Why more teenagers should ride electric bikes
Much of the media is at it again, hyping up a manufactured fear of electric bikes. (Side note: I know that sentence makes me sound all MAGA, but even as a card-carrying liberal, I can call out media bias). The issue this time centers around American teenagers on e-bikes and the manufactured choice between supposed “freedom or danger.”
While not alone, the New York Times has been at the forefront of a slew of anti e-bike articles. The latest example attempts to offer a balanced presentation of the arguments for and against teenagers riding electric bikes. But it betrays that guise of impartiality with an underlying implication that there are two sides in the argument: Parents who don’t want their kids on e-bikes and irresponsible parents who do. Case in point: The example in favor of teens on electric bicycles used in a recent NYT article featured an anonymous mom who lets her 14-year-old son ride an illegally modified 70 mph (120 km/h) electric motorcycle. That would be like presenting the debate about gun control and using the example of a 14-year-old whose mom lets him drive a battle tank.
Unlike the NYT article which was ostensibly marketed as unbiased news, I have the privilege of telling you outright that this is an opinion piece, and thus, I’m sharing my own views. As someone who has worked in the e-bike industry for nearly 15 years and also once spent an entire seven years in a row as a teenager, I figure I’m as qualified as anyone to discuss the issue of e-bikes and teens.
E-bikes: An imperfect yet amazing solution
Look, I’m not going to sugar coat this or tell you that every teenager should have an e-bike. There are real safety concerns here. Not everyone is ready for an electric bike. E-bikes can go fast (most are limited to either 20 or 28 mph in the US (32-45 km/h) depending on the classification, though some people modify them to go faster). There are dangers, but there are also incredible upsides to electric bicycles as well. And balancing those two is the key here.
Everything in life comes with some level or risk. But you once put your small child on their first bike so they could learn to ride, didn’t you? You eventually removed the training wheels and gave them some taste of freedom riding around with their friends, even if just in the neighborhood. There may have been some skinned knees and ruined pants along the way, but it was worth the risk.
Now those same cute little kids have grown up into teenagers, the kind that want to get to school or go to the movies with their friends. And instead of needing their parents to drive them like they did a decade ago, we now have the glorious invention of electric bikes. Unlike pedal bikes, which most Americans don’t want to ride very far due to the effort required, e-bikes can actually move teenagers nearly anywhere in their city with ease. What was several years ago just a way for older folks to enjoy riding again has now turned into one of the biggest revolutions in teenage freedom since the repeal of child labor laws.
E-bikes give teenagers personal agency. In cities without good public transportation (i.e. most of the country), a teen can ride an e-bike several miles to get to school, visit friends, get to work or just enjoy some fresh air. Parents enjoy that freedom as well, no longer serving as a personal chauffeur for their teens.
So many people miss the amazing potential of an e-bike: This is a fully-functional transportation device that can increase the resources in a city that are available to teens while simultaneously teaching them responsibility and freeing up their parents. And it even comes at such a low cost compared to nearly every other form of transportation other than walking.
Sure, there will always be some people who act as gatekeepers, working under the impression that there’s an arbitrary age at which someone becomes responsible enough for anything. For some reason Americans think teens are ready for guns and war at 18 but that it takes another three years until they can handle a sip of wine. Car rental companies think young adults aren’t ready to drive cars until their 25th birthday. You have to be 35 to run for President of the United States, yet senility apparently isn’t a disqualifier (the fun thing is that one works for both parties). Our society is full of arbitrary guidelines for responsibility, but the real world isn’t so black and white.
I hope we’re all open-minded enough to realize that there is truly a spectrum of responsibility. There are 16 year olds who can be safe, conscientious and responsible e-bike riders, and there are adults who shouldn’t set foot near an e-bike. In the same way, there are 16 year olds who can be safe, conscientious car drivers despite there also being adults that should probably have their car driver’s licenses revoked.
It’s time we stopped babying teenagers and treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve. Sure, they still need parental guidance and benefit from the wisdom of age and experience. But this notion that they aren’t “ready” for an e-bike is simply misguided, and I would argue insultingly coddles them. There are teenagers on the other side of the world that ride a 40 mph (64 km/h) scooter or moped to work a 12-hour shift everyday. Those teens are no different than your own kids, other than that they weren’t as fortunate to be born into the same money and privilege. Instead, they had to grow up learning responsibility. And having agency over their own transportation became part of that.
You don’t even have to go halfway around the world. Just go a quarter of the way, to Europe, where you’ll find kids that look just like yours but ride their bikes to school every day. I know, it’s even harder to dismiss it when they have the same complexion. And if your immediate response is “Yeah, but those countries have bike lanes,” well then look at that, it seems we all came to the same solution!
American kids are so overprotected by helicopter parents these days that their development is being stunted. I see parents idling their SUVs next to neighborhood bus stops so they can pick their kids up and drive them two minutes home. Heaven forbid those middle schoolers walk five minutes on the safe, setback sidewalks in the planned community. Of course this doesn’t mean all parents do this; I don’t mean to overgeneralize. But it’s common enough to serve as a warning of what we should collectively strive to avoid.
This national trend towards nannying kids and teenagers has unfortunately spilled over into electric bikes, and it’s a real shame. We’re all hurtling towards climate catastrophe here, whether you accept it or not. (Less-than-fun fact: Your kids will suffer the dangers of climate change regardless of whether or not you acknowledge the problem). The best chance those kids have of spending their middle and old age years in an environment that isn’t downright physically hostile to them is to instill upon them the importance of making environmentally responsible decisions. Transportation is just one sector contributing to climate change, but it’s a large one.
Teaching kids that they can get around without needing a 5,000 pound vehicle is a great early lesson. Instead of trying to teach kids about the value of electric cars, let’s teach them about the value of not using a car.
An e-bike for teenagers means freedom, but it’s also an early lesson in alternative transportation. It teaches kids from a young age that we can move ourselves around in a way that is both efficient and sustainable. We don’t have to burn gallons of fuel to get to school or buy a carton of milk. We don’t have to pave more lanes and expand roads to fit ever-larger cars (both physically bigger and more numerous, each a unique and dangerous trend on its own). Owning and using an electric bike is a lesson in so many fields, from personal responsibility to punctuality and even environmental stewardship.
And look, I know this is going to be controversial. There are certainly going to be many arguments against what I’ve said. That’s fair and valid. I’ve expressed my opinion, but it doesn’t mean it’s the only opinion in the room. I’ll try to address some of what I expect to be the main counterarguments against my position that we should encourage more teenagers to ride e-bikes.
“What’s with all the e-bike stuff? Just put those kids on pedal bikes!”
Sure, I’d love that. I would truly love to see more kids and teenagers riding pedal bikes. I’d support any initiative that pushes that agenda. The problem is that it just isn’t realistic, no matter how much I want it to be. American kids are lazy. I’m sorry, but they are. It’s not their fault, it’s mostly their parents’ fault and the culture. The US has an obesity problem that we can’t ignore. Kids simply don’t want to ride pedal bikes because it’s too much effort. However, we’ve already seen that they take quickly to e-bikes. We can’t wish kids onto pedal bikes, but we can bribe them onto e-bikes with the promise of fun and freedom. And if they happen to accidentally get a little exercise at the same time, that’s great, too.
As much as I’d love to see more kids on pedal bikes, it’s electric bikes that will actually get kids moving, get them traveling on their own and give them true, effective freedom.
“Teenagers don’t know road rules, how can we put them on little electric motorcycles?”
First, stop with this “e-bikes are motorcycles” fear-mongering. You’re better than that, I believe in you.
Yes, a lot of teenagers don’t know the rules of the road yet. Many are delaying getting their drivers licenses or aren’t getting one at all. I personally believe that we should have rider’s education classes similar to driver’s ed, but for cyclists. It’d be a great way to teach new road users the nuance of road rules as well as instill rider training similar to what you learn in a motorcycle license course. California has gone as far as to propose a law that would require unlicensed e-bike riders to get a watered down “bike license” to teach them road laws. That has a few problems, but it’s an interesting rough draft.
“Teenagers ride on sidewalks and endanger pedestrians.”
They shouldn’t do that. Stop them. Fine them. Confiscate their bikes. Punish the parents. If that’s illegal in a certain area, then punish the rule breakers. This isn’t rocket science. Don’t break the law and also punish people who do.
That being said, let’s ask ourselves why people are riding on the sidewalk. The answer is that they don’t feel safe on the road because there aren’t safe, protected bike lanes. Perhaps we should also put effort into solving the root problem here. I know, it’s a crazy idea: Solving the problem instead of covering it with a band-aid. But if we give cyclists a safer place to ride, it will make everyone safer.
“I know my kid is alright, but what about those other kids? I can’t trust them.”
Here’s the thing. Your kid isn’t special; I know you think they are because you made them, but statistically speaking, they aren’t. Think about the average kid out there. There’s a 50% chance your kid is worse than that one. Ok, probably slightly less than 50% chance since Electrek tends to draw a more educated audience. But you get the point.
The point is, no one can trust anyone else’s kid. The best we can do is collectively educate our youth. Instill responsibility and critical thinking from an early age. If you give teenagers responsibility, most will rise to meet it. If for some reason yours doesn’t, then maybe an e-bike isn’t for them. The sheer number of revoked driver’s licenses out there shows that a car isn’t for many adults, either.
Not every human is ready for motorized transportation, but most are and it’s a matter of evaluation. This is a personal decision that parents need to make about their own kids, not something that others can decide for them.
In conclusion
I’ve beaten this horse well past death now, so let me leave it with just one more small whack.
Electric bikes are such a revolution in transportation freedom that we’d be sorely missing out by depriving a future generation from experiencing them at such a useful age. There is simply far too much good that can come from giving teenagers the freedom and responsibility of being in charge of their own mobility.
Yet at the same time, that responsibility is a double-edged sword. Parents need to be aware of their own kids’ ability to exercise that responsibility. E-bikes are not without danger and there is no age that we can be sure of that everyone is ready for any level of responsibility. But one thing is for sure: There are many teenagers that are ready. And there are a lot worse things your teen could be doing right now.
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The feces-filled freight train of dystopian horrors rolls on with the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill and the untimely demise of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. But if you’re ready to pull the trigger on a new EV this month, you’re in luck! There are plenty of great options with zero interest financing to choose from … and one with zero interest in general.
You know how we usually do these lists – some pictures, a few punchy paragraphs, and an invitation to explore local deals.
We’re doing things a little differently this month. Instead of brief write-ups, we’re highlighting the most significant 0% deal of the month (yes, that is largely opinion-based – thanks for noticing), and an “honorable mention” that doesn’t quite fit the 0% EV deal template … but might still be worth checking out.
Enough talk! Here are the deals.
Most significant new 0% offer
Demand for Tesla Cybertrucks has been a long, long way from the “conservative” 250,000 per year projections Elon was making just a few years ago. Demand for the low-poly electric pickup is so dismal, in fact, that Tesla is offering 0% financing on a new Cybertruck for up to 60 months – if you’re willing to spring for the company’s Full Self Driving (Supervised) level 2 ADAS.
Not quite a 0% EV deal
Don’t act surprised – my Twitter handle is VolvoJo, after all, and I’m on my fifth consecutive long-roof Swede as I type this. As such, when trying out a new format for this monthly column it made perfect sense to check out the Ironmark’s offers … and I found a good one: a new, not perfect but getting there seven-passenger EX90 at 1.99% financing plus $1,000 in “Summer Safety Bonus Cash.”
Is zero interest financing good enough to overcome the fact that most people seem to have zero interest in buying a CT these days? Is the Volvo worth a look at 1.99% with an additional $1,000 cash back? Let us know your take in the comments – but before you do that, check out the full list of 0% interest EV deals for July 2025 and click the links for additional local deals.
