In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss a big Tesla Robotaxi setback, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, Bollinger is over, and more.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Climate XChange, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states pass effective, equitable climate policies. Sales end on Dec. 8th for its 10th annual EV raffle, where participants have multiple opportunities to win their dream model. Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to learn more.
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Segway’s feature-packed E3 Pro electric scooter with Apple Find My hits new $500 Black Friday low (Save $200)
Segway’s Black Friday Sale is in full gear and currently seeing hundreds in savings and plenty of returning and new low prices on its e-scooters and e-bikes. One such standout is Segway’s latest E3 Pro Electric Scooter down at $499.99 shipped, and which seems to have disappeared from Amazon’s marketplace. Carrying a $700 MSRP since launching back at the top of October, we’ve only seen this model given $100 price cuts in its launch deal and the brand’s Halloween and early Black Friday sales. Now, with things having ramped up with increased savings now that Black Friday is in full swing, you can score a larger-than-ever $200 markdown to a new all-time low price, giving you an advanced upgrade to your commute that I have been loving so far since getting one a short time ago.
I’ve been riding around Brooklyn for a short time now with my own Segway E3 Pro Electric Scooter and have been loving my experience so far, as it’s a MAJOR step up from the very basic E22 model I’ve had for short travels since 2020. While power has been significantly ramped up from its E2 Pro predecessor, this new generation still retains a fairly lightweight 40-pound design, which I am able (as a not-so-strong person) to carry easily with one hand/arm up and down my second-story stoop.
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Segway’s E3 Pro comes bearing a 400W motor (with 800W peaking) alongside a 368Wh battery, the combination of which delivers up to 34 miles of commuting support for your travels at up to 20 MPH speeds. The regenerative brake paired with the brand’s SegRange Optimization tech really lends towards the extended travel times here, with safety taken into mind with the SegRide stability enhancement tech, the latest traction control system, turn signaling, RGB ambient lighting for nighttime journeys, and a bright headlight. What’s more, security is bolstered by the Apple Find My inclusion for those worried about tracking it down should theft (or forgetfulness) occur.
One thing I have really been enjoying, especially when riding over more pot-hole lined streets, is Segway’s E3 Pro’s dual elastomer suspension, which does a great job of smoothing out overall rides, while providing added cushioning when sudden, jolting sections of the road (or debris/trash) are driven over. Along with all those, there are also additional features, including the previously mentioned rear electronic regen brake getting a companion front drum brake, as well as 10-inch self-sealing jelly tires, an IPX5 water-resistant build, a 265-pound total payload, and a 3-inch full-color LED screen for setting adjustments.
Score up to 47% Black Friday savings on NIU EVs, like the 2025 KQi 200F e-scooter at its $529 low (Reg. $799), more from $279
NIU’s Black Friday EV Sale is in full motion now, taking up to 47% off its lineup of e-scooters and e-bikes, like the KQi 200F Foldable Handlebar Electric Scooter for $529 shipped, which you can currently only find in a used condition at Amazon. This is one of the brand’s newer 2025 models that fetches $799 at full price, which dipped down to this rate for the first time earlier in the month before these Black Friday savings. Now, you’re getting another shot at this all-time low price with $270 savings, giving you a solid commuter that sits among the mid-range models from NIU.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
Tesla’s much-awaited entry into the Indian market has resulted in very slow sales to start, but it may not all be bad.
We’ve covered the years-long effort of Tesla to enter the Indian auto market. There have been a lot of intentions and fits and starts, but due to protectionist schemes in the country it never made a lot of sense for Tesla to enter.
That changed this year in March, when India waived EV import duties, allowing foreign firms to bring their cars in for sale. While India does have some strong local brands in Mahindra and Tata, this opened the gates to Chinese, German, Korean and American brands – namely, Tesla.
So far, other American companies have declined to bring their EVs to India, but Tesla opened its first showroom in Mumbai, India’s most populous city and financial capital, in July of this year. It opened a larger “Tesla Center” showroom in Gurugram, outside Delhi, this week.
