The Priority E-Coast is fascinating as a cruiser bike, especially considering the beach cruiser category normally sees rather barebones and simplistic designs. The NYC-based bike brand Priority Bicycles has never skimped on its bicycles though, and the E-Coast is no different. That means you’re looking at a high-end beach cruiser e-bike for a better-than-reasonable price.
I won’t bury the lede here; the Priority E-Coast is priced at US $1,999. That’s on the higher end of the spectrum for beach cruiser e-bikes, but you’re about to see why. [Note: For the next five days you can save $300 with the Black Friday sale by using code MOBF15 at checkout].
I’ve spent several months testing out the Priority E-Coast, and I can tell you that they approached this e-bike with the same design ethos as all of their top-shelf bicycles: with a keen eye toward quality design intended for daily riders.
The result is nothing short of an electric beach cruiser that you can be proud to ride every day of the week, knowing it will last (and not need maintenance every week or two to stay in good running condition).
Check out the video below to see my testing in action!
Priority E-Coast Video Review
Priority E-Coast quick specs
Motor: 500W rear geared hub motor
Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
Range: Up to 32-96 km (20-60 mi)
Battery: 48V 12Ah (576 Wh)
Brakes: Dual-piston disc brakes on 180 mm rotors
Extras: LCD display, LED head and tail lights, right-side half-twist throttle, heavy-duty center kickstand, cruiser saddle, platform pedals, 3″ balloon tires, custom paint selection
A different type of cruiser
We’ve seen some very nice electric cruiser bikes before, but this is the first time I’ve seen a brand known for its high-end pedal bikes approach the category. That resulted in the type of attention to detail that only true bike nerds can reach. This isn’t some cheap Walmart cruiser.
And that expertise really shines through on the bicycle component side of things. The electric half of the e-bike is also pretty nice, but let’s start with the bike side.
First of all, this isn’t Priority’s first cruiser. In fact, the E-Coast is largely just an electrified version of the brand’s Coast beach cruiser. That means they’ve already spent years working out what makes this bike work well.
You’ll find all the great low-maintenance parts that you’d expect on a high-end bike. That means hydraulic brakes for punchy, responsive stops. That means a Gates carbon belt drive for a smooth, silent, and maintenance-free drivetrain. And that means corrosion-resistant components like sealed bearings and a rust-free frame.
Of all those nice features, the belt drive is probably the most standout component. Gates is a leader in the belt-drive market for a reason – these things are bulletproof. They last longer than chains, don’t require oiling, never get rusty or squeaky, and are even more efficient over the bike’s lifetime (chains start out more efficient, but that drops quickly as they wear down).
The fact that a belt drive is silent and maintenance-free is just such a beautiful thing for owners who want to spend more time enjoying their ride and less time taking care of their ride.
I’m also a big fan of the 3″ balloon tires. These are classic beach cruiser tires that really make the bike what it is. They’ve got a solid inch or so on traditional hybrid tires, yet aren’t as cumbersome as 4″ fat tires. They’re just big enough to give a good, squishy ride yet narrow enough to still feel like a normal bike tire. They can handle a bike lane just fine or roll over dense beach sand, all on the same ride.
This is also a good time to note that there’s no suspension in the bike, which means the extra air volume in those tires is helpful for pseudo-suspension.
They simply did a great job with the bike’s design. It’s even available in both a step-through and a step-over (and four different colors!) so that lovers of either style can find exactly what they want.
Both frame styles give you an upright and relaxed riding position that beach cruiser riders have come to love. There’s no hunched-over city ride here, it’s all relaxed cruising!
But what about the electronics side?
So the bicycle side of things looks great, and the E-Coast obviously had a leg up there with Priority’s legacy of bicycle design. But what does that mean for the e-side of things?
Well this isn’t Priority’s first rodeo. Or its second. Priority Bicycles has been building e-bikes for years, and so they came into this with a good background there too, even if it doesn’t quite match their pedal bike legacy.
So I’d say Priority did a decent job on the electric side, though it’s certainly not the star of this bike show.
At 500W, the rear hub motor is powerful enough for the bike’s main job: cruising. It’s got some decent torque for hill climbing, but the single-speed drivetrain means you won’t be able to drop into low gear for super stand-on-the-pedals ascents. Even so, I’d say power isn’t an issue here, even if it’s not as punchy as the ultra-powerful bikes we’ve tried before.
