Failed SONDORS Metacycle motorcycle was never street legal, reveals employee

Published

2 years ago

May 12, 2024

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A former SONDORS employee has revealed new details regarding the Metacycle electric motorcycle sold by the now-defunct SONDORS e-bike company, describing the project as “a freight train wreck turned into a dumpster fire.”

The Metacycle was the first motorcycle built and sold by SONDORS, a company that had previously built budget-priced electric bicycles.

The Metacycle made waves upon its unveiling in early 2021, both for its novel design and the shockingly low price for a supposedly highway-capable electric motorcycle at just US $5,000.

However, after a series of mismanagement issues and amid accusations of fraudulent business practices, the company was effectively closed and forced into receivership in late 2023. The closure occurred shortly after Electrek exposed the first images of warehouses full of thousands of SONDORS Metacycles sitting unpaid at the Chinese factory that had been contracted to build the bikes.

It is unclear how many Metacycles were delivered to customers, but import records put the number at likely between 1,400 to 1,500 units. At multiple points, SONDORS had claimed to have deposits or full pre-payments from customers for several thousand more Metacycle orders.

Former SONDORS Director of Project Management and Engineering Bill Ruehl recently shared a number of alarming revelations about both the bike and the company during an appearance on The ITC Show podcast.

Bill joined SONDORS after spending nearly 8 years at Zero Motorcycles, where he served as Director of Prototype and Test. His hiring came as SONDORS added several key additions from the automotive and motorcycling industries, including from companies such as Zero, Ducati, and Tesla.

Bill has a long history as an engineer working with electric motorcycle designs and a rider himself. While the Metacycle was already designed and had begun making deliveries before Bill joined the company, he explained that he quickly assumed a role that dealt in large part with solving the rapidly increasing issues discovered in the motorcycle.

“I took it upon myself to learn the nuances of this vehicle as quickly as I could,” Bill explained. “So it was regular calls with the factory. It was regular involvement in doing forensic involvement on failures, going to customers and looking at their problems.”

According to Bill, the issues proved to be widespread, covering everything from technical concerns to business practices and even road legality. On the technical side, the bike’s speed controller, which is essentially the brain of an electric motorcycle responsible for delivering power from the battery to the motor, would often fail due to poor components and construction. On the business side, the company had a tendency to skirt importation tariffs through improper classifications. And during homologation, major issues were overlooked that would render the bike non-street legal.

In the US, all motor vehicles operated on public roads must conform to regulations compiled in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Motorcycles have specific design requirements relating to their design, operation, and manufacturing.

The process of homologation refers to preparing and approving a vehicle to meet applicable regulations for sale in a certain market.

Unlike in Europe, the US does not have type approval, where the government or an appointed body inspects and certifies vehicles as road-worthy. Instead, the US uses a system known as self-certification, in which manufacturers are responsible for verifying that they have indeed met or exceeded federal regulations for homologation.

“If you don’t meet those requirements, basically you can’t sell your product for use on US roads, so it becomes unregisterable,” Bill explained. “And there were a lot of issues with the Metacycle. In fact, if you were to hold a gun to my head and ask me if it was legitimately homologated, it was not. There were shortcuts that were taken. The biggest one of these is that the braking system, by FMVSS definition, is not suitable for a vehicle called a ‘motorcycle’ on US roads.”

Bill explained that each time he attempted to raise these concerns, he was pushed aside. “I was told to be quiet, and not repeat this anymore.”

While many riders were able to register their Metacycles at their local DMVs, this was not always straightforward or even possible. Several states would not allow the motorcycles to be registered. And even for those that were registered successfully, the registration is not an indication that the vehicle is actually street legal, but merely that the DMV permitted the application to be processed. Several riders reported having to make multiple attempts on successive days before a DMV worker accepted and filed their registration application.

Another key issue the Metacycle encountered was a high controller failure rate due to poor MOSFET selection and implementation, which Bill attributed to cost-saving measures at the controller manufacturer. The failure tends to occur under heavy loading, such as hill climbing and other high-power scenarios.

The problem doesn’t affect all Metacycles and depends on how well the multiple MOSFET chips in the controller are paired to each other, which is essentially random luck without a process for evaluation during the controller manufacturing stage.

