In what should no longer come as a surprise to anyone, Phoenix-based Lectric Ebikes has done it again. With today’s launch of the Lectric XPress, the maker of North America’s #1 best-selling electric bike just entered yet another e-bike category with a new model designed to crush the competition.
The Lectric XPress follows the best-selling Lectric XP 3.0 at the same price point, just $999, yet offers a full-size commuter tire alternative to the company’s hot-selling folding fat tire e-bike.
Riding on 27.5 x 2.1-inch urban tires, the bike sports several sought-after commuter features including a custom suspension fork, torque sensor, thru-axle front wheel, integrated front and rear lighting, color LCD screen, hydraulic disc brakes, 7-speed transmission, and an easily removable battery.
Interestingly, the bike has multiple options, and I’m not just talking about the choice between a step-over and a step-through variant. Riders can also choose their motor power and battery capacity.
The entry-level model features a 500W continuous-rated motor and a 500 Wh battery (48V 10.4 Ah) good for 45 miles (70 km). The upgraded model has a 750W continuous-rated motor and a 672 Wh battery (48V 14 Ah) good for 60 miles (100 km). Both e-bike models are certified to UL2849, which covers the entire e-bike system including the motor, battery, charger, and the bike’s electronics.
While the upgraded motor and battery model is priced higher at $1,299, it’s one heck of a deal during the pre-launch period now since Lectric includes a free spare battery in that package, meaning riders will get two 672 Wh batteries for over 120 miles (200 km) of range.
The 500W motor offers 55 Nm of torque, which is modest but not overly powerful. It’s likely more than sufficient for beachside cruising or commuting through flat cities. The 750W motor offers 85 Nm of torque, providing more “oomph” and increased hill-climbing ability. It’s also worth noting that the peak watt ratings for the two motors are substantially higher at 1,092W and 1,310W, respectively.
Both models top out at Class 3 speeds of 28 mph (45 km/h), use a trigger-style thumb throttle, and feature a torque sensor. That torque sensor pairs with Lectric’s proprietary PWR pedal-assist system to use a wattage-based setup providing a pedal assist output that most riders find much more comfortable than the typical, lurching and jerkier pedal assist found on most budget-minded electric bike models on the market.
It’s part of what has become the company’s modus operandi, summed up by Lectric’s co-founder and CEO Levi Conlow:
“The reason for our success is simple — if you build an e-bike with all the value and high quality that people want and offer it for a price that’s not a penny more than it needs to be, it will resonate with people and build lasting relationships.”
Electrek’s Take
Well, that’s it. There’s a new king of the budget-friendly commuter e-bikes in town. Sure, plenty of people already used the Lectric XP 3.0 as a commuter e-bike, but now the company has launched a dedicated commuter e-bike that likely better fills that role.
The Lectric XPress offers basically everything most value-oriented commuter riders want, and does it for an incredibly reasonable price. At just $999, getting a suspension fork, hydraulic disc brakes, and torque sensor is an incredible deal. It’s so good that I’m willing to look past the decision to put a thumb throttle on the bike instead of the only correct choice: a half-twist throttle. The only other downside is that color options are a bit limited. The step-over only comes in black and the step-thru only comes in white. I’d have loved some more color options, but Lectric is already flirting with SKU proliferation as it is, so I understand the desire to limit color options for the sake of simplifying fulfillment.
To me, this basically replaces what the RadMission e-bike was designed to do several years ago: be a simple and effective metro-style commuter bike. Except that for the same price, Lectric is throwing a lot more features at us than Rad did. The downside is it weighs a good bit more than the RadMission, tipping the scales at 57 lb (26 kg), but most riders never pick their e-bikes up so the added weight may not put off too many people.
I would have liked to see racks and fenders included as standard equipment, but the RadMission didn’t include them either back in the day, and it even left the kickstand as an add-on. So by comparison, I guess we should be happy we get a kickstand this time.
One thing we definitely get is a lot more variation. The ability to upgrade to a more powerful motor is also an interesting add-on feature, letting flatland riders save a few hundred bucks while still giving hilly terrain riders the option for better climbing power and stronger acceleration. And a choice of battery capacity also lets riders decide whether it’s worth spending more to increase range, or saving money for the modest range of a 500 Wh battery pack.
All told, this looks incredibly promising. It’s not going to rival commuter e-bikes priced several times as much, but it’s not meant to. Lectric’s whole thing is giving riders e-bike models that do a lot for a little, and the Lectric XPress fits that play perfectly.
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On today’s episode of Quick Charge, we look into a new study revealing that Toyota outspends all other automakers when it comes to funding climate change denying politicians and Fred accuses Elon of misrepresenting the data behind Full Self Driving (again).
We’ve also got word that the recently redesigned Tesla Model Y is being built in Giga Berlin, Hyundai’s electrified lineup is leading a record export year for the brand, and a new study says cleantech investments will beat out conventional energy production for the first time in 2025.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!
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Amazon is adding over 200 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric semi trucks to its fleet later this year – its largest-ever order of electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs).
Amazon’s new electric semi trucks
These electric trucks will handle high-mileage routes across the UK and Germany, moving trailers between Amazon’s fulfillment centers, sorting centers, and delivery stations.
The new eHGVs are expected to transport more than 350 million packages annually once fully operational.
Amazon is installing 360kW charging stations at key sites capable of powering the 40-tonne trucks from 20-80% in just over an hour. The company is also working with stakeholders to establish external charging locations to support longer routes.
The eActros 600 is Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ flagship electric long-hauler, with a battery capacity of more than 600 kWh and a range of 310 miles (500 km). Production of the eActros 600s recently began at Mercedes-Benz’s factory in Wörth, Germany.
Sustainable delivery across Europe
In the UK, Amazon has begun using the electric rail network for package transport at scale. It’s also rolling out on-foot delivery options in London, with associates using carts that can be restocked from nearby vans. In Germany, Amazon doubled its fleet of Rivian electric delivery vans to over 600, and electric cargo bikes delivered more than 1.5 million packages in Berlin alone last year.
By the end of 2024, Amazon plans to expand its micromobility hubs – locations supporting deliveries by foot and cargo bike – to Germany’s five largest cities and beyond. Across Europe, the company is investing more than €1 billion to further electrify and decarbonize its transportation network.
Amazon’s European network already includes 38 eHGVs, with 50 electric semis recently deployed in California. The company’s fleet of electric delivery vans in Europe has grown to over 3,000 and is expected to surpass 10,000 by the end of 2025. Micromobility hubs have also expanded from 20 cities in 2022 to more than 45 by the end of 2024, including new additions in Belfast, Madrid, Rome, and Vienna.
Electrek’s Take
Amazon says its latest electric semi truck order aligns with The Climate Pledge it announced in 2019, in which the company committed to achieving net zero across its operations by 2040. While The Climate Pledge initiative has garnered praise, it has also faced criticism and skepticism regarding its effectiveness and transparency.
In 2020, Amazon faced allegations of retaliating against employees who spoke out about the company’s environmental policies. The National Labor Relations Board found that Amazon had illegally fired workers who advocated for climate action and better safety measures.
Amazon is also donating $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund. Trump is a climate change denier who actively opposes renewables, and not just in the US. Earlier this month Trump demanded that the British government open up the North Sea to fossil fuel drilling and get rid of “windmills.”
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If you thought the current GV60 looked pretty inside, wait until you see the updated model. Genesis unveiled the new GV60 earlier this month, its first major redesign since launching in 2021. Here’s our first look at the interior of the new Genesis GV60.
Genesis GV60 interior gets an upgrade in the new model
Genesis launched the GV60 in October 2021 as its first dedicated EV. Less than four years later, the luxury electric SUV is already getting a new look.
The luxury brand unveiled the new GV60 last week for the first time. One of the biggest updates is to the front end.
Although the GV60 is already a sporty-looking EV, the redesigned front bumper with a new 3-D shape takes it up another level. Then, add the signature Genesis Two Line headlamps with Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech, and the refreshed GV60 is a head turner.
The revamped model now features 21″ wheels with a new five-spoke design, complementing its wide, low stance.
Inside, the upgraded GV60 features its new 27″ connected car Integrated Cockpit (ccIC) infotainment system. The design “eliminates the bezel” between the driver display and infotainment screens.
The updated Genesis GV60 (Source: Genesis)
The new Genesis GV60 interior also gains a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel for an even more sporty feel while you’re in the cockpit. Other popular features from the outgoing model, like the Crystal Sphere shift-by-wire system, are still included.
After revealing the updated model for the first time last week, we are already getting a look at the redesigned interior.
The updated interior of the Genesis GV60 in blue (Source: HealerTV)
A new video from Korea’s HealerTV gives us our first look at the Genesis GV60 interior in a new blue color. Although the reporter initially thought it was a performance model, he noted it was just a new color option. Other added design elements, like the large quilting pattern on the side panels, give it that Bentley or Rolls-Royce feel.
Last week, HealerTV posted a video revealing the first look at the updated Genesis GV60 exterior design. You can see the redesigned front and rear bumpers add to the GV60’s already impressive look.
Genesis GV60 update first look (Source: HealerTV)
In the US, the 2025 Genesis GV60 starts at $52,350. A new AWD trim was introduced this year, starting at $55,850.
The current mode gets up to 294 miles driving range, but a bigger battery is expected to push that number closer to 300 miles in the 2025MY. It’s expected to feature the same 84 kWh battery as the updated 2025 IONIQ 5, which provides up to 318 miles range. That’s up from 303 miles in the previous model with a 77.4 kWh battery.
2025 Genesis GV60 trim
Range (EPA-est)
Starting Price*
Standard RWD
294 miles
$52,350
Standard AWD
264 miles
$55,850
Advanced AWD
248 miles
$60,900
Performance AWD
235 miles
$69,900
2025 Genesis GV60 prices and range by trim (*excluding $1,350 destination fee)
Genesis will launch the updated GV60 in Korea in the first quarter of the year, with overseas markets following shortly after. Check back for more info, including prices and specs, closer to launch.
What do you think about the new GV60 design? Do you like the changes? What would you change? Let us know in the comments below.