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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U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during an indoor inauguration parade at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Renewable energy giants appear relatively sanguine about U.S. President Donald Trump‘s anti-wind policies, describing the process of replacing fossil fuels with electrically powered products as “absolutely unstoppable.”
In a standalone executive order, which had been widely expected, the president temporarily suspended new or renewed leases for offshore and onshore wind projects and halted the leasing of wind power projects on the outer continental shelf.
“We are not going to do the wind thing. Big ugly windmills, they ruin your neighborhood,” Trump told his supporters at the Capital One Area in Washington on Monday. He previously described wind turbines as an economic and environmental “disaster.”
The measures formed part of a much broader energy offensive designed to “unleash” already booming oil and gas production. This included declaring a national energy emergency, promoting fossil fuel drilling in Alaska and signing an executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the landmark Paris Agreement.
Joe Kaeser, chairman of the supervisory board of Siemens Energy, one of the world’s biggest renewables players, seemed unfazed by Trump’s sweeping energy agenda. In fact, Kaeser considered the policies a “slight plus” for the German energy technology group.
Shares of Siemens Energy jumped more than 8% on Wednesday morning, hitting a new 52-week high.
“We need to see what’s behind all the executive orders and the policies. So far, I believe there are many areas where actually Siemens Energy benefits a lot,” Kaeser told CNBC’s Dan Murphy at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday.
There will be uncertainty for low-carbon energy sectors, such as onshore and offshore wind, Kaeser said, before adding that Trump’s measures were unlikely to directly impact Siemens Energy. That’s partly because roughly 80% of the firm’s wind market is in Europe, Kaeser said.
“So, I believe that doesn’t move the needle. I’m much more worried about the European economies and how they deal with a very powerful nation, with a very powerful concept. We may or may not like it, because it’s got some nationalistic type of things, but if we look at it from the view of the American people, we better get something going,” Kaeser said.
Beyond onshore and offshore wind, Kaeser said Siemens Energy was well positioned to capitalize from a “booming” electrification market.
“Think about the data centers, artificial intelligence, we have waiting times now on large gas turbines. Actually, customers are coming and saying, hey can I make a reservation and I’ll pay you for a reservation? Just think about that. It hasn’t happened for a long time,” Kaeser said.
“I believe the electrification age has just begun. Whether that’s gas turbines or wind or solar or something else, we’ve got everything, and the customers decide in the end. And one thing I believe one should not underestimate, the White House is not buying much [but] the customer does,” he added.
‘Very, very optimistic’
Spanish renewable energy giant Iberdrola was similarly bullish about the road to full electrification, describing the transition away from fossil fuels as “absolutely unstoppable.”
“We are seeing that probably we are in the best moment for electrification,” Ignacio Galán, executive chairman of Iberdrola, told CNBC at WEF on Tuesday.
Galán cited soaring global demand for electrically powered data centers, low-emission vehicles as well as cooling and heating applications.
A logo on the nacelle of a wind turbine at the Martin de la Jara wind farm, operated by Iberdrola SA, in the Martin de la Jara district of Sevilla, Spain, on Friday, April 21, 2023.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
“All of those things require more electricity 24 hours a day. Our business in the United States is mostly in this area, which is networks … and the regulation depends on the state authority, so I think that is not really affected at all,” Galán said.
“Depending on the legislation, we will make more or less investment in another part of our business,” he added, referring to Trump’s energy policy.
“We are very, very optimistic about the United States and the future,” Galán said.
Wind power woes
Shares of some European wind power giants fell shortly after Trump took aim at wind power plans.
Denmark’s Orsted, which recently announced a roughly $1.7 billion impairment charge on U.S. projects, dipped 4.4% on Wednesday morning, extending steep losses from the previous session.
The rapidly growing offshore wind sector has endured a torrid time in recent years, hampered by rising costs, supply chain disruption and higher interest rates.
Windmills pictured during a press moment of Orsted, on Tuesday 06 August 2024, on the transportation of goods with Heavy Lift Cargo Drones to the offshore wind turbines in the Borssele 1 and 2 wind farm in Zeeland, Netherlands.
Nicolas Maeterlinck | Afp | Getty Images
Artem Abramov, head of new energies research at Rystad Energy, said Trump’s energy agenda essentially means the likelihood of any new offshore developments in the U.S. has fallen to zero — at least for now.
“The US currently has around 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of advanced-stage offshore wind developments that have reached final investment decision and are under construction, which are unlikely to be impacted by the order,” Abramov said in a research note published Tuesday.
“Moderate risk amid the unfavorable investment climate is present for 10.5 GW of projects which secured necessary permits but have not reached investment decisions,” Abramov said.
“The remaining 25 GW of early-stage projects are unlikely to see any progress under the current administration,” he added.
— CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.
On today’s episode of Quick Charge, President Trump has a wild first day in office, but it’s not ALL bad, either. Plus: Tesla gets diner integration, Hyundai keeps the deal train rolling, and it’s dad’s 80th birthday.
We also look ahead to some possible discounts for Tesla insurance customers, some news on the upcoming “cheap” Cybertruck, and wonder out loud if Puerto Rico’s billion dollar solar project is going to see the light of day. All this and more – enjoy!
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The Stripe logo on a smartphone with U.S. dollar banknotes in the background.
Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images
Stripe cut 300 jobs, representing about 3.5% of its workforce, mostly in product, engineering and operations, CNBC has confirmed.
The payments company, valued at about $70 billion in the private markets, still expects to increase headcount by 10,000 by the end of the year, which would be a 17% increase, and is “not slowing down hiring,” according to a memo to staff from Chief People Office Rob McIntosh. Business Insider reported earlier on the cuts and the memo.
A Stripe spokesperson also confirmed to CNBC that a cartoon image of a duck with text that read, “US-Non-California Duck,” was accidentally attached as a PDF to emails sent to some of the employees who were laid off. Some of the emails mistakenly provided affected employees with an incorrect termination date, the spokesperson said.
McIntosh sent a follow-up email to staffers apologizing for the “notification error” and “any confusion it caused.”
“Corrected and full notifications have since been sent to all impacted Stripes,” he wrote.
In 2022, Stripe cut roughly 1,100 jobs, or 14% of its workers, downsizing alongside most of the tech industry, as soaring inflation and rising interest rates forced companies to focus on profits over growth. The Information reported that Stripe had a few dozen layoffs in its recruiting department in 2023.
Stripe’s valuation sank from a peak of $95 billion in 2021 to $50 billion in 2023, before reportedly rebounding to $70 billion last year as part of a secondary share sale. The company ranked third on last year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list.
In October, Stripe agreed to pay $1.1 billion for crypto startup Bridge Network, whose technology is focused on making it easy for businesses to transact using digital currencies.
Brothers Patrick and John Collison, who founded Stripe in 2010, have intentionally steered clear of the public markets and have given no indication that an offering is on the near-term horizon. Total payment volume at the company surpassed $1 trillion in 2023.