LITELOK X1 review: This bike lock is so strong I use it on my motorcycle
I’m a bit of a bike lock collector. After having my favorite e-bike stolen a few years ago (as well as several less favorite bikes stolen over the years), I’ve gotten much more serious about security. After testing the LITELOK X1, I can tell you that this lock is so overbuilt that I even use it on my electric scooters and motorcycles.
U-locks, sometimes referred to as D-locks in many parts of the world for god-only-knows-what-reason, are often considered the ideal form factor for many riders. They’re compact, don’t rattle, and offer the kind of theft prevention that only a giant hunk of reinforced steel can.
The LITELOK X1 offers all of those features and more. Not only is the shackle nearly an inch thick (21x24mm), but it’s also got a hardened fine-grain high-tensile steel core coated with a patent-pending material known as Barronium to further degrade angle grinder cutting blades.
As the company explained, “Barronium® is a fused composite armor that offers unparalleled angle grinder resistance without adding extra weight. It is a super hard ceramic composite material that repels angle grinder attacks and turns the grinder’s energy and force in on itself. Continuous cutting wears down the grinder discs, batteries, and ultimately the grinder motor itself.”
That doesn’t mean the lock can’t be cut. Every single bike lock can be defeated with the right tool and with enough time. But multiple independent tests have shown that it takes many angle grinder disc swaps before the lock can finally be cut through. And even then, it uses an anti-twist design meaning that a single cut isn’t enough – the thief will need to make a second cut to remove enough of the shackle to get it off of the bike or anchor. At that point, the thief will need another handful of cutting discs, not to mention enough spare batteries to keep going with a tool that is now likely close to overheating anyway.
Suffice it to say, this is about as angle grinder-proof as it gets, even if such a thing doesn’t technically exist in reality. With a half dozen cutting discs or more, plus a few battery swaps, a thief is likely to give up before they ever make it away with your bike. LITELOK has plenty of testimonials and pictures on its site sent in from owners who found themselves in that exact scenario, returning to their bikes to find their lock only partially cut and no thief in sight.
More than just theft resistance
Part of choosing a good lock isn’t only how strong it is, but also how convenient it is. At just under 4 lb, the LITELOK X1 isn’t lightweight but also doesn’t weigh nearly as much as my 8-10 lb chain locks. It’s annoying that it can add nearly 10% to my e-bike’s weight, but that sure beats adding 20%!
The design also includes a nice reflective strip, which can be an added safety bonus when riding around with the lock mounted to the frame.
There’s also convenient neoprene carrying pouch that comes standard with the lock and helps keep your bag nice and clean, even when your lock gets dirty.
And while this is a small detail, I like how minimalist the keys are. I have enough chunky keys to keep on my ring already, so any low-profile key is greatly appreciated. This isn’t the place to take up extra real estate with big molded grips and branding on something I’m trying to shove deep down in my pocket, and I’m glad LITELOK realized that.
Security ratings
Of course, the added convenience is nice, but security ratings are still the most important factor in deciding which lock can best protect your ride.
The X1 is Sold Secure Diamond rated for both pedal bikes and powered bikes (a category including both motorcycles and e-bikes). This means the lock has received basically the highest security rating it can from the premier lock testing company, UK-based Sold Secure.
The lock is also rated ART 4 out of a possible score of 5. ART, a Dutch-based lock testing organization, considers a score of 2 to be sufficient for bicycles and e-bikes, and a score of 4 to be sufficient for motorcycles parked in public places.
In other words, the leading lock testing organizations in the industry pretty much agree that the X1 gets top marks and is probably more than sufficient for pretty much any e-bike – and likely motorcycles too.
Which is why I feel perfectly comfortable using it as a wheel lock on my own motorcycles and e-scooters.
How could it be improved?
The lock is really nicely designed, both in terms of form and function. However, there is still room for improvement.
I find that when I want to close the lock, I often have trouble getting it perfectly lined up on the shackle, meaning the key won’t turn to lock it down. I have to jiggle the lock until it seems like either the pins in the cylinder free up or the locking latches in the shackle align, and then it closes nicely. It’s annoying to have to massage it into place, that’s for sure. Maybe it’s just mine, but it doesn’t seem to be something that goes away with use.
Another area I would have liked to see improved would be to offer it in either multiple colors or at least a single bright color that isn’t black.
The problems with black locks are numerous, at least in my opinion. I don’t like how they disappear into the bike, meaning you might forget that it’s there when used as a wheel lock. You’re not going to get far if you try to ride away, but you might end up with a bent spoke or disc, depending on how you locked up. A small and cheap $7 reminder cable can help, but a brightly colored lock would be easier. Highly visible locks also serve as a warning to thieves from a distance, helping to ward them off before they invest time in examining your ride. And lastly, they’re just easier to find in a gear bag or drawer, not getting lost in a sea of other black riding gear.
Finally, this lock is expensive. I’m talking $179 expensive. That’s a significant outlay, but I always remind people to consider how much their e-bike or motorcycle is worth to them. If it’s worth more than $179 to keep it yours, then maybe such a powerful lock isn’t that expensive after all, relatively speaking.
There are other more affordable locks out there and I use many of them, but now that I’ve been testing the LITELOK X1 recently, I know I’ve got one of the highest-security locks out there to add to my quiver of options.
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China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) has unveiled its latest battery cell technologies, which charge as quickly as filling up a gas tank while potentially lowering costs without compromise.
CATL has quickly become the world’s largest battery manufacturer by a wide margin. It is one of, if not the biggest, force for advancing electric transportation.
A big part of CATL’s success is due to its advancements in lithium-iron phosphate battery cells, also known as LFP. LFP cells are cheaper than nickel-rich batteries, but they used to have much lower energy density.
The Chinese battery manufacturers managed to close the gap somewhat while maintaining lower costs, resulting in LFP cells becoming popular for entry-level EVs.
Now, CATL is looking to do the same with sodium-ion batteries.
Like LFP cells, sodium-ion battery cells have the potential to be cheaper than more common Li-ion cells, but they also offer potential for superior performance, particularly in terms of faster charging and longer lifecycles.
CATL has unveiled today Naxtra, its new sodium-ion battery cells, and it claimed some truly impressive specs.
The new cell reportedly achieves an energy density of 175 Wh per kg (385 Wh per lb), on par with the higher-end of LFP battery cells.
The new cells also offer potential for significant safety improvements.
CATL shared several intense stress tests, including drilling into a cell and even cutting it in half without any thermal event:
The next-gen sodium cells could help further lower the cost of electric vehicles without compromising performance, and while increasing safety.
On top of the new Naxtra cell, CATL has also unveiled its next-gen Shenxing LFP battery cells.
Its charge rate is truly impressive. CATL shared several examples of cars charging at around 1,000 kW and maintaining over 500 kW at over 50% state of charge:
The new cell is being described as capable of adding 300 miles (482 km) of range in about 5 minutes – depending on the EV model.
That’s virtually as quick as filling up a tank of gas.
CATL says that the Shenxing will be in 67 electric vehicle models by the end of the year.
The next-gen cell was unveiled after BYD, CATL’s biggest competitor, also unveiled its latest technology, capable of charging electric vehicles at extremely high speeds.
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New York State has announced an extra $30 million for point-of-sale rebates to lease or buy more than 60 new EV models.
The rebates are available to consumers through New York’s Drive Clean Rebate program, which offers a point-of-sale rebate off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of an EV at participating car dealerships in New York State.
The rebate is available in all 62 counties, with the highest rebate of $2,000 available for EVs with a greater-than-200-mile range. (For a 40- to 199-mile range, the rebate is $1,000.) The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) runs the program.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Converting to EVs reduces the total cost of vehicle ownership through lower fuel and vehicle maintenance costs, and NYSERDA is proud to help provide New Yorkers with more purchasing power through these rebates.”
The Drive Clean Rebate program has issued over 190,000 rebates to consumers since 2017, contributing to the more than 280,000 EVs on the road in New York State.
NYSERDA also boosted its EV charging incentives. Through the Charge Ready NY 2.0 program, the state is boosting the cash available for Level 2 charger installations at apartment buildings, workplaces, and hotels from $2,000 to $3,000 per port. And if the chargers go into disadvantaged communities, that amount jumps to $4,000 per port.
New York has racked up over 17,000 public EV chargers, making it second only to California for charger count. On top of that, there are more than 4,000 semi-public stations tucked into workplaces and multifamily buildings across the state.
Read more: New York awards $60M to Revel to install 267 DC fast chargers
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LTL carrier ArcBest Freight (ABF) announced plans to add five new Orange EV electric terminal tractors to its existing ZEV fleet, bringing its total deployment of these battery electric HDEVs to 14 … with even more to come.
LTL stands for “Less than Truck Load,” and basically means that, since whatever you’re shipping won’t take up a full container, you can share the costs of shipping with other customers with goods going the same way. You save a little more money and the shipper makes a little more money, making it a rare win-win scenario in the shipping space. And that’s important, because LTL containers amount to a massive 15% of total US shipping.
ABF has been putting Orange EV yard dogs to work in their LTL traffic terminals since their initial deployment of four trucks in June 2022. The company added five more a few years later, and just purchased five more — further underscoring their confidence in the benefits of transitioning their fleet to electric power.
“The Orange EV terminal trucks meet our operational requirements and expectations for safe, reliable, and affordable service and performance,” explains Matthew Godfrey, ABF Freight president. “We’re committed to responsible environmental management, and our investment in EVs aligns with our continuous efforts to enhance efficiency while maintaining exceptional service standards.”
ABF joins other large logistics companies like YMX and DHL in deploying the Orange EV terminal trucks, which have logged hundreds of thousands of hours of service for their customers.
Electrek’s Take
Over at The Heavy Equipment Podcast, we had a chance to talk to Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens ahead of last year’s ACT Expo for clean trucking. On the show (embedded, above), Kurt explained how his experience at Ford helped inform his design ideology, and that the Orange EV was designed to be cost competitive with diesel options, even without subsidies.
Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the big yard dogs in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Orange EV; via PR Newswire.
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