e-bike I’ve ridden and has the biggest battery, and so weight comes with the territory. In fact, that battery alone is just over 30 lb. (13.6 kg), so you’re lugging around a lot of poundage in battery cells.
But if you want to go fast and far, this is the e-bike for you. The top speed is just over 30 mph, and I was able to get it up to brief peaks of 32 mph, which is pretty darn fast for an electric bicycle. Most fast e-bikes will drain through their batteries quickly, since going fast takes a lot of power. But with this massive battery between your knees, you can actually sustain those higher speeds for longer periods of time.
They claim a 200-mile range (320 km) on pedal assist and a more modest 110-mile range (177 km) on throttle only, though I’m sure that throttle range is at lower speeds. You won’t bang out 110 miles while traveling at 32 mph, that’s for sure.
The rest of the bike has some nice features, from the full suspension to the hydraulic disc brakes. The suspension makes for a smooth ride and it actually works well. Some e-bikes have stiff or super springy suspension, but the Aniioki A8 Pro Max seems to be fairly comfortable, eschewing the ultra cheap suspension in favor of something that works decently. And those hydraulic brakes use 180 mm rotors that are quite thick, which is exactly what I want to see on such a heavy and fast e-bike.
But there was one issue with the front brake that I never could get to go away: It won’t stop singing to me.
No matter how much I adjust the brakes, the front still resonates like a wine glass. I’ve tightened the rotor. I’ve aligned the caliper. I’ve used multiple disc brake cleaners. I’ve tried repeated full power braking from high speed. I can often get it to go away for a few minutes, but then the singing brake rotor eventually comes back. It’s a mystery that is driving me nuts.
Singing brake rotor aside, there are other nice features included that still score a few points with me, like the included rack and fenders as well as the nice LED light package with a big motorcycle-style headlight and rear tail/brake lights.
There’s even a 7-speed transmission, not that I spent that much time pedaling the bike. With this much power (and on such a heavy bike), I think most people will just ride it like a motorbike and make ample use of the throttle. But if you ever get stuck with a low battery or just want to get some exercise, the shifter will allow you to dial in your pedal cadence for a better pedaling experience.
But then again, there’s another problem with pedaling this heavy e-bike. The pedal assist is somehow both laggy and jumpy. When you start pedaling, there’s a solid second or two until the pedal assist power kicks in, which is quite noticeable on a 100 lb. bike. But then if you’re already using pedal assist and decide to increase the power level, such as from level 2 to 3, the power instantly rockets up and you’d better be holding on. Some e-bikes have jumpy pedal assist, and others can be laggy. But I rarely see an e-bike that has both qualities at once. Bravo, Aniioki, I guess?
So what’s the summary?
Let’s bring this review to a close and tie everything up in a nice, neat bow. There’s a lot to like here. The Aniioki is fast and powerful, yet still comfortable with that full-suspension. The seat is nicely adjustable and of course there’s that long range from the massive battery. But it’s a heavy e-bike that doesn’t have great pedal assist, and there are a few fit and finish issues that leave me a bit disappointed (such as that brake rotor that won’t stop singing to me).
So all told, for $1,999, you’re getting a pretty nice little bicycle-shaped electric motorbike. Just don’t expect to turn this into a true pedaling e-bike, or you’ll be disappointed. For those that just want to fly, the Aniioki A8 Pro Max will help you soar with long-lasting wings, that’s for sure.
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Texas-based tuning firm Vigilante 4×4 is known for its wild, high-horsepower Jeep SJ Hemi restomods – but they’re more than just a hot rod shop. To prove it, they’ve developed a bespoke, all-electric skateboard chassis designed to turn the classic Jeep Grand Wagoneer into a modern, desirable electric SUV.
The scope of the Vigilante 4×4 electric chassis project is truly impressive. More than just a Jeep SJ frame with an electric drive train bolted in, the chassis is a completely fresh design that utilizes precise 3D scans of the original SJ Wagoneers, Grand Wagoneers, and J-Trucks to establish hard points, then fitted with low-slung battery packs to give the electric restomods superior weight balance, a lower center of gravity, and objectively improved ride and handling compared to its classic, ICE-powered forefathers.
The result is a purpose-built platform that delivers power to the wheels through a dual-motor system – one mounted in the front, and one at the rear – to provide a permanent, infinitely variable four-wheel drive system that offers both on-road performance and the kind of off-road capability that made the Grand Wagoneer famous in the first place.
Vigilante 4×4 electric Jeep SJ
“This isn’t a replacement for our Vigilante HEMI offerings,” reads the official copy. “It’s a total revisit of the Vigilante platform under electric power.”
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The company emphasizes that its new chassis is still in the prototype stages. As such, there are no specs, there is no pricing, there are no range estimates. Despite it all, the response from Jeep enthusiasts has already been strong. “Keep in mind this is our first prototype,” a spokesperson said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done – but the journey has begun.”
