5th Wheel Thunder 1FT review: A budget friendly folding fat tire electric bike.
The Thunder 1FT from 5th Wheel is a $1,399 folding full suspension fat tire electric bike that claims it can handle all terrains. With great mountain biking trails nearby, I naturally wanted to see just how well it performs off-road and what components contribute to achieving that attractive price point.
Right out of the gate, the Thunder 1FT exudes a minimalist yet rugged look. The frame is constructed from grey-colored aviation aluminum alloy. Paired with the 4-inch-wide all-terrain tires and a bright red rear suspension, the bike has some decent curb appeal.
5th Wheel Thunder 1FT tech specs
- Motor: 500W Brushless Rear Hub, 800W Peak
- Top speed: 20MPH
- Range: 31 miles on pure electric, 50 miles on pedal assist
- Battery: 48V 10Ah
- Charge time: 4-5 hours
- Net weight: 61.73 lb
- Suspension: Front Hydraulic Fork + Rear Shock Absorber
- Max load: 220.46 lb
- Brakes: Mechanical Disc Brakes
While a folding electric bike might not be the top choice for strictly off-road riding, I have to say that when I put it to the test on steep hills and rocky terrain, I felt much more comfortable and in control than I had anticipated.
To get started, the bike needs to be pedaled to around 3-5 mph before the motor can be activated. Depending on the mode you’re in, you could be in for a surprise. Don’t let the 20 mph top speed fool you; the 800W peak rear hub motor can kick in surprisingly fast and propel you up steep hills without breaking a sweat. The bike tends to regulate the top speed to stay within that 20 mph limit. So, if you’re cruising at 20 mph on a flat road and start pedaling vigorously, the motor will begin to cut back, which I found to be a bit disappointing. On the bright side, it’s reassuring to know that the bike has more power than it initially appears, allowing it to climb uphill for extended periods at a sustained 20 mph, just like on flat roads.
The main compromise I noticed on this bike, apart from the lower power motor and battery, is the brakes. The mechanical disc brakes perform decently, especially when paired with the grippy fat tires. However, if you’re expecting the immediate stopping power of hydraulic brakes, you might be slightly disappointed.
The aluminum frame contributes to a decently lightweight bike. The 61 lb bike was a breeze to carry once folded, and the folding process was simple with only 2 latches to undo. The folded dimensions are 1000x580x750mm. I was able to fit it in the backseat of a compact sedan with ease, and I’m sure it would fit in some smaller-sized closets.
The lightweight aspect of this bike also made it fairly easy to pedal without any power. I wouldn’t purposely go for a long ride on pedal power alone, but if I ever found myself not paying attention to how much battery was left and ran out of juice 5-10 miles from home, I wouldn’t really mind having to ride home on mode 0, which is its pedal-only mode.
The battery uses 52 18650 cells with a rated voltage of 48V and a rated capacity of 10.4Ah. It’s easy to take out from the bike and takes around 4-5 hours to get a full charge.
For safety, the bike is equipped with a headlamp and rear light, though I would say the rear and front light is not the brightest and is likely another one of the compromises.
What I didn’t like:
For the most part, the assembly was fairly simple, but when it came to the fenders, specifically the rear fender, it was a lot more involved than I would have liked. The rear tire has to be deflated in order to screw in the third bolt, which isn’t the worst process, but when riding off-road, the third bolt will likely come off fairly shortly. They certainly look nice, but since I wanted to keep testing the bike’s off-road capabilities, I opted to remove the fender.
Electrek’s take:
At the $1,399 price point, the Thunder 1FT makes some fair compromises and delivers a sleek, foldable electric bike with decent off-road capabilities, especially once that rear fender is taken off.
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Environment
U.S. could reach deal with Canada that avoids oil and gas tariffs, energy secretary says
HOUSTON — The U.S. could reach an agreement with Canada that avoids tariffs on imports of oil, gas and other energy resources, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Monday.
Wright said such a scenario is “certainly is possible” but “it’s too early to say” in response to a question from CNBC during a press conference at the CERAWeek by S&P Global. The U.S. is in “active dialogue” with Canada and Mexico, the energy secretary said.
President Donald Trump has paused until April 2 tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports that are compliant with the agreement which governs trade in North America. Trump originally imposed broad 25% tariffs on goods from both countries as well as lesser 10% tariffs on energy imports from Canada.
It’s unclear, however, how much of the oil, gas and other energy that the U.S. imports from Canada is compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Wright declined to provide specifics when CNBC asked how much of those imports are USMCA compliant.
“I’m going to avoid the details for now,” Wright said. The energy secretary said, “We can get to no tariffs or very low tariffs but it’s got to be reciprocal” in an interview with CNBC’s Brian Sullivan.
Canada’s energy minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, warned last week that energy prices will rise in the U.S. if the tariffs on energy imports go into full effect.
“We will see higher gasoline prices as a function of energy, higher electricity prices from hydroelectricity from Canada, higher home heating prices associated with natural gas that comes from Canada and higher automobile prices,” Wilkinson told CNBC’s Megan Cassella in an interview.
The U.S. has been the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the world for years. But many refiners in the U.S. are dependent on heavy crude imported from Canada. The U.S. imported 6.6 million barrels of crude oil per day on average in December, more than 60% of which came from Canada, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Wright acknowledged that the tariffs are creating uncertainty in energy markets as negotiations continue.
“We’re in the middle of negotiations for where things are going to go with tariffs, so that feels frightening and gripping right now but this time will pass,” Wright said. “Deals will be made, we’ll get certainty and we’ll have a positive economic environment for Americans going forward.”
U.S. crude oil fell more than 1% Monday to close at $66.03 per barrel, while global benchmark Brent closed at $69.28 per barrel. Crude oil futures have pulled back substantially as Trump’s trade policy creates uncertainty and OPEC+ has confirmed that it plans to gradually bring back 2.2 million barrels per day of production beginning next month.
Apple is rolling out a notable update to Apple Maps EV Routing for Ford drivers. Starting today, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers can use Apple Maps EV Routing via CarPlay to plan road trips that include Tesla Superchargers – or any station that uses the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector.
As I’ve explained before, Ford began shipping adapters CCS to NACS adapters that allow Mach-E and Lightning drivers to charge at Tesla Superchargers last year. Until today, however, Apple Maps was unaware of this change. This meant Apple Maps EV Routing would only route Mach-E and Lightning drivers to CCS charging stations, even though a route with Tesla Superchargers might’ve been more efficient.
With today’s change, Apple Maps via CarPlay will now include NACS fast charging stations, such as compatible Tesla Superchargers, in recommended route planning recommendations.
In a blog post, Ford explains:
Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay allows drivers to input their route and can view the estimated battery level they will have when they get to a destination, as well as suggested charging stations along the way if charging is needed. Previously, Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers would have to manually open another app, then enter a NACS fast charger as a destination to have it added to their route. Now, with the Apple Maps EV Routing and NACS fast charger integration, the experience will be more seamless.
How to Use Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay:
- Connect your Apple iPhone to CarPlay.
- Open Apple Maps, go to Settings, and confirm your preferred charging network(s) – make sure you select a NACS fast charging station, such as Tesla Supercharger. You only have to do this once.
- Enter a destination.
- Apple Maps will then calculate the estimated state of charge you will have when you get to a destination.
- If a charge is required, depending on the fastest route, it will automatically route you to a NACS fast charging station.*
This is a significant update to the Apple Maps EV Routing experience for Ford drivers. Next up on my wishlist is support for battery preconditioning when using Apple Maps EV Routing. Android Auto added this feature last October.
The new feature is available now to iPhone users running iOS 17 or later. No software update is required for your car.
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James Murdoch, a Tesla board member and friend of CEO Elon Musk, has confirmed that he sold about $13 million in stock today as the stock (TSLA) crashed.
There has been a lot of insider trading at Tesla lately, and by trading, we mean selling – cause no insider is ever buying at Tesla.
We recently reported on Kimball Musk, Elon’s brother, and Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Taneja Vaibhav recently selling ahead of a recent drop in the company’s stock price.
Tesla’s chairwoman, Robyn Denholm, also sold $33 million worth of Tesla shares last week and over $100 million in the last 3 months.
Now, it’s James Murdoch’s turn. The Tesla board member just confirmed, through a required SEC filing, that he sold 54,776 Tesla shares for just over $13 million today:
He sold as Tesla’s stock crashed 15% today. It is now down more than 50% from its all-time high just a few months ago.
Murdoch was appointed to Tesla’s board in 2017.
He is better known as the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the former CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019.
Murdoch was one of the Tesla board directors who was forced to return almost $1 billion in cash and stock options to Tesla as part of a settlement for over-compensation.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla insiders are unloading, and those are just the ones we know about. Public companies only have to report insider trading for board directors and listed top executives.
For the latter, Tesla purposefully only lists 3 people: Elon, Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s CFO, and Tom Zhu, whose role at Tesla has bit quite fluid in recent years.
Therefore, we don’t know about the dozens of other top executives potentially selling their shares right now amid a giant correction.
It’s really suspicious because there are clear top leaders at Tesla who are often on Tesla’s earnings calls, and they are not even listed, like Lars Moravy, for example.
But it’s par for the course at Tesla, which has some of the worst corporate governance I have ever seen. It’s truly shameful.
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