The last time I was on a Varla electric scooter, it was a fun and recreational ride. Not a powerhouse, but an exhilarating ride, nonetheless. This time, they’ve stepped things up significantly with the new Varla Eagle One V2.0 electric scooter. With two powerful motors and dual suspension, this ride is seriously high-performance!
Varla Eagle One V2.0 video review
Varla Eagle One V2.0 tech specs
Motors: Dual 1,000 W continuous motors (1,600W peak)
Battery: 52V 20.8Ah (1,082 Wh)
Top speed: 40 mph (64 km/h)
Range: Claimed 42 miles (67 km) in lower power mode
Weight: 82 lb (37 kg)
Load capacity: 330 lb (150 kg)
Brakes: Dual hydraulic disc brakes
Tires: 10×3.5″ tubeless pneumatic tires
Suspension: Front and rear swingarm suspension
Charge time: 5-10 hours (Single vs dual chargers)
Extras: Five electric gears/speeds, NFC card for starting, side kickstand, headlight, taillight, LED speedometer and battery meter, fenders, IP54 water-resistant rating, strong folding clamp and clasp
Fast and fun… and affordable!
At its MSRP of US $1,799 (and current sale price of $1,599), the Varla Eagle One V2.0 is of course much more expensive than your typical Amazon electric scooter. But then again, it offers much more performance while undercutting the price of some of the even fancier name-brand options from leading electric scooter companies like Apollo.
Varla’s scooters can’t hope to match the fancy features and impressive phone apps of leaders like those, but they’re getting surprisingly good for a fast and powerful mid-market electric scooter.
For example, they come with NFC cards now for extra security. A thief isn’t going to be able to steal and start your scooter without the NFC card you’ve got securely in your pocket. Just swipe that baby and you’re ready to rock and roll at up to 40 mph (64 km/h)!
Yes, that’s right. You read that correctly. Speeds of up to 40 mph are no joke on an electric scooter, and so I recommend suiting up properly with closed shoes or boots, a proper full-face helmet, crash jacket or other padded protective clothing, and just about anything else that you’d want between you and asphalt scraping along your body on 40 mph. As they say, “dress for the slide, not for the ride.”
As it stands, I don’t really ride the scooter that fast very often because it just isn’t that necessary for me. If you’ve got a long commute on the side of a 40 mph road, then this is a great feature to have. High-speed capability is nice. My parent’s minivan can theoretically do 100 mph. It’s never been necessary, but I guess it’s nice to know it can do it?
That’s sort of the philosophy I have with electric scooters. I don’t really push them into the 40’s that often. And frankly, 25-30 mph (40-48 km/h) is plenty for most urban applications. But if you ever need it, the speed is there waiting for you.
What’s more likely to benefit you on a daily basis is the power. With a pair of 1,000W motors that put out 1,600W of peak power, you’ve got 3.2 kW of power under the soles of your shoes. That requires some serious responsibility on the part of the rider since you can easily get yourself into sticky situations with that much power, but it’s super fun as long as you can trust yourself to go easy on loose and slippery surfaces.
The dual suspension design of the scooter means that you can take power off-road to get in some fun dirt and grass shenanigans.
Let’s get real though: very few people buy an electric scooter for purely off-road use. Most people who own off-road electric scooters still put a fairly high number of tarmac miles on them, too. So it’s great to see that the Varla Eagle One V2.0 works just as well in the bike lane as it does on the single track.
The suspension definitely adds some great cushioning off-road, but that same effect means you can hit potholes and curbs with much more confidence than you would on a cheaper, non-suspension scooter.
And when it comes time to stop, you’ve got those powerful hydraulic disc brakes bringing you back to zero quickly and surprisingly effortlessly.
The build quality is pretty good here too, though of course it’s not as slick as the more expensive name-brand companies. I definitely have to compliment the folding setup. It’s got a powerful clasp that works great to keep the scooter folded when you need to carry it (though it’s 82 lb and so you won’t want to carry it).
