These are the Black Friday e-bike and e-scooter deals to actually care about

Published

6 months ago

November 27, 2024

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This year’s shopping holidays are set to reveal some of the best electric bicycle and e-scooter sales we’ve ever seen thanks to the perfect storm of overstocked models, meeting year-end sales targets, and good ol’ relentless competition. The e-bike industry has been hammered for a couple of years now, and while that has put many companies in a squeeze, the upside is consumers are getting some of the best deals we’ve ever seen. With countless electric bicycle brands operating now in the US and even more models to choose from, here’s some help separating the wheat from the chaff.

It’s nearing the end of November, and that means my inbox has been absolutely flooded by Black Friday deal pitches from dozens upon dozens of e-bike and e-scooter companies.

There’s a whole section of this site dedicated to ramming as many of those deals as possible into our readers’ eyeballs. For me though, I’ve always tried to take a more targeted approach to recommend models based on substance, and so here are the Black Friday deals that actually mean something to me. As someone who has likely reviewed more electric bikes than just about anyone on the internet, these are all models I’m actually considering for myself or my family because I know they’re a combination of good quality and good pricing. And if I’d put myself or a family member on it, I’d put you on it too.

Lectric Ebikes Sales

Lectric is basically my go-to brand when someone asks me for the best bang-for-their-buck in the world of electric bikes. I’ll never tell you that these are the best e-bikes in the world. On the quality spectrum, they’re mid-level, at best. And for most people, that’s exactly the right level. Not everyone needs a $3,000 or $6,000 e-bike, especially not when an $800 or $1,300 e-bike will fit their needs. Plus, Lectric is known for standing behind its products with a great customer service team (and is incredibly generous, too). Put it all together and you can see why Lectric often floats to the top of my list.

You can find all of Lectric’s sales here to peruse at your leisure. Many of them are based around popular bundles with tons of free accessories. But to guide you a bit better, here are some of the highlights:

Lectric XP 3.0 folding e-bike: Save $454 on a great bundle
Lectric XP Trike: Save $419 on the best-selling electric trike
Lectric XP Lite 2.0: Save $365 on the best-performance lightweight folding e-bike
Lectric XPress 750: Save $365 on what is likely soon to be the best-selling commuter e-bike
Lectric XPedition 2.0: Save $296 on the first cargo e-bike I recommend to nearly everyone

Ride1Up E-Bike Sales

San Diego-based Ride1Up has consistently been another value leader in the US e-bike market. While the company doesn’t have the size of Lectric, it has perhaps an even broader selection of e-bikes ranging from cruisers and off-roaders to urban bikes and even high-power electric mopeds. The recently released Ride1Up Revv1 DRT is a great example of how the company took its existing SUPER73-style moped and turned it into essentially an off-road scrambler electric motorbike.

Even more impressive is the pricing on the Ride1Up Portola, designed to be an entry-level folding e-bike that offers much better performance and ride quality than anyone would have expected in this budget class.

Many of Ride1Up’s deals are either outright discounts on their bikes, bundles of free accessories/spare batteries, or both. Below are some of the highlights, but it’s worth checking out their entire list of Black Friday deals here.

Ride1Up Prodigy XC: Save an incredible $900 on this mid-drive electric mountain bike
Ride1Up Portola: Save $100 and get 50% off of some accessories
Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser: Save up to $350 and get 50% off a second battery
Ride1Up LMT’D V2: Save $400 on this awesome commuter e-bike for urban riding

Velotric E-Bike Sales

Velotric burst onto the scene with some very nice initial offerings several years ago. Ever since, I’ve been watching closely as Velotric continuously improves its models, resulting in today’s highly refined offerings. Their more premium models are where I send friends and family who want something a bit nicer than Lectric or Ride1Up, including features like tracking for anti-theft as well as more app connectivity and features you might not expect – such as fully submersible batteries.

Velotric has a bunch of great Black Friday sales, mostly centered around deeply slashed price tags. Here are some of the highlights, but you can check out all of the deals here.

Velotric Discover 1 Plus: Save $550 (plus even more on accessories)
Velotric Fold 1: Save $350 on this 750W folding e-bike
Velotric Packer 1: Save $650 on this highly refined cargo e-bike
Velotric Nomad 1 Plus: Save $550 on this go-anywhere off-road e-bike

Priority Bicycles Sales

Priority Bicycles is my go-to brand for higher-end electric bikes. When someone wants a model that uses higher-tier components (the kind of stuff bike shop folks consider ‘the good stuff’), this is the company to consider. Priority Bicycles was started by actual bike shop folks, but the kind that enjoy an electric bike as much as a good old-fashioned acoustic bike.

My favorite of Priority’s electric models is the Priority Current, which offers great value for a mid-drive commuter-style e-bike. The company has since added the Priority E-Coast electric cruiser which is a beautiful e-bike that embodies Priority’s higher quality ethos in a more affordable package. The Priority E-Classic Plus takes that idea even further, giving us an affordable commuter-style bike with a much sleeker design – and belt drive, to boot! In fact, all three models feature belt drive for a cleaner and quieter pedaling experience (though you’ll be glad to know there are throttle options too!).

Priority Bicycles’ Black Friday Sale is very simple this year, creating a tiered discount based on the order total. You can learn more about it here, but the basic summary is that you’re getting around 15-25% off of everything!

JackRabbit Micro E-Bike Sales

If you don’t know about JackRabbit yet, boy are you in for a treat! These micro-ebikes are technically more of a seated e-scooter due to the lack of pedals, but everything else about them feels like an e-bike. You get the same stable seating position, 20″ bike wheels for a nimble yet taller (than a scooter) ride, and even bicycle handlebars.

The main difference is just that the entire thing is more compact and lighter, making it easy to stow away when you aren’t using it. The handlebars even pivot 90 degrees so the entire JackRabbit is around 7 inches wide! Try to stash a typical e-bike behind a couch or under a bed – you could never get it as compact as a JackRabbit.

These aren’t the best bang-for-your-buck since you pay a bit of a premium for the novel design and innovation that comes with producing a unique, purpose-built micro e-bike instead of just choosing parts out of a catalog. But I think these are absolutely worth it for folks who prize the type of portability offered by JackRabbit’s various models.

Speaking of the options, there are multiple JackRabbit models available but the XG and OG2 are both on sale with a great Black Friday deal providing a free RangeBuster battery that offers 240% more range!

Check out JackRabbit’s Black Friday deal here, and be sure to use the code BF24 to get the free RangeBuster battery.

VMAX Electric Scooter Sales

I’ve been following VMAX more closely over the past year and have enjoyed getting the chance to test out multiple models of electric scooters from this Switzerland-based electric scooter company. After expanding into the US market, VMAX has really made a name for itself with an impressive combination of performance and affordability. Their scooters are also UL-compliant and SGS-certified for safety and integrity.

When testing both the mid-range VX2 Extreme and the budget-priced VX5, I found myself accidentally popping Wheelies, that’s how powerful and torquey these e-scooters are in their max power setting. But they’re also quite controllable (and you don’t HAVE to use the max power mode!).

I also really like that the same scooters are often available with two or three different battery sizes, meaning you can save money on a lighter and lower range model, or you can decide to spend a bit more to get twice or more range. That kind of customization is almost never seen in the e-scooter industry, and definitely not at this price range.

Below are some of my favorite VMAX deals this Black Friday, but you can check out their entire page of sales here.

VMAX VX5 / VX5 Pro: Starts at just $249, which is an insane deal for these scooters

VX2 Extreme: $799 marked down from $999, and a scooter I just spent several days commuting around LA on

MOD Bikes Sales

MOD Bikes is an Austin-based electric bicycle retailer that offers national service yet has a local bike shop feel. The company’s bikes are admittedly more expensive than others, but they come with more features (like cool helmet-mounted turn signals) and heavier-duty designs than most other e-bikes in this price range.

MOD makes one of the only sidecar electric bikes available in the US, which I’ve personally tested out with my nephews and the family dog as willing passengers, and it rocks!

The company is also dedicated to other innovations, such as a really cool charging station designed for safely locking and storing e-bike batteries, all developed in-house.

MOD’s Black Friday sales cover nearly everything in their lineup, so you’ll want to check out the entire list here.

Aventon E-Bike Sales

Aventon is another one of those electric bike makers that has simply gotten more and more refined as time has gone on. Each new launch showcases more of the brand’s chops, combining power and performance with style and design.

This year I’m particularly glad to see sales on several of the brand’s commuter e-bikes, which have long been Aventon’s forte. You can check out all of Aventon’s Black Friday sales here.

Aventon Soltera.2: Save $300 on this super-affordable metro-styled commuter e-bike
Aventon Abound: Save $300 on Aventon’s premier cargo e-bike
Aventon Aventure.2: Save $400 on this step-through adventure-style fat tire e-bike

Rad Power Bikes Sales

While Rad Power Bikes has certainly slipped from its once-leading position in North American e-bike sales, the company still has some promising offerings. With Black Friday pricing, those e-bikes are moving back towards the value proposition they once offered before the company began slowly walking prices up into the mid-range tier from their former budget-range glory.

This year, the company’s Black Friday deals include a free SafeShield battery with the purchase of several models, and deep discounts on other e-bikes.

The RadExpand 5 is now priced at just $1,099, which is an awesome price for this folding utility e-bike. The RadRunner 2 is down to $1,299, which is the price that the original RadRunner was launched for way back in 2019!

For more of the company’s sales, check out the entire range of models here.

I’ll keep an eye out for any other great Black Friday sales in the e-scooter and e-bike world. Like I said at the top of this article, there are hundreds of sales out there, and so this isn’t an exhaustive list.

Rather, these are several of the companies and sales I think are actually worth considering closely based on my experience covering the entire industry.

There are, of course, plenty of other good models out there, and you might find something great for you that wasn’t even on this list. That’s awesome! The important thing is that we’re all out there riding and having a good time. More two-wheelers and fewer four-wheelers is the name of the game, folks!

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White House crypto czar David Sacks says stablecoin bill will unlock ‘trillions’ for U.S. Treasury

Published

6 hours ago

May 21, 2025

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White House crypto czar David Sacks says stablecoin bill will unlock 'trillions' for U.S. Treasury

U.S. President Donald Trump sits next to Crypto czar David Sacks at the White House Crypto Summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 7, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

President Donald Trump‘s top crypto and AI advisor David Sacks said Wednesday that the administration expects the stablecoin legislation moving through the Senate to pass with “significant bipartisan support,” and claimed it could unlock demand for U.S. Treasuries.

“We already have over $200 billion in stablecoins — it’s just unregulated,” Sacks told CNBC’s “Closing Bell Overtime.” “If we provide the legal clarity and legal framework for this, I think we could create trillions of dollars of demand for our Treasuries practically overnight, very quickly.”

The GENIUS Act — a bill to regulate stablecoins — cleared a key procedural vote in the Senate. With 15 Democrats voting for the bill to pass the cloture threshold this week, the proponents have the votes necessary to avoid a filibuster.

“We have every expectation now that it’s going to pass,” added Sacks, though he didn’t answer a question about concerns from Democrats that there aren’t sufficient safeguards in place to keep the president and his family from profiting from legislation.

Trump wants to kill ENERGY STAR – here’s how that impacts you

Published

7 hours ago

May 21, 2025

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Trump wants to kill ENERGY STAR – here's how that impacts you

The Trump administration wants to pull the plug on ENERGY STAR, the federal program behind those familiar blue labels on energy-efficient appliances, homes, and buildings. Launched in 1992, ENERGY STAR has saved Americans more than $500 billion in energy costs while slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

To dig into what this means for everyday Americans, we spoke with Rebecca Foster, CEO of clean energy nonprofit Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), which has spent decades working to make homes, schools, and businesses more energy efficient.

Electrek: What is the ENERGY STAR program, and what are the benefits for consumers?

Rebecca Foster: It’s simple: ENERGY STAR helps customers and businesses save energy and reduce costs. The program does this by clearly labeling which products are energy-efficient options. It’s a certification of confidence – it does not dictate efficiency standards. The program was created in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush and has enjoyed decades of bipartisan support.

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The brand has become the backbone of energy efficiency across the country. ENERGY STAR is a recognized and reliable mark of efficient appliances and electronics that lower costs and improve indoor air quality. The ENERGY STAR label has also expanded to include efficiency standards for weatherizing homes and certifying when new buildings are constructed to high efficiency standards. Utilities benefit from ENERGY STAR, too – with more efficient appliances and systems plugged in, they are better able to manage the grid and decrease costs for customers.

The main benefit to consumers is significant savings through energy efficiency. A typical home can save around $450 a year on their energy bills by choosing ENERGY STAR-certified products, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimate. Lower-income households spend a greater proportion of their budget on energy, so losing that savings will be felt especially hard by these families. Energy efficiency programs that VEIC administers, including Efficiency Vermont, Efficiency Smart, and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, have incorporated ENERGY STAR certifications into their rebates and educational materials for decades. The ENERGY STAR certification is an easy way to let people know which products are eligible for rebates and encourage folks to choose the more efficient option by making it more affordable with incentives. Combined, these programs have delivered more than $694 million in customer incentives since 2000, resulting in over $5.6 billion in lifetime customer savings.

Evaluations of the ENERGY STAR program show it saves US households about $40 billion a year nationwide – and has delivered about $500 billion in savings since it began. All for a program that costs the government just $30 million annually. According to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency‘s 2022 survey, where I worked for over a decade prior to joining VEIC, nearly 90% of US households report recognizing the ENERGY STAR label and almost half (45%) report knowingly purchasing an ENERGY STAR-certified product or home within the last 12 months.

Electrek: How would ending the ENERGY STAR program hurt consumers at a national and regional level?

Rebecca Foster: Efficiency labels and education from ENERGY STAR leads to more affordable energy bills for customers. Ending the program means less clarity and guidance for how to choose the more efficient option, which means higher costs month after month. Households are increasingly opting for more efficient, all-electric clean technologies like cold climate heat pumps for heating/cooling and EVs for their transportation needs. That means efficiency will become even more important for households to maintain lower electricity use. So, losing ENERGY STAR now will really cost Americans more in the short and long term.

Regionally and on a local level, getting rid of ENERGY STAR could disrupt energy efficiency programs run by states, utilities, and third-party administrators that rely on the ENERGY STAR label for rebates. It could also hurt manufacturers, distributors, and contractors who have built their businesses around providing and installing more efficient equipment. Existing lists of qualified products will quickly become out of date as new models and new technology enter the market. We could see programs in different states or run by different entities come up with confusing or competing standards for their rebates, making it more difficult for people to save energy.

All of these impacts hurt consumers, especially at a time when families and businesses are already struggling to keep up with rising costs.

Electrek: What sort of impact would ending this program have on the grid?

Rebecca Foster: A stable electric grid is more important than ever as we see growing electricity demand due to data centers and AI and an increasing reliance on electricity to meet more of our daily needs. ENERGY STAR has been the backbone of energy efficiency across the country for decades, and it’s delivered the more efficient lighting, appliances, and heating systems that are in use today in countless homes. Efficiency is a major reason why US electricity demand has been flat for the last two decades, according to the EIA.

As we see the electrification of our transportation and heating sectors, we’re also going to see unprecedented growth in electricity demand – an 11% increase in New England alone over the next decade, according to ISO New England. That’s part of a 50% increase in demand nationally by 2050, according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

Losing ENERGY STAR would slow down and complicate management of the grid because efficiency contributes to a stable and optimized grid. It also helps avoid the costly expansion of transmission projects by reducing demand without asking customers to make large behavioral changes.

A more efficient grid can also avoid investing in new fossil fuel power generation, like natural gas power plants, helping meet state and regional goals for clean energy and emissions reductions. ENERGY STAR is a great tool for realizing an efficient, electrified future. Ending the program will put a greater burden on grid operators and utilities by taking away one of the most effective tools in the toolbox for addressing rising energy demand: customer participation.

Rebecca Foster is VEIC’s CEO. Heading up the executive leadership team, Rebecca guides the nonprofit’s strategic planning, business development, and performance across its contracts nationwide. With nearly 25 years of experience in the clean energy industry, Rebecca is a seasoned leader dedicated to the organization’s mission of generating the energy solutions the world needs.

VEIC is a national clean energy nonprofit that delivers high-impact energy solutions focused on equity and innovation. Since 1986, VEIC has been recognized as a leader in decarbonization strategies, working with governments, utilities, foundations, and businesses to reduce GHG emissions and create a sustainable energy system that benefits everyone.

If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. 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. They have 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 Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Cadillac’s new luxury EVs are quickly catching on, especially among Tesla owners

Published

8 hours ago

May 21, 2025

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Cadillac's new luxury EVs are quickly catching on, especially among Tesla owners

GM’s luxury brand now has a full lineup of EVs, and it’s already starting to pay off. Cadillac’s EVs are quickly catching on with nearly 80% of buyers new to the brand, many of them Tesla drivers.

Cadillac’s new EVs are winning over Tesla drivers

Cadillac is coming off its strongest quarters since 2008 after retail sales surged 21% in the first three months of the year.

After launching the new Optiq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ, Cadillac now offers a full lineup of luxury electric SUVs. According to Brad Granz, Cadillac’s global marketing director, its new EVs are attracting buyers from other brands, including Tesla.

During a recent event to showcase the three-row Vistiq, Granz told CNBC that nearly 80%, or 8 out of every 10 Cadillac EV buyers, are new to the brand.

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“We see the opportunity to increase the conquest rate for Tesla, absolutely,” Cadillac’s global marketing chief added.

About 25% of Cadillac Lyriq buyers are former Tesla drivers, up from 10 to 15% previously. Cadillac expects to gain a bigger share of the luxury EV market with three new EVs rolling out across all SUV segments.

Cadillac-Vistiq-EV — 2026 Cadillac Vistiq electric SUV (Source: GM)

The bestselling luxury EV brand

Meanwhile, Tesla has seen sales slow over the past few months amid backlash over CEO Elon Musk’s political rants and support for President Donald Trump.

According to the most recent S&P Global Mobility data (via Automotive News), Tesla remained the top-selling EV brand in March with over 51,000 registrations, up 1.1% from March following two months of lower numbers. Cadillac, on the other hand, placed eighth after EV registrations climbed 86%.

Cadillac’s EV lineup this year includes the midsize Lyriq, the entry-level Optiq, the three-row Vistiq, and the larger Escalade IQ.

The 2026 Cadillac Optiq, which is about the same size as the Tesla Model Y, starts at $54,390 and has a range of up to 302 miles.

Cadillac-Optiq-EV-interior — Cadillac Optiq interior (Source: Cadillac)

Dubbed the “mini Escalade,” the Vistiq is Cadillac’s new three-row luxury electric SUV, starting at $78,790. Meanwhile, the massive Escalade IQ starts at about $130,000. Later this year, it will add the ultra-luxury Celestiq, priced at around $340,000.

According to Edmunds.com (via CNBC), shoppers who look at a new Cadillac EV rarely look at a Tesla vehicle at the same time (cross-shop). In other words, those choosing an electric Cadillac are not even considering a Tesla.

Cadillac-Lyriq-V-EV — 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V (Source: GM)

The top cross-shopped vehicles for Cadillac’s Lyriq include the Optiq, Acura ZDX, Ford Mustang Mach-E, BMW iX, Kia EV9, and Chevy’s Blazer and Equinox EVs.

Cadillac’s goal is to be the bestselling luxury EV brand this year, but that doesn’t include Tesla. “We’re really poised for success. We’re going to take this portfolio, now that Vistiq is rounding out the SUV portfolio, and become the No. 1, tier-one EV luxury brand,” Franz said.

With new EVs arriving, will Cadillac see even more Tesla drivers trade in? Comment below and let us know your thoughts.

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