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The Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB), the largest cycling association in the Netherlands, has announced that it will no longer insure fat tire bikes due to their extremely high chance of theft.

The Netherlands is seen as the bicycling capital of the world, not just due to the high rate of cycling but also thanks to the country’s bike-first legislation and city design. There are more bicycles than people in the Netherlands, and cycling in cities is much more common than driving cars.

While typical Dutch-style bikes with upright designs and narrow yet large diameter tires have long been the most common type of bicycle in the Netherlands, fat tires have become much more popular as e-bike sales have soared.

The problem is that fat tire e-bikes have also turned into prime targets for bike theft. According to the ANWB, “In Amsterdam, the chance of your fat bike being stolen is 90 percent.”

ANWB currently insures around 10,000 fat tire bikes and claims that the damages for fat tire bikes have risen to 800% of the premiums. In order to prevent bike insurance from also soaring, the decision has been made to no longer insure fat tire bikes. Existing policies will continue through their present term but won’t be renewed.

radrunner fat tire e-bike

I spotted the RadRunner above on a trip to Amsterdam earlier this year, where it was one of just a few fat tire e-bikes among a sea of Dutch bikes. But on a second trip to Amsterdam later in the year, I could already see a higher number of fat tire e-bikes zipping around.

The popularity of plus-size tires in the Netherlands has grown due to the increased usage of e-bikes, which reduces the effort required to pedal those big tires. Another contributing factor is that new helmet laws have recently been imposed on mopeds. But since electric fat tire bikes don’t require helmets, many moped riders are making the switch to fat tire e-bikes.

Many riders, like the two riding on one bike below, now essentially treat fat tire e-bikes much like mopeds. The fact that these e-bikes are often fitted with throttles – an illegal modification in the Netherlands – makes them that much more desirable for those using them like mopeds for a quick way to navigate the city pedal-free.

amsterdam dutch insurance fat tire bikes

Electrek’s Take

While this, of course, only directly impacts our Dutch readers, the trend might be an interesting one to watch. In fact, it speaks to multiple trends. One is the popularity of these moped-style electric bikes that have even managed to penetrate Dutch culture, which has long been staunchly in favor of Dutch bikes. The second is the high desirability of these specific bikes among thieves.

Bike insurance is much less common in North America, though it does exist. Many people can use their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance to cover their bike. More worrisome could be just how prevalent that bike theft is turning out to be. A 90% chance of theft is mind-blowing. I’m not sure over what period of time that is considered, but either way, it makes you think about carrying a second lock and throwing a tracker on your bike. I know I’m more careful after my last e-bike was stolen.

via NOS.nl

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Tesla’s Robotaxis are officially powered by human drivers as it launches ride-hailing in Bay Area

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Tesla's Robotaxis are officially powered by human drivers as it launches ride-hailing in Bay Area

Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ is now blatantly operated by human drivers as the automaker launches a ride-hailing service in the Bay Area through its ‘Robotaxi’ app.

When Tesla launched its ‘Robotaxi’ service in Austin, we noted how it was just for optics and the fact that it still uses “safety monitor” in the front passenger seats makes it a “supervised” system and therefore, not a level 4 autonomous driving system.

It’s basically Tesla’s consumer ‘Supervised Full Self-Driving’ (FSD), but with the supervisor moved from the driver’s seat to the front passenger seat.

The reason Tesla was able to do that is that Texas law allows it, and it looks better for them than having a driver in the driver’s seat. Instead, the “safety monitor” has access to a kill switch that can stop the car, something Tesla is not publicizing.

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Over the last few weeks, Tesla has been teasing the expansion of its Robotaxi in California despite not having secured any of the permits required for an automated driving system in the state.

Now, Tesla has expanded its service area in the “Robotaxi” app to the Bay Area, but even though it’s in the “Robotaxi” app, it is only calling it a “ride-hailing service” because there’s a driver in the driver’s seat of each car:

Tesla fans have applauded the automaker for covering such a large part of the Bay Area, bigger than Waymo’s coverage of the region, but to be clear, Tesla’s service right now is not comparable to Waymo’s in the Bay Area. It’s only equivalent to Uber.

In fact, it’s the exact same service as an Uber driver who owns a Tesla with Supervised FSD in the Bay Area.

Politico reported that Tesla still hasn’t applied for any of the required permits to operate autonomous vehicles in California, despite CEO Elon Musk claiming just last week that Tesla was waiting for regulators.

Documents from the California DMV and Public Utilities Commission revealed that the state agencies were concerned by comments from Tesla employees regarding the automaker’s imminent launch of its Robotaxi service in the state, despite not having obtained any authorization.

Tesla’s regulatory counsel quickly intervened to explain to the state that there’s no such plan and Tesla only plans to launch a ride-hailing service for “employees, friends and family, and select members of the public”, which is apparently what was launched today.

The automaker is not looking for “vehicle operators” in 9 other US cities to launch the same ride-hailing service, which it operates under its ‘Robotaxi’ app.

Electrek’s Take

This is so blatantly misleading. Tesla is trying to make the public think it is a leader in autonomous driving by launching its ‘Robotaxi’ service in cities while being powered by human drivers.

It’s FSD in consumer vehicles. That’s all it is, and we know that it gets about 500 miles between critical disengagement, based on the best crowdsourced data.

By not applying for an autonomous driving permit, Tesla is making sure that it doesn’t have to report any data to the state.

Why doesn’t Tesla want to do that? The only thing that makes sense is that it is not ready for it, and the data wouldn’t look good.

This is all for show because Waymo is starting to rapidly expand and making Elon Musk look bad after he has been claiming for years that Tesla is the leader in autonomous driving with no close second.

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Hyundai and Kia just got some relief from US tariffs, but billions are still at stake

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Hyundai and Kia just got some relief from US tariffs, but billions are still at stake

Hyundai said the new trade agreement was a “historic achievement” between the US and South Korea. Although Hyundai Motor, including Kia and Genesis, is getting some relief with lower US tariffs, it’s still expected to face billions in extra costs this year.

Hyundai and Kia score US tariff relief

After threatening tariffs as high as 25% on imported vehicles from South Korea, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US will instead enact a 15% tariff.

Hyundai’s executive chairman, Chung Euisun, who was in Washington for the final negotiations, called the agreement a “historic win.” The tariff rate is the same 15% on imports from Japan, putting Hyundai and Kia on a level playing field.

Although it’s better than 25%, the added tariffs are expected to cost Hyundai an additional $5 billion this year. The lower rate will still save Hyundai over $3 billion in costs, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Joanna Chen.

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Even before the $7,500 IRA tax credit for electric vehicles and other Biden-era policies were enacted, Hyundai was planning to grow its market share in the US, its largest market.

Hyundai-US-tariff
Hyundai Motor America CEO Jose Munoz with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp at Hyundai Day (Source: Hyundai)

The Korean auto giant invested $7.6 billion to build its new EV manufacturing plant in Georgia, directly creating 8,500 jobs.

Hyundai and SK On’s $5 billion battery plant in the state will employ an additional 3,500 workers. It’s the largest economic project in state history.

Hyundai-EV-plant-US-tariffs
Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America grand opening (Source: Hyundai)

According to a study by the Center for Automotive Research, Hyundai’s new EV plant will help create over 58,200 new jobs in the area.

Earlier this year, Hyundai announced a record $21 billion investment to expand production in the US over the next three years. The investment will directly create around 14,000 jobs while ramping up the output of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles in the US. By 2028, Hyundai expects to generate over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the US.

Hyundai-electric-SUVs-IONIQ-9
2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai Motor, including Kia and Genesis, saw its market share in the US rise to about 11% in the first half of 2025, up from 10.5% the previous year.

Since Hyundai builds the new IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9, its first three-row SUV in Georgia, both still qualify for the $7,500 tax credit. However, that’s set to expire at the end of September.

Hyundai-US-tariffs-EV
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)

After cutting lease prices again, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is now one of the most affordable EVs on the market, starting at just $179 per month.

The 2026 IONIQ 9 (check out our review of it) is available with leases starting at just $419 per month. To ease the transition, Hyundai is including a complimentary ChargePoint L2 home charger with the purchase or lease of any new 2025 IONIQ 5 or 2026 IONIQ 9.

Looking to test one out for yourself? You can use the links below to find 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and 2026 IONIQ 9 models in your area.

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Zero begins deliveries of its new low-cost electric motorcycles

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Zero begins deliveries of its new low-cost electric motorcycles

After kicking off production last month, Zero Motorcycles has now officially begun deliveries of its highly anticipated X Line models. The first wave of customers is taking delivery of their new Zero XE and Zero XB electric motorcycles, marking a major milestone for the company’s push into more affordable off-road and adventure EVs.

“The delivery of the first X Line bikes is a major milestone for Zero and for the future of off-road EV performance,” said Zero CEO Sam Paschel. “It’s the start of a new chapter in how adventure riding is experienced. With the XB and XE, we’re making electric motorcycles more accessible and approachable for riders everywhere.”

Zero first unveiled the X Line late last year, announcing the two-bike lineup aimed at adventure and trail riders. The XE and XB models were designed to be affordable new platforms, not just budget versions of Zero’s existing on-road bikes.

Both bikes are designed to be street-legal in Europe, but are intended only for off-road riding in the US.

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The two models were developed alongside Zero’s Chinese partner Zongshen to offer an approachable gateway to electric two-wheeled adventure, with lightweight frames, swappable battery packs, and plenty of power for getting off the beaten path. They’re also the most affordable models Zero has ever produced: the smaller Zero XB starts at just $4,395 in the U.S., while the larger, more powerful Zero XE comes in at $6,495.

At those price points, the X Line represents a big shift for Zero, which has historically focused on premium electric motorcycles priced well into five-figure territory.

Deliveries began this week and will continue to roll out over the coming months. Buyers who place new reservations starting today can expect deliveries to begin in Fall 2025, according to the company.

The X Line is a strategic move for Zero as it looks to expand its rider base beyond urban commuters and high-end sport bike enthusiasts. With more riders, especially younger and off-road focused customers, showing interest in electric motorcycles, the XE and XB could be just the right mix of capability and price to bring new blood into the EV moto world.

Electrek’s Take

This is a big moment for Zero. After more than a decade building high-performance electric motorcycles for the street, the company is finally breaking into the more affordable end of the market, and doing it with purpose-built off-road machines, not watered-down street bikes.

The fact that the XB starts at under $4,500 is kind of wild, especially considering Zero’s bikes have historically hovered around the $15K mark. Sure, these aren’t full-size dual-sport monsters, but they’re not toys either. And yes, there are questions about how much of these bikes are actually Zero, and how much are basically Sur Rons built by Zongshen. But with decent range, real off-road chops, and swappable batteries, if these bikes can deliver a quality ride then it might not really matter. The new models have the potential to carve out a whole new corner of the market for Zero, one that’s long been dominated by DIY conversions or budget Asian imports.

If Zero can ramp up deliveries smoothly and keep the quality high, the X Line might be the company’s most important launch yet. And judging by the response so far, there’s real demand for affordable, capable electric trail bikes. Now they just need to homologate them for the US market.

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