Signs point to e-bike company SONDORS in peril, leaving riders stranded
A number of troubling developments point to serious financial troubles for SONDORS, the company behind a wide range of electric bicycles as well as the Metacycle electric motorcycle (and an ill-fated three-wheeled electric car, but that’s another story).
This isn’t the first time that SONDORS has raised eyebrows. The company burst onto the scene in 2015 with a controversial new e-bike for the rock-bottom price of $500. At the time, many questioned whether it was a scam. SONDORS ultimately delivered the bikes, though rolled in late and landed short on the published specs. And that became a hallmark of the company over the years with multiple new product launches: delivered late and under-specced but always getting there. Mostly.
This time, though, may be different. Now the company seems to be facing a number of financial troubles that have resulted in worrying signs of potential collapse.
It all started in early 2021 when the company unveiled its flashy Metacycle electric motorcycle. At a bargain price of $5,000 with a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a max range of 80 miles (130 km), it looked like a revolution in the industry.
But in order to get a ride on that revolution, customers had to front the money in advance.
In usual SONDORS fashion, the company overran its expected timeline by months and then nearly a year. Some customers were angry, ultimately asking for refunds. Many received them. But eventually, the Metacycles started rolling out in small batches and arriving at some pre-order customers’ doors. I even got a ride on one of the bikes. It was actually surprisingly good.
Sure, it didn’t meet the performance figures that were originally promised. And the shiny polished aluminum frame somehow morphed into a matte PVC-pipe-colored gray. And it was somehow nearly 50% heavier than expected. But the bike worked pretty well and was a lot of fun.
Along the way, SONDORS opened another round of orders at a higher price of $6,500. Strangely, some of those orders even started arriving to customers, despite many of the original first batch customers from more than a year earlier still sitting there empty-handed. It appeared that SONDORS wasn’t shipping based on order number but rather prioritizing customers that it could quickly reach with its deliveries or who lived in states where SONDORS had already received regulatory approval for registrations and established distribution solutions.
As SONDORS continued to take orders but dragged its feet on shipments, customer anger grew. More riders began demanding refunds, many of which had waited nearly two years at that point. The ones who received refunds often had to contact the company dozens of times over weeks or months. Many more couldn’t get refunds at all.
SONDORS was obviously in desperate need of money and set its sights on an IPO to quickly generate the cash it needed to stay afloat. But the IPO plan was beset with problems from the start and eventually unraveled.
That’s when key personnel started leaving the company, including executives. (Author’s note, and potentially spoiler alert: At this point, it is unclear exactly who remains working at SONDORS. There doesn’t appear to be anyone left in PR or marketing, and the CEO, Storm Sondors, has not responded to my requests for comment.)
Basically, things weren’t looking good for SONDORS or the company’s customers, but this was also a company that had repeatedly been pushed onto the ropes and somehow always gotten back up to make it through another round. Some held out hope that it could pull off another miracle.
Next, SONDORS launched a fire sale on Metacycles, which it claimed put 1,000 more orders on its books. If true, that likely added more cash to its coffers. The final Hail Mary for the beleaguered e-bike company appears to have been the unveiling of an off-road electric motorcycle known as the MetaBeast. It was only shown in renders, but that didn’t stop SONDORS from taking pre-orders for that model too.
That brings us to the present day.
If SONDORS had pinned its financial salvation on those MetaBeast pre-orders, then it doesn’t look promising.
All signs point to a serious financial meltdown at headquarters. In fact, there may not even be any headquarters anymore.
According to Google, the SONDORS facility in Los Angeles is now “permanently closed.”
But, apparently, leaving headquarters and working from home is the least of SONDORS’ corporate issues. That’s because it can’t even take credit card orders anymore.
Visiting the SONDORS website and trying to purchase a bike brings up an error explaining that the company can’t take orders right now. That’s likely due to a status issue with SONDORS’ merchant account.
While there do appear to be hundreds of Metacycles already cruising around US roads, there are likely thousands more customers still waiting for either a refund or a bike. They gather in online communities, sharing tips on potential avenues for refunds or otherwise simply commiserating together.
“Same as so many,” says one Metacycle customer. “I paid in full in 2022, canceled my order, was guaranteed a refund, and have now been ghosted by phone and email for months. I tried to do a chargeback on my credit card, but they don’t allow it past 120 days.”
Some others have been successful with credit card chargebacks, such as another customer whose delivery window came and went last spring. This customer said, “After being told that the bike was still in ‘quality check’ and would be no more than 4 to 5 weeks ‘tops’ back in the beginning of April of this year, and then being completely and entirely ghosted by support tickets, phone calls, voicemails, and emails, ever since, I finally went and did a chargeback with my credit card company a few weeks ago, and I’ve never felt better. I wasn’t even able to request a cancelation/refund through Sondors because they were completely unresponsive to any form of correspondence, which I believe actually worked to my favor in this case.”
Many customers are now openly discussing plans online for a class action lawsuit, even as rumors swirl of a fraud investigation from the Attorney General of California.
Where did it all go so wrong?
Hindsight is 20/20, and we aren’t even on the hind end of this ordeal yet, but the major issues can likely be traced back to SONDORS’s decision to expand into motorcycles.
Electric bicycles, while not simple machines, are vastly less complicated than electric motorcycles. Everything about e-bikes, from production to regulations to fulfillment logistics, is a walk in the park compared to motorcycles, which are honest-to-goodness motor vehicles.
While the company’s goal was admirable – trying to take their expertise in contract manufacturing to the next level with a larger and more capable product – the added cost and complexity were likely something the team simply wasn’t prepared for.
It’s not the first time a micromobility company on seemingly solid ground has overextended itself. Boosted Boards, once the brand name in electric skateboards, sought to expand its market with a high-tech and highly-refined electric scooter. And that’s exactly what it did – until the project proved so complicated and capital-intensive that it bankrupted the company after the first round of deliveries. Sound familiar?
So what happens now?
At this point, the future for SONDORS seems grim but not sealed. If any e-bike company can dance its way out of impending financial doom, it’s SONDORS. No one has more experience at it. But on the flip side, we’ve never seen SONDORS dance this close to midnight, and the music is very close to going out.
Without being able to reach anyone at SONDORS for comment, it’s impossible to say exactly what is going on or just how rocky the company’s footing currently is.
And with the Dutch e-bike company VanMoof’s bankruptcy still fresh enough in the industry’s collective memory, such a quick fall from grace is no longer unthinkable.
One thing is for sure, though. If you were planning on a MetaBeast as a Christmas present, you should probably have a backup plan just in case.
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![It's time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/Tesla-Powerwall.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
For years, Tesla Powerwall has been the go-to recommendation for “normals” looking for a painless, low-effort experience from their first home solar and battery backup solutions. Its CEO’s recent involvement in controversial politics, however, means that people are now distancing themselves from the once-trailblazing company.
It begs the question: what other home solar battery solutions are there?
UPDATE 26JUL2025: added more options, put everything in alphabetical order.
Electricians and contractors often praise the sleek, energy-dense Tesla Powerwall, for good reasons. But the Powerwall isn’t the only top-shelf home battery on the market, but long wait times, Elon’s antics, and the proliferation of really good integrated alternatives from legacy EV brands might have you shopping for Tesla alternatives already. If that’s you, the next logical step is to re-think the brand’s solar battery offerings as well – here are some of the best options out there.
As I was putting this list together, I realized there were plenty of ways for me to present this information. “Best batteries ..?” Too opinion-based. “Cheapest batteries ..?” Too much research and a quick descent into Temu-grade nonsense. In the end, I went with the same solution I’ve been using on my 0% EV financing lists: alphabetical order, by brand. Enjoy!
Bluetti EP800 + B500
If you’re in a smaller space or renting and can’t (or don’t want to) add a hardwired battery solution to your home, Bluetti’s EP800 + B500 modular system is a sweet “middle ground” option that combines the Bluetti EP800 off-grid inverter and the company’s B500 battery packs in a floor-standing unit that can be used without a solar roof but also plays well with most rooftop PV options.
The basic EP800 + B500 package offers about 9.9 kWh of capacity for under $9,000 as I type this, and the system can scale up to nearly 20 kWh by adding more B500 packs. The system puts out 7.6 kW of power – more than enough, in other words, to keep some lights on and your fridge and foods (and meds) cold.
What’s more, it works great with Bluetti’s AC300 or AC500 gear if you want an option that’s a bit more portable if you move a lot or plan on moving soon.
EG4 14.3 kWh PowerPro
Two of the home solar installers I talked to in preparing this post mentioned the EG4 14.3kWh batteries, and its specs (on paper, at least) compare nicely with the Powerwall 3.
| Battery | Usable capacity (kWh) | Continuous power output (kW) | Roundtrip efficiency | Average price per kWh* | Coupling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 97.5% | $926 | DC or AC |
| EG4 14.3kWh PowerPro | 11.44 | 10.24 | 99% | $786 | DC |
“The EG4 PowerPro solar battery from EG4 Electronics is the strongest alternative to the Tesla Powerwall,” writes Kristina Zagame, from the home solar experts at EnergySage. “(The EG4) has a similar capacity, meaning it’ll last a similar amount of time, and a slightly lower power output, which means it won’t be able to power quite as many devices at the same time. And, based on quotes through EnergySage, EG4 batteries tend to be a bit more affordable compared to Tesla.”
Enphase IQ Battery 10
If you’re looking for a one-brand solution for EV charging and whole-home battery backup but don’t want to be “locked in” to GM or Tesla’s ecosystem, Enphase offers a full line of Made-in-the-USA solutions that could be right for you.
“Energy systems developer Enphase Energy is providing an even more holistic approach to managing home power usage with the introduction of new EV charger technology called the IQ line,” wrote Scooter doll, when the brand first introduced its EV charging solutions back in 2023. “The Enphase IQ is Wi-Fi enabled and integrates seamlessly into a customer’s existing home system that can be controlled with your phone.”
Franklin WH aPower 2
If you love the sleek, minimalistic styling of the Tesla Powerwall 3 but still prefer to spend your money elsewhere, the Franklin WH aPower 2 offers similarly sleek styling and beats the Tesla offering on usable energy storage capacity by 1.5 kWh. That’s nearly a full day of keeping a modern refrigerator running.
The Franklin is also designed to be easily retrofit into an existing solar system, but it loses out to the Powerwall on price per kWh, at $1,176 (vs. $926 for the Tesla unit).
GM Energy Home System
Arguably the most fully integrated EV + battery backup + solar option out there outside of Tesla, the GM Energy Home System promises to do everything a conventional home solar battery does, plus work seamlessly with your GM EV to provide even more flexibility – whether that means using the electric fuel stored in your EV to hold out that much longer in an emergency, or using the energy stored in your home’s solar battery to power an escape in your EV is up to you.
GM Energy and GM’s car dealers list Qmerit as their installation partner, and they’re great, but if you “already have a guy,” you can order the Home System directly from GM Energy’s website for $12,700 (as I type this).
The GM Energy Home System system includes:
- GM Energy PowerBank
- GM Energy PowerShift Charger
- GM Energy Home Hub & Inverter
StorEn vanadium flow BESS
If lithium-ion’s ten-year cycle life or overhyped fire risk makes you nervous, StorEn Technologies is developing a consumer-focused battery solution based on vanadium flow chemistry. Their system promises to last 25 years or more with no capacity loss, so you can charge and drain the battery fully each day and without stressing about wear … but there are a couple of downsides.
First, they’re not yet available to the general public – only to StorEn’s early investors in (what I understand to be) a sort of quasi-Kickstarter deal.
Second, the StorEn batteries are significantly bulkier than a Powerwall. That said, if you’ve got the room and you’re old enough to realize that 25 years isn’t actually a super long time, the StorEn solution might to be a super compelling, nearly maintenance-free setup that might outlast both your solar panels and the roof they’re mounted on.
So, remember how I started this off saying that I wouldn’t turn this into a “best batteries” post? That’s partly driven by the fact that I’m neither an electrician, a chemical engineer, or someone who’s researched thousands of end-user experience surveys to come up with whatever metrics I’d need to confidently and correctly call one battery “the best.”
Our friends and solar industry experts at EnergySage, though? They’ve got all three of those things on staff, and they really, really like the Villara VillaGrid+.
“The Villara VillaGrid+ stands out as the best battery on the market, scoring highest in EnergySage’s rigorous Equipment Rating System, explains EnergySage’s Kristina Zagame. “That said, (the Villara VillaGrid+) is not necessarily the best Tesla Powerwall alternative. It’s a very different (and much pricier) battery.”
What puts the VillaGrid+ on top? According to Zagame, it all comes down to the battery’s lithium-titanium-oxide, or LTO chemistry. “Unlike more traditional lithium-ion batteries, LTO has better recharge capabilities for longer life cycles, and doesn’t contain any carbon, which makes it extra safe. The only downside is you’ll definitely shell out more money upfront for the VillaGrid+.”
That extra money will also buy some additional peace of mind, as Villara backs its LTO batteries with a 20-year warranty compared to Tesla Powerwall and its (and just about everyone else’s) 10-year deal. I couldn’t find a price, but Villara’s other products, like VillaGrid 5.75 kWh battery, come in at nearly double Powerwall’s per kWh cost. Check out the specs, below, then let us know if you think the novel chemistry and additional warranty are worth it in the comments.
| Battery | Usable capacity (kWh) | Continuous power output (kW) | Roundtrip efficiency | Average price per kWh* | Coupling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 | 11.5 | 97.5% | $926 | DC or AC |
| Villara VillaGrid+ | 11.5 | 10 | 98.5% | Get quote | DC or AC |
Original content from Electrek.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Air taxi startup Vertical Aerospace achieved a world’s first this week, completing the first flight between two airports through public airspace for an eVTOL at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire, England.
The Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) is the world’s largest military airshow, held every July and serving as a public showcase for the latest advancements in aviation technology. It’s fitting, then, that RIAT served as setting for the Vertical VX4 prototype’s first piloted public flight.
The eVTOL aircraft flew 17 miles from the company’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport to RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force station used by the US Air Force. The Vertical VX4 reached speeds of 115 mph, and an altitude of 1800 ft, and also marked the first landing at a public location for an aircraft of this type.
The Vertical Aerospace entry was the only battery-electric aircraft present at RIAT 2025, and the flight served as a demonstration of the company’s broader strategy to unlock new hybrid-electric applications for defense, logistics, and special/close support missions where the eVTOL’s (relatively) quiet operations could give it a tactical advantage.
“RIAT is a global stage for the most advanced, mission-ready aerospace technology, and we’re proud to showcase how electric aviation will support the future of defense,” says Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “Our hybrid-electric roadmap unlocks new capabilities for military operations, and Vertical’s RIAT presence reinforces our commitment to playing a meaningful role in the future of military and special mission aviation.”
Vertical’s VX4 debuted last year, with a 20% increase in the power-to-weight ratio that enables a top cruising speed of 150 mph and transports four passengers plus a pilot up to 100 miles on a single charge.
The inaugural VX4 flight was witnessed by several thousand UK aircraft enthusiasts, and showed how an eVTOL aircraft could integrate with real-world airport operations, building momentum toward more regular, certified deployment.
Electrek’s Take
Archer, BETA, EHang, Joby, XPeng – the list of eVTOL manufacturers seems to be as long as the list of new electric car brands that didn’t exist back when I first started working with EVs back in ::gulp:: the 1990s. The future of regional point-to-point air travel certainly seems to be vertical, and electric.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Vertical Aerospace.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Say what you will about Elon Musk, but Tesla has changed the way that millions of people buy cars and, by extension, car insurance. Now, Honda is taking a page from Tesla’s successful playbook and launching its own in-house insurance business. Enter: Honda Insurance Solutions.
Honda Insurance Solutions is being launched as a fully licensed insurance agency serving the insurance needs of Acura and Honda customers, but it’s not stopping at competitive pricing and coverage options for Honda cars and motorcycles. Honda Insurance Solutions promises to go several steps beyond Tesla’s offering with coverage for trailers, RVs, homes, and even pets.
“Honda Insurance Solutions offers customers access to coverage through a brand they know and trust,” says Petar Vucurevic, President, American Honda Insurance Solutions, LLC and Senior Vice President, American Honda Finance Corporation. “Insurance is a key touchpoint in the vehicle ownership journey, and we aim to deliver a superior experience tailored to the unique needs of each customer, while promoting safer driving and increased peace of mind on the road.”
The company says the launch of its new insurance business is just part of Honda’s broader digital vehicle sales platform strategy, with future plans to integrate insurance offerings into new products.
Electrek’s Take
It’s important to note some of the key differences between Honda’s insurance offering and Tesla’s. Honda isn’t offering discounts, they’re not bundling insurance premiums into the vehicle financing, and they’re not building their insurance offerings into their dealerships’ checkout/F&I offices. Not yet, anyway.
What Honda is doing right now is deepening relationships with its existing customers and finding ways to make money on products it hasn’t sold them – whether that’s the Harley parked in the garage next to their Prologue or the garage itself.
It’s a smart play. And, once Honda figures out a way to cut franchise dealers out entirely and go to a direct sales model, it’ll look even smarter.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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