July 0% interest EV deals
Disclaimer: the vehicle models and financing deals above were sourced from CarsDirect, CarEdge, and (where mentioned) the OEM websites – and were current as of 07JUL2025. These deals may not be available in every market, with every discount, or for every buyer (the standard “with approved credit” fine print should be considered implied).
Check with your local dealer(s) for more information.
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The new Lectric XP Trike2, just unveiled today, is the hands-down winner in the best-bang-for-your-buck category of electric trikes. And as perhaps the longest-running electric bike reviewer in the industry, I can say that with confidence. I’ve seen a lot of electric bikes in my time. I’ve spent a lot of butt-in-saddle hours on e-trikes. But I’ve never before seen a value like this roll by on three wheels.
As an able-bodied, mid-30s electric bike rider (and writer), I’ll be the first to say that electric trikes aren’t just for older folks. They’re fun e-bikes in their own right. But let’s face it – the vast majority of the market for electric three-wheelers are those who just aren’t as comfortable on two wheels due to age, accessibility, or other reasons. And so if you’re a senior or otherwise on the hunt for a fun and affordable electric trike, the Lectric XP Trike2 is probably the one you’re going to end up getting, and deservingly so!
If you don’t know Lectric eBikes, they’re the Phoenix-based e-bike company that took the US by storm in the early 2020s, quickly growing into the #1 best-selling e-bike company on the continent. They started with the ultra affordable, high-value XP line of e-bikes, and then took that same recipe to other types of e-bikes, from cargo bikes to off-roaders, and now to trikes.
The new XP Trike2 is the latest generation of their best-selling e-trike, and it’s absolutely better than ever.
First of all though, let’s look at what stayed the same. The ultra-affordable price of $1,499 remains untouched, keeping this not only one of the best e-trikes on the market, but also the most affordable. It also keeps the low step-over height for easy mounts and dismounts, the folding frame to help riders transport it more easily, and the powerful motor that makes it a great hill climber.
Other than those features, basically everything else has received an upgrade.
First of all, we now get included suspension with a 50mm suspension fork up front. The frame has been redesigned with a new hydroformed aluminum downtube and a more stable footprint. The stem angle has been modified to make it more comfortable and allow a more upright, relaxed riding posture. A more powerful and longer-range version of the Trike2 is also available, upgrading the motor with 50% more power for even better hill climbing, as well as including a torque sensor for more responsive pedaling and a longer-range battery.
The included TFT color screen is a major upgrade over the older model, and there are even six new colors to choose from, which is a major improvement over the original XP Trike’s color option list of… one.
Base model versus the long-range upgrade
Both the base model (Lectric XP Trike2 500) and the higher-spec option (XP Trike2 750) are compelling options, but they’ll likely serve different types of riders.
Even the base model comes with a reasonably large 13 Ah (624 Wh) battery, which is already going to give most riders at least 30 miles of range (or a claimed 50 miles if using low power pedal assist and riding slower). Plus, the 500W motor is actually much more powerful, likely peaking at closer to 1,000W of actual power. That’s the “oomph” that riders will feel when climbing hills. And for many folks, that’s plenty. Plus, the $1,499 price of the XP Trike2 500 is quite attractive.
But riders who want to upgrade to the XP Trike2 750, the higher price of $1,799 does come with some nice upgrades. First of all, the higher power 750W motor will be that much better at climbing hills, helping riders up steeper inclines, or just maintaining higher speeds up the same slopes. Next, the larger 17.5 Ah (840 Wh) battery is going to give more range, to the tune of nearly 50 miles with mixed riding (or the claimed 70 miles if using lower power pedal assist and staying off the throttle). The other benefit of a bigger battery is that it simply doesn’t need to be charged as often. Even if you’re riding around at 10 mph for an hour each day, that’s a week of riding before you have to think about recharging the battery.
The last significant upgrade on the 750W model is a torque sensor, which is a more refined pedal assist sensor that results in a more natural feeling ride when pedaling. For riders who only use the throttle, there’s not much benefit to a torque sensor. But for anyone who actually wants to pedal along and get a bit of fitness in, the torque sensor means the acceleration and the riding just better mimic the natural feel of bicycle pedaling, making it more like real pedaling – albeit if you had the legs and muscle definition of a professional cyclist.
