The Velotric Go fits squarely into one of my favorite electric bike categories – short tail cargo bikes. These are often called utility e-bikes, since unlike long tail cargo e-bikes, they’re closer to “normal” sized while still being built for hauling. With a nicely designed frame and the inclusion of UL-certification on the battery and drivetrain, there’s some serious draw to this bike.
UL-listing is becoming more important than ever. Velotric has offered UL-certification on its e-bikes in the past and now makes sure that each new launch comes with the certification. As more companies adopt this safety standard, we’re getting more peace of mind in knowing that the e-bikes we ride and charge at home are safely designed.
But the UL-listing is just one nice extra feature on the Velotric Go 1. The bike is full of other bits and pieces that I love to see, from 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes to a big battery and even location tracking from built-in Apple Find My integration.
Check it all out in my video review below, then keep reading for all of my detailed thoughts on my testing experience with the bike.
Velotric Go video review
Velotric Go tech specs
Motor: 500W (900W peak) rear-geared hub motor
Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) or 25 mph (40 km/h) when unlocked
Range: Up to 55 miles (88 km)
Battery: 48V 14.4Ah (692 Wh)
Weight: 65 lb (29.5 kg)
Payload capacity: 440 lb (200 kg)
Tires: 26 x 2.4″ (front) and 20 x 3.0″ (rear)
Brakes: 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors
Extras: Suspension fork, LED display, smartphone app integration, LED headlight, tail/brake light, Y-kickstand, Shimano 7-speed drivetrain, included fenders and wooden rear rack platform, Apple Find My integration for location tracking, mounting points for front and rear rack accessories, UL-certified for both the battery and the entire e-bike drivetrain
Nicely designed, from parts to performance
Let’s face it, there are a lot of similar electric bikes out there. Even within a single category, such as utility bikes like the Velotric Go, there are a lot of similar offerings. So the differences often come down to features and components installed on the bikes.
In this case, there are some very nice inclusions on the bike. For starters, I love the 3-inch wide tires that give it a more moped-like feel, despite still having a very bicycle-like 7-speed drivetrain and the ride feel of a more traditional bike. With those 3-inch wide tires, there’s enough air and rubber down there to give a nice, comfortable ride, yet the tires are not so wide that they would become unwieldy.
The 60mm suspension fork also helps with ride comfort, though I do wish that Velotric had given us the Packer’s 80mm front fork for even more travel. Maybe the tire size didn’t allow for it or perhaps they just wanted to keep the bike more compact. Either way, 60mm of travel is still nice to see.
Next, check out the stoppers. Those are 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes on 180mm rotors. We normally only see such powerful brakes on much higher end e-bikes, not $1,699 models like these. That’s another key differentiator here.
One of my favorite added features though is the Apple Find My integration, which means the bike has the guts of an AirTag location tracker built into it. I can add it as a device on my phone and always know where my bike is, even if a thief makes off with it or I forget where I parked.
The performance is also impressive, with a large 692 watt-hour battery providing up to 55 miles (88 km) of range, though most of us will see closer to 30-ish miles if we’re leaning heavily into the throttle instead of relying on more efficient pedal assist.
The 20 mph (32 km/h) speed limit keeps the bike in Class 2 designation, though you do have the option of unlocking 25 mph (40 km/h) speeds if you find that 20 isn’t quite fast enough for you.
Technically you should unplug the throttle to keep it in Class 3 designation since the throttle is functional up to 25 mph when unlocked, but that relies on the honor system.
When it comes to the motor, the 500W continuous rated and 900W peak rated motor is decently punchy, though I can’t help but wonder how much better the bike would be with a 750W/1,200W motor like the larger Velotric Packer.
To be fair, I felt like the bike had plenty of power as is with the 500W/900W motor, so it’s not like the power feels lacking. But when I know the company has a higher power drivetrain at its disposal, I can’t help but be jealous that it didn’t land on this bike.
The passenger package is awesome!
I saved one of my favorite features for last, the passenger package. I have a special place in my heart for electric bikes that can carry more than one adult, since I think it turns these from “can do many jobs” to “can do most jobs”.
Many people cite the single-person nature of e-bikes as a limiting factor that prevents them from using one more often. But if you can carry your friends or partner on the back then that might just change the equation.
Sure, not everyone is going to be comfortable riding pillion on an e-bike, but it’s a fun experience. I’ve ridden together with my wife several times, and we’ve switched off as driver and passenger. While I wouldn’t recommend it for teenagers due to the higher risk and responsibility of riding with a passenger on back, I think it’s a great way for young adults to get around together without needing a car.
What could be improved?
At $1,699, the bike feels fairly priced considering you’re getting good power and range, location-tracking and anti-theft features of the Apple Find My system, and a pretty cool utility bike to boot.
If they had included a torque sensor, I’d be singing their praises from the mountain tops. But as it is, the pedal assist is still pretty good.
If they had given me 80mm of suspension instead of 60mm, sure, that’d be great.
And I’m not a huge fan of left-side thumb throttles in general, since right-side twist throttles have kind of been the standard of two-wheelers since powered two-wheelers were invented. A right side half-twist throttle would have had me over the moon.
But as it stands, the bike feels like a solid entry as-is. I can always wish for more, but at a certain point you just have to appreciate a nice design for what it is. They give us a lot, with a great frame, passenger capabilities, location tracking, 4-piston brakes, Class 3 capabilities, and more.
To sum it up: The Velotric Go 1, it’s a pretty darn nicely designed e-bike for the price.
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Multi-million-dollar grants adding up to more than $46 million from the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will help support electrification efforts at several American ports.
The Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) in Long Beach, California has received a $34.9 million grant from the FHWA to replace 155 on-site commercial trucks and buses with zero-emission vehicles (ZEV). The grant will fund both the purchase of new electric trucks and the necessary charging infrastructure to support them.
LBCT said the grant dollars will allow it to continue its multi-billion dollar investments in more sustainable logistical operations. “Our vehicle electrification project, coupled with previous investments, enables LBCT to achieve a unique status that is reframing the way the world views sustainable goods movement, enhancing community quality of life and climate change,” said Anthony Otto, CEO of LBCT.
“This investment is a huge win for clean air, electrification and the region,” said US House Rep. Robert Garcia. “These federal dollars will make our port cleaner, safer and help us meet our climate goals.”
Container ports used to be some of the dirtiest, most heavily polluted areas in the world. That was bad for everyone – but it was especially bad for the people who lived and worked near them. That’s why any positive change is good. Beyond just “positive change,” however, ports today seem to be leading the way when it comes to electric vehicle and hydrogen adoption.
How things change!
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German equipment manufacturer Kramer showed off a pair of zero-emission equipment options at the Paris Intermat show last week – the 5065e electric wheel loader and 1445e electric telehandler.
Kramer says the quiet operation of its new electric wheel loader and telehandler are ideal for noise-sensitive areas such as city centers, cemeteries and golf courses, hotels, and suburban parks and recreation areas, where it can operate without emitting harmful diesel particulate matter and other forms of air pollution.
Kramer-Werke GmbH is serious about promoting its new EVs in the French market. “That’s why Intermat is an important platform for us,” explains Christian Stryffeler, Kramer’s Managing Director. “We are also looking forward to showcasing our new generation of (electric) wheel loaders and telescopic wheel loaders here.”
Kramer 5065e wheel loader
The 5065e loader is powered a 37.5 kWh, 96V lithium-ion battery that’s good for up to four hours of continuous operation – which is a lot more than it sounds, considering idle time in an EV doesn’t drain batteries the way idling a diesel drains fuel. A 23 kW (30 hp) electric motor drives the electric wheel loader around the job site, while a 25 kW (approx. 35 hp) motor powers the machine’s 40 liters hydraulic system.
Kramer says the battery on its electric loader can be fully charged in just 5.1 hours using a “Type 2 Wallbox” (that’s an L2 charger to you and me). Max payload is 1750 kg, with a 2800 kg tipping load. Top speed is 20 km/h (approx. 12.5 mph).
Kramer 1445e telehandler
The 1445e telehandler uses a 96V battery architecture that’s similar to the one in the wheel loader, but in a smaller 18 kWh or 28 kWh pack. This enables a fleet manager to right-size their equipment’s batteries to provide four hours of run time in different types of work environments. And, also like the wheel loader, a 23 kW (30 hp) electric motor provides the drive while a 25 kW (approx. 35 hp) powers the hydraulics.
Level 2 charging comes standard on Kramer’s electric telehandler, enabling a full charge of the larger, 28 kWh battery in about five hours. Max payload is 1450 kg.
Electrek’s Take
Kramer 5056e electric wheel loader; image via Kramer.
It’s always good to see more manufacturers pushing out electric equipment options. It’s still the “wild west” out there, even more so than in automotive, and Kramer’s offerings seem to be a step behind in some ways (no DCFC capability) and ahead in others (96V where others are 48V), so it’s hard to know where they stand.
The robotics experts at ETH Zurich have developed an autonomous excavator that uses advanced AI to help it complete high-skill tasks without a human operator.
Dry stone wall construction typically involves huge amounts of operator labor. Doing it right requires not just hours of labor, but hours of skilled, experienced labor. At least, it used to. If the crew at ETH is successful, building stone retaining walls will soon become a “set it and forget it” task for robots to complete. Robots like their HEAP excavator.
HEAP (Hydraulic Excavator for an Autonomous Purpose) is a customized Menzi Muck M545 developed for autonomous operation that uses electrically-driven hydraulics to operate an advanced boom arm equipped with draw wire encoders, LiDAR, Leica iCON site-mapping, and a Rototilt “wrist” on the end that makes it look more like a high-precision robotic arm than a traditional heavy equipment asset.
ETH HEAP tech stack
Image via ETH Zürich.
Which makes sense. After all: the ETH guys are roboticists, not skilled heavy equipment operators. So, how does their robot do against skilled operators?
“We are currently outperformed by human excavator operators in placement speed,” ETH researchers wrote in Science Robotics. “Such operators, however, typically require string and paint references with which to register their construction and often a second or third person outside the machine to provide guidance and to insert small supporting stones, gravel, and soil by hand and shovel. In contrast, our process can build complex nonplanar global surface geometries without physical reference markers, does not require a skilled driver or small supporting stones, and provides a full digital twin of the built structure for better accountability and future reuse.”
Translation: the robot is slower, but it gets the job done.
You can watch the ETH HEAP put all its onboard tech to work building a 215 foot long, 20 foot high retaining wall all on its own in the video, below.
Autonomous excavator constructs dry stone wall
The completed project can be seen at Circularity Park in Oberglatt, Switzerland, and illustrates the potential for autonomous equipment to build with irregularly-shaped materials. And with skilled operators in short supply everywhere, the potential to free up operators so they can go where they’re really needed.
That said, the electrically driven hydraulics and high-precision Rototilt wrist on the end of the boom arm’s “claw” alone make this futuristic excavator worth some attention. As more and more manufacturers switch to full electric or even “just” electric drive, research into better solutions for existing hydraulic equipment and expertise could lead to big market wins.
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