Propella 9S Pro V2 review: A low-cost torque sensor electric bike for the masses
Commuter electric bikes are a key segment helping reduce America’s dependence on cars for navigating cities. The Propella 9S Pro V2 is designed squarely to get people to work, school, the coffee shop, or just navigating town on their own schedule. But compared to many other electric commuter bikes on the market, Propella does it with some outstanding value and several features we rarely see at this price level.
Want to watch the Propella 9S Pro V2 in action? Check out my video review below. Then keep reading for all of the juicy details!
Propella 9S Pro Video Review
Propella 9S Pro Tech Specs
- Motor: 350W (50 W peak) rear geared hub motor
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Range: Up to 80 km (50 mi) depending on pedal assist level
- Battery: 36V 350 Wh
- Charge time: 3 hours
- Weight: 19.7kg (43 lb)
- Frame: Aluminum alloy
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
- Extras: Color LCD display with speedometer, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, odometer, tripmeter, 5 speed settings, included fenders, alloy bar ends, metal pedals, LED headlight, high-power fast charger, step-over/step-thru frame options, torque sensor, and kickstand
- Price: $1,299
What you see isn’t all that you get
A lot of e-bikes make it fairly obvious what features you’re getting. But there’s one important feature that you usually can’t see: torque sensors.
The Propella 9S Pro V2 includes a torque sensor, which is a major upgrade over the cadence sensors that most budget-level electric bikes use to activate their pedal assist.
We’ve talked about this before, but the summary is that torque sensors basically make the bike more comfortable and responsive since they better mimic real-world pedaling. Instead of the bike feeling laggy and then lurching forward, like with many cadence sensor e-bikes, an electric bike with a torque sensor will usually feel much more natural to pedal with responsive motor power.
But of course there’s more than just a torque sensor that makes the Propella 9S Pro so nice – even if that one single component is a great value-added piece of kit that we rarely see at this price.
Other nice components include the color LCD display, adjustable handlebars, hydraulic disc brakes, the 9-speed transmission, the built-in LED headlight, and the included fender set.
One note about that transmission: it’s great to have gear options, but ironically I found that I just left it in the highest gear all the time. I live in a flat city though, and so the advantages of constantly higher gearing make sense. If you have hills in your city, you’ll enjoy the gear options and not just treat it like a single-speed as I did.
Some folks will surely bemoan the lack of suspension, and I get it. A lot of people feel they need suspension for the added comfort. But if you can give it up, you’ll get a stronger and longer-lasting bike with fewer places for failure. In this case, the 2″ tires offer more cushion than most city bikes, and the fork even uses a 12mm thru-axle for the strongest connection compared to most cheap city e-bikes with quick-release skewers.
One downside of the bike though is that its 36V battery simply isn’t very big, measuring just 350 Wh. Though on the other hand, the lack of a throttle means that the bike will work more efficiently thanks to the pedal assist operation (they claim up to 50 miles or 80 km of range per charge). Despite the smaller size battery, at least it is removable with the included key, meaning you can charge it off of the bike when convenient. And it even comes with a fairly fast charger, filling the battery from empty in just 3 hours. In most cases though, the charge time will be even quicker since you’ll rarely ride the bike all the way to empty. That battery and bike are also SGS-certified to UL 2271 and UL2849 standards, which is becoming an important differentiator as concerns of battery safety propogate.
What’s the takeaway?
As an urban-oriented Class 1 e-bike that can hit 20 mph (32 km/h) quickly and easily thanks to that 500W peak rated motor, the Propella 9S Pro V2 is an ideal commuter e-bike. And at just 43.5 lb (19.7 kg), it’s pretty darn lightweight too – at least as far e-bikes go.
The company has added more and more features to their bikes over the years, giving us the 9S Pro V2 with just about everything that most commuters want – except for the throttle. Though if you’re really hung up about having a throttle, they did just release another Propella model that will quench your throttle thirst.
So all told, at US $1,299, the Propella 9S Pro is a steal. If you want a commuter e-bike with a great selection of parts for the price, you just can’t go wrong here. Well, not unless you want a colorway other than blue-on-black.
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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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