All of this is to say: The base model with 500W of power is likely sufficient for most riders, but that extra $300 does offer better hill climbing, more power, longer range, and a nicer pedaling experience – which may be important for some riders.
Lectric may have announced the XP Trike2 today, but they aren’t quite ready to ship. In something of a throwback to Lectric’s early days, the bikes are available on pre-order. Orders placed now get priority, with the 500W model shipping later this month (July 2025). The 750W models will take a bit longer, with current orders expected to ship by September.
It’s a bit of a delayed gratification situation, but if the XP Trike2 is anything like the original (and it looks to be even better), then these bikes are absolutely going to be worth the wait!
Electrek’s Take
Once again, Lectric has left all the other e-bike makers fighting over second place. My hat is off to the company – time and again they have surprised us with increasingly better e-bike generations at increasingly the same price. Each time they roll out a bike, they give us more and more, all without touching the price tag.
The XP Trike2 follows that strategy perfectly, though it definitely looks like they’re hoping the XP Trike2 750 will bring slightly fatter margins – perhaps making up for just how ridiculously affordable the XP Trike2 500 is. And while I think the lower power model will be sufficient for most people, that bigger battery, beefier motor, and nicer torque sensor do sound like a tempting upgrade.
I haven’t ridden the XP Trike2 yet, but I will be on it soon and I can’t wait to share the experience with you guys. In the meantime, let’s hear what you think about the new e-trike in the comment section below!
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Japanese equipment giant Kubota brought 22 new or updated machines to the 2025 bauma expo earlier this year, but tucked away in the corners was a new retrofit kit that can help existing customers decarbonize more quickly, and more affordably.
No matter how badly a fleet may want to electrify, harsh economic realities and the greater up-front costs typically associated with battery electric remain high hurdles to overcome, but new retrofit options from major manufacturers are popping up to help lower those obstacles.
The latest equipment maker to put its name on the retrofit list is Kubota, who says its kit can be installed by a trained dealer in a single day.
That’s right! By this time tomorrow, your diesel-powered Kubota KX019 or U27-4 excavator (shown) could be fitted with an 18 or 20 kWh li-ion battery pack and electric drive motors and ready to get to work in a low-noise or low-vibration work environment where emissions are a strict no-no. Think indoor precision demolition or historic archeological excavation.
Then, if necessary, it can go right back to diesel power.
From diesel to electric and back again
If that sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve talked about a similarly flexible power solution from ZQUIP. The battery packs and diesel engines are much larger in that application, but the basic sales pitch remains the same: electric when it benefits your operation, diesel it doesn’t.
Kubota says its modular retrofit kits is a response to the increasing global demand for sustainable alternatives by focusing on making machinery that’s flexible and repairable enough to be “reusable,” and offer construction fleet managers a longer operational lifespan, superior ROI (return on investment), and lower TCO (total cost of ownership) than the competition.
Kubota’s solution also notably reduces maintenance costs and operational overheads. With no engine and associated components, servicing time and expenses are considerably reduced, saving customers both time and money. Additionally, with electricity costing far less than fossil fuels, it offers a highly economical advantage.
International Rental News reports that other changes to the excavators include a more modern cab controls with a digital instrument cluster, a 60 mm wider undercarriage for more stability, and an independent travel circuit allows operators to use the boom, dipper, bucket, and auxiliary functions without an impact on tracking performance.
Kubota’s new kit, first shown at last year’s Hillhead exhibition in the UK, will officially be on sale this summer – any day now, in fact – though pricing has yet to be announced.
Electrek’s Take
If you’re wondering how it is that we’re still talking about bauma 2025 a full quarter after the show wrapped up, then I haven’t done a good enough job of explaining how positively massive the show was. Check out this Quick Charge episode (above) then let us know what you think of Kubota’s modular power kits in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kubota, via International Rental News.
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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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