This electric kayak is an e-boat that’s really an e-bike in disguise
We’ve seen electric bicycle drivetrains in a number of small-format vehicles, but the Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 brings e-biking to the kayak market. The ePDL+ 132 is basically a pedal-assist system for a kayak, though it also offers pedal-free operation that effectively turns it into a tiny electric boat.
The 13-foot (4-meter) Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 is effectively a pedal kayak, meaning boaters can use their legs to spin bicycle-style pedals that, in turn, operate a small propeller below the boat.
Pedal kayaks are highly efficient, allowing users to power the boat through their more muscle-dense legs instead of paddling by hand. My father has a pedal kayak, and the thing really flies when you get cranking on those pedals. He is 68 and can leave a decent little wake behind him on leg power alone.
But the Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 steps that pedal drive up a notch with the incorporation of a mid-drive motor built into the pedal assembly. Along with the battery, it offers pedal-assist operation so that boaters don’t have to work as hard to move the kayak on their own.
There’s a manual mode that switches off the motor entirely (and works with the battery removed as well). That’s good for when you don’t want to burn any battery and prefer to do all the pedaling yourself.
When you’re ready for a boost, there’s a pedal assist mode that multiplies the boater’s pedaling power with the motor and battery. And for those that want to go full “cruise control,” there’s also a fully electric mode similar to throttle control on an e-bike that lets users motor along without pedaling at all.
The kayak weighs 143 pounds (68kg) but can support a payload of up to 357 pounds (162kg).
There are five power levels, and just like we’ve seen on other small electric boats, the power level drastically affects the run time of the battery.
At full power in level 5, the 36V 20Ah (720 Wh) lithium-ion battery lasts for around three hours. Dropping down to level 1 will sip away much more slowly at the battery, with the company claiming 46 hours of run time. You should probably bring snacks.
Priced at $5,999, the Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 is available through the company’s dealer network.
Electrek’s Take
I love seeing all of these new electric boats coming to the market, and electric kayaks make the sport even more accessible.
Sure, there will probably be naysayers doing the old “just pick up a paddle!” thing, just like the equivalent “just pedal!” folks in the e-bike community. But they’re simply missing the point in the same way. The whole idea here isn’t laziness but rather being able to push farther.
If you’re kayaking for adventure, then you’ll be able to stay out on the water longer and explore more places along the river or bay than you could with a paddle or by leg power alone. If you’re an angler, you’ll be able to reach spots that are further out or just explore more fishing areas in the same trip.
There’s also a safety aspect to consider here in terms of the ability to use motor power to help get back home or self-rescue in an emergency. Several years ago, I bought a new (to me) kayak on Craigslist and tossed it in the river the next day. I was having such a blast exploring the mangroves that I made it all the way out into the bay and eventually into the Gulf of Mexico. It was over a decade ago, but I still vividly remember watching the water turn from brown brackish river water to green bay water to blue ocean water. A school of dolphins joined me for a few minutes, and I paddled my heart out to keep up with them for as long as I could. It was freakin’ majestic, I tell you.
In fact, it was so amazing that I had forgotten to keep my own energy levels in mind. By the time I headed back in, I knew I was past my halfway point. To make matters worse, the tide was going out now, and the river was currently flowing out much faster. I don’t know how I did it, but I paddled 18 miles back, long since having run out of granola bars to keep me going. Just as I remember that blue water to this day, I also remember deliriously dragging my boat up onto the bank where I had put it in at the start of the day, collapsing next to it in the sand. What I wouldn’t have given for a little electric motor then…
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BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
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If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
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