The real problem with high-power electric bikes on mountain bike trails
As electric trail bikes like Sur Rons and Talarias gain popularity among off-road enthusiasts, a growing conflict is emerging on mountain bike trails. These powerful machines, capable of speeds and torque far beyond that of a traditional mountain bike, are raising concerns among trail users, land managers, and environmental advocates.
First though, some semantical housekeeping. The term “e-bike” is often used to cast a pretty wide net, encompassing everything from cute little folder e-bikes to much more powerful electric motorbikes. Similar to the way motorcycle riders often talk about their “bikes”, the term “e-bike” in colloquial discussion is just that: colloquial.
The term “electric bicycle”, on the other hand, is an actual regulatory designation that lets most electric mountain bikes and other commuter-style e-bikes fit under the legal definition of bicycles. To oversimplify it, the e-bike that looks like a typical mountain bike is an electric bicycle. The one that looks like a motorcycle or dirt bike is probably not an electric bicycle.
That’s an important distinction because it’s becoming a major issue on mountain bike trails all over North America and in many other parts of the world.
Unlike a typical 50 lb electric mountain bike that can output an amount of power roughly in line with a healthy adult, electric motorbikes like those from Sur Ron, Talaria, and other brands can weigh 2-3x as much while outputting 5-10x the amount of power as a typical electric mountain bike. They’re a blast to ride, but like many things in life, there’s a time and a place. Their proliferation of Sur Ron-style electric motorbikes has been wreaking havoc on mountain bike trails where such bikes are almost always illegal.
Mountain bike trails are carefully designed to handle the wear and tear of typical mountain bikes. Normal electric mountain bikes, which have electric motor power levels similar to human pedaling power, typically mesh fairly well with mountain bike trails.
However, the high torque and weight of bikes like Sur Rons and Talarias can wreak havoc on these trails. Such power motorbikes are often responsible for increased erosion, deeper ruts, and widening of trails in areas where these bikes are being used. It’s often not just a matter of normal trail wear, but rather damage that can take significant time and resources to repair.
Trail widening, often caused by riders veering off designated paths, also leads to environmental degradation, harming vegetation and wildlife habitats.
Mountain bike trails are often designated for non-motorized use, and electric trail bikes with such high-power motors and large tires are almost never allowed. Some mountain bike parks have begun accepting Class 1, 2, and/or 3 e-bikes, but Sur Rons and Talarias are almost always prohibited due to their much higher performance. Their power and speed far exceed what’s allowed for e-bikes under most regulations, putting them squarely in the category of motorized vehicles like dirt bikes and ATVs.
Weight also plays a major role. The risk of serious injuries is also higher due to the mass and momentum of these larger machines. With top speeds often exceeding 40 mph (64 km/h), electric motorbikes are significantly faster than traditional electric bicycles or pedal bikes. This speed disparity creates hazardous conditions for slower-moving trail users.
When combined with the fact that many riders of powerful electric motorbikes are new to the sport after buying or being gifted a Sur Ron-style bike, that high speed can be even more dangerous in the hands of a novice rider.
Just last week, two riders on Talarias were kicked out of Quiet Waters Park Mountain Bike Trails in South Florida, a volunteer-maintained mountain bike trail system that permits Class 1 electric bicycles (e-bikes that are pedal-assisted up to 20 mph or 32 km/h and 750W of power).
As a lead volunteer in the trail building and maintenance team at the park, Nick Calabro was there when the riders were confronted by a county worker and asked to leave. “Multiple riders reported interactions with them, from encountering them riding in the wrong direction to not wearing required helmets, and of course not even being allowed to ride those bikes on the trails,” Calabro explained to Electrek.
According to Calabro, the pair had purchased trail day passes for mountain bike riders, but then brought their much larger and more powerful Talaria motorbikes into the park.
The two were seen on video attempting to fight the trail volunteers after being asked to leave the park. The interaction took place just a few yards from a sign with the posted rules of the park (seen at 0:11 in the video below).
Such interactions represent a small but growing phenomenon on mountain bike trails, where traditional mountain bike culture and trail etiquette clash head-on with Sur Ron riders unfamiliar with the practices and terrain.
Fortunately, many other locations exist that are ideal for electric motorbikes that fall outside the realm of traditional electric mountain bikes.
Off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails that are designed for motorized vehicles like UTVs, ATVs, and dirt bikes, are ideal locations to ride powerful electric trail bikes. Such trails are built with higher power vehicles in mind, and aren’t as delicate as mountain bike trails.
Forestry/backcountry dirt roads, gravel roads, and fire roads can provide a mix of typical off-road riding and exploration, though don’t offer the same type of topography.
Motocross tracks are also excellent locations for Sur Ron and Talaria-style bikes, which can use the features for more thrilling jumps and berm riding.
Private land (with the landowner’s permission) is perhaps one of the best places for these powerful electric motorbikes due to their ability to overland and explore areas beyond the beaten path.
As the popularity of powerful electric trail bikes continues to rise, the question of how and where they should be ridden remains a contentious one. But with their ability to ride much rougher terrain as well as their increased impact on that terrain, one thing is for sure: delicate mountain bike trails aren’t the place for such powerful bikes.
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Electric logistics company Einride is set to go public through a SPAC merger deal with blank-check firm Legato Merger Corp. that values the Swedish brand at a staggering $1.8 billion. (!)