The 576Wh battery is similarly adequate. It’s not huge, but this also isn’t a power-hungry bike and so it lasts nicely.
They claim 20-60 miles (32-96 km) of range per charge, with the longer end of that range coming from using the lower power pedal assist option. If you’re heavy on the throttle and ride at top speed, expect the lower end of the range.
The only thing I don’t like about the battery is how high it is mounted. It’s way up there in the rear rack, which is necessary to preserve the classic cruiser frame, but it just means the bike feels a bit top-heavier than it needs to. The upside is you get a nice big rear rack, so there are benefits, too. And for those that are used to riding around with a milk crate full of beach gear on the back of their bike, you’re probably already accustomed to a few extra pounds up high on the bike anyway.
Now let’s talk speed, which is another interesting issue. Out of the box, you’re limited to 20 mph (32 km/h), making it a Class 2 e-bike. But you can use the settings in the display to open it up to 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist, making it a Class 3 e-bike (if you ignore the throttle). While higher speeds are fun, I did find that the single-speed nature meant that your feet are spinning quite fast once you blow past 20 mph. So, while you CAN hit Class 3 speeds, it’s not ideal.
But then again, this is a beach cruiser… it’s meant for those who enjoy taking life at a slightly more relaxed pace. The kind of people who like to enjoy the world around them and not just see it blow past in a blur.
Lastly, that brings me to the final rider-facing piece of the electronics: the display. It’s a bit basic and small, but it gets the job done. It’s plenty readable though, so I can’t complain much about it, even if it’s not as beautiful or in-your-face as some of the fancier displays out there.
Wrap it all up
Ultimately, I’d say the Priority E-Coast scores top marks from me on the bike side and still quite high marks on the electric side.
For $1,999, it’s a great way to slide into a high-end electric cruiser bike, and I’ll praise components like the Gates belt drive and hydraulic brakes all day and night. Saving $300 with the Black Friday sale makes this even sweeter.
I’d have loved to see a torque sensor for those who enjoy lower-speed pedal assist that is extra-responsive, but it still feels good as-is. And the other components that are included really help seal the deal. Parts like the dual kickstand for stable parking as well as the included rear rack and fenders really help make this a complete package of an electric cruiser bike.
As a comfortable, relaxed ride that still features bike shop-quality parts, I’d call this a major win for the category.
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That network of dependable high-speed chargers, paired with solid app integration that makes it easy for Tesla drivers to find available chargers just about anywhere in the US, gave the brand a leg up – but no more. By opening up the Supercharger network to brands like Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and others, Tesla has given away its biggest competitive advantage.
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Add in charging and route-planning apps like Chargeway, that make navigating the transition from CCS to NACS easier than ever with its intuitive colors and numbers and easy on/off switch for vehicles equipped with NACS adapters, and it feels like the time is right to start suggesting alternatives to the old EV industry stalwarts. As such, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Here, then, are my picks for the best Tesla S3XY (and Cybertruck) alternatives you can buy.
Less Model S, more Lucid Air
Lucid Air sedans; via Lucid.
Developed by OG Tesla Model S engineers with tunes from Annie Get Your Gun playing continuously in their heads, the Lucid Air promises to be the car Tesla should and could have built, if only Elon had listened to the engineers.
With panel fit, material finish, and overall build quality that’s at least as good as anything else in the automotive space, the Lucid Air is a compelling alternative to the Model S at every price level – and I, for one, would take a “too f@#king fast” Lucid Air Sapphire over an “as seen on TV” Model S Plaid any day of the week. And, with Supercharger access reportedly coming later this quarter, Air buyers will have every advantage the Supercharger Network can provide.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Less Model 3, more Hyundai IONIQ 6
2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited; via Hyundai.
Hyundai has been absolutely killing it these days, with EVs driving record sales and new models earning rave reviews from the automotive press. Even in that company the IONIQ 6 stands out, with up to 338 miles of EPA-rated range and lickety-quick 350 kW charging available to make road tripping easy – especially now that the aerodynamically efficient IONIQ 6 has Supercharger access through a NACS adapter (the 2026 “facelift” models get a NACS port as standard).
Once upon a time, Mrs. Jo Borrás and I were shopping three-row SUVs and found ourselves genuinely drawn to the then-new Model X. Back then it was the only three-row EV on the market, but it wasn’t Elon’s antics or access to charging, or even the Model X’s premium pricing that squirreled the deal. It was the stupid doors.
We went with the similarly new Volvo XC90 T8 in denim blue, and followed up the big PHEV with a second, three years later, in Osmium Gray. When it’s time to replace this one, you can just about bet your house that the new 510 hp EX90 with 310 miles of all-electric range will be near the top of the shopping list.
The sporty EV6 GT made its global debut by drag racing some of the fastest ICE-powered cars of the day, including a Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG GT, a Porsche, even a turbocharged Ferrari – and it beat the pants off ’em. Combine supercar-baiting speed with an accessible price tag, NACS accessibility, $10,000 in customer cash on remaining 2024 models ($3,000 on 2025s) and just a hint of Lancia Stratos in the styling, the EV6 is tough to beat.
If you disagree with that statement and feel like driving a new Tesla Cybertruck is the key to happiness, I’m not sure an equally ostentatious GMC Hummer EV or more subtle Rivian R1T will help you scratch that particular itch – but maybe therapy might!
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BYD Shenzhen, the world’s largest car transport ship (Source: BYD)
Republicans launched multiple attacks against EVs, clean air and American jobs this week, at the behest of the oil industry that funds them. These attacks won’t be successful, and EVs will continue to grow regardless, and inevitably take over for outdated gasoline vehicles.
However, these republican attacks on EVs will still have some effect: they will diminish the US auto industry globally, leading to job losses and surrendering one of the jewels in the crown of American industry to China, where there is no similar effort to destroy its own domestic EV industry.
But they should inspire worry for Americans, because they will only harm the country’s domestic manufacturing base in the face of a changing auto industry.
Republicans keep trying to kill clean cars
The last time a republican occupied the the White House, we saw similar efforts to try to raise fuel and health costs for Americans, and to block superior EV technology from flourishing. That didn’t work in the end, and EVs continued to grow both during that period and after.
All the while, fossil fuels have maintained their privileged policy position, being allowed to pollute with impunity and costing the US $760 billion per year in externalized costs. Much of that subsidy is accounted for in the cost of pollution from gas cars, which are one of the primary uses of fossil fuels, which means that, in fact, gasoline vehicles receive much more subsidy than EVs do.
And yet, EVs still managed to grow substantially, despite these headwinds. EV sales have continued to grow, both in the US and globally, even as headlines incorrectly say otherwise. The republican party’s attempts to kill them were futile, and will continue to be.
It didn’t work, but it did delay progress
However, anti-EV actions from Mr. Trump and the republican party did manage to delay progress from where it could have been if America actually instituted smart industrial policy earlier.
Surely the American auto industry would be ahead of where it is now if those investments had had time to come online. But instead, republicans are currently trying to kill those jobs, which has already led to several manufacturing projects being cancelled this year, depriving Americans of the economic boost they need right now.
Meanwhile, there’s one place that this sort of stumbling isn’t happening: China.
China is taking advantage
China has spent more than a decade focusing on securing material supply, building refining capacity, developing their own battery technology, and encouraging local EV manufacturing startups.
This has paid off recently, as Chinese EVs have been rapidly scaling in production in recent years. It took a lot of the auto industry by surprise how rapidly Chinese companies have scaled, and how rapidly Chinese consumers have adopted them, after having an initially slow start.
But that adoption hasn’t just been local, it’s also global. Last year, China became the largest auto exporter in the world, taking a crown that Japan had held for decades. But the change was even more dramatic than that – as recently as 2020, China was the sixth-largest auto exporter in the world, just behind the US in 5th place.
China’s dramatic turn upward started in 2020, and now it’s in first place. Meanwhile, because of all the faffing about, the US remains exactly where it was in 2020 – still in fifth place. Well, sixth now, since China eclipsed us (and everyone else).
But tariffs have been tried before, and they didn’t work. When Japan had a similarly meteoric rise to global prominence as an auto manufacturer in the 1970s and 80s, largely due to their adoption of new technology, processes, and different car styles which incumbents were ignoring, the US tried to stop it with tariffs.
All this did was make US manufacturers complacent, and Japan still managed to seize and maintain the crown of top auto exporter (occasionally trading places with Germany) from then until now.
Then as now, the true way to compete is to adapt to the changing automotive industry and take EVs seriously, rather than giving the auto industry excuses to be complacent. But instead, republicans aren’t doing that, and in fact are working to ensure the American auto industry doesn’t adapt, by actively killing the incentives that were leading to a boom in domestic manufacturing investment.
US auto industry jeopardized by republicans
Make no mistake about it: destroying EV incentives, and allowing companies to pollute more and innovate less, will not help the US auto industry catch up with a fast moving competitor.
As we at Electrek have said for years, you cannot catch up to a competitor that is both ahead of you and moving faster than you.
It also applies to nations, which could have spent the last decade doing what the Chinese auto industry has been doing, but instead non-Chinese automakers have been begging their governments for more time, even though it’s not the regulations that threaten them, it’s competition from a new and motivated rival that is moving faster and in a more determined manner towards the future.
The way that we get around this should be clear: take EVs seriously.
But that’s not what republicans are doing, and in doing so, they are signing the death warrant for an important US industry in the long term.
Another thing republicans are trying to kill is the the rooftop solar credit, which means you could have only until the end of this year to install rooftop solar on your home before the cost of doing so goes up by an average of ~$10,000. So if you want to go solar, get started now, because these things take time and the system needs to be active before you file for the credit.
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International equipment manufacturer Vermeer has unveiled a full-scale prototype of its Interlune excavator, a machine designed to ingest 100 metric tons of rocks and dirt per hour, extracting valuable helium as it makes its way across the surface … of the Moon.
Helium plays a critical role in the manufacturing of semiconductors, chips, optics, and all the other stuff that makes EVs, autonomy, the Internet, and the rest of twenty-first century life possible. The problem is that, despite being the second-most common element in the universe, helium is pretty rare on Earth – and we are rapidly running out. As such, there are intense economic and political pressures to find new and reliable sources of helium somewhere, anywhere else, and that demand has sparked a new modern space race focused on harvesting helium on the Moon and getting it back home.
To that end, companies like American lunar mining startup Interlune and the Iowa-based equipment experts at Vermeer are partnering on the development of suite of interplanetary equipment assets capable of digging up lunar materials like rocks and sand from up to three meters below the surface, extract helium-3 (a light, stable isotope of helium believed to exist in abundance on the Moon), then package it, contain it, and ship it back to Earth.
“When you’re operating equipment on the Moon, reliability and performance standards are at a new level,” says Rob Meyerson, Interlune CEO. “Vermeer has a legacy of innovation and excellence that started more than 75 years ago, which makes them the ideal partner for Interlune.”
The company showed a scaled prototype of the machine at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (above), emphasizing the need to develop new ways to operate equipment assets in the extreme temperatures of extraplanetary environments beyond diesel or even hydrogen combustion.
On the airless surface of the moon, it would be impossible for an internal combustion engine to operate on the moon’s surface because there is no oxygen for combustion. Electrically powered machines seem the obvious solution with solar power generation supplying the electricity. But the answer is not that simple.
Temperature changes on the surface of the moon are extreme. They can soar to 110° C and plummet to -170° C. Developing electric construction machinery to perform in this environment is no easy task, but Komatsu is tackling issues one by one as they appear. Using thermal control and other electrification technologies, we are engineering solutions.
Despite Komatsu’s apparent head start, however, Vermeer seem to pulled ahead – not just in terms of machine development, but in terms of extraction potential as well.
“The high-rate excavation needed to harvest helium-3 from the Moon in large quantities has never been attempted before, let alone with high efficiency,” said Gary Lai, Interlune co-founder and CTO. “Vermeer’s response to such an ambitious assignment was to move fast. We’ve been very pleased with the results of the test program to date and look forward to the next phase of development.”
Interlune is funded by grants from the US Department of Energy and NASA TechFlights. In 2023, the company received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research award to develop the technology to size and sort lunar regolith (read: dirt). Interlune has raised $18 million in funding so far, and is planning its first mission to the Moon before 2030.
Electrek’s Take
Interlune helium harvester concept; via Interlune.
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