Trek breaks new ground with its first throttle-equipped electric bike
In a significant move that marks a departure from its traditional e-bike offerings, Trek has introduced the FX+ 1, its first-ever electric bike equipped with a throttle. This launch responds to growing consumer demand for more versatile and accessible e-biking options, particularly in the North American market.
The FX+ 1 is a hybrid e-bike designed for urban commuting, recreational riding, and light off-road adventures. At its core is a 500W Hyena rear hub motor delivering 60 Nm of torque, providing enough power for various terrain riding, though it might not be able to hang with the wide range of 750W e-bikes cruising US streets. The motor is paired with a UL-certified 540 Wh battery integrated into the downtube, offering a range of up to 50 miles on a single charge.
The top speed can be user-adjusted to either 20 mph or 28 mph (32 km/h or 45 km/h), providing performance that matches the maximum limit for Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes in the US, respectively.
Riders can choose between two versions: the standard FX+ 1, a Class 2 e-bike with pedal assist and throttle support up to 20mph, and the FX+ 1S, a Class 3 variant that extends pedal-assisted speeds up to 28mph while maintaining the same throttle limit.
The FX+ 1 boasts a lightweight aluminum frame available in both mid-step and high-step configurations, accommodating riders from 5’1” to 6’6”. It rolls on 27.5-inch wheels fitted with 50mm Bontrager GR0 gravel tires, balancing efficiency on pavement with comfort on rougher paths.
The bike includes with integrated front and rear lights, with brake light and turn signal functions as well. Trek even says that once the battery is depleted to 0%, there’s still enough juice left in it to run the bike’s lights for another three hours.
The bike also features an 8-speed Shimano ESSA drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors, and mounts for racks and fenders, improving its utility for daily commutes and errands.
Charging is streamlined through Trek’s new EasyMag magnetic charger, which fully charges the battery in approximately 5.5 hours. The system includes a wall-mountable unit with easy-to-see LED indicators, simplifying the charging process.
Historically, Trek has focused on pedal-assist e-bikes, emphasizing a natural riding experience shying away from throttles that allow riders to power the bike’s motor without any pedaling input. The introduction of a throttle-equipped model signifies a strategic pivot to meet the preferences of many North American e-bike consumers who have long shown a buying preference for e-bikes with throttles..
Taylor Cook, marketing manager for Trek Canada, explained the rationale: “There are a lot of bikes out there calling themselves e-bikes that aren’t really made to be pedaled. This isn’t that. It’s still a Trek bike, built to be ridden, just with an extra bit of help when you need it.”
By entering the throttle e-bike segment, Trek positions itself head-to-head against newer brands that have capitalized on this market niche. The FX+ 1’s combination of reputable build quality, thoughtful design, and relative affordability (for a Trek) at $1,999 makes it a compelling option for a broad range of riders.
Electrek’s Take
The FX+ 1 is certainly an interesting expansion of Trek’s e-bike portfolio, and I think fans will be happy to see the company blending traditional cycling performance with modern electric bike throttles. Its introduction shows that the company is well aware of how many US riders prefer to have a throttle on their e-bike, and has made moves to meet that need.
The fact that Trek’s sister company Electra began including throttles two years ago was likely a great way for Trek to get its feet wet in the throttle game. The company no doubt saw the increase of riders that were flocking to Electra’s throttle-equipped electric bikes and wanted to get a piece of that pie as well.
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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies during a remote video hearing held by subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on “Social Media’s Role in Promoting Extremism and Misinformation” in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2021.
Handout | Via Reuters
Block jumped more than 5% on Monday, leading a rally in shares of fintech companies as analysts downplayed the threat of JPMorgan Chase’s reported plan to charge data aggregators for access to customer financial information.
The recovery followed steep declines on Friday, after Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan had circulated pricing sheets outlining potential fees for aggregators like Plaid and Yodlee, which connect fintech platforms to users’ bank data.
In a note to clients on Monday, Evercore ISI analysts said the potential new expenses were “far from a ‘business model-breaking’ cost increase.”
In addition to Block’s rise, PayPal climbed 3.5% on Monday after sliding Friday. Robinhood and Shift4 recorded modest gains.
Broader market momentum helped fuel some of the rebound. The Nasdaq closed at a record, and crypto rallied, with bitcoin climbing past $123,000. Ether, solana, and other altcoins also gained.
Evercore ISI’s analysts said that even if JPMorgan’s changes were implemented, the most immediate effect would be a slight bump in the cost of one-time account setups — perhaps 50 to 60 cents.
Morgan Stanley echoed that view, writing that any impact would be “negligible,” especially for large fintechs that rely more on debit, credit, or stored balances than bank account pulls for transactions.
PayPal doesn’t anticipate much short-term impact, according to a person with knowledge of the issue. The person, who asked not to be named in order to speak about private financial matters, noted that PayPal relies on aggregators primarily for account verification and already has long-term pricing contracts in place.