A SPAC deal is a transaction in which a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), which is effectively a publicly-traded shell corporation that’s formed solely to raise capital, merges with an operating company to bring it into a public trading market. It’s a process that was popular in the heady, “draw a truck, make a billion dollars” era that saw recently pardoned criminal and alleged sex offender Trevor Milton launch the now-defunct hydrogen truck brand Nikola, and one that offers a faster and sometimes more flexible (read: less regulated) alternative to a traditional Initial Public Offering (IPO).
This week’s deal, however, follows hot on the heels of major autonomous trucking milestones and a solid, billion dollar vote of confidence in Einride — both of which serve to make this deal’s valuation to seem more credible than most.
“We’ve proven the technology, built trust with global customers, and shown that autonomous and electric operations are not just possible, but better,” says Einride CEO, Roozbeh Charli. “This Transaction positions us to accelerate our global expansion and continue to deliver with speed and precision for our customers. The foundation is built, the demand is clear, and our focus is on execution and delivering the future of freight.”
We’ve written about Einride’s electric fleet operations in Europe a few times, but it’s worth noting that the company is rapidly expanding its human-operated decarbonized logistics operations as well (the company announced a 150-unit Peterbilt 579EV truck order last summer).
Peterbilt electric semi trucks
“Our proprietary technology stack, purpose built for autonomous operations, combined with our vessel-agnostic approach, provides significant competitive advantages,” comments Henrik Green, CTO of Einride. “With our demonstrated safety record and established ability to operate autonomous vehicles commercially, we are well-positioned to capture the significant market opportunity as the industry transitions to electric and autonomous freight.”
The Transaction values Einride at $1.8 billion in pre-money equity value and is expected to generate approximately $219 million in gross proceeds before accounting for potential redemptions of Legato’s public shares, transaction expenses and any further financing. Additionally, the Company is seeking up to $100 million of private investment in public equity (or, “PIPE”) capital to accelerate growth.
Other notable SPAC deals in the EV space include Lordstown Motors, Proterra, and Volvo spinoff Polestar, all of which have either gone bankrupt or seen dramatic market cap reductions over the last few years.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Einride.
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BYD is bringing its most affordable EV to the Land Down Under. The Atto 1 arrives as Australia’s cheapest new EV, just as BYD is finding its footing.
BYD reveals Atto 1 EV prices in Australia
The Atto 1 is a rebadged version of BYD’s compact electric hatch, sold as the Seagull in China, the Dolphin Surf in Europe, and the Dolphin Mini in other overseas markets.
BYD’s low-cost electric car arrives as the Chinese auto giant closes in on Tesla, which has dominated Australia’s EV market thus far.
Starting at just $23,990 before on-road costs, the Atto 1 is now the cheapest new electric vehicle in Australia. The electric hatch is available in two trims: Essential and Premium. The Atto 1 Premium, priced from $27,990, before on-road costs.
The base Essential model is powered by a 30 kWh BYD Blade battery, providing a WLTP driving range of 220 km. Upgrading to the Premium trim gets you a larger 43.2 kWh battery, good for a WLTP driving range of 310 km.
Inside, the Atto 1 features a 10.1″ floating infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 7″ driver display cluster. The higher-priced Premium trim adds a wireless phone charger, heated front seats, and a 360-degree camera.
BYD also revealed that the Atto 2 SUV starts at $31,990 before on-road costs. The Premium variant is priced from $35,990.
“The Atto 1 and Atto 2 represent the next step in BYD’s vision for accessible, premium electric mobility for Australian drivers,” according to BYD Australia COO, Stephen Collins.
Both will begin arriving at dealerships next month and are expected to see strong demand as some of the most affordable EVs on the market.
BYD is closing in on Tesla in Australia after going back and forth as the best-selling EV brand over the past few months.
Through October, BYD sold 19,248 electric vehicles in Australia, according to data from The Driven. Tesla, on the other hand, has sold 23,569 vehicles.
BYD is already outselling Tesla in the UK, parts of Europe, and other overseas markets. With two new low-cost models rolling out, Australia could be next.
Source: The Driven, BYD Australia
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Tesla is working on Apple CarPlay integration inside its electric vehicles, according to a new report.
If it does happen, it would mark a major reversal of Tesla’s in-car infotainment strategy.
In the mid-2010s, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the automaker was working on integrating phone mirroring, such as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but that was a decade ago, and it never happened.
Now, half of the industry is moving away from the technology as automakers increasingly seek full control over the infotainment systems in their vehicles.
Today, Bloomberg came out with a surprising report that claims Tesla is currently working to integrate Apple CarPlay:
The carmaker has started testing the capability internally, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort is still private. The CarPlay platform — long supported by other automakers — shows users a version of the iPhone’s software that’s optimized for vehicle infotainment systems. It’s considered a must-have option by many drivers.
There are not many details on the report other than it would be integrated as a window within Tesla’s broader interface, and that it could launch within the next few months – though it could also be killed just like the last time Tesla talked about it.
Tesla is also planning to use the standard version of CarPlay, not the newer “Ultra” iteration that can control instrument clusters and climate functions. However, the company is planning to support the wireless version, allowing drivers to connect their iPhones without a cable.
Electrek’s Take
I’ll file this one under “I’ll believe it when I see it.” It would be quite a reversal of Tesla’s strategy.
Of all the automakers turning away from Apple CarPlay, Tesla was suffering the least because its software experience is by far the best, including its voice-to-text, as CarPlay is particularly useful to answer text messages through voice while driving, but there are still many people who would prefer the CarPlay experience.
The way I see it, CarPlay integration is not particularly difficult and should at least be offered as an option for those who want it.
And if automakers want to own the whole infotainment experience inside their vehicles, they have to earn it by making the experience a smooth one.
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