Tern’s new Quick Haul Long electric cargo bike shows it’s not the size that matters
Tern, one of the leading innovators in cargo electric bike design, has just announced its newest model. Get ready to stretch, because here comes the Quick Haul Long.
Tern’s electric cargo bikes have always been known for two things: high-quality heavy-hauling designs and relatively smaller footprints, at least as far as cargo e-bikes go. Years ago, the company basically invented the compact cargo e-bike category.
Tern’s engineers have long been offering just as much — or more — cargo hauling abilities in e-bikes that don’t take up as much space in riders’ garages or living rooms. Look no further than the vertical parking feature built into their rear racks that allows the bikes to take up the same amount of floor space as a coat rack.
Now, with the new Tern Quick Haul Long, the company is finally filling out in the length department with its lower cost model, while still incorporating more of the size and capabilities of its longer GSD model.
The GSD has long been Tern’s flagship longer cargo e-bike, but it also comes with a flagship price, starting at around $4,500 and increasing quickly from there for the even higher-end components. The Quick Haul, on the other hand, is the brand’s smaller and more budget-friendly cargo offering. Now Tern is combining the two, bringing GSD features to the Quick Haul, but leaving the higher price in the dust.
Starting at US $3,799, The Quick Haul Long is still compact by modern cargo e-bike standards, but incorporates more of the GSD’s DNA for even more capability. It’s also now one of the most affordable premium cargo e-bikes on the market available from the higher-tier brands.
“The compact cargo bike category came about when we launched the GSD in 2018,” explained Josh Hon, Tern Team Captain. “Customers loved how such a small little bike could handle so many tasks typically done by car. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about how to make cargo bikes even better, and we applied those insights to the Quick Haul Long. The bike retains the GSD’s core features but it comes at a more accessible price, without compromising safety or reliability.”
The Quick Haul Long sticks with Tern’s typical 20″ wheels, keeping it the same length as a typical larger wheel city bike. However, its long rack and 190 kg (419 lb) weight rating means it can handle significantly more utility tasks. Just that rear rack alone is rated for 90 kg (200 lb), and also has a built-in tow mount for pulling trailers or towing other bikes. Carrying two kids on the rear rack is a breeze, and the bike’s lower center of gravity and stiff frame are optimized for stable, smooth riding.
Even the front cargo mount, which supports an optional front rack or basket, is rated for 20 kg (44 lb). Anyone who has ever loaded up the front of their bike in addition to the rear will know that’s a serious amount of weight, helping to balance out a load and provide more mounting options.
The bike is said to fit riders from 5’1″ to 6’1″, or 155 to 185 cm. The low step-through frame is designed to be easy to mount, as well as easy to hop forward on, especially when you’ve got a couple of wiggling kids on the rear rack and need some extra stability at a red light. For more stability when parked, the bike features one of the strongest dual kickstands I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of kickstands. I’ve had a motorcycle or two that I wish Tern had built the kickstand for.
Powering the bike is Bosch’s Cargo Line mid-drive motor, meaning you get the backing of the leading German drive maker as well as all of the warranty and service/support that comes with it.
The bike also features Bosch’s batteries with multiple size options, letting riders dial in the capacity and range they need (and that fits their budget).
And while Tern’s heritage comes from the bike experts of Taiwan, you’d almost think they were a German company based on how much emphasis they put into the engineering and safety certifications on their bikes, including testing to the new DIN79010 standard at the bike’s max capacity of 190 kg (419 lb).
As Hon continued, “The cargo bike segment has exploded in popularity in recent years, with just about every brand introducing their version of a ‘cargo bike.’ But unfortunately, testing and safety standards haven’t kept pace. Germany has recently published the first national testing standard for cargo bikes – DIN79010. We believe that any cargo bike claiming a MGVW over 120 kg should be tested to the DIN 79010 standard—but very few have been so far.”
Electrek’s Take
This definitely feels like Tern’s shot across the bow of budget brands with their popular low-cost cargo e-bike models. There’s no way Tern can compete directly with a $1,500 cargo e-bike, but it can offer significantly better quality components for a compelling price, at least compared to all the $6,000 cargo e-bikes out there.
For those who are trying to decide whether to save money on a budget brand or upgrade to a premium model, this is about the best price you’ll find for a premium electric cargo bike.
I still believe that budget cargo e-bikes have their place, and to be fair, I got my sister one for her family. But we can’t kid ourselves and pretend like there isn’t a quality difference. For someone actually replacing a car and relying on their e-bike daily, that quality difference translates into everyday reliability and the peace of mind of knowing that the bike is designed to last for years, not for a year.
Of course, the fact that the bike runs a Bosch motor is always going to be a double-edged sword in the US. Bosch systems are famously pedal-assist only, meaning no throttles. The Bosch name carries a lot of weight in Europe, but Americans seem to opt for throttle-enable electric bikes nine times out of ten, so it’s an uphill pedal to try and sell non-throttle e-bikes in the States. In Europe though, I can see this thing crushing the pricier alternatives from German and British e-bike brands.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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.
Kenworth migital mirrors
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
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.
Did you know: grid-connected solar systems automatically shut off when the grid fails? That means you won’t have power in a blackout, even with solar panels.
To keep the lights on, you’ll need a whole home backup battery – your personalized solar and battery 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 decided to move forward. Get started today, hassle-free, by clicking here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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 STORY: get 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.
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:
Kia Niro EV gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: CarsDirect, Edmunds, Raymond Kia.
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.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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.
“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
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.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut