Envo Stax is a $2,000 almost-perfect e-bike that looks like a regular bike
Today, we take a first look at the Envo Stax, a $2,000 almost-perfect e-bike that looks like a regular bike. It might have just become my new favorite electric bike.
I know that Micah generally does our e-bike reviews, as he should, he is the GOAT of e-bike reviewers after all. But I really wanted to do this one because when I first heard about the Stax, I felt like it was my perfect next bike.
For a quick background on my e-bike experience, I love them. I think e-bikes should take over a much larger market share of the overall mileage. I know it is doing just that for my own mileage.
Every time I can grab one of my e-bikes rather than my car, I do. It turns my travel into a fun activity. Obviously, regular bikes are great for that too, but e-bikes increase the opportunities by helping you find a balance between working out and covering distances.
You can also get to your destination using a stronger pedal assist and come back home without – or with less assist – to get a workout. It just offers some great opportunities like that.
My main e-bike has been the RadPower Radrover 6 Plus. It’s a great e-bike, and I love it, but it didn’t exactly match my needs.
With the power, front suspension, and fat tires, it is perfect for off-roading and that’s why I bought it. There’s a national park near where I live, and it is great to ride on the trails and dirt roads there.
But in practice, I found myself riding this bike on roads and bike paths about 90% of the time. And while the experience is still good there, it is not where the bike shines.
When I ride e-bikes, I like to find a balance between working out and using pedal assist. It is doable with the Radrover, but it is more difficult because of the weight and inefficiency of the fat tires.
So I started thinking about having a new daily rider that is more suited for road biking.
Enter the Envo Stax.
When I first learned about the Stax, I felt it might be the solution to my little problem.
First off, it looks great. You almost can’t tell that it is an electric bike. It is equipped with Envo’s own 500w motor that almost disappears behind the transmission system and brakes:
It can bring the speed of the Stax up to 32 km/h (20 mph) to fit most North American standards, but you can play in the settings of the beautiful color display if you want to change that – wink, wink.
As for the range, Envo is talking about 100 km or 62 miles range on the pedal assist level 1 (out of 5).
In my experience, that should be achievable and unlike many other e-bikes, the Stax feels great on level 1, or even without pedal assist, because it is so efficient.
My riding experience has been flawless so far with the Stax. I was able to set it up for a very comfortable riding position and customized the handle for effortless access to changing gear, pedal assist level, or pressing the optional throttle.
Where the Stax shines is its weight, which comes at just 42 lbs or 19 kg. It is very light for an e-bike, making it as usable as a regular bike without pedal assist.
It’s also useful to carry the bike around when you need to, like up the stairs if you live in a condo or apartment.
The only complaint I have about the Stax is its charge port. One of the reasons they managed to make it look like a normal non-electric bike is by seamlessly hiding the battery pack inside the the seat post.
The integration of the pack in the seat post is beautiful, but it limits the places where you can put the charge port. They decided to go with the top the seat post, which means that you have to manage to fit the connector between the post and the bike seat.
As for the price, it is a mid-range bike. It costs $1,999 in the US and $2,499 in Canada.
It is not the cheapest e-bike in this category, but I think it has the best value due to its form factor, weight, and efficiency.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
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JackRabbit, the maker of pint-sized electric microbikes, is back with a new product designed to quickly recharge their batteries from pure, uncut photons mainlined into an e-bike directly from the sun. In true independent charging form, the Solar Charging Kit from JackRabbit keeps riders rolling even when there’s not a convenient AC outlet in sight.
Unveiled this week, the Solar Charging Kit consists of a single folding solar panel and a tiny voltage converter that is configured to output 42.0V, which is the exact voltage required by JackRabbit’s little e-bike batteries. There’s also an added USB-A and a USB-C charging port for powering other devices in addition to charging JackRabbit batteries.
“This Solar Charging Kit plugs directly into your bike,” explained the company, “letting you recharge without needing an outlet, but with a speed comparable to the charger that comes with the OG/OG2 (42V, 2A).”
