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When Ride1Up launched the Prodigy V2, they kept all the parts that made this Brose-powered mid-drive great and added even more components (like a Gates belt drive system!) to make this e-bike one of the best deals in mid-drive electric bicycles.

Sure, it’s not going to kick a Specialized’s tail, but it’s going to get you surprisingly close for around half the cash, and that’s impressive!

Though perhaps it shouldn’t come as a total surprise, as that’s been Ride1Up’s game plan for as long as I’ve been riding their bikes – which is roughly as long as they’ve been making bikes. The company has always sought to provide most of what you can get from higher-priced electric bike models, yet at a much more affordable price.

When it comes to the Ride1Ip Prodigy V2, I’d say they’ve just about nailed it. Don’t believe me? Watch my testing video below to see it in action!

Ride1Up Prodigy V2 video review

Ride1Up Prodigy V2 tech specs

  • Motor: Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive (90 Nm of torque)
  • Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)
  • Range: 30-50 miles (50-80 km)
  • Battery: 36V 14Ah (504Wh)
  • Weight: 58 lb (26.3 kg)
  • Load capacity: 300 lb (136 kg)
  • Frame: Aluminum alloy
  • Brakes: Tektro quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes
  • Extras: Brose color display, front and rear LED lights, included high-quality rack and fenders, 100mm air suspension fork, Maxxis tires, kickstand
ride1up prodigy v2 electric bike

Even better than before!

Ride1Up describes the Prodigy V2 as “The successor to the industry-disrupting Prodigy mid-drive e-bike,” and that’s pretty darn accurate. The original Prodigy entered the market as a disruptor by offering the same mid-drive motor and several of the same level components seen on much pricier bike shop e-bikes. Now the second generation of the Prodigy is here to do the same thing again, just better.

And now there are actually two versions of the Ride1Up Prodigy V2. The main difference is the drivetrain, with the $2,395 version featuring a microShift Advent 9-speed chain drive and the $2,695 version including a Gates Carbon Drive and Eniovlo hub to create a belt-drive CVT drivetrain.

Both are available in a step-over or a step-through. I tested the belt drive in a step-over frame, which is known as the LX model.

This is probably more bike than most Ride1Up customers are used to, especially since the price tag is twice what most of Ride1Up’s models cost. But then again, it’s half the price of the bikes it is actually competing against, and that’s the real message here.

With a Brose TF Sprinter motor that features 90 Nm of torque and a built-in torque sensor, you’re getting a powerful motor that not only climbs hills and accelerates quickly, but also pedals beautifully. That torque sensor creates a better feeling pedal assist – as if the bike isn’t actually electric but rather just an extension of your own pedaling.

Because I was on the belt drive version, the bike was also super smooth and and even quieter. There’s no chain noise or derailleur clicking. There’s just you and the wind rushing past your ears. The Enviolo CVT hub handles the shifting, though I find that the gear range is a bit wide, meaning I have to lift my hand off the shifter and take a new grip on it to shift the range from low to high. The good news is I’m almost never doing that, since I find that the upper half of the shifting range is all I really use. That lower range is probably good if you’re going to climb up the side of a mountain, but that’s not my typical riding.

The bike is also plenty fast, too. As a Class 3 e-bike, it can hit speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h), which is the maximum legal limit for e-bikes in most jurisdictions in the US. There’s no throttle, so you’re on your own to hit that 28 mph with your own feet guiding the way (or even 20 mph, if you leave it in Class 2 mode). But the bike is a pleasure to ride and so you’ll likely find that you don’t miss the throttle as much as you might think. At least, that’s exactly how I felt.

ride1up prodigy v2 electric bike

The 504 Wh battery isn’t particularly large, and I’d even say it’s a bit smaller than most batteries in the direct-to-consumer electric bike market right now. But then again, there’s no throttle here and so you’re going to be riding more efficiently anyway.

That means you’ll probably feel like you’ve got a 750 Wh battery instead, resulting in that impressive range rating of 30-50 miles. Of course, if you ride at 28 mph the entire time, you could dip below that figure. But it’s going to be hard to get less than 30 miles of range during most real-world scenarios. Folks that have enough self-control to leave it in lower power pedal assist will find that they get considerably more range, too.

ride1up prodigy v2 electric bike

Now, the bike did seem to get a bit heavier with this update. Compared to the V1 Prodigy, this new version gained between 8 to 11 pounds depending on the model.

The new 58 lb or 61 lb weights are a bit more portly than the original 50 lb semi-svelte offering from a couple years ago. That’s chunky, but not unmanageable. If you’ve been around the e-bike industry as much as many of us have, you’re used to a 60 lb e-bike.

And one other area that seemed weirdly lower-shelf to me was that the front axle uses a quick-release skewer axle, as opposed to a full thru-axle (which can also be sourced in quick-release, if folks want that style). Skewer axles are fine, but they’re not as robust as thru-axles. That’s why they are usually found on more budget-friendly bikes.

I would have expected to see a thru-axle like they had on the previous generation Prodigy XC. But alas, the quick-release skewer axle will have to suffice.

ride1up prodigy v2 electric bike

Axles aside, what really makes this bike standout isn’t just the Brose motor, Gates carbon drive, or even the CVT transmission. It’s all the other fine touches. That rear rack floats over the rear wheel and looks like it belongs on a bike shop quality bike – not a direct-to-consumer bike. It even has a slickly integrated tail light right in the rack’s deck, ensuring there’s one less thing to bash on a bike rack. The quad-piston disc brakes are punchy and quick to bring you to a silent, controlled stop. The 100 mm travel air fork is fun for off-road riding and will also help absorb any errant potholes you fail to shimmy around.

To sum it up, you’ve got a lot of bike for your money. That German-made motor isn’t cheap, and neither are the quad-piston disc brakes, the Enviolo CVT hub, nor the long travel air suspension fork. But you’re also not paying the property taxes of your local bike shop either, meaning you’re getting the benefits of direct-to-consumer pricing combined with higher-end kit.

To me, the Ride1Up Prodigy V2 feels like a major win. It’s more than many people will need, but for folks that want the higher performance and more natural feel of a quality mid-drive motor combined with higher-shelf bike components, this is probably the most affordable way to get there.

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Tesla’s top crash safety architect quits

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Tesla's top crash safety architect quits

Tesla’s top crash safety architect, who helped the automaker achieve top safety scores for its entire car line-up, announced that he is leaving the automaker after 14 years.

We are talking about Petter Winberg, Tesla’s Principal Engineer for CAE crashing safety for the last decade.

After an extensive career at Volvo and SAAB, both car brands praised for their commitment to safety, Winberg joined Tesla in 2011 to work on the “crash safety development of Model S structure and side occupant restraints.”

At the time, Tesla was still working on the Model S, its first vehicle built entirely from the ground up, considering the original Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise.

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CEO Elon Musk aimed for “Tesla vehicles to be the safest on the planet,” and Winberg took the challenge seriously.

He led the development of the vehicle body and chassis structure for Model 3 and Model Y, as well as the crash structure for Model S and Model X.

All of these vehicles have received top safety crash scores from independent testers worldwide – quickly elevating Tesla’s brand into a leader in passive safety.

Winberg and his team deserve a lot of the credit for this.

The engineer also led the design of crash readiness and the energy-absorbing capacity of Tesla’s latest “gigacasting” and structural battery pack designs, for which he obtained patents. Other automakers have since adopted similar designs.

For those less technical who want to understand how good and respected Winberg is at Tesla, he has been working for Tesla remotely in Sweden for the last five years. That’s impressive in itself, considering how much Musk hates remote work. He previously emailed Tesla management to tell them that only exceptional employees would be eligible for an exemption to work remotely, which he would approve himself.

After 14 years at Tesla, Winberg announced last week that he is leaving (via LinkedIn):

Having developed Model S, S-DM, X, 3, Y, Y-SP as well as future crash architectures, I have decided now is the time to move on. Thank you Tesla, keep crushing it! What an incredible team, I will miss you all.

