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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The e-bike industry in the West has long been a tale of two territories. North Americans enjoy higher speeds and power limits for their electric bicycles while Europeans are held to much stricter (i.e. slower and lower) speed and power limits. However, things might change based on current discussions on rewriting European e-bike regulations.
New power levels are not totally without precedent, either. The UK briefly considered doubling its own e-bike power limit from 250 watts (approximately 1/3 horsepower) to 500 watts, though the move was ultimately abandoned.
But this time, the call for more power is coming from within the house – i.e., Germany. The Germans are the undisputed leaders and trend setters in the European e-bike market, accounting for around two million sales of e-bikes per year. Home to leading e-bike drive makers like Bosch, the country has yet another advantage when it comes to making – or regulating – waves in the industry.
And while there aren’t any pending law changes, the largest German trade organization ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband), which is highly influential in achieving such changes, is now discussing what it believes could be pertinent updates to current EU electric bike regulations.
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Some of the new regulations involve creating rules maxing out power at levels such as 400% or 600% of the human pedaling input. But a key component of the proposed plan includes changing the present day power limit of e-bikes from 250W of continuous power at the motor to 750W of peak power at the drive wheel.
The difference includes some nuance, since continuous power is often considered more of a nominal figure, meaning nearly every e-bike motor in Europe wears a “250W” or less sticker despite often outputting a higher level of peak power. Even Bosch, which has to walk the tight and narrow as a leader in the European e-bike drive market, shared that its newest models of motors are capable of peak power ratings in the 600W level. That’s still far from the commonly 1,000W to 1,300W peak power seen in US e-bike motors, but offers a nice boost over an actual 250W motor.
Other new regulations up for discussion include proposals to limit fully-loaded cargo e-bike weights to either 250 kg (550 lb) for two-wheelers or 300 kg (660 lb) for e-bikes with more than two wheels. As road.cc explained, ZIV also noted that, “separate framework conditions and parameters must be defined for cargo bikes weighing more than 300 kg (see EN 17860-4:2025) as they differ significantly from EPACs and bicycles in their dynamics, design and operation.” Such heavy-duty cargo e-bikes, which often more closely resemble small delivery vans than large cargo bikes, are becoming more common in the industry and have raised concerns about cargo e-bike bloat, especially in dedicated cycling paths.
It’s too early to say whether European e-bike regulations will actually change, but the fact that key industry voices with the power to influence policy are openly advocating for it suggests that new rules for the European market are a real possibility.
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China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
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To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
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A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as “Main Justice,” is seen behind the podium in the Department’s headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Federal prosecutors have charged two men in connection with a sprawling cryptocurrency investment scheme that defrauded victims out of more than $650 million.
The indictment, unsealed in the District of Puerto Rico, accuses Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, of operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international crypto multi-level marketing scheme that promised investors 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange trading.
“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said the Internal Revenue Service’s Chief of Criminal Investigations Guy Ficco. “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin.”
From 2019 to 2023, Sims, Reynoso and their co-conspirators allegedly lured thousands of victims worldwide to purchase “investment packages” using cryptocurrency, falsely claiming the funds would be safely managed by elite forex traders, the Department of Justice said.
Prosecutors said the pair flaunted their wealth through social media and extravagant events — including projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, Dubai’s tallest building — to convince investors the operation was legitimate.
A video posted to the company’s LinkedIn page shows guests in evening attire posing for photos and watching the spectacle in Dubai.
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In reality, authorities allege, OmegaPro was a pyramid-style fraud.
When the company later claimed it had suffered a hack, the defendants told victims they had transferred their funds to a new platform called Broker Group, the DOJ said. Users were never able to withdraw their money from either platform.
The two men face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The Justice Department, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations led the multiagency investigation, with help from international partners.