While smaller fintechs that depend heavily on automated clearing house (ACH) rails or Open Banking frameworks for onboarding and compliance may face real pressure if the fees take effect, analysts said the larger platforms are largely insulated.
WATCH: Congress moves to redraw $3.7 trillion crypto market rules, opening door to Wall Street
The global EV market is still charging ahead. According to new numbers from global research firm Rho Motion, 9.1 million EVs were sold worldwide in the first half of 2025, up 28% compared to the same period last year. But not every region is accelerating at the same pace.
China and Europe are doing the heavy lifting
More than half of the world’s EVs this year have been bought in China. That market hit 5.5 million sales in the first six months of 2025 – a 32% jump year-over-year. Around half of new cars bought in China are now electric.
While some Chinese cities’ subsidies have dried up, Rho Motion expects momentum to pick back up later in the year as more funding is released.
In Europe, 2 million EVs were sold in the first half of the year, up 26%. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales also rose 26%, thanks in part to affordable models like the Renault 4 (pictured) and 5 entering the market. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) weren’t far behind, growing 27% year-to-date. Chinese automakers are leaning into PHEVs as a way to work around the EU’s new tariffs on BEVs.
Spain is leading the pack with EV sales soaring 85% so far this year. Its generous MOVES III incentive program was extended in April and has kept sales strong. The UK and Germany are also seeing solid growth – 32% and 40%, respectively. France, however, is slumping. With subsidies cut, EV sales there have dropped 13%.
North America is stuck in the slow lane
Things aren’t looking quite as bright in North America. EV sales in the US, Canada, and Mexico are up just 3% so far this year.
Mexico is the one bright spot, with a 20% boost. The US is up 6%. But Canada is down a whopping 23%.
And things could get bumpier. On July 4, Trump signed Congress’s big bill into law, which axes all the Inflation Reduction Act EV tax credits. Those consumer credits for EVs now officially end on September 30.
Just over half of the EVs sold in the US this year qualified for those credits. Rho Motion predicts a rush in Q3 before the subsidies disappear – and a decline in sales after that.
Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester said, “With Trump’s latest cuts in his ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the US could struggle to see any growth in the EV market overall in 2025.”
Global EV sales snapshot, H1 2025 vs H1 2024
- Global: 9.1 million (+28%)
- China: 5.5 million (+32%)
- Europe: 2.0 million (+26%)
- North America: 0.9 million (+3%)
- Rest of world: 0.7 million (+40%)
Read more: China breaks records as global EV sales hit 7.2 million in 2025
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Lucid’s electric sedan can drive further, charge faster, and packs more advanced tech than most of the competition. That might explain why it’s leading the segment. The Lucid Air remained the best-selling luxury EV sedan in the US after widening its lead in the Q2.
The Lucid Air is America’s best-selling luxury EV sedan
The 2025 Lucid Air Pure arrived as the “World’s most efficient car” with an EPA-estimated range of 420 miles and a record 146 MPGe.
It just set a new Guinness World Record last week for the longest journey by an electric car after travelling 749 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge.
That record was set in the range-topping Lucid Air Grand Touring model, which is rated for up to 512 miles of EPA-estimated range. On the WLTP scale, it’s rated at 597 miles (960 km). Either way, it still crushed the estimates.
According to second-quarter sales data, released by Kelley Blue Book on Monday, the Lucid Air is still America’s best-selling luxury EV.
Lucid sold 2,630 Air models in Q2, up 10% from the previous year. Through the first half of 2025, Lucid Air sales are up 17% with 5,094 units sold.
Tesla, on the other hand, only sold 1,435 Model Ss during the quarter, 71% fewer than it did in Q2 2024. Tesla Model S sales in the US are down 70% through the first half of the year at 2,715.
Although Porsche Taycan sales were up 32% with 1,064 models sold, the significantly upgraded 2025 model year was expected to see even more demand. Porsche has 2,083 Taycans in the US this year, up just 1% from 2024.
Other luxury EV sedans, such as the BMW i5 (1,434), i7 (820), and the Mercedes EQS (498), experienced steep double-digit sales declines year-over-year.
And it’s not just electric luxury sedans. The Lucid Air is currently outselling many gas-powered vehicles in its segment.
Lucid’s first electric SUV, the Gravity, is also rolling out. Although only five were sold in the second quarter, Lucid is quickly scaling production. Lucid aims to produce 20,000 vehicles this year, more than double the roughly 9,000 it built in 2024.
Earlier today, Lucid’s interim CEO, Marc Winterhoff, confirmed during an interview with Bloomberg that the company expects higher Gravity output in the second half of the year.
The interview was at the grand opening of Panasonic’s new battery cell plant in De Soto, Kansas. Winterhoff said Lucid will start using new cells from the facility, but not until next year.
Lucid’s CEO stressed the importance of establishing a local supply chain, as policy changes under the Trump Administration are taking effect. Lucid and Panasonic are collaborating to localize EV materials, such as graphite. Last month, Lucid secured a multi-year supply agreement with Graphite One for US-sourced Graphite.
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