It’s not often we get to applaud a legacy motorcycle manufacturer for doing what so many still haven’t: actually bringing an electric motorcycle to market. So credit where credit is due – Kawasaki didn’t just make one electric motorcycle, they made two: the Ninja e-1 and Z e-1.
They’re sleek, affordable, and surprisingly refined machines that show real promise in design and execution. But once you get past the glossy panels and respected nameplate, there’s still one glaring issue that we can’t ignore.
And that giant issue is the tiny battery.
The battery’s total capacity is a mere 3.0 kWh, split among a pair of 1.5 kWh removable packs. At that size, the two 25-pound (11.5 kg) batteries powering the Ninja e-1 and Z e-1 make it seem more like an e-bike than an e-moto.
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And I don’t mean that figuratively – there are electric bicycles on the market with nearly as much battery as these motorcycles. Eunorau’s Flash e-bike, for example, packs over 2.4 kWh into a pedalable two-wheeler.
We’ve long known how vital range figures are to riders in the electric motorcycle world (even if they will rarely ever push it to the max), and Kawasaki, for all its engineering prowess, delivered a battery spec that limits these bikes from the start.
Kawasaki has positioned its e-1 models as urban commuters, and to be fair, that’s where they perform best. Their top speed is capped at 52 mph (85 km/h), with a temporary “e-Boost” mode unlocking 65 mph (105 km/h) for up to 15 seconds – a clever solution for occasional bursts that doesn’t overly drain the small battery. That limited top speed helps preserve range, keeping the battery from running flat in minutes like it might on a highway blast. But let’s be honest: it also firmly puts these bikes in scooter territory. And there’s nothing wrong with scooters – I use one as my daily driver. But nothing with a Ninja badge is ever meant to feel scooter-y.
Kawasaki Z e-1 electric motorcycle
The official city range is rated at 41 miles (65 km), which sounds modestly acceptable at a glance, at least for a city bike. But we know how optimistic the range numbers from manufacturers can be. Add in some hills, stop-and-go traffic, cold weather, or a heavier rider, and you’re likely looking at sub-30 mile (48 km) real-world range in many cases. Again, that’s not far off from an electric bicycle.
And while the removable dual-pack battery design is appreciated, it’s not especially user-friendly. Each 25 lb (11.5 kg) pack is about the size of a jerrycan and must be carried individually. Compare that to something like the Ryvid Anthem, which has a 4.3 kWh battery (nearly 50% larger than Kawasaki’s), faster charging, higher speed (75+ mph or 120+ km/h), and a roll-out battery that can be easily rolled along like a carry-on suitcase. And all of that comes in at just $100 more than Kawasaki’s $7,899 sticker price. So it’s not like it can’t be done.
To be clear, Kawasaki got a lot right. The bikes look fantastic. The frame and component quality seem like what you’d expect from a major OEM. And the sub $8k price is far more approachable than the $20,000+ tags seen on other electric motorcycles. These bikes aren’t toys. They’re real motorcycles with full-size wheels, ABS, and Kawasaki-level fit and finish.
But here’s the thing: we need to talk about the minimum viable battery size for electric motorcycles. For scooters, 3 kWh is barely okay. For 30 mph (48 km/h) mopeds, it’s fine. But for a motorcycle – especially one that looks like a Ninja – it sets expectations the bike can’t meet. The styling says “motorcycle,” but the performance is still firmly in the “scooter” class. And that’s okay – if we call it what it is.
Kawasaki Ninja e-1 (left) and Z e-1 (right)
The larger disappointment isn’t that Kawasaki made a bad bike – it’s that they made a great one and gave it a powerplant that holds it back. With just 50% more battery (say, 4.5 to 5 kWh), the e-1 platform could be a potent contender for an excellent commuter e-moto. Even more so if that extra energy came with a bit more speed and a faster charger.
And again, to Kawasaki’s credit, they actually shipped something. While Honda and Yamaha continue to dabble in electric concepts and low-volume scooters, and Suzuki still watches the world pass it by, Kawasaki now has two real, road-legal electric motorcycles for sale right now in the US. That’s no small feat.
But if we’re going to take electric motorcycles mainstream, 3 kWh can’t be the bar. 40 miles of range *at the best of times* can’t be the bar. Riders need practical range, usable top speeds, and charging solutions that don’t require an entire afternoon to refill. Right now, Kawasaki’s e-1 series scratches the surface – but it doesn’t dig deep enough.
Here’s hoping this is just the beginning. Kawasaki has already committed to electrifying more of its lineup in the coming years. If the next models carry the same design sensibility, but with bigger batteries and more ambition, they might just bring real competition to the electric motorcycle market. And that’s something we should all root for.
