New electric bike license scheme to be tested on school-aged riders
Get ready, children. There’s a new electric bike licensing scheme that will soon be tested as one of several methods designed to help educate young riders on responsible road use and combat the growing concern of dangerous e-bike riding among youths around the world.
Known as the Student Bicycle License Scheme (SBLS), the proposal in New South Wales, Australia, will operate as a trial of a new licensing program for electric bike riders. The program targets school-aged e-bike riders in response to a growing number of accidents and misuse cases involving young riders.
The pilot program will require students to complete an online training course and pass a knowledge test before being issued a digital license to ride an e-bike or e-scooter. The scheme is expected to launch later this year in select schools, and if successful, could pave the way for a broader rollout.
Schools in Sutherland and Newcastle have reportedly expressed interest in joining the program, which leaves it up to individual schools to decide how they wish to use the new license program. For example, they can make it mandatory for students who want to ride to school or use secured bicycle parking facilities at the school.
The trial will initially focus on education rather than enforcement. Students who complete the course will receive a digital “ride-ready” credential, but there are currently no plans to introduce fines or penalties for unlicensed riders during the pilot phase. The government is partnering with road safety experts and schools to develop the training materials, which will cover speed limits, helmet use, sidewalk etiquette, and proper intersection behavior.
Australia’s National Transport Research Organisation is also reviewing current electric micromobility laws, with a report expected by the end of the year. The Queensland trial is seen as a possible blueprint for other regions facing similar safety concerns.
The announcement comes as electric bikes become increasingly popular among Australian youth, not just as toys, but as practical transportation to and from school, work, and social events. With that growth has come scrutiny – several high-profile crashes, some involving modified or overpowered e-bikes, have pushed lawmakers to act.
The same phenomenon is playing out around the world, including in Europe and the US, where young riders have increasingly taken to electric bikes as an alternative form of transportation, though one that has raised concerns around road safety among a young populace who has yet to learn the rules of the road.
Electrek’s Take
This is one of several school-level educational outreach programs we’ve seen pop up lately, and I think these are great ideas.
While the idea of requiring a license to ride an e-bike might sound extreme in some places, Australia’s approach here is education-first, and it could actually be a smart move. It also seems like the license is designed to be effective without being a burden. If you can grasp the knowledge, you can pass the test. And since many of the issues surrounding young e-bike riders arise from a general ignorance of road rules, this could be an effective solution. Teaching young riders the rules of the road before they hit the pavement might help reduce injuries and improve public perception of micromobility. Plus, the fact that it is a digital license means that there would presumably be fewer costs involved, which will hopefully allow the program to be free of charge and further reduce the burden of the licensing process.
Of course this won’t do anything for the “hooligan” riders who know the rules and simply don’t care, but that’s where enforcement has to step in as the heavy-handed partner to education.
I think this is a great example of balanced e-bike regulation. A measured mix of education and enforcement is key to ensuring e-bikes remain safe while taking advantage of their myriad benefits to the public. And hey, it sure makes a lot more sense than NYC trying to cut the speed of all electric bikes in half overnight.
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Elon Musk has finally confirmed that Tesla’s new ‘affordable’ electric car is just going to be the Model Y in a cheaper format.
Musk has ended months of speculations and misinformation, which he partly created, about Tesla’s upcoming cheaper electric vehicle model.
Since last year, Tesla has guided “launching new affordable models” in the first half of 2025.
We are past the first half of 2025, but Tesla confirmed yesterday that the “first build” of the new model was produced in June, and it will launch later this year.
During the shareholders’ call following the earnings results yesterday, Tesla was asked about what the new affordable model would look like. Tesla’s CFO, Vaibhav Taneja, initially stated that they wouldn’t disclose details about the design, but then Musk interrupted him and said, “It’s a Model Y.”
It’s hard to hear exactly on the call because he talked over Taneja, but he said, “the cat is out of the bag” and confirmed that the new vehicle is simply a Model Y.
Electrek has been reporting on this fact all year. We have known for months that Tesla’s upcoming “new affordable models” are Model 3 and Model Y with a stripped-down interior with fewer features, like no rear screen, and cheaper materials:
However, this fact was not accepted in the Tesla community because CEO Elon Musk falsely denied a report last year about Tesla’s “$25,000” EV model being canceled.
The facts are that Musk canceled two cheaper vehicles that Tesla was working on, commonly referred as “the $25,000 Tesla” in early 2024. Those vehicles were codenamed NV91 and NV92, and they were based on the new vehicle platform that Tesla is now reserving for the Cybercab.
Instead, Musk noticed that Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y production lines were starting to be underutilized as the Company faced demand issues. Therefore, Tesla canceled the vehicle programs based on the new platform and decided to build new vehicles on Model 3/Y platform using the same production lines.
Now, only the new Cybercab is going to be based on the new unboxed platform.
During the conference call last night, Musk stated that the primary goal of the more affordable Model Y is to expand the market by making the vehicle more accessible to a broader audience. He suggested that it will go on sale in Q4.
Electrek’s Take
Finally, we can put this to rest. I think we can expect something similar to what Tesla did with the Model 3 in Mexico.
I think we can expect changes, such as using cloth materials instead of vegan leather, no rear display, no ambient lighting, and a lesser audio system.
In the case of the Model Y, Tesla may consider dropping some exterior lighting features, such as the light bars.
I wouldn’t be surprised also to see some powertrain changes. Maybe a less powerful RWD motor.
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MIT spinout Electrified Thermal Solutions has inked a deal with HWI, a member of Calderys and one of the biggest refractory suppliers in the US, to make electrically conductive firebricks – electric bricks, or E-bricks – that store and deliver extreme heat using renewable electricity.
The innovative partnership is all about scaling up Electrified Thermal’s Joule Hive Thermal Battery, which conducts clean power and stores it as heat up to a scorching 1,800C (3,275F). That’s hot enough to drive even the most energy-hungry industrial processes like steelmaking, glass, or cement production.
The E-bricks enable factories to ditch fossil fuels and run on renewables without sacrificing performance or reliability, and at a lower cost.
The MIT-developed tech is getting paired with HWI’s 160-year track record in high-heat materials. The E-bricks will be built in HWI’s existing US plants, which means the system can scale fast using current supply chains instead of building new factories from scratch.
Electrified Thermal expects its first commercial-scale Joule Hive system to come online this year. By 2030, the Boston-based startup wants to deploy 2 gigawatts’ worth of thermal power across industry.
“Industrial heat represents one of the most challenging frontiers in the world’s effort to address climate change,” said Daniel Stack, Electrified Thermal’s CEO and co-founder. “The majority of energy used for it worldwide still comes from burning fossil fuels. Our partnership with HWI transforms what could have been a manufacturing bottleneck into a powerful scaling advantage.”
HWI says Electrified Thermal’s E-brick is a breakthrough. “It maintains the high-temperature durability required by customers, while also generating the heat to run their processes,” said Ben Stanton, director of applications technology at HWI.
Calderys’ global VP of innovation, Bruno Touzo, added that the company is ready to help expand E-brick production across its global network. “It enables us to respond effectively to the growing demand from industries transitioning to cleaner energy solutions,” he said.
Read more: 91% of renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels, but Trump just defunded a vital US grid upgrade
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The Chinese EV maker calls it a “high-energy super SUV.” BYD launched the Sealion 06 EV on Wednesday, a new entry-level electric SUV. It starts at just over $20,000, but BYD promises that the new Sealion 06 EV won’t feel like a base model, with advanced tech and safety features, fast charging, and a driving range of over 375 miles.
BYD launches the new Sealion 06 EV
The new midsize SUV was launched at a conference in China on Thursday in fully electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain options.
BYD stopped making gas-powered vehicles in 2022 and now offers EV or PHEV options across most of its lineup.
The all-electric BYD Sealion 06 EV is available in three trims, with prices ranging from 139,800 yuan ($21,000) to 163,800 yuan ($23,000). It comes in single and dual-motor variants with two BYD Blade battery pack options: 65.28 kWh and 78.72 kWh.
The single-motor features either a 227 hp (170 kW) or 241 hp (180 kW) at the rear. With the standard (65.28 kWh) battery, the RWD variant offers a CLTC driving range of 520 km (323 miles). Upgrading to the long-range (78.72 kWh) battery provides a CLTC range of 605 km (376 miles).
The AWD variant utilizes a 241 hp (180 kW) rear motor, paired with an additional 147 hp (110 kW) motor on the front, for a combined 388 hp (290 kW). It’s also available with a range of up to 520 km (323 miles).
BYD’s new electric SUV measures 4,810 mm in length, 1,920 mm in width, and 1,675 mm in height, which is slightly larger than the Tesla Model Y.
The interior is based on an advanced version of BYD’s DiLink 100 smart cockpit, which includes a 15.6″ floating infotainment screen and a 26″ Head-up (HUD) display.
It also comes with features you won’t typically find on entry-level models, like a built-in refrigerator that can cool and heat.
Like most new BYD vehicles, it’s equipped with its God’s Eye C Intelligent Assisted Driving. The system utilizes five radars, 12 high-definition cameras, and 12 ultrasonic radars to offer over 30 safety features, including assisted driving on highways and remote parking.
Source: CarNewsChina, BYD
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