Buying your teenager an electric bike? Here’s how to choose the right one
As electric bicycles surge in popularity, many parents are considering them as viable transportation alternatives for their teenagers. From getting to school or practice on their own to riding around with friends, e-bikes are a great way to give teenagers freedom without tossing them the family car keys.
Electric bicycles offer an eco-friendly solution, merging traditional cycling with an added boost. If you’re contemplating buying an e-bike for your teen, here are some crucial tips to guide your purchase.
Consider whether your teen is ready for an e-bike
Far be it for me to parent your kid, but suffice to say that not all teenagers are ready for an electric bike. Heck, anyone whose been on the road lately can probably attest to the fact that not all adults are ready for a car driver’s license.
Consider whether your teenager is responsible enough to make important decisions like where to ride, how fast to travel, and how to ride with friends. If they’ve never taken driver’s education, consider enrolling them in some type of course to learn the rules of the road. There are several new options for e-bike specific road training courses online. Also consider planning out routes to school or other common areas with your teen first to find the best, safest roads and bike lanes for a journey.
Additionally, make sure your teenager is responsible enough to correctly lock their e-bike each time they park, as electric bike theft is rampant in many parts of the country.
Safety first!
Ensure the e-bike has robust safety features. Some budget-level electric bikes skimp on parts like lighting and quality brakes. Look for models equipped with bright LED lights and good reflective materials (many tires now have reflective sidewalls so riders can be quickly seen when a car’s headlights approach from the side). Keep in mind that most direct-to-consumer electric bikes that are ordered online and delivered to your home don’t come with their reflectors installed, as these can break off in shipping. Many people will forget to install the reflectors, but make sure you fish them out of the bottom of the box and put them on the bike. E-bikes are required by law to have reflectors, but they don’t necessarily have to come installed.
Also, check for effective braking systems. Many riders prefer hydraulic disc brakes for their lower maintenance and higher stopper power compared to mechanical disc brakes, though mechanical brakes can be just fine as well. Rim brakes are rarely seen on e-bikes anymore and are usually a sign of a cheap e-bike.
And remember, a helmet should be a non-negotiable accessory. When your kid pays the bills one day, they can make that decision for themselves. For now, it should be a requirement that comes with the responsibility of riding an e-bike.
Which style of e-bike is right?
There are literally hundreds of models of e-bikes available in the US, each with its own features and styles. Consider what your teenager needs most.
If he or she is commuting to school on roads and bike lanes, 2-3″ tires and a basic triangle or step-through frame is plenty.
If off-road riding is on the table, consider the potential of fat tires or more suspension.
If you’ll need to pick your teen up on occasion, a folding bike can be tossed in the trunk on one-way rides. This is great for times you need to meet your teen somewhere to head out together but they had already ridden there on their own. No need to head back for the bike when you can take it with you.
If this all seems like too much to think about, then a safe bet that will work for 95% of riders is a utility or folding e-bike with 20″ x 3″ or 20″ x 4″ tires. Think something like a RadRunner, Lectric XP, or Super73 ZX.
While electric cargo bikes are a great option for carrying lots of stuff, they’re not as ideal for teens due to their larger size that sometimes requires more calculated and careful riding. And on that note, while passenger packages that allow some e-bikes to carry a second rider are very useful tools, keeping one teenager per bike is probably a good idea to reduce distractions. I love riding two-up, but there’s a time and a place.
Don’t get bogged down on figures like range and battery
You might naturally try to get into the weeds when it comes to comparing ranges, but you shouldn’t. And the reason is because most e-bikes these days are pretty darn similar in that regard.
If you really like data and numbers, look for the battery capacity measured in watt-hours (Wh) instead of the company’s claimed range figures. Almost all e-bikes worth considering will have somewhere between 450 to 700 Wh of battery capacity, which is going to result in somewhere around 20-30 miles (29-48 km) of range per charge. There are a few exceptions of nice bikes with tiny little batteries, but for the most part, don’t get bogged down on range comparisons. Just make sure it’s got a battery of roughly 500Wh and your teen should have plenty of battery for getting around most towns. And if they ever find that they’re running low, just tell them to ride slower. Or pedal.
E-bike classifications: Which one is best?
Most states in the US use the three-class system for e-bikes. Class 1 e-bikes can hit 20 mph (32 km/h) and only engage the electric motor when the pedals are turning. Class 2 e-bikes are the same except that they can have a hand throttle like a motorbike that activates the motor without any pedaling necessary. Class 3 e-bikes are like Class 1 e-bikes but are allowed to hit speeds up to 28 mph (45 km/h). Class 3 e-bikes generally aren’t allowed to have throttles. All three classes limit motor power to 750W (one horsepower). As a side note, there are many e-bikes that blur the line between Class 2 and 3, as they have throttles but the throttle cuts out at 20 mph, meaning the rider has to pedal to push further up to 28 mph. While this doesn’t fit most strict interpretations of the rules, they seem to slip by in many areas as fulfilling the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law.
All three of these e-bikes are generally allowed on all public roads and bike lanes where bicycles are allowed, though many trails and off-road areas will limit to Class 1 e-bikes only.
Your teenager will almost certainly want a Class 2 e-bike or one of the gray-area hybrids between Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes. Basically, they will want a throttle because their friends’ e-bikes will have a throttle. Throttles are great for getting rolling at the bottom of a hill or just helping return home after a long day when you’re tired and don’t feel like pedaling. But consider that a Class 1 or true Class 3 e-bike might be more appropriate for your teenager as it will require some level of effort on their part and prevent them from treating the e-bike like a small format motorcycle.
I say this as someone who predominately rides throttle-controlled e-bikes and prefers to have a throttle, but I still know there’s a time and a place for pedaling. And when you’re a healthy young kid who might benefit from not being able to zoom down a sidewalk at top speed, not having a throttle might just be a good thing sometimes.
One thing to consider though is that in the US it is much harder to find pure Class 1 e-bikes, in part because they simply don’t sell as well. But many – if not most – Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes can be limited to Class 1 performance in their settings. If you think your kid might just change the settings back to “fun” mode, you can usually just unplug the throttle also. Check with the vendor of the e-bike to see if their throttles can be unplugged and removed, if that’s something you’d like control over. Just know that your kid is going to be annoyed. But hey, a Class 1 e-bike is a lot better than a Class 0 e-bike, kiddo!
Test ride, if you can
There are lots of gifts that make great surprises. Electric bikes, much like puppies, are not one of them. There are so many different styles of e-bikes out there that it is much better to test the bike out first to make sure it feels right. Try and put your teenager on an e-bike to ensure he or she is comfortable with the size and handling.
This used to be more difficult, but many e-bike companies have expanded their dealer network and put their models in hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores. If you can, take your teen to test them out.
Another option is to borrow an e-bike from a friend or have them test out some of their buddies’ electric bikes.
Going in blind used to be the norm when most electric bikes were ordered sight unseen, but these days you can often find a way to test them out first.
Consider a reasonable budget for a teen’s e-bike
I’m not saying don’t get your teenager a nice e-bike, but consider that depending on how old they are, they might only have it for a year or two before heading off to college. It’s also likely going to be treated somewhat rougher than the way you’d probably handle it. And they’re probably going to be parking all over town, increasing the risk of theft.
For that reason, a teenager’s first e-bike probably shouldn’t be an ultra-premium electric bike. That doesn’t mean cheap out either though. Below $500-$600, you’re usually (but not always) looking at low-quality parts, cheap batteries, and poor construction. There are plenty of good e-bikes in the $1,000 to $1,500 range, and lots of better options under $2,500. If you move up to $3,000-$4,000, you get into some really high-quality stuff, and if you can swing that much on your teen’s e-bike then that’s great. But for many people, $1,000-$2,000 is the sweet spot for a good bang-for-your-buck e-bike that will balance safety and quality with cost.
We’ve got a great breakdown of the best electric bikes in every price range, if you want more guidance on specific models and prices.
Don’t be afraid of reviews
There’s never been a time in history when online reviews were less helpful than right now. What was originally a helpful tool has turned into a manipulated system of spite and revenge. Look no further than online e-bike communities like those on Reddit or Facebook, where you can type in any e-bike company name followed by “nightmare” and find some horror story about something going wrong or some bad customer service experience.
I basically live rent-free in these communities for several hours a day, and I constantly see new horror stories followed by a bunch of replies from people saying they’ve only had an amazing experience with that company. Who do you believe? Is Company XYZ the best or the worst? Many of these reviews are true. Some are from spiteful customers who didn’t get the answer they wanted from a company. Many others are from bots. Some are paid for by the company’s competitors. It’s a clusterduck of unhelpfulness. Well, unless there are several pictures of people’s bikes breaking in half. That’s pretty solid, so to speak.
So try this as an alternative. Instead of being scared off by reviews, look for companies that maintain large US workforces and customer support teams. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but companies like Aventon, Lectric eBikes, Rad Power Bikes, Ride1Up, Super73, and others may all sell Asian-built electric bikes, but they are US-based companies with local support teams. They all surely have horror stories online about “bad service” but also have tens of thousands of happy customers who rely on that local support. Ultimately, put more emphasis on warranty and support options.
There are even some companies that make their e-bikes locally and offer super-long warranties, such as Electric Bike Company, though we don’t have time here to wade into the locally “built” vs. “assembled” argument.
The point is, research a company’s record but also consider their warranty, their local customer support, and other issues beyond just a few nightmarish reviews online, since all companies have them.
In conclusion, buying an e-bike for your teenager can be an empowering decision, fostering independence and environmental responsibility. It’s a great opportunity to teach accountability, timeliness, and personal responsibility to your teen while also freeing up your own schedule instead of being the family chauffeur.
Hopefully by following these tips, parents like you can ensure that you’re making a sound investment for your teen’s mobility needs while also keeping them safe and protected.
Good luck!
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According to a credible new report, Elon Musk has reportedly shut down an internal analysis from Tesla executives that showed the company’s Robotaxi plans would lose money and that it should focus on its more affordable ‘Model 2’.
In early 2024, we reported that Musk had canceled Tesla’s plan for a new affordable electric vehicle built on its upcoming ‘unboxed’ vehicle platform, often referred to as ‘Model 2’ or ‘$25,000 Tesla’.
Instead, Musk pushed for only its new Robotaxi, also known as Cybercab, to be built on the new platform, and replaced the plans for a next-gen affordable EV with building cheaper versions of the Model Y and Model 3 with fewer features.
This decision culminated a long-in-the-making shift at Tesla from an EV automaker to an AI company focusing on self-driving cars.
We credit that shift initiated by Musk for the current slump Tesla finds itself in right now, where it has only launched a single new vehicle in the last 5 years, the Cybertruck, and it’s a total commercial flop.
Now, The Information is out with a new in-depth report based on Tesla insiders that describe the decision-making process around the cancellation of the affordable Tesla and the focus on Robotaxi.
The report describes a meeting at the end of February 2024 when several Tesla executives were pushing Musk to greenlight the $25,000 Tesla:
In the last week of February 2024, after a couple of years of back-and-forth debate on the Model 2, Musk called a meeting of a wide range of executives at Tesla’s offices in Palo Alto, Calif. The proposed $25,000 car was on the agenda—a final chance to air the vehicle’s pros and cons, the people said. Musk’s senior lieutenants argued intensely for the economic logic of producing both the Model 2 and the Robotaxi.
After unveiling its next-generation battery in 2020, Musk announced that Tesla would make a $25,000 EV in 2020, but he had clearly soured on the idea by 2024.
He said in October 2024:
I think having a regular $25,000 model is pointless. Yeah. It would be silly. Like, it’ll be completely at odds with what we believe.
The Information says that Daniel Ho, head of Tesla vehicle programs, Drew Baglino, SVP of engineering, and Rohan Patel, head of business development and policy, Lars Moravy, vice president of vehicle engineering, and Franz von Holzhausen, chief designer, all pushed for Musk to greenlight the production of the new $25,000 model.
Omead Afshar, a Musk loyalist who started out as his chief of staff and now holds a wide-ranging executive role at Tesla, reportedly said, “Is there a mutiny?”
The executives pointed to an internal report that didn’t paint a good picture of Tesla’s Robotaxi plan. The report has credibility as Patel commented on it:
We had lots of modeling that showed the payback around FSD [Full Self Driving] and Robotaxi was going to be slow. It was going to be choppy. It was going to be very, very hard outside of the U.S., given the regulatory environment or lack of regulatory environment.
Musk dismissed the analysis, greenlighted the Cybercab, and killed the $25,000 driveable Tesla vehicle in favor of the Model Y-based cheaper vehicle with fewer features.
The information describes the analysis:
Much of the work was done by analysts working under Baglino, head of power train and one of Musk’s most trusted aides. The calculations began with some simple math and some broad assumptions: Individuals would buy the cars, but a large portion of the sales would go to fleet operators, and the vehicles would mostly be used for ride-sharing. Many people would give up car ownership and use Robotaxis. Tesla would get a cut of each Robotaxi ride.
The analysis followed a lot of Musk’s assumptions, such as that the US car fleet would shrink from 15 million a year to roughly 3 million due to Robotaxis having a 5 times higher utilization rate.
They subtracted people who wouldn’t want to switch to a robotaxi for various reasons, arriving at a potential for 1 million self-driving vehicles a year.
One of the people familiar with the analysis said:
There is ultimately a saturation of people who want to be ferried around in somebody else’s car.
After accounting for competition, Tesla figured it would be hard for robotaxis to replace the ~600,000 vehicles it sells in the US annually.
Tesla calculated that the robotaxis would bring in about $20,000 to $25,000 in revenue at the sale and about three times that from Tesla’s share of the fares it would complete over their lifetimes:
The analysts figured Robotaxis would sell for between $20,000 and $25,000, and that Tesla could make up to three times that over the lifetime of the cars through its cut of fares. They added in capital spending and operational costs, plus services like charging stations and parking depots.
The internal analysis assigned a much lower value to Tesla robotaxis than Musk had previously stated publicly.
In 2019, Musk said:
If we make all cars with FSD package self-driving, as planned, any such Tesla should be worth $100k to $200k, as utility increases from ~12 hours/week to ~60 hours/week.
Furthermore, Tesla’s internal analysis pointed toward difficulties expanding into other markets, which could limit the scale and profitability of the robotaxi program. Ultimately, it predicted that it could lose money for years.
Electrek’s Take
For years, this has been one of my biggest concerns about Tesla: Musk surrounding himself with yesmen and not listening to others.
This looks like a perfect example. It was a terrible decision fueled by Musk’s belief that he was smarter than anyone in the room and encouraged by sycophants like Afshar.
Musk has been selling Tesla shareholders on a perfect robotaxi future, but the truth is not as rosy, and that’s if they solve self-driving ahead of the competition, which is a big if.
It’s not new for the CEO to make outlandish growth promises, but it’s another thing to do at the detriment of an already profitable and fast-growing auto business.
The report also supports our suspicions that the shift in strategy contributed to some of Tesla’s talent exodus last year.
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Environment
Geely exercises its Put Option on Lotus UK, enabling reintegration of all businesses under the Lotus brand
Bear with me, as this one is a bit complicated and jargon-heavy. Lotus Technology Inc. announced that Geely, the majority owner of its vehicle manufacturing business Lotus UK, exercised its put option earlier this week to sell its 51% stake in the latter company back to the former company. In Lamen’s terms, Geely is out, so Lotus Tech has to buy the 51% of Lotus UK back, putting all those respective businesses back under one umbrella. Still with me? More below.
The Lotus brand was founded in the UK over 70 years ago and has made a name for itself in delivering sporty yet luxurious hypercars. Unlike many of its competitors, Lotus was a relatively early adopter of EV technologies and has previously vowed to become an all-electric brand.
That promise was part of a strategy bolstered by Geely Hong Kong Ltd. (Geely), which acquired 51% of Lotus Advanced Technologies (Lotus UK or Lotus Cars) in 2017. As a result, Geely gained majority control of Lotus’ manufacturing division in the UK and its consultancy division, Lotus Engineering.
Lotus Technology Inc. – The R&D and design business of Lotus Group has been operating as a separate entity since then. In late January 2023, Geely and Lotus Tech signed a Put Option on Geely’s 51% stake in Lotus UK’s equity interests. As of April 14, 2025, Geely has decided to exercise said Put Option, requiring Lotus Tech to purchase that majority stake back, which it intends to do this year.
Lotus Tech ($LOT) to buy business back from Geely
Lotus Technology Inc. ($LOT) issued a press release today outlining details of Geely’s Put Option announcement. The company explained its intention to purchase 51% of Lotus Cars and reorganize R&D, engineering, and manufacturing under one brand.
The equity interest purchase of Lotus Cars will be a non-cash transaction based on a pre-agreed pricing method between Lotus Tech and Geely, i.e., the 2023 Put Option. Lotus Tech CEO Qingfeng Feng addressed the news:
This acquisition marks a critical milestone in our strategic journey to fully integrate all businesses under the Lotus brand, which will strengthen brand equity and enhance our operational flexibility and internal synergies. We are confident that the transaction will create substantial long-term value for our shareholders.
Mr. Feng may be painting a rosier picture than what is actually going on. It will be beneficial to regain control over Lotus UK and Lotus Engineering to consolidate financials and streamline business operations. Still, an exercised Put Option is hardly ever encouraging news.
Geely remains a massively successful global auto conglomerate and a key piece behind many leading EV technologies across its marques, especially in China. The fact that such a savant in engineering and EV development has left Lotus’ corner is concerning when imagining the future of the veteran UK brand, at least in terms of BEV development.
Lotus Tech… or Lotus Cars? Okay, let’s just call the company Lotus now. Whatever the name, Lotus will continue without Geely but still has support from consumer-focused investment firm L Catterton following a SPAC merger completed last year.
The reintegration of all Lotus businesses is expected to be completed this year. According to a representative for the company, it is now in a blackout period, so they could not comment any further until Lotus releases its Q4/ EOY 2024 earnings on April 22. That report will offer more insight into where the automaker currently stands financially and what plans it has going forward without Geely. Hopefully those plans still include more sexy BEVs!
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California’s e-bike incentive program is back, offering CA residents another opportunity to receive up to $2,000 off a new electric bicycle.
The second application window opens on April 29 at 5 PM, with 1,000 vouchers set to become available. In order to become eligible for a chance to receive one of the limited vouchers, applicants must enter the online waiting room between 5 and 6 PM.
According to the incentive program rules, all entries during this period will be placed in random order, and thus, everyone will have an equal chance to apply.
The program, launched by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), aims to promote zero-emission transportation options, especially for low-income residents. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Approved participants will receive a voucher of up to $2,000, which can be used at participating retailers.
The program’s initial launch in December 2024 saw overwhelming demand, with all 1,500 vouchers claimed within minutes. At one point, the application queue reached 100,000 people.
For those interested in applying, it’s crucial to be prepared and enter the waiting room promptly at 5 p.m. on April 29. Given the high demand during the first round, the available vouchers are expected to be claimed quickly.
For more information and to apply, visit the California E-Bike Incentive Project’s website.
Electrek’s Take
Programs like California’s e-bike voucher initiative aren’t just about saving a few bucks on a fun new ride – they’re about transforming transportation. E-bikes are proven to reduce car trips, improve mobility for low-income communities, and offer a genuinely fun and efficient alternative for commuting, errands, and more.
With transportation costs associated with car ownership or public transportation creating a constant economic burden for commuters and increasingly worsening traffic in many cities, making e-bikes more accessible isn’t just good policy – it’s common sense.
California’s program, though far from perfect in execution, shows that there’s massive public interest in affordable, practical micromobility. When 100,000 people rush to get a shot at riding an electric bike, it’s not a fringe idea – it’s a movement. If policymakers are serious about cutting emissions and improving quality of life, incentives like these should be expanded and replicated across the country.
California’s program still has significant room for improvement, but it’s a great step in the right direction. I’d love to see it get more funding to enable significantly more vouchers, as well as have an entry window longer than just one hour to allow folks who may have work or other conflicts to enter as well. But with each round, it appears the program is making improvements. Progress is good; let’s keep it up.
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