Oh yeah, and Honda, I haven’t forgotten about you. Stop playing around and get your freakin’ head in the game.
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Forget fumbling with cables or hunting for batteries – TILER is making electric bike charging as seamless as parking your ride. The Dutch startup recently introduced its much-anticipated TILER Compact system, a plug-and-play wireless charger engineered to transform the user experience for e-bike riders.
At the heart of the new system is a clever combo: a charging kickstand that mounts directly to almost any e‑bike, and a thin charging mat that you simply park over. Once you drop the kickstand and it lands on the mat, the bike begins charging automatically via inductive transfer – no cable required. According to TILER, a 500 Wh battery will fully charge in about 3.5 hours, delivering comparable performance to traditional wired chargers.
It’s an elegantly simple concept (albeit a bit chunky) with a convenient upside: less clutter, fewer broken cables, and no more need to bend over while feeling around for a dark little hole.
TILER claims its system works with about 75% of existing e‑bike platforms, including those from Bosch, Yamaha, Bafang, and other big bames. The kit uses a modest 150 W wireless power output, which means charging speeds remain practical while keeping the system lightweight (the tile weighs just 2 kg, and it’s also stationary).
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TILER has already deployed over 200 charging points across Western Europe, primarily serving bike-share, delivery, hospitality, and hotel fleets. A recent case study in Munich showed how a cargo-bike operator saved approximately €1,250 per month in labor costs, avoided thousands in spare batteries, and cut battery damage by 20%. The takeaway? Less maintenance, more uptime.
Now shifting to prosumer markets, TILER says the Compact system will hit pre-orders soon, with a €250 price tag (roughly US $290) for the kickstand plus tile bundle. To get in line, a €29 refundable deposit is currently required, though they say it is refundable at any point until you receive your charger. Don’t get too excited just yet though, there’s a bit of a wait. Deliveries are expected in summer 2026, and for now are covering mostly European markets.
The concept isn’t entirely new. We’ve seen the idea pop up before, including in a patent from BMW for charging electric motorcycles. And the efficacy is there. Skeptics may wonder if wireless charging is slower or less efficient, but TILER says no. Its system retains over 85% efficiency, nearly matching wired charging speeds, and even pauses at 80% to protect battery health, then resumes as needed. The tile is even IP67-rated, safe for outdoor use, and about as bulky as a thick magazine.
Electrek’s Take
I love the concept. It makes perfect sense for shared e-bikes, especially since they’re often returning to a dock anyway. As long as people can be trained to park with the kickstand on the tile, it seems like a no-brainer.
And to be honest, I even like the idea for consumers. I know it sounds like a first-world problem, but bending over to plug something in at floor height is pretty annoying, not to mention a great way to throw out your back if you’re not exactly a spring chicken anymore. Having your e-bike start charging simply by parking it in the right place is a really cool feature! I don’t know if it’s $300 cool, but it’s pretty cool!
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Tesla has launched a new software update for its vehicles that includes the anticipated integration of Grok, but it doesnt even interface with the car yet.
Today, Tesla started pushing the update to the fleet, but there’s a significant caveat.
The automaker wrote in the release notes (2025.26):
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Grok (Beta) (US, AMD)
Grok now available directly in your Tesla
Requires Premium Connectivity or a WiFi connection
Grok is currently in Beta & does not issue commands to your car – existing voice commands remain unchanged.
First off, it is only available in vehicles in the US equipped with the AMD infotainment computer, which means cars produced since mid-2021.
But more importantly, Tesla says that it doesn’t send commands to the car under the current version. Therefore, it is simply like having Grok on your phone, but on the onboard computer instead.
Tesla showed an example:
There are a few other features in the 2025.26 software update, but they are not major.
For Tesla vehicles equipped with ambient lighting strips inside the car, the light strip can now sync to music:
Accent lights now respond to music & you can also choose to match the lights to the album’s color for a more immersive effect
Toybox > Light Sync
Here’s the new setting:
The audio setting can now be saved under multiple presets to match listening preferences for different people or circumstances:
The software update also includes the capacity to zoom or adjust the playback speed of the Dashcam Viewer.
Cybertruck also gets the updated Dashcam Viewer app with a grid view for easier access and review of recordings:
Tesla also updated the charging info in its navigation system to be able to search which locations require valet service or pay-to-park access.
Upon arrival, drivers will receive a notification with access codes, parking restrictions, level or floor information, and restroom availability:
Finally, there’s a new onboarding guide directly on the center display to help people who are experiencing a Tesla vehicle for the first time.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla is really playing catch-up here. Right now, this update is essentially nothing. If you already have Grok, it’s no more different than having it on your phone or through the vehicle’s browser, since it has no capacity to interact with any function inside the vehicle.
Most other automakers are integrating LLMs inside vehicles with the capacity to interact with the vehicle. In China, this is becoming standard even in entry-level cars.
In the Xiaomi YU7, the vehicle’s AI can not only interact with the car, but it also sees what the car sees through its camera, and it can tell you about what it sees:
Tesla is clearly far behind on that front as many automakers are integrating with other LLMs like ChatGPT and in-house LLMs, like Xiaomi’s.
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Robinhood stock hit an all-time high Friday as the financial services platform continued to rip higher this year, along with bitcoin and other crypto stocks.
Robinhood, up more than 160% in 2025, hit an intraday high above $101 before pulling back and closing slightly lower.
The reversal came after a Bloomberg report that JPMorgan plans to start charging fintechs for access to customer bank data, a move that could raise costs across the industry.
For fintech firms that rely on thin margins to offer free or low-cost services to customers, even slight disruptions to their cost structure can have major ripple effects. PayPal and Affirm both ended the day nearly 6% lower following the report.
Despite its stellar year, the online broker is facing several headwinds, with a regulatory probe in Florida, pushback over new staking fees and growing friction with one of the world’s most high-profile artificial intelligence companies.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a formal investigation into Robinhood Crypto on Thursday, alleging the platform misled users by claiming to offer the lowest-cost crypto trading.
“Robinhood has long claimed to be the best bargain, but we believe those representations were deceptive,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
The probe centers on Robinhood’s use of payment for order flow — a common practice where market makers pay to execute trades — which the AG said can result in worse pricing for customers.
Robinhood Crypto General Counsel Lucas Moskowitz told CNBC its disclosures are “best-in-class” and that it delivers the lowest average cost.
“We disclose pricing information to customers during the lifecycle of a trade that clearly outlines the spread or the fees associated with the transaction, and the revenue Robinhood receives,” added Moskowitz.
Robinhood is also facing opposition to a new 25% cut of staking rewards for U.S. users, set to begin October 1. In Europe, the platform will take a smaller 15% cut.
Staking allows crypto holders to earn yield by locking up their tokens to help secure blockchain networks like ethereum, but platforms often take a percentage of those rewards as commission.
Robinhood’s 25% cut puts it in line with Coinbase, which charges between 25.25% and 35% depending on the token. The cut is notably higher than Gemini’s flat 15% fee.
It marks a shift for the company, which had previously steered clear of staking amid regulatory uncertainty.
Under President Joe Biden‘s administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission cracked down on U.S. platforms offering staking services, arguing they constituted unregistered securities.
With President Donald Trump in the White House, the agency has reversed course on several crypto enforcement actions, dropping cases against major players like Coinbase and Binance and signaling a more permissive stance.
Even as enforcement actions ease, Robinhood is under fresh scrutiny for its tokenized stock push, which is a growing part of its international strategy.
The company now offers blockchain-based assets in Europe that give users synthetic exposure to private firms like OpenAI and SpaceX through special purpose vehicles, or SPVs.
An SPV is a separate entity that acquires shares in a company. Users then buy tokens of the SPV and don’t have shareholder privileges or voting rights directly in the company.
OpenAI has publicly objected, warning the tokens do not represent real equity and were issued without its approval. In an interview with CNBC International, CEO Vlad Tenev acknowledged the tokens aren’t technically equity shares, but said that misses the broader point.
“What’s important is that retail customers have an opportunity to get exposure to this asset,” he said, pointing to the disruptive nature of AI and the historically limited access to pre-IPO companies.
“It is true that these are not technically equity,” Tenev added, noting that institutional investors often gain similar exposure through structured financial instruments.
The Bank of Lithuania — Robinhood’s lead regulator in the EU — told CNBC on Monday that it is “awaiting clarifications” following OpenAI’s statement.
“Only after receiving and evaluating this information will we be able to assess the legality and compliance of these specific instruments,” a spokesperson said, adding that information for investors must be “clear, fair, and non-misleading.”
Tenev responded that Robinhood is “happy to continue to answer questions from our regulators,” and said the company built its tokenized stock program to withstand scrutiny.
“Since this is a new thing, regulators are going to want to look at it,” he said. “And we expect to be scrutinized as a large, innovative player in this space.”
SEC Chair Paul Atkins recently called the model “an innovation” on CNBC’s Squawk Box, offering some validation as Robinhood leans further into its synthetic equity strategy — even as legal clarity remains in flux across jurisdictions.
Despite the regulatory noise, many investors remain focused on Robinhood’s upside, and particularly the political tailwinds.
The company is positioning itself as a key beneficiary of Trump’s newly signed megabill, which includes $1,000 government-seeded investment accounts for newborns. Robinhood said it’s already prototyping an app for the ‘Trump Accounts‘ initiative.