Electrek’s Take
Electric SJ chassis; Vigilante 4×4.
Retro done wrong – think the Dodge Charger Daytona EV or VW ID.Buzz – is a disaster. Always. If that nostalgic tone is just a little bit off, the song doesn’t work. The heartstrings don’t pull. Done right, however, the siren song of nostalgia will have you putting a second mortgage on your house to put a Singer Porsche or ICON Bronco in your garage.
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EQORE, a distributed battery storage startup based in Somerville, Massachusetts, has raised $1.7 million in seed funding to help industrial buildings tackle rising electricity costs. The round was oversubscribed and includes backing from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Henry Ford III of Ford Motor Company, and Jonathan Kraft of The Kraft Group.
The timing couldn’t be more relevant. Data centers are booming, and that demand is slamming an already stressed grid. Big, utility-scale batteries help at the grid level, but they can’t fix the bottlenecks happening on local distribution networks. That’s where onsite storage steps in — storing energy when demand is low and discharging it when demand spikes, which helps stabilize costs for both the grid and the businesses using it.
MassCEC’s head of investments, Susan Stewart, said, “What excites us the most about EQORE’s technology is the dual impact: grid support and customer savings.” She noted that commercial and industrial buildings are ideal hosts for battery storage, but haven’t gotten much attention until now. “EQORE is closing that gap.”
Investor Randolph Mann highlighted what makes the company stand out: “By uniting advanced controls with high‑resolution metering and true end‑to‑end service, EQORE finally makes commercial behind-the-meter storage effortless and financially compelling for businesses.”
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EQORE comes out of MIT’s Sandbox program and delta v accelerator and is currently part of the Harvard Climate Entrepreneurs Circle incubator. CEO and cofounder Valeriia Tyshchenko, a third‑generation engineer from Ukraine and MIT graduate, said the new funding will help the company scale alongside its existing revenue.
With the seed round closed, EQORE plans to grow its team and ramp up battery deployments at energy-intensive manufacturing facilities. The company doesn’t just install batteries; it operates them. Its autonomous software shifts when a facility uses power based on market conditions and utility incentives, reshaping load in real-time without disrupting operations.
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Hyundai took the sheets of its new off-road electric SUV, the Crater Concept, at the LA Auto Show. Here’s our first look at the compact off-roader.
Meet Hyundai’s new off-road SUV, the Crater Concept
We knew it was coming after Hyundai teased the off-road SUV earlier this week, hidden under a drape. Hyundai took the sheets off the Crater Concept at the LA Auto Show on Thursday, giving us our first real look at the rugged off-roader.
Hyundai refers to it as a compact off-road SUV that’s inspired by extreme events. The concept was brought to life at the Hyundai America Technical Center in Irvine, California.
The off-road SUV draws design elements from Hyundai’s Extra Rugged Terrain (XRT) models, such as the IONIQ 5 XRT, Santa Cruz XRT, and the new Pallisade XRT Pro.
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Although it’s a concept, Hyundai said the Crater Concept is a testament to its commitment to designing future XRT vehicles that are more functional, more capable, and more emotional.
The Hyundai Crater off-road SUV Concept (Source: Hyundai)
“CRATER began with a question: ‘What does freedom look like?’ This vehicle stands as our answer,” Hyundai’s global design boss, SangYup Lee said.
The off-road SUV features Hyundai’s new Art of Steel design theme, first showcased on the THREE concept at the Munich Motor Show in September.
The Hyundai Crater Concept (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai said the design team was guided by one clear goal: To create a rugged and capable vehicle that’s designed to go anywhere. The Crater Concept embodies that vision with added wide skid plates, 33″ off-road tires, limb risers, rocker panels, and a roof platform.
Hyundai designed the interior for “tech-savvy adventure seekers,” with a singular design centered around a high-brow crash pad that stretches across the dashboard.
The Hyundai Crater Concept (Source: Hyundai)
The concept also swaps the traditional infotainment setup for a head-up display that spans the entire front window, which Hyundai said includes a live rearview camera.
Hyundai’s off-roader includes a new Off-Road Controller for front and rear locking differentials, as well as a terrain selector with modes including Sand, Snow, and Mud. Other off-road features include downhill brake control, trailer brake control, a compass, and an altimeter.
Although Hyundai said it was electric, it didn’t reveal any further details about the powertrain. The off-road SUV could be a battery-electric or fuel-cell-electric vehicle.
Like the new Nexo, Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the concept features “HTWO” lamps exclusive to its FCEVs.
Earlier this week, the design team at Hyundai Design North America also introduced its new design and ideation studio codenamed “The Sandbox.” The creative design studio is set to serve as a global hub for future XRT vehicles and gear.
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