That clasp also doubles as a secure bag clip so you don’t have to dangerously hang your shopping bag off the handlebars or your elbow.
When it’s time to open the scooter back up from its folded position, you release the clasp, and then you tighten the stem clamp to hold the stem in its upright position. Then there’s a safety in the form of a steel pin that physically prevents the stem from folding, even if the clamp were to somehow vibrate completely loose.
And of course you’ve got that big 1,082 Wh battery beneath you to offer some seriously long-range riding. They claim over 42 miles (67 km), but don’t expect to get that much unless you ride slowly.
Even at faster speeds though, 25-30 miles is definitely achievable. And most people won’t be riding at top speed all the time, so you’re going to get some pretty darn good range from that big battery.
Sum it up for me
Here’s my takeaway message: This isn’t the most refined or attractive scooter, but it’s got good bang for your buck. It’s a fast and powerful solution with a big battery for long-range riding. The suspension feels good and the folding is actually well-designed.
At this price, I feel like you’re getting a great deal in terms of a highly capable electric scooter for both on-road and off-road riding. The performance is there, that’s for sure.
If you want fancier features like tracking, phone apps, custom displays, and more, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if all you want is a fast, powerful, and comfortable electric scooter for higher-performance operation, you can’t really go wrong with the Varla Eagle One V2.0.
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Locals call him the “Bicycle hero,” but Texas man Evan Wayne says he’s just doing what he can to help his community after it was cut off due to the recent devastating and deadly flooding tragedy.
When the local Sandy Creek flooded following torrential rains in Texas, it destroyed the only bridge into one community. Residents were cut off from access to supplies, including everything from necessities like food, water, and medicine to basic comforts.
Although the bridge was impassable to cars, volunteers who quickly organized to help the stranded residents found that the damaged bridge could still be traversed on foot. Or in the case of Evan Wayne, it could be covered by an electric bike.
Evan joined hundreds of volunteers who answered the call of grassroots organizers by working together without any official capacity. While many started by hand-pulling garden carts of supplies uphill to reach the stricken community, Evan jury-rigged a trailer to an e-bike and took on as much of the load as he could, helping shuttle much-needed food and gear into the community over hundreds of round-trip journeys.
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“This was a dog trailer 48 hours ago. I had a hacksaw, hacked the top off, grabbed some bungee cords, and here we are,” explained Evan in an interview with CBS Austin, while waiting for the next load of gear to be stacked on his trailer.
In the first two days of the operation, he made around 100 round trips each day, shuttling food and water as well as critical rescue supplies. “Right now, I’m waiting on a couple of chainsaws that I’ll bring in for a crew that’s been going at it with handsaws so far.”
In addition to delivering needed supplies, Evan has often found himself moving something even more important: information. “I’ve flagged down medics. I’ve been the guy that goes between Austin EMT and STAR Flight because I’m quicker than cell phones sometimes, people don’t have signal a lot of the time.”
Evan quickly points out that he isn’t the only one helping. “I’ve got an e-bike, but other people are pulling carts. People are walking, people are carrying things. Everyone is doing what they can.” But there’s no doubt that his ability to carry more gear at higher speeds and make hundreds of round-trip journeys so far in and out of the stricken neighborhood has helped impact countless lives.
“This is all volunteers here. They’re just taking it upon themselves to get people where they need to go. I think there’s an umbrella company coming in, taking over tomorrow, but until they get here, people are just taking care of people, which is what you’ve got to do.”
E-bikes proving their worth in emergencies
While many people consider electric bicycles just another form of recreation, they’ve proven to be potent transportation alternatives after natural disasters worldwide.
Not only do their small and efficient batteries make performing hundreds of rescue trips like Evans’ possible, but recharging can be done simply and easily with a solar panel when electricity is out after a disaster. And when gas stations are out of fuel (or simply can’t pump it with the power grid down), e-bikes can keep running while gasoline-powered motorcycles or ATVs run dry.
Electric bicycle batteries have also proven to be a handy source of emergency power after hurricanes and other disasters, often helping owners keep their phones charged up for days to remain in contact with family or rescue services.
While most hope to never need theirs for emergency purposes, electric bicycles have proven their worth in countless disaster scenarios, adding benefits far beyond just alternative transportation, recreation, or fitness riding.
E-bikes can be kept running nearly indefinitely after natural disasters with access to solar recharging equipment
Image credits: CBS Austin (screenshots), used under fair use
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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies during a remote video hearing held by subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on “Social Media’s Role in Promoting Extremism and Misinformation” in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2021.
Handout | Via Reuters
Block jumped more than 5% on Monday, leading a rally in shares of fintech companies as analysts downplayed the threat of JPMorgan Chase’s reported plan to charge data aggregators for access to customer financial information.
The recovery followed steep declines on Friday, after Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan had circulated pricing sheets outlining potential fees for aggregators like Plaid and Yodlee, which connect fintech platforms to users’ bank data.
In a note to clients on Monday, Evercore ISI analysts said the potential new expenses were “far from a ‘business model-breaking’ cost increase.”
In addition to Block’s rise, PayPal climbed 3.5% on Monday after sliding Friday. Robinhood and Shift4 recorded modest gains.
Broader market momentum helped fuel some of the rebound. The Nasdaq closed at a record, and crypto rallied, with bitcoin climbing past $123,000. Ether, solana, and other altcoins also gained.
Evercore ISI’s analysts said that even if JPMorgan’s changes were implemented, the most immediate effect would be a slight bump in the cost of one-time account setups — perhaps 50 to 60 cents.
Morgan Stanley echoed that view, writing that any impact would be “negligible,” especially for large fintechs that rely more on debit, credit, or stored balances than bank account pulls for transactions.
PayPal doesn’t anticipate much short-term impact, according to a person with knowledge of the issue. The person, who asked not to be named in order to speak about private financial matters, noted that PayPal relies on aggregators primarily for account verification and already has long-term pricing contracts in place.
While smaller fintechs that depend heavily on automated clearing house (ACH) rails or Open Banking frameworks for onboarding and compliance may face real pressure if the fees take effect, analysts said the larger platforms are largely insulated.
The global EV market is still charging ahead. According to new numbers from global research firm Rho Motion, 9.1 million EVs were sold worldwide in the first half of 2025, up 28% compared to the same period last year. But not every region is accelerating at the same pace.
China and Europe are doing the heavy lifting
More than half of the world’s EVs this year have been bought in China. That market hit 5.5 million sales in the first six months of 2025 – a 32% jump year-over-year. Around half of new cars bought in China are now electric.
While some Chinese cities’ subsidies have dried up, Rho Motion expects momentum to pick back up later in the year as more funding is released.
In Europe, 2 million EVs were sold in the first half of the year, up 26%. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales also rose 26%, thanks in part to affordable models like the Renault 4 (pictured) and 5 entering the market. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) weren’t far behind, growing 27% year-to-date. Chinese automakers are leaning into PHEVs as a way to work around the EU’s new tariffs on BEVs.
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Spain is leading the pack with EV sales soaring 85% so far this year. Its generous MOVES III incentive program was extended in April and has kept sales strong. The UK and Germany are also seeing solid growth – 32% and 40%, respectively. France, however, is slumping. With subsidies cut, EV sales there have dropped 13%.
North America is stuck in the slow lane
Things aren’t looking quite as bright in North America. EV sales in the US, Canada, and Mexico are up just 3% so far this year.
Mexico is the one bright spot, with a 20% boost. The US is up 6%. But Canada is down a whopping 23%.
And things could get bumpier. On July 4, Trump signed Congress’s big bill into law, which axes all the Inflation Reduction Act EV tax credits. Those consumer credits for EVs now officially end on September 30.
Just over half of the EVs sold in the US this year qualified for those credits. Rho Motion predicts a rush in Q3 before the subsidies disappear – and a decline in sales after that.
Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester said, “With Trump’s latest cuts in his ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the US could struggle to see any growth in the EV market overall in 2025.”
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