“There are good Metacycles out there. I’m not trying to say that all Metacycles are bad and all Metacycles have this controller issue, but many of them do,” he added.

Bill had choice words for several other components on the bike, including the Metacycle’s security system.

“Honestly, I believe that the security system they used on the Metacycle was probably the worst thing ever unleashed on the American public.”

sondors metacycle motorcycle in factory — The original Chinese manufacturer of the Metacycle still holds thousands of Metacycles and components, all sitting unpaid in their factory warehouses

Bill attributed the many problems at SONDORS to its leadership, namely the company’s founder and CEO Storm Sondors.

“I will say there were a lot of people behind the scenes at SONDORS who were really trying hard to make a difference. They were not all Storm. But the problem is when you have an individual like Storm at the head of a company like that, the lies and the BS trickle down.”

After SONDORS closed and the company entered receivership, Bill decided to put his experience with the bike to use in helping owners who need support or spare parts. He now consults by appointment and is currently working with the former Metacycle factory in China to hopefully provide original Metacycle equipment to owners.

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Environment

Fortescue Infinity Train gets 14.5 MWh battery that never needs charging [update]

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

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Fortescue Infinity Train gets 14.5 MWh battery that never needs charging [update]

Fortescue Infinity Train in Pilbara - world's largest EV

Fortescue has taken the wraps off a prototype of its proposed “Infinity Train” electric locomotive, making the 1,100 km (about 685 miles) trip from Perth to the Pilbara and marking a major milestone in the decarbonization of the company’s heavy haul operations.

UPDATE 15DEC2025: now there are two!

This week, two of Fortescue battery-electric locomotives began operating at the company’s Pilbara mines in Australia, where the so-called Infinity Trains (co-developed with Caterpillar’s Progress Rail division) began regular duty.

“It’s not every day you welcome not just one, but two of the world’s largest battery-electric locomotives into your operations,” said Fortescue Metals CEO, Dino Otranto, on LinkedIn. “[I] can’t wait to see these in motion soon!”

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The two new trains are now fully operational assets, packing almost unimaginably massive 14.5 MWh battery packs that were charged once with grid power upon deployment, and which will (in theory) remain at a usable state of charge indefinitely thanks to a cleverly applied combination of gravity, regenerative braking, and human intelligence.

You can read the original article about the Infinity Train prototype completing its first 1,100 km (~685 miles) trip across the Pilbara, below, then let us know what you think of Fortescue’s latest fuel-saving efforts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Our prototype battery electric locomotive has made the 1,100 kilometre journey from Perth to the Pilbara – a major milestone in the decarbonisation of our heavy haul operations. — Infinity Train prototype; by Fortescue Rail.

Co-developed with the locomotive experts at Downer Group, Fortescue revealed its concept for a battery electric “Infinity Train” back in March of 2022. At the time, the company promised a “world’s first” iron ore train capable of fully charging its batteries through regenerative braking. The two companies claimed the clever technology would create a self-sustaining, zero-emission rail system powered entirely by the force of gravity during the train’s loaded downhill travels.

This week, the concept went from the drawing board to the real world, completing an 1,100 km trip across Australia and proving itself to be up to the task of handling the grueling demands of Fortescue’s massive mining operations.

“We’re thrilled to see our battery electric locomotive prototype arrive in the Pilbara,” said Ellie Coates, CEO of Fortescue Zero. She added that the achievement, using zero fossil fuels, “represent(s) a major step in Fortescue’s journey to Real Zero.”

The Fortescue Infinity Train uses the energy produced by slowing the loaded train on downhill sections of the company’s 385 mile private, heavy-haul rail network to recharge its battery systems. That energy is enough to bring the unloaded train back to the mine, eliminating the need for external charging infrastructure or additional renewable energy sources, making the train almost entirely self-sufficient.

Fortescue says the deployment of the Infinity Train concept at its mines will eliminate more than 82 million liters of diesel fuel consumption (about 21 million gallons, which ChatGPT tells me amounts to about 235,200 tons of CO₂ emissions).

