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Gocycle, a premium British electric bike maker known for its lightweight commuter e-bikes featuring exotic materials and designs, is now setting its sights on the growing market of cargo e-bikes. And the company has just shared the first photos of its upcoming CXi and CX+ cargo electric bikes.

We’ve previously only seen computer renderings of Gocycle’s upcoming premium cargo e-bikes, but now we’re getting our first look at the real bikes.

The images of these pre-production bikes showcase just how radically different the design approach is compared to today’s major cargo e-bike manufacturers.

The approach fits with Gocycle’s MO of providing unique, standout models that are designed for rugged everyday use and that look good while doing it.

As the company explained, “Gocycle’s Family Cargo entrants showcase the latest evolution of the brand’s OneDesignDNA® philosophy, which is underpinned by class-leading lightweight, seamless design and complete integration. Diverging from the workhorse of cargo bikes, Gocycle’s CXi & CX+ embody a soul born of fun for life and will be the ultimate cargo e-bikes of choice for discerning families across the globe.”

gocycle family cargo electric bike

They aren’t kidding about lightweight, either. At just 50 lb (22.6 kg), we’re looking at some of the lightest cargo designs in the world. Most cargo e-bikes we test weigh at least 50% more.

It took a lot of custom work to get there, and you’ll notice that unlike most electric bikes, Gocycle doesn’t use very many off-the-shelf parts.

With a design team tracing its lineage back to McClaren, custom-designed high-performance components make up most of the bike.

“As we start to qualify our production tooling, we are excited to share a first look at some of the pre-production CXi & CX+ models undergoing evaluation and testing,” said  Richard Thorpe, Designer & Founder of Gocycle. “At Gocycle we cook with different ingredients, with our OneDesignDNA philosophy running through the core of every model. Instantly recognizable as a Gocycle, the all new CXi employs Gocycle’s kernel of patented innovations such as our side-mounted Pitstopwheels, Gocycle’s F1-inspired monocoque chassis, enclosed Cleandrive® drivetrain and internal cabling.”

“Lightweight, portable and fun. Gocycle’s take on Family Cargo addresses a vital gap in the market, appealing to those discerning families put off by cumbersome and heavy cargo bikes. Be it an urban, marine or rural setting, CXi & CX+ will offer incredible versatility with multiple accessory configurations available at launch.”

It’s a rare case of racecar design and technology meets minivan utility, shuttling around kids and cargo in a lightweight and stylish package. With 420 lb (190 kg) of load capacity and up to 132 lb (60 kg) on the rear rack, the Family Cargo bike can haul some serious weight.

And for those kiddos in rear, Gocycle has it’s own solution for keeping the most precious cargo safe and secure. Just one of several in-house accessories developed by the brand is its innovative F1-inspired HaloCX protective handrail for smaller passengers.

“Inspired by F1 and my own experiences with my son doing the school run on a Gocycle, HaloCX redefines safety and ergonomics for kids. Crafted from carbon fiber, it’s lightweight yet incredibly strong. With no sharp corners or welded joints, smooth to hold and feel, it’s a seamless blend of safety and fun.”

And the components are equally top-shelf, including a hydro-formed aluminum front frame with carbon fiber rear frame, carbon fiber single-sided front fork, carbon belt drive from Gates integrated into a Shimano Nexus 5-speed internally geared rear hub transmission with automatic electric shifting, torque sensor pedal assist providing speeds up to 20 mph (32 km/h) for Class 1 operation, smart connectivity, daylight running lights, and a 375 Wh battery with a claimed 50 mile (80 km) max range.

Oh, and the entire bike folds for easy storage.

With all that said, you didn’t expect a premium carbon fiber automatic-shifting e-bike like this to come cheap, did you? All of those custom parts and high-end manufacturing add up, and the bike starts at an MSRP of US $6,999.

Pre-orders are open with a refundable $499 deposit, and shipping is estimated to begin in September of this year.

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Next Generation Kenworth electric semi truck now available with Bendix ADAS

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Next Generation Kenworth electric semi truck now available with Bendix ADAS

Kenworth has announced the addition of Bendix’ Fusion advanced driver assist system (ADAS) to its line of options on the T680 line of Class 8 commercial semi trucks – a lineup that includes the Next Generation T680E battery electric semi truck.

One of the many new trucks revealed at the 2025 ACT Expo in Anaheim, California earlier this year, the Next Generation Kenworth T680E featured the latest advancements in battery-electric technology, an enhanced exterior design, and a suite of new, in-cab technology that extends to the addition of three Bendix Fusion version: ADAS, ADAS PRO, and ADAS PREMIER.

All three of the announced ADAS packages offer updated Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with ACC Stop and Auto Go™, a new Pedestrian Autonomous Emergency Braking (PAEB) feature, and a new High Beam Assist feature to reduce the likelihood of blinding oncoming drivers supported by the addition of a new forward-looking camera.

Those updates are in addition to the ADAS units Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Multi-Lane Autonomous Emergency Braking, Highway Departure Braking (HDB), and Stationary Vehicle Braking (SVB), Lane Departure Warning, and Bendix® Blindspotter® Side Object Detection already available on previous versions of the ADAS-equipped Kenworth.

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Kenworth migital mirrors


Kenworth DigitalVision Mirrors; via Bendix.

Now that we’ve got that acronym-loaded word-salad out of the way, we can get to the point: the newest generation of electric trucks is easier and safer to drive – and not just safer for the truck’s operators, but for the people who share the roads with them, too.

Kenworth T680E electric semi


Next Generation T680E; via PACCAR Kenworth.

The Next-Generation T680E is available with up to 605 peak hp and 1,850 lb-ft of torque from a PACCAR Integrated ePowertrain fed from a 500 kWh li-ion battery pack good for more than 200 miles of loaded range. The updated Class 8 BEV is rated up to 82,000 lb. gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR), and can get that load back up to speed quickly with a 350 kW peak charge rate that means the T680E can charge up to 90% in just two hours.

That system isn’t just more efficient than the first generation truck, it’s also more serviceable than it was before.

“This move to a fully integrated and ground-up PACCAR design means we were able to design for enhanced serviceability,” explains Joe Adams, Kenworth’s chief engineer. “Providing easier access to the Master Service Disconnects for improved safety and increased uptime and allowing the use of the DAVIE service tool for troubleshooting and diagnostics.”

The Next Generation Kenworth T680E electric semi truck is designed for short and regional-haul, LTL, and drayage operations. It’s available as a day cab as either a tractor or straight truck in a 6×4 axle configuration.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth; via Kenworth.


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Dealers are slashing prices on 2025 Kia Niro EV, nearly 25% off!

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Dealers are slashing prices on 2025 Kia Niro EV, nearly 25% off!

Just like it says on the tin – retailers are advertising killer deals on the fun-to-drive Kia Niro EV, with one midwest auto dealer reporting more than $10,000 off the sticker price of the Niro EV Wind. That’s nearly 25% off the top line price!

SKIP THE STORYget straight to the deals.

The Kia Niro EV gets overshadowed by its objectively excellent EV6 and EV9 stablemates – both of which are currently available with substantial lease cash and 0% APR financing, in fact – but that doesn’t mean it’s not an excellent little electric runabout in its own right.

The last time I had a Niro EV tester, my kids loved it, I liked that it was quicker and more tossable than I expected it to be, and my wife liked the fact that “it doesn’t look electric. It looks normal.” And, with well over 200 miles of real world range (EPA-rated range is 253 miles), it was more than up to the task of commuting around Chicago and making the trip up to the Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee and back without even needing to look for a charger.

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It’s not the primary family hauler I’d choose – but as a second car? As a primary car for a slightly smaller family (1-2 kids, instead of 3-4)? The Kia Niro EV Wind, with a $42,470 MSRP, seems like a solid, “can’t go wrong” sort of choice. You know?

You won’t even have to pay that much, though. Raymond Kia in Antioch, Illinois is advertising a $42,470 Niro EV for $32,431 (that’s $10,039, or about 24% off the MSRP), and several others are advertising prices in the $33,000 range.

And, while we’re at it:


SOURCE | IMAGES: CarsDirect, Edmunds, Raymond Kia.


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Lion Electric leaves US school districts stuck with unsafe, broken buses

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Lion Electric leaves US school districts stuck with unsafe, broken buses

Many school districts who used EPA funding to help purchase Lion Electric school buses are now stuck with broken down or unsafe vehicles – but Lion’s new Canadian investors seemingly have no plans to make things right.

“All four Lion buses that we own are currently parked and not being used,” Coleen Souza, interim transportation director of Winthrop Public Schools, told Jay Traugott over at Clean Trucking. “Two of them are in need of repairs which would cost us money which we are not willing to invest in because the buses do not run for more than a month before needing more repairs.”

The story is much the same at other US school districts who deployed Lion Electric buses over the last few years – and the trouble they describe isn’t isolated to a single component or system. One district we spoke to had onboard chargers that failed almost immediately after being plugged into a L2 AC charger. Another that spoke to Traugott reported emergency door gaps, power steering failure, loss of power, and braking issues.

As bad as the revelations of safety and drivability issues and $250 million in unresolved debt have been, it’s the objectively stupid design choices that have been the most shocking.

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“Lion built an auxiliary diesel heater to heat the bus, essentially writing the manual as they went,” explained a school superintendent in the midwest, who asked not to be named. “It was fascinating to watch but there were design flaws with the heater. For example, the intakes pointed downward and we’re driving across rural roads and the intake sucks in that dirt.”

“Using a diesel-powered heater to warm an electric bus also somewhat defeats the purpose of going 100% zero-emissions,” added Traugott.

Despite a new electric school bus rebate and a fresh cash injection from Vincent Chiara, president of Quebec real estate powerhouse Groupe MACH, and Lion director Pierre Wilkie, however, it seems like no help is coming.

It just gets worse and worse


Decommissioned Lion electric buses; via Winthrop Public Schools.

Despite early speculation – some of it my own, in fact – that the new investors would take the Canadian government up on its offer to help subsidize more electric school bus production and honor the company’s outstanding warranty claims, it appears the only vehicle line the new investors are interested in reviving are the the Class 8 electric semi manufacturing operations in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec.

The US school districts who spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in the hopes that Lion buses would help decarbonize their fleets and reduce students’ exposure to harmful diesel emissions? Many of them are back to using diesel, while others are trying to get their deposits back so they can buy something else.

Here’s hoping any school districts on the fence for electrification recognize that their are very real, very well-engineered, and very financially sound electric school bus manufacturers out there who can deliver on their promises.

SOURCES: Chicago Tribune, Clean Trucking, Electrical Business.


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. The best part? No one will call you until after you’ve elected to move forward. Get started, hassle-free, by clicking here.

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