Solar E-Clipse 2.0 review: A lightweight 60 mph street-legal motorcycle for under 6k
At the moment, not too many companies can deliver a Street-legal dual-sport motorcycle at entry-level prices. So when Solar Scooter, a UK-based company, asked us to review their 60 mph fully street-legal electric motorcycle, I had to see what this bike was about.
If you live far away from any OHOV trails or lenient municipalities and still want that flickable handling of a super lightweight electric trail bike, then a dual sport is the way to go. I imagine many riders out there would choose something like the 80 HP motocross Stark Varg if it had a street-legal supermoto version. Unfortunately, even if that bike became street legal it would likely still come with a hefty 10k+ price tag that instantly prices out a lot of riders just getting into the game. So while it’s still a bit early to be expecting something like a street-legal zero dual sport at a 5-6k dollar price point for this review I was curious to see just how well the handling and quality of the Eclipse 2.0 feels for a price of $5,995
Before we dive in here are some of the specs
- Price: $5,995
- Motor: 6kw rated with 10 kw of peak power
- Battery: 72v 45Ah LG Battery
- Controller: 400Amp sinewave Controller
- Charger: 10a charger
- Frame: Full Hand Woven Carbon Fibre Frame and Swing Arm
- Range: 50-70 Miles
- Suspension: Taiwan inverted front works with 203mm travel with Adjustable Preload, Rebound, Air Pressure and 7050 aluminum rear shock.
- Curb weight: 138 lbs
Power
With 6kw of rated power and 10kw of peak power, I was able to get up to speed quickly, at least as quickly as I’d need for the purpose of commuting on avenues, service roads, or winding backroads. For those interested in taking this bike to an appropriate place to safely practice maneuvers like wheelies, 10kw of peak power combined with its 138-pound curb weight is a sweet balance of power and weight.
As for what class of bike the Eclipse 2.0 falls under, the weight alone would make for some sketchy prolonged highway riding despite riding fully street-legal. Now even if the bike had a higher top speed like their upcoming race edition with a top speed of 70mph, I still think it wouldn’t be appropriate on typical U.S highways and that’s okay. At 138 pounds eclipse 2.0 can be a lot of fun to maneuver at lower speeds the same way a typical Supermoto or any other lower-powered yet well-handling motorcycle can be. It could also make the learning process a lot easier for new riders.
Street-legal options changing the game for electric trail bikes
Let’s face it a lot of the younger riders that are starting with Surrons or Talaria as their first bike are not riding only in off-road areas like the bikes were intended for. Most likely they don’t have a motorcycle endorsement or proper driver education training to know the rules of the road. While that’s likely not the biggest concern for those living in rural towns, being street-legal is a great direction to go in for urban areas with traffic. This way new riders coming in can get some of those same characteristics of a Surron in terms of handling yet still be riding in a way that won’t risk a ticket and more importantly be mindful of the rules of the road opening up more possibilities for use as a commuter.
For obtaining plates, the process involves emailing Solar Scooters, and they’ll send over a Manufacturer’s certificate of origin or MCO as well as a title then, depending on the state you live in you can either register it as a moped or a motorcycle, just like any other ICE motorcycle. Also for recording, we chose not to install plate holder and tail lights, although they did supply it along with other compliant necessary parts like side reflectors. In addition, we were glad to see that Solar Motors is properly registered with the NHTSA.
Battery and range:
Aside from going street legal one of the pros of this bike as opposed to something like an ultra light bee is the 72v 45 ah battery that comes stock rather than having to spend thousands on a quality battery upgrade. Combined with the 6kw of rated power from the motor this bike gives a range of 50-70 miles.
Handling and riding:
For comfort, I think Solar Scooter could have added a slightly more padded seat. The design looks great with its sleek carbon patterned fabric that matches the full carbon frame. Although functionality-wise wise it would have been great to get some more comfort but then again with the dual sport-like design it’s not exactly expected to get as much but-to-seat time as a cruiser so let’s look into how it stacks up as a dual sport.
Fully carbon fiber frame and swing arm
With that fully carbon frame you do get a pretty light curb weight that comes in at about 49 pounds lighter than an ultra bee all while also having a slightly higher top speed. Of course, having a fully carbon frame does raise some questions. For example, the clearance to the bottom of the frame is notably short so if there’s any strong impact to the bottom for example a large rock or curb hitting it then that’s going to mean some bad news for the way carbon reacts compared to the more favorable way a metal frame or better yet a reinforced skid plate would react. But then again for urban riding, this might not be at all a concern the way it would be for someone looking to hit Colorado mountain passes on the weekend.
19-inch wheels
On a similar note, the bike comes with large 19-inch wheels for both the front and back which gives you a decent seat height of 32 inches. Now to be clear those 19-inch wheels are for those who opt for off-road wheels rather than the 16-inch Supermoto wheels they offer. For offroading, the off-road tires that come with the bike have street-oriented knobs rather than the more off-road aggressive knobbies that typically come from offroad geared dual sport but if you’re mostly looking to use this on streets it’s not the worst as aggressive knobbies will typically wear out faster anyways.
Suspension
For suspension, the front inverted forks give 203mm of travel which is a ton of fun for riding through conditions like moderately rutted fire roads but I wouldn’t necessarily want to do any big jumps with it as it’s not in the ballpark of the higher end suspension setups like what you would expect to find on a Stark Varg or Zero but then again those charge a hefty premium for those parts.
As for the quality, the components are on par with what you would expect for this category. While there’s no Ohlins level suspension there are also no parts that feel like they cheaped out on. The one area I would have liked to see some improvement on is the throttle input which seems to have a very slight delay, something that’s likely not noticeable at all but definitely would help with wheelies if it didn’t have the delay.
Electrek’s take:
For a price tag of $6000, having a 72v 45 ah battery, with that same kind of lightweight trail bike handling as an ultra-light bee all while having plates makes the Eclipse 2.0 a decent value. While it’s still a big chunk of money, having to upgrade to a comparable battery for a light Bee might end up setting you back a few more dollars than the Eclipse when it’s all said and done.
On the other hand, while the Eclipse has plenty of speed to offer for city and nonhighway use if you’re looking to mod your bike I would keep in mind that unlike brands like the Surron Solar Scooter doesn’t have the same after-market support.
For fun supermoto style city riding I think this is a lot of fun and comes right out of the gate with the basics I would want but if I was looking for a more off-road aggressive electric motorcycle the combination of low clearance and carbon frame just might hold me back from going full send on certain types of trails or jumps but then again as the saying goes any bike can be an offroad bike if you’re brave enough.
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Tesla’s sales have fallen 87% in Quebec in the first quarter 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The critical Canadian market has been wiped out, and Tesla is no longer importing new vehicles.
Quebec is the leading EV market in Canada, with the highest adoption rate of new electric vehicles.
That’s due to incentives, cheap hydro electricity, and a strong base of EV enthusiasts.
As the EV leader in North America, Quebec became an important market for Tesla.
However, Tesla’s market in Quebec is now gone.
We don’t have all Canadian data for vehicle registrations in the first quarter; however, Le Devoir managed to obtain data for Quebec from the Société d’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), which revealed that Tesla delivered only 524 vehicles in Quebec during Q1 2025.
That’s down 87% compared to Q1 2024.
The pause in the Quebec and federal EV incentive programs contributed to the sharp decline, but the pause also happened in the quarter, which helped sales by creating urgency to buy and take delivery.
However, it also created an awkward situation for Tesla in which it was accused of filing thousands of questionable requests for incentives worth $42 million CAD, which it later claimed was a backlog of deliveries that it hadn’t filed yet.
This controversy added to growing brand damage for Tesla in Quebec and the broader Canada due to its CEO Elon Musk’s backing of Donald Trump, who is openly calling for the US to annex Canada.
Tesla’s Canadian Troubles are not over
While Q1 2025 was bad, Q2 could prove even worse. Tesla had to increase prices in Canada in April due to the Canadian government slapping 25% tariffs on its vehicles in response to Trump’s trade war.
The combination of the end of some incentive programs, the higher prices, and the degrading sentiment for Tesla in Canada and Quebec is leading to very few sales in the market.
A source familiar with the matter said that Tesla doesn’t plan to import more vehicles in the country this quarter due to low demand.
The broader EV market in Canada declined 45% in Q1 due to the pause in the incentive program, but Tesla’s decline was much sharper, indicating larger issues than just the lack of incentives.
Electrek’s Take
The situation for Tesla in Canada is even worse than in Europe right now. It’s not the largest market in terms of size, but it has a significantly higher EV adoption rate than the US and has helped Tesla in North America.
As long as the tariffs are in place, there’s little hope for Tesla in Canada.
Even if they are removed, which I hope happens soon, as it would mean a de-escalation of Trump’s dumb and illegal trade war, Tesla is still going to have major brand issues due to Musk’s backing of Trump and him saying some foolish things like “Canada is not a real country.”
All of those factors add to Tesla’s aging and limited lineup, which too heavily relies on Model Y, which had a refresh that wasn’t significant enough to revitalize sales.
It’s really hard to be optimistic about Tesla right now.
In Canada, Tesla currently has some inventory of the new Model Y, which it managed to secure before the tariffs. If you’re interested in a Cybertruck, there are plenty available. Although, I have a feeling that you are better off waiting a bit as I assume prices will come down.
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![Here's a closer look at Kia's low-cost EV2 [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/Kia-EV2-closer-look.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Kia’s smallest and most affordable EV is already creating quite the buzz. The EV2 will sit below the EV3 in Kia’s expanding EV lineup. With its official launch approaching, the Kia EV2 was spotted on public roads, giving us a closer look at the upcoming electric SUV.
Take a closer look at the Kia EV2 caught on public roads
Although the EV2 will likely only be around 4,000 mm (157″) long, Kia promises it won’t feel so small when you’re actually in it.
Last month, we got a sneak peek of the interior at Milan Design Week. During an exclusive event, Kia showcased the EV2 concept and revealed a few new details we can expect to see.
Kia designed the EV2’s interior to be a relaxing retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle, sort of like a porch or balcony. Thanks to its flat floor layout, the SUV offers flexible seating. By folding the second-row seats and pushing the front seats forward, the EV2 offers an open space to stretch out or “enjoy a meal,” according to Kia.
Although no other details were offered, like Kia’s newer EVs, you can expect to see its new ccNC panoramic infotainment system with dual 12.3″ driver and navigation screens.
After the EV2 was spotted driving on public roads, we are getting a better look at Kia’s upcoming electric SUV. The video from ShortsCar reveals a front-end design similar to that of the EV3, EV5, and EV9, featuring its signature vertical daytime running lights (DRLs) and Star Map lightning.
Despite its small size, the EV2 has a surprisingly large presence on the road, thanks to its upright stance and broad wheel arches, reminiscent of the larger EV9.
A production version of the EV2 was also spotted in Germany this week, with its European debut just around the corner. The images by SH Proshots (via TheKoreanCarBlog) show a similar design to the model caught driving in Korea.
Kia will launch the EV2 in Europe and other regions in early 2026. Prices and final specs will be revealed closer to then, but the EV2 is expected to arrive with a WLTP range of around 300 miles (483 km). Smaller battery options could offer less range at a lower price.
Since it’s slated to sit below the EV3, which is 4,300 mm (169″) long, the EV2 is expected to be closer to 4,000 mm (157″) in length.
Like Kia’s other electric vehicles, it will be based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which also underpins its IONIQ series.
Kia’s CEO, Ho-Sung Song, told Autocar that the company plans to launch the EV2 in the UK with prices starting at about £25,000 ($32,000). Since that was a few years ago, plans could have changed. We will learn more soon. Check back for the latest.
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Voltpost, a startup that turns existing lampposts into EV chargers, has officially launched its first public charging site in Oak Park, Illinois. The curbside charger, installed in partnership with the Park District of Oak Park and utility ComEd, brings easy, affordable EV charging access right to the neighborhood.
Instead of building entirely new charging stations, Voltpost retrofits existing lampposts with a modular Level 2 charging platform. That means less construction, lower costs, and quicker deployment – Voltpost says its EV charger can be installed on a lamppost in minutes. It’s controlled via a mobile app, and it’s designed to serve public spaces like curbs and parking lots, as well as private locations like university campuses and apartment complexes.
“The deployment of a Voltpost charger in Oak Park will expand EV charging access for the local community and help catalyze the transition to sustainable transportation,” said Voltpost CEO and cofounder Jeffrey Prosserman. “This builds on our work in New York and Michigan, and it’s a step toward scaling our platform nationwide.”
Voltpost says its approach is more sustainable and equitable, since it’s using infrastructure that’s already there instead of building from scratch. And it opens up EV charging to more people who don’t have a private driveway or garage.
Kassie Porreca, president of the Park District Board of Commissioners, said, “Ensuring the residents of Oak Park benefit from affordable access to EV charging infrastructure is vital to fulfilling our commitment to serving the needs of our community.”
Najwa Abouhassan, senior manager at ComEd and a liaison for the 2c2i climate tech initiative, said this project connects innovation with community impact. “We’re proud to support Voltpost’s mission to bring sustainable, street-level charging to the places people live and work.”
With this first public site now live, Voltpost says it’s aiming to expand across the country, turning more streetlights into smart charging hubs for EV drivers.
In 2023, Voltpost participated in the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Studio program, a collaboration between the NYC DOT and Newlab. In its pilot, Voltpost installed chargers on lampposts at Newlab in Brooklyn and in a DOT parking lot. The chargers were installed in an hour, operated with a high uptime, and got positive feedback from EV drivers.
Read more: This lamppost EV charger just went commercial in the US
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