That change alone would eliminate about 11% of Scope 1 emissions annually for Fortescue all on its own, putting it well on its way to its stated goal of achieving “Real Zero” emissions-free operations.

Electrek’s Take

Infinity Train on the rails; via Fortescue.

Using gravity to charge up heavily-laden mining vehicles on downhill runs is an idea that’s been put into practice for years, with great success wherever the topography allows (since 2017, at least). Combining that clever use of gravity, traction braking, and battery storage for use on a rail system like this just seems smart, and it makes me think we’re just scratching the surface of all the clever ways electrification and battery storage will eventually get put to use.

I wonder what would happen if you threw some battery electric rail cars into the mix, as well!? You guys are smart, head down to the comments and let me know (and, while you’re there, help me check ChatGPT’s math on those carbon emissions).

SOURCE | IMAGES: Fortescue, via LinkedIn.

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Environment

E-quipment highlight: Develon DX250LCE-7 electric crawler excavator

Published

2 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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E-quipment highlight: Develon DX250LCE-7 electric crawler excavator

Develon launches new range of electric excavators

Develon is kicking off the holidays with seven new or updated electric excavators, led by its seriously impressive flagship offering: the new 25‑ton DX250LCE-7 battery-electric crawler excavator developed by HD Hyundai.

When Hyundai acquired the Doosan Infracore equipment division back in 2023, it rebranded the orange machines as “Develon” in a move that signaled a new era of forward-looking thinking for the Korean company — and, last week, we got some of the first tangible results of that new thinking debuted with the launch of seven new or updated electric excavators, including the flagship DX250LCE-7 25-ton model shown here.

Develon says its new electric machines offer identical performance to their diesel counterparts, while delivering significant reductions in emissions, noise, and vibration — and that the breadth and scope of the brand’s new, zero-emission lineup underscores its continued commitment to sustainable innovation in the heavy equipment space.

“Moving forward, Hyundai Infracore is focusing on innovation and smart technology, as well as productivity and fuel efficiency. I think the timing very good for us, with exciting new technologies on the market,” Young-cheul Cho, President and CEO of Develon parent company HD Hyundai Infracore, told Construction Europe at last summer’s Intermat construction show. “Our next generation machines will use AI and have sensors that will be reliable in all environments and all weathers, which will improve safety.”

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The new Develon DX250LCE-7 brings Cho’s Intermat vision to life with specs that meet or beat the diesel-powered DX255LC-7’s capabilities in a quiet, zero-emission package.

Starting with horsepower, the DX250LCE-7’s electric motors pot out about 200 hp (comparable to the diesel) while tipping the scales at a ~26 metric ton operating weight. Bucket capacity matches the diesel at 1.4 cubic meters, too — but the Develon’s standout feature is its oversized battery pack, offering up to 12 hours of continuous runtime on a single charge under typical conditions (kWh capacity hasn’t been released), with DC fast-charging options that can get it back in action at full capacity in under two hours — making it ideal for a full-day of moving dirt.

North American pricing and availability should be released in Q1.

Electrek’s Take

As demand for low-emission solutions rises throughout Europe and SE Asia, the latest electric excavators from Develon and parent company Hyundai provide an ideal balance between eco-friendly operation and real-world job site requirements – especially when fitted with articulating buckets and other versatile implements.

Regardless of who is in power in the US, the fact is that these electric machines deliver quiet, efficient performance in challenging environments, cutting both emissions and noise while maintaining productivity and improving both operators’ safety and working conditions. They’re winners all the way.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Develon; via ELM Group.

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Environment

BYD increases EV battery warranty to 8 years/250,000 km, surpassing Tesla’s

Published

2 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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BYD increases EV battery warranty to 8 years/250,000 km, surpassing Tesla's

BYD is making a significant move to boost confidence in its electric vehicles in Europe. The Chinese automaker has announced a major update to its warranty terms, extending the battery coverage to 8 years or 250,000 km (approx. 155,000 miles), whichever comes first.

This new policy significantly outpaces the industry standard and puts pressure on competitors like Tesla and Volkswagen to follow suit.

The announcement was made via BYD Europe’s official channels today, confirming that the new warranty terms apply to its lineup of “New Energy Vehicles” (NEVs) in the region: