RadRunner 3 Plus review: A utility e-bike that blurs the line between budget & premium
The RadRunner 3 Plus is an electric utility/cargo bike that deserves a serious second look because of its unique place in the market, straddling the line between value-oriented and premium-focused. It comes from Rad Power Bikes, one of the leading budget-minded e-bike brands in the US, yet is part of the company’s push toward the more premium segment of the market.
When Rad Power Bikes first unveiled the “Plus” line, it consisted only of the original RadRunner Plus. That was followed by launches for Plus versions of the RadRover and RadCity, adding higher-end parts like hydraulic disc brakes, higher torque motors for better hill climbing, and more sophisticated displays on the handlebars, among other upgrades.
Now, the RadRunner 3 Plus brings a whole new push toward premium from the company, showing that Rad doesn’t just want to be seen as a low-cost e-bike maker. Instead, it wants to compete with the higher-priced players in the market.
But can the RadRunner 3 Plus hang with the big boys and command a higher price? That’s exactly what I set out to discover. Check it out in my video review below, or keep reading for more details afterward.
RadRunner 3 Plus video review
RadRunner 3 Plus tech specs
- Motor: 750W rear-geared hub motor
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Range: 45-72 km (25-45 mi) depending on user input
- Battery: 48V 14Ah (672 Wh)
- Charge time: 6 hours
- Weight: 34.2 kg (75.5 lb)
- Max load: 159 kg (350 lb)
- Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc brakes on 180 mm rotors
- Extras: Side kickstand, dual LED displays, integrated head/tail/brake LED lights, bell, half-twist throttle, mounting for the huge collection of front and rear racks/accessories
What more does it give us?
The RadRunner 3 Plus was unveiled with several new features compared to the previous version, adding parts like dual LED displays, hydraulic disc brakes, a slicker-looking semi-integrated battery, improved suspension, more comfortable seat design, and more.
But it also came with a surprisingly high price. It was quickly dropped to its current price of US $2,299 from a debut at US $2,499, but that still makes it the priciest RadRunner ever.
However, coming from someone who has ridden every version of the RadRunner, I can tell you it’s the best one yet.
The bike rides beautifully thanks to its design and geometry, giving me a comfortably relaxed ride stance that lets me rest my feet on the ground at stops while still having good pedaling form. The newly updated seat is also a major improvement, though the old RadRunner seat from the early days never bothered me as much as I heard from others.
The power is there, though I always feel like I want more when I hit that 20 mph (32 km/h) wall. I know Rad Power Bikes is content with Class 2 e-bikes, but I often find myself pining for a little Class 3 extra speed on long straightaways. That goes double when I’m on the side of a higher-speed road, keeping up with faster car traffic.
The utility design of the bike is also top-notch. As a step-through, it’s easy to mount, even when loaded up with cargo on the rear rack. There are so many RadRunner copies and clones these days that it can be hard to remember that this is the bike that started it all. And Rad hasn’t lost sight of that, ensuring the most recent edition stays true to that RadRunner DNA that makes it a potent little cargo hauler. It feels like a stubby cargo bike because that’s what it is.
You really begin to appreciate this bike’s potential when you add accessories. Keep in mind Rad’s accessories don’t come cheap, but they add even more utility here.
One of my favorites has always been the Passenger Package since it turns this into a two-passenger e-bike. I can easily treat it like my motorbikes or scooters, taking my wife along for a ride. A two-person e-bike is a handy transportation tool, solving the one-person-per-bike dilemma that has long plagued two-wheelers.
Then there’s the cargo options, and this is where the bike really shines. I was most impressed by the hard cases, which are lockable and sturdy. I’m not kidding – I’ve got an electric motorcycle that has locking hard cases that feel flimsy next to Rad’s bike hard cases. These are solid, waterproof cases with sealing gaskets to keep rain out. They are so well constructed that if you hit something while riding, you’d better check that thing first. These boxes aren’t going anywhere.
The only downside is they all seem to have different keys, and if you go with the two side cases, the rear rack case and the center console, you’ll have four different cargo keys to deal with. I know keying them alike would be tricky since some people will only order a few cases and the whole set, but if there were an option for a quadfecta of keyed-alike boxes, I’d jump for it in a heartbeat.
As nice as the bike and its accessory line is, not everything is perfect. One thing I wish this version of the RadRunner Plus hadn’t lost was the center kickstand. There’s a new side stand, which works fine, but I liked the center Y-kickstand for its stable parking option, especially when loaded with lots of cargo.
Then there’s the price. At $2,299, this is a tougher sell today than it would have been in the past. It’s a great bike, but many bikes on the market now have good utility designs, hydraulic brakes, 750W motors, big batteries, and nice accessories – and many of them cost significantly less.
They aren’t as nice as the RadRunner 3 Plus, I can attest to that. But saving nearly a grand will be worth cutting a few corners for many people.
So, in my opinion, if you have the extra cash to spend, you’re going to get an amazing quality utility bike with the RadRunner 3 Plus. It’s just hard for me to call it the same bang-for-your-buck as it once was a few years ago, even in the non-Plus version. You can, of course, still get the RadRunner 2, which is the current “non-Plus” version, and it’s only $1,299 at its current sale price. It doesn’t get you many of the nicer parts of the RadRunner 3 Plus, but it’s a hell of a deal. For the RadRunner 3 Plus here, I still say Rad did a great job on it – I just wish it was a few hundred bucks cheaper so I could give it a more forceful recommendation based on value and not just on quality. As it stands, it’s a great bike, but a pricey one.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike