Velotric Nomad 2 review: A feature-packed fat-tire e-bike with crazy comfort
Fat-tire electric bikes are all the rage these days, designed to triumph on the trails but just as often seen conquering the pavement. Now the newly-released Velotric Nomad 2 is here to take a slice of that adventure-ready market. Designed for riders who want a mix of commuting practicality and off-road capability, this e-bike brings a powerful motor, excellent comfort, and a surprising amount of premium features at a relatively affordable price. But how well does it actually perform? I put it to the test to find out.
Velotric Nomad 2 Video Review
Velotric Nomad 2 Tech Specs
- Motor: 750W rear hub motor with 90Nm of torque
- Top speed: 28 mph (50 km/h) when unlocked to Class 3 mode
- Range: Claimed up to 65 miles (up to 105 km)
- Battery: 48V 14.7Ah 705Wh
- Weight: 75 lb (34 kg)
- Load capacity: 505 lb (230 kg)
- Frame: Aluminum alloy
- Tires: 26×4.0″ puncture-resistant fat tires
- Brakes: Dual-piston Tektro hydraulic disc brakes on 203/180mm rotors (front/rear)
- Price: US $1,999
- Extras: Color LCD display with USB-C phone charging port, 15 pedal assist levels, front and rear LED light with brake light and rear turn signals, 100mm travel hydraulic suspension fork, kickstand, internally routed cables, removable battery, cadence sensor and torque sensor (user selectable to switch back and forth between the two), UL-compliant battery and e-bike system, adjustable stem, and suspension seat post
Big on power, big on tires!
At the heart of the Nomad 2 is a 750-watt rear hub motor cranking out 90 newton-meters of torque. With all the new regulations hitting e-bikes, Velotric seems to be a bit cagier about publishing peak power specs, but the motor feels like it’s one of those 1,300-ish peak watt motors, and the 90 Nm torque spec reveals there’s some serious oomph in that hub motor! That’ll make it strong enough to take on steep hills and power through loose terrain like sand or gravel without breaking a sweat.
I’m glad to see a torque sensor included on the bike for smoother and more responsive pedal assist, but interestingly, riders can toggle between cadence and torque sensing in the settings, which is a unique touch for a bike at this price. The torque sensor offers a more natural pedal feel, responding to how hard you push, while the cadence mode is better suited for those who just want an easy ride with minimal effort. In effect, the cadence sensor basically works like a foot-activated throttle. If your feet are moving, the motor is working.
In practice, both work well, though torque sensing is where you’ll get the best mix of efficiency and responsiveness that makes it feel more like a pedal bike… just a pedal bike being ridden by someone with a professional cyclist’s tree trunk leg muscles.
Speaking of having the power to handle loose terrain like sand and soil, the Nomad 2 rides on 26-inch fat tires, meaning you get plenty of grip and rollover capability for uneven terrain. It also comes with a 100mm travel front suspension fork, helping to smooth out the bumps. And to add even more comfort, a parallel linkage suspension seat post gives you a nicer ride on your own caboose than the cheaper telescoping suspension seat posts we often see. Velotric spent the extra change necessary to upgrade that component, and it’s one you can really feel when the riding gets bumpy. A quality suspension seat post like this makes a big difference. It’s not the same as true rear suspension, but it goes a lot of the way there for casual riders wanting to take the jolts out of their riding. Combined with that hydraulic suspension fork, the bike rides quite nicely on uneven terrain.
The Nomad 2 ships in 20 mph (32 km/h) top speed mode, but you can go into the settings and unlock a top. speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist. You’re still limited to 20 mph on throttle, but pedaling gets you the higher speed for long straightaways that are more fun at higher speeds.
You can even limit the speed lower if you’d like, down to 12 mph (20 km/h). Basically, you’ve got a lot of room to play around with limits on the bikes.
The 705 Wh battery is UL-certified and claims a range of up to 65 miles (105 km), though that’s in ideal conditions with pedal assist. In the real world, they claim a throttle range of 45 miles (72 km) on throttle when riding on flat ground. If you’re a heavier rider or have less-than-ideal conditions, you’ll get a bit less. But with a big 700+ Wh battery, there’s still plenty of energy in there for long rides, especially since few of us spend more than 40 miles in a row in the saddle on any single ride.
Charging is relatively fast, taking about five hours from empty thanks to the 3A charger. The battery is removable, so you can bring it inside to charge instead of hauling the whole bike to an outlet. At 75 lb (34 kg), hauling the entire bike around is a bit of a chore, so removable batteries are a must for many people who don’t have easy access to an outlet, such as in a garage. Apartment dwellers with bike rooms on the ground floor, I see you because I am one of you.
With hydraulic disc brakes on 203mm front and 180mm rear rotors, the Nomad 2 has plenty of stopping power. The brake levers feel solid, and there’s no mushy response when grabbing a handful of brake at speed.
Quality brakes are a must for a powerful, fast, and heavy electric bike. Velotric definitely delivered there.
Handling is predictable and stable, thanks in part to Velotric’s frame geometry, which helps the bike feel planted at higher speeds. Even with the bulk of a fat-tire bike, it never felt too unwieldy.
There are even two sizes available so riders can choose a frame closer to their ideal size. That also helps out shorter and taller riders who tend to find themselves at the extreme ends of the size spectrum on one-size-fits-all electric bikes. With multiple sizes, plus options for step-over and step-thru frames, riders have a lot of fitment choices.
Velotric packed in a surprising amount of tech for a bike in this price range. The 2.4-inch color display is bright and easy to read, offering all the ride stats you’d expect. The bike is also Apple Find My compatible, meaning if someone swipes it, you’ll have a shot at tracking it down, as long as you have an iPhone. I LOVE when companies incorporate this technology because it gives me added peace of mind knowing there’s some hope of finding my bike if it ever walks off.
Other notable features include an AirLock system for keyless unlocking via the Velotric app, a 360-degree lighting setup, including an automatic headlight that adjusts brightness based on surroundings, and integrated rear turn signals. I often ridicule e-bike makers for including turn signals that are unclear and a waste of space. In this case, Velotric’s are actually decent, though still not idea. They’re pretty close to the centerline of the bike making it a bit hard to tell that they are directional signals, but the amber color instead of red does help somewhat distinguish them. These have a prayer of being understood to be directional indicators, though I definitely still signal with my arms when I want to be more confident that drivers understand what I’m about to do. I know some of them will still be oblivious, but I want to give myself the best odds possible.
Overall, I’d say the lighting features are a welcome upgrade in the commuter-friendly category. Adding in the included rear rack and fender set, which both come standard, makes this fat tire adventure bike equally read for on-road commuting adventures.
Closing thoughts
I think it is fair to say that the Velotric Nomad 2 isn’t a hardcore trail bike, but it’s also not just a casual cruiser. It hits a nice middle ground for riders who want an all-terrain e-bike that’s just as comfortable on pavement as it is on dirt trails.
At $1,999, it’s not the cheapest fat-tire e-bike out there, but for the build quality and features, it puts up a good fight. You can definitely get your off-roading rocks off for less money elsewhere, but the added features like solid lighting, UL certification, submersible battery, location tracking, cadence/torque sensor selection, and more all combine to add some real value here that you don’t find from many other brands. It’s also backed by a solid company with many years of solid reputation building, which is becoming more important in an industry flooded with questionable brands still popping up all over the place.
I’d say that the Nomad 2 delivers a lot for the money, especially when you factor in its power, range, hydraulic brakes, and premium tech features. It’s smooth, fast, and versatile enough to handle commuting, off-road riding, and everything in between.
Velotric clearly put effort into refining the ride experience, and it shows. While it doesn’t reinvent the fat-tire e-bike, it does a lot of things right—and that’s exactly what most riders need.
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Environment
Trump tariff threats are pushing Canada’s largest oil producer to break its dependence on the U.S.
The Suncor Energy Refinery is seen during extreme cold weather in Edmonton, AB, Canada, on Feb. 3, 2025.
Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty Images
HOUSTON — The deeply integrated North American oil and gas market stands at crossroads, with Canada’s largest oil producer warning that it will diversify its exports away from the United States if President Donald Trump‘s tariff threats do not end.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Wednesday presented two possible futures for the continent. In one, Canada and the U.S. reach an agreement to create “Fortress North America,” with new pipeline capacity built to support 2 million barrels per day in additional exports to the U.S. market, Smith said at the CERAWeek energy conference.
This will support Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda, Smith said, allowing the U.S. to increase its exports to the global market by backfilling those barrels with imported oil from a neighbor and close ally. It will maintain low consumer prices in the U.S., she said, which is also part of the agenda Trump campaigned on.
Alberta wants to supply the U.S. with the energy it needs to win the race against China to achieve dominance in artificial intelligence, Smith said. “I don’t think any of us want to see a communist, totalitarian regime become a world, global leader in AI,” the premier said.
In the other future, Trump continues to wage his trade war against Canada and Alberta starts looking for oil and gas customers beyond the U.S., Smith said.
Canada is the fourth largest oil producer in the world and Alberta is the country’s biggest producer. Some 97% of the country’s 4 million bpd of oil exports went to the U.S. in 2023 with several European nations and Hong Kong taking the remainder, according to Canada’s energy regulator. Alberta supplied 87% of the oil exported from Canada to the U.S. in 2023.
“There are at least six or seven projects that are emerging in Canada in the event we’re not able to come to a partnership agreement with the U.S.,” Smith said.
The uncertainty caused by Trump’s tariff threats has already forced Alberta to start “looking at more opportunities to get more barrels off our borders besides the United States,” provincial energy minister Brian Jean said Tuesday.
Alberta is in active discussions with South Korea, Japan and European nations about shipping oil exports to those countries, the energy minister said. “The truth is we’re looking in every direction right now except the United States in relation to our priorities,” Jean said.
Canada looks to Europe, Asia
Trump’s tariffs have roiled financial markets and caused confusion among investors over the past week. The president on Wednesday imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada. He has paused until April 2 penalties on Canadian oil and gas as well as duties on other goods that are compliant with the trade agreement that governs North America.
The Trump administration has not provided clarity on how much of Canada’s energy exports to the U.S. conform to the trade agreement. Oil and gas that is not compliant would face a 10% tariff. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright declined to provide details when asked Monday by CNBC.
Smith said Wednesday that Canadian oil producers are busy filling out paperwork to ensure that their exports to the U.S. are compliant.
“There was a bit of a paperwork issue that our companies had,” Smith said. “There was no reason to register, and so now there is. I would imagine that they’ve all called their lawyers and they’re in compliance. I wouldn’t expect very much of our oil and gas is tariffed at all.”
But it is unclear whether Trump will proceed with tariffs when his pause expires on April 2. Wright said Monday a deal with Canada that avoids tariffs on oil, gas and other energy is “certainly is possible” but “it’s too early to say.”
“We can get to no tariffs or very low tariffs but it’s got to be reciprocal,” Wright said in an interview with CNBC’s Brian Sullivan.
It will take time for Alberta to pivot to markets beyond the U.S. if the tariffs do go into effect. Nearly all the pipelines in Canada run south to the U.S. Canada only has one pipeline stretching from Alberta to the country’s West Coast in British Columbia, providing access to Asian markets. There are no pipelines that run from Alberta to the country’s East Coast.
Smith said Canada is looking at three different pipeline proposals to its West Coast, at least one pipeline into the Northwest Territories, one into Manitoba, one to the Hudson Bay, and one into Eastern Canada.
“Those are conversations we were not having three months ago,” Jean said of the pipelines. But it took 12 years for Canada to expand its Trans Mountain Pipeline that connects to the country’s West Coast.
Alberta is not interested in taking a page from Ontario’s playbook, Jean said Tuesday. Premier Doug Ford imposed a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to the U.S. in response to Trump’s tariffs. He later suspended the penalty after the U.S. agreed to resume talks.
“We don’t believe that that this is the right way to do it,” Jean said of Alberta’s position. “We want to deescalate the situation.”
Canada has presented the U.S. with several options, the Alberta energy minister said. Jean declined to provide specifics, but he said the Trump administration needs a strong strategic petroleum reserve to achieve its goal of energy dominance.
“It also means that they have to be able to continue to get a good steady supply of product from Canada,” he said.
If the tariffs go do into effect, they will hurt both Canadians and Americans, particularly people who cannot afford a price increase, he said. The price hike will be split “fairly evenly” between U.S. customers and producers in Canada, he said.
“It’s going to be felt by all parties and frankly there’s many people right now […] that can’t afford it,” he said. “We need to think about those people because they’re the less fortunate that truly have no other choice but to buy fuel.”
Jean took a swipe at Trump’s repeated calls for Canada to become the 51st state.
“As long as we’re in charge, we don’t mind,” Jean said. “But the truth is the Republicans would never be elected again.”
Toyota’s first electric SUV is getting a major overhaul. The new bZ4X now has a bigger battery for more range, faster charging, dedicated EV features, a stylish facelift, and much more. Here’s our first look at the new Toyota bZ4X.
Toyota unveils new bZ4X with significant improvements
The bZ4X launched in 2022 as Toyota’s first fully electric SUV. Although it was expected to rival the Tesla Model Y and other top-selling electric SUVs, the bZ4X failed to live up to the task.
“I think it’s fair to say that we experienced a few bumps in the road during the launch,” Toyota’s chief branding officer, Simon Humphries, said during the company’s premiere event in Brussels this week.
Toyota listened to feedback from drivers, retailers, and journalists who experienced the bZ4X and delivered with the upgraded model.
The new electric SUV has more driving range, up to twice as fast charging, and double the towing capacity. But, that’s not all. The bZ4X has been updated inside and out. The interior is completely redesigned with a new 14″ infotainment and instrument display panel.
Toyota finally added a battery pre-conditioning feature as standard. For the first time, Toyota said the bZ4X can now fast charge in around 30 minutes in cold weather. Maximum DC charging power is still 150 kW.
A new route planning function that automatically selects the best charging station is also included. Toyota said the feature is available through an OTA update for current bZ4X drivers.
The new bZ4X has two battery options, 57.7kWh and 73.1 kWh. The smaller battery will be available exclusively in FWD while the larger battery has FWD and AWD configurations.
With up to 338 hp (252 kW), the upgraded AWD model is one of the most powerful Toyota vehicles in Europe. Its towing capacity has doubled to 1,500 kg.
Combined with an upgraded eAxle, the new long-range bZ4X has a WLTP driving range of up to 573 km (356 miles). That’s a significant improvement from the outgoing model’s range of up to 516 km (320 miles).
Although US specs have yet to be revealed, the 2025 bZ4X is rated with up to 252 miles on the EPA rating scale. When it arrives in the US, you can expect to see upwards of around 270 to 280 miles.
Toyota will launch the updated bZ4X in Europe later this year, one of three new EVs arriving by the end of 2025. The smaller Toyota C-HR+ and Urban Cruiser electric SUVs will join the updated model in Toyota’s growing European EV lineup.
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A man set fire to three Tesla chargers at a charging station in a South Carolina parking lot, but karma got him back quickly as he also set his clothes on fire.
Tesla has been under attack recently due to its CEO, Elon Musk, enraging a large part of the popular through his involvement with the Trump administration and his behavior on social media.
Those attacks are, for the most part, legal protests at Tesla stores and calls to boycott the brand, but we have also seen some illegal actions, like vandalizing cars, stores, and charging stations, from some more extremist individuals and groups.
In a new example, North Charleston Police is looking for a suspect who burned 3 Tesla Superchargers last Friday.
They are looking for “a White man in a grey jacket/hoodie with a black face mask”. The suspect spray painted “F*** Trump, long live Ukraine” next to the charging station.
He reportedly used homemade Molotov cocktails out of beer bottles to burn the chargers.
The police report mentions that a witness saw that the suspect set himself on fire during the arson:
“Witnesses advised that the suspect had accidentally caught their own back on fire while throwing the devices.”
The firefighters quickly responded and extinguished the fire, but the three Supercharger stalls affected had to shut down.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is leading the investigation.
We previously reported on other cases of vandalism against Tesla properties, in which federal law enforcement also got involved.
Yesterday, President Trump said that he wants to label Tesla vandals as “domestic terrorists.”
Electrek’s Take
As we have often mentioned in the last few weeks, we sympathize with the people peacefully protesting and boycotting Tesla, but we condemn any violence, including vandalism.
The protests and boycotts are much more efficient in affecting Tesla than setting yourself on fire to shut down a few charging stalls for a few days at worst.
Everyone getting involved in this is actually eroding the credibility of the “Tesla Takedown” movement.
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