He didn’t elaborate on his reasons for leaving the automaker or announce another venture.

Electrek’s Take

While Tesla has received much criticism for the dangers of its Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” systems, I don’t think anyone can question that Tesla vehicles perform extremely well in terms of passive safety.

Independent testing has proven it time and time again.

Tesla has led the way in taking advantage of designing electric vehicles from the ground up. Its skateboard-like powertrain design and lack of engine in the front allow for a giant crumple zone to absorb the energy in case of a crash.

A big thank you to Petter Winberg for his designs and leadership in improving Tesla’s passive safety. He has undoubtedly made the automotive industry safer and saved lives. Congratulations.

As for his departure, it’s certainly a blow for Tesla. As we previously reported, the company has suffered a significant exodus of talent over the last year, with a big part of its leadership leaving during and after a wave of layoffs last year.

Many predict that Tesla could again initiate another wave of layoffs in the coming months as its sales are crumbling worldwide.

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Tesla Model S Plaid gets smoked in drag race by Xiaomi’s cheaper SU7 Ultra

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Tesla Model S Plaid gets smoked in drag race by Xiaomi's cheaper SU7 Ultra

The SU7 Ultra, Xiaomi’s new flagship electric vehicle, went against a Tesla Model S Plaid in a drag race and it smoked it.

The car is ridiculously powerful, and it’s about 35% cheaper than the Plaid, which is already affordable relative to its supercar performance.

We recently released a report about how impressed we are by Xiaomi’s incredible rise in the EV market in China.

Its first vehicle, the SU7, is a smash hit. It now consistently delivers over 20,000 units a month, it has surpassed the Tesla Model 3, its closest competitor, and has a more than 30-week-long backlog of orders.

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The vehicle achieves more range and is cheaper than Model 3 while having additional features.

Last month, Xiaomi launched a new top-of-the-line version of the SU7: the SU7 Ultra.

The headline is that the $72,800 (529,900 RMB) has a powertrain packing up 1,526 horsepower. That’s absolutely insane. Xiaomi quotes a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) acceleration in just 1.98 seconds.

While the SU7 is meant more as a Model 3 competitor, the SU7 Ultra actually competes with Tesla’s flagship Model S Plaid in terms of performance.

They organized a drag race between the SU7 Ultra and Model S Plaid. Here it is:

As you can see, the SU7 Ultra slipped at the start, which is not surprising considering how much power it outputs, but it still managed to catch up and beat the Model S Plaid.

At over 1,000 horsepower, many, myself included, thought that it was a bit mad to offer a vehicle like the Model S Plaid with such supercar power for a relatively cheap price – RMB 814,900 (approximately $112,000 USD) in China and just $95,000 in the US.

But now, Xiaomi shakes things up even more by offering 1,500 horses for just a little more than $70,000. It’s mad.

Now, I can hear your thoughts: “but it’s just good in a straight line drag race like other EVs.” Think again, the SU7 Ultra prototype claimed the title as the fastest four-door sedan at the famous Nurburgring race track in Germany.

Electrek’s Take

Damn, the Chinese are good. Xiaomi has come hard with the SU7, but the crazy thing is that it’s just one of several Chinese top-of-the-line EVs coming out. Nio has the ET7, BYD has the U7, and there are many more.

These vehicles are all impressive in their own rights.

It’s easy to understand why American automakers are so scared and lobbied the US government for 100% tariffs on them.

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Trump administration sends a clear message to the oil and gas industry: ‘You’re the customer’

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Trump administration sends a clear message to the oil and gas industry: 'You're the customer'

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum: We're bringing back manufacturing and mining to the U.S.

HOUSTON — The officials leading President Donald Trump’s energy agenda made clear to oil, gas and mining executives this week that they have an ally in Washington who intends to make it as easy as possible for them to drill in federal lands and waters.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told executives gathered for the world’s largest energy conference that the Trump administration does not view climate change as an existential threat. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said rising global temperatures are simply a byproduct of developing the country’s national resources to support economic growth and national security.

Burgum leads Trump’s recently established National Energy Dominance Council and Wright serves as his deputy on the interagency body tasked with boosting production. Burgum was effusive in his praise of the oil and gas industry during remarks delivered at CERAWeek by S&P Global conference.

“I’m going to share two words that I do not think that you have heard from a federal official in the Biden administration during the last four years. And those two words are thank you,” said Burgum, who previously served as governor of North Dakota, a state that produces 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.

Burgum leaned on his experience as software company executive to lay out his view of the interior department’s role. The department under his leadership views the companies developing resources on federal lands as “customers” who are contributing revenue to the nation’s “balance sheet,” Burgum said.

“If someone was sending me revenue, they weren’t the enemy. They were the customer,” Burgum said. The administration loves anyone who wants to harvest timber, mine for critical minerals, graze cattle, or produce oil and gas on federals, the interior secretary said.

Royalties sent from lease agreements on federal land will help the U.S. pay down its national debt and balance the budget, Burgum said. “You’re the customer,” the interior secretary told the executives.

The value of nation’s abundant natural resources far outweighs its $36 trillion in debt, Burgum said. If financial markets understood the value of America’s natural resources, the 10-year long-term interest rate would come down, Burgum claimed.

“The interest rates right now are one of the biggest expenses we have as a country,” Burgum said. “So one of the things that we have to do is unleash America’s balance sheet, and President Trump is helping us do that,” he said.

Burgum slammed the Biden administration’s focus on climate change as an “ideology.” He said the Trump administration views Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon and China winning the artificial intelligence race as the two existential threats facing the U.S. rather than global warming. Wright said Biden had a “myopic” and “quasi religious” belief in reducing emissions that hurt consumers.

Burgum and Wright dismissed policies that support a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, arguing that wind and solar won’t be able to meet rising energy demand in the coming years from artificial intelligence and re-industrialization.

“There is simply no physical way that wind, solar and batteries could replace the myriad uses of natural gas. I haven’t even mentioned oil or coal yet,” Wright said at the conference. Wright previously served as CEO of oilfield services company Liberty Energy and a board member at nuclear startup Oklo.

Oil execs see allies in Washington

Oil executives are enthusiastic about the change of administrations in Washington, returning the praise they received from Trump’s energy team during the week.

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance said Wright and Burgum “understand the business,” describing them as the best energy team the U.S. has seen in decades. TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said he was “impressed by the quality of our counterparts.” Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said the industry is “seeing some reality come back to the conversation.”

“For years, my message has been, we need a balanced conversation about affordability, reliability and the environment, and focusing only on climate leads us to ignore the first two,” Wright said.

Energy Sec. Wright: We can get to no or very low tariffs, but it's got to be reciprocal

The executives all referred to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, following Trump’s executive order to rename the body of water. The president issued an order on his first day to repeal Biden’s ban on offshore drilling in 625 million acres of U.S. coastal waters.

BP CEO Murray Auchincloss briefly slipped before correcting himself when discussing how generative AI is helping with exploration: “We started doing this in the Gulf of Mexico, uh America, and we spread that to other nations as well.”

But Trump’s calls to “drill, baby, drill” are running up against market reality. The CEOs of Chevron and Conoco said U.S. oil production will likely plateau in the coming years after hitting new records under the Biden administration.

“Chasing growth for growth’s sake has not proven to be particularly successful for our industry,” Wirth said. “At some point, you’ve grown enough that you should start to move towards a plateau, and you should generate more free cash flow, rather than just more barrels.”

Lance sees U.S. oil production plateauing later this decade and then slowly declining.

“Maybe it’s time to go back to exploring the Gulf of America,” Pouyanné said. “The new administration is opening the Gulf. It has been slowed down after the Macondo drama,” he said, referring the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the largest in the history of marine drilling operations.

U.S. oil producers are scheduled to meet with Trump next week, industry lobby group American Petroleum Institute said in statement.

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