That would mean the panel outputs around 80W of solar power, which the company says can recharge its batteries in just three hours. That fairly quick recharging speed is helped by the fact that JackRabbit’s batteries are a mere 151 Wh, or around a third of the size of most e-bike batteries.
If that sounds small, then you’re right – it is. But JackRabbit is all about going micro, offering barely 25 lb rideables that are easy to store and bring on adventures, even when they aren’t actually being ridden.
With small batteries that fit under the 160Wh limit for many airlines in the US, the batteries can be quickly charged and taken to the widest number of locations. And for riders that want to go further than a single 10-mile (16-km) battery will allow, extra batteries are small enough to fit a pants pocket. The company also offers much larger Rangebuster batteries, though they won’t pass by TSA and make it onto an airplane in your personal item.
It sounds like the Solar Chargking Kit should be able to charge up JackRabbit’s large RangeBuster batteries, though likely in more than three hours.
The $349 Solar Charging Kit is a bit pricier than building something similar yourself, but it’s also safer and more convenient than hacking together your own battery charger since it’s designed to work with JackRabbit’s batteries right out of the box.
Technically it’s only inteded for JackRabbit’s micro e-bikes (themselves technically seated scooters, even if they look and feel more like a typical bike), but it’d probably work for just about any 36V e-bike that requires 42.0V to charge.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen solar charging kits for electric bikes, and it’s a trend that is certainly appreciated by outdoors and camping enthusiasts, festival goers, or anyone who finds themself and their bike spending extended periods in the great, sunny outdoors.
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Solar generated 11% of EU electricity in 2024, overtaking coal which fell below 10% for the first time, according to the European Electricity Review published today by think tank Ember.
EU gas generation declined for the fifth year in a row, and total fossil generation fell to a historic low.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Dr Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst and lead author of the report. “At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU’s energy transition could be where it is today; wind and solar are pushing coal to the margins and forcing gas into structural decline.”
The European Electricity Review published today by global energy think tank Ember provides the first comprehensive overview of the EU power system in 2024. It analyzes full-year electricity generation and demand data for 2024 in all EU-27 countries to understand the region’s progress in transitioning from fossil fuels to clean electricity.
Wind and solar continue their meteoric rise in the EU
The EU power sector is undergoing a deep transformation spurred on by the European Green Deal. Solar generation (11%) overtook coal (10%) for the first time in 2024, as wind (17%) generated more electricity than gas (16%) for the second year in a row.
Strong solar growth, combined with a recovery of hydropower, pushed the share of renewables to nearly half of EU power generation (47%). Fossil fuels generated 29% of the EU’s electricity in 2024. In 2019, before the Green Deal, fossil fuels provided 39% of EU electricity, while renewables provided 34%.
Solar is growing in every EU country and more than half now have either no coal power or a share below 5% in their power mix. Coal has fallen from being the EU’s third-largest power source in 2019 to the sixth-largest in 2024, bringing the end into sight for the dirtiest fossil fuel. EU gas generation also declined for the fifth year in a row (-6%) despite a very small rebound in power demand (+1%).
The EU is reaping the benefits of reduced fossil fuel dependency
The surge in wind and solar generation has reduced the EU’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and its exposure to volatile prices since the energy crisis. Ember’s analysis found that without new wind and solar capacity added over the last five years, the EU would have imported an additional 92 billion cubic meters of fossil gas and 55 million tonnes of coal, costing €59 billion.
“While the EU’s electricity transition has moved faster than anyone expected in the last five years, further progress cannot be taken for granted,” continued Rosslowe. “Delivery needs to be accelerated particularly in the wind sector, which has faced unique challenges and a widening delivery gap. Between now and 2030, annual wind additions need to more than double compared to 2024 levels. However, the achievements of the past five years should instil confidence that, with continued drive and commitment, challenges can be overcome and a more secure energy future be achieved.”
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe said: “This milestone is about more than just climate action; it is a cornerstone of European energy security and industrial competitiveness. Renewables are steadily pushing fossil fuels to the margins, with solar leading the way. We now need more flexibility to kick-in, making sure the energy system is adapting to new realities: more storage and more smart electrification in heating, transport and industries.”
Read more: China installed a record capacity of solar and wind in 2024 – in numbers
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