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So, Tesla is only getting started in India, but by all measures it has been an exceedingly slow start, according to the BBC.
Dealership data shows that Tesla has only sold “just over” 100 cars in India since July, an exceedingly low number by any measure – especially when considering the India is now the most populous country in the world, with a population of just under 1.5 billion.
The numbers look a little less bad when comparing against EV sales in the country. While India has sold an impressive 2 million electric vehicles this year, the vast majority of them have been electric scooters.
Electric passenger cars are a much lower share at around 160k total unit sales this year so far, making up only around 3% of the passenger car market. And the majority of those are lower-cost domestic brands Mahindra and Tata or a growing section of Chinese challengers, with very few sales from overseas luxury brands.
Tesla could be included in that “luxury brand” list, largely due to the price of its imported vehicles. While the Model Y starts at $40k in the US, that price rises to 5,989,000 Rupees in India (~$67k USD). This is simply an unaffordable price for the vast majority of Indians – indeed, only around 1% of India’s auto sales are in the “luxury” category.
Further, EV infrastructure is not very well developed in the country. Tesla has one Supercharger in India, and two listed as “coming soon” in the Gurugram area. There are thousands of other charging points across India (and of course, drivers can charge overnight at home), but the number is still relatively low compared to the country’s population.
Meanwhile, other brands’ EV sales are growing well in India. The auto market as a whole has grown by about 13% this year in the developing country, but EV car sales have grown by 57% in the same period, rapidly outpacing the auto industry as a whole.
Much of that sales growth has been driven by Chinese EVs, which make up around a third of the market. That’s around ~60k Chinese EVs sold this year in India.
Even luxury German EVs from Mercedes, BMW and Audi have sold around 4,000 units so far this year, not a large number, but certainly dwarfing Tesla’s.
So while it’s tempting to look at Tesla’s poor numbers and make excuses about the size of the EV market, ability of Indians to afford luxury vehicles, or state of India’s charging network, it’s hard to compare that low ~100 sales number at any of the competition and label it as anything other than an extremely poor showing.
But, you do have to start somewhere, and the company is only a few months in. So we’ll have to see where it goes from here – though with the sales we’ve seen so far in Mumbai, entering the Delhi market is unlikely to forestall Tesla’s current global sales decline.
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It’s Black Friday and that means there are even better deals than usual on some of the highest value electric bikes in the US e-bike market. If you’re on the hunt for a deal on a good e-bike that will get you where you need to go or have you out there enjoying a recreational ride, all without breaking the bank, then I think I’ve got you covered here.
Sure, there are tons of “best e-bike deals” lists already floating around out there. Most of them are simply lazy publications or AI-concoctions, usually finding any two-wheeler with an affiliate link and then throwing dozens or even hundreds of links at you.
And yes, unfortunately, our own deals team takes that spray and pray approach, too… but rest assured that I’m not involved in that. As the internet’s longest-running e-bike reviewer, here’s my carefully compiled list of some of the best value e-bike deals out there today (and for several days to come), all of which are bikes I actually ride myself and would put my friends and family on.
This isn’t some spammy list… It’s my real, honest-to-goodness recommendations.
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The following are in no particular order other than how they popped out of my head after scouring my favorite e-bike company’s sites for current deals. Also, this is far from an exhaustive list, so let me know in the comments section at the bottom of the article if you found some great deals. I’ll try to update the list over the next few days as more interesting opportunities for high-value e-bike finds pop up.
Lectric eBikes
It’s hard to go wrong here if you’re looking for bang-for-your-buck. Lectric eBikes offers some of the best value anywhere, with surprisingly good performance e-bikes at shockingly good prices. Plus (and critically), they actually stand behind their e-bikes, which is not something you can say for the slightly cheaper Amazon-specials.
As part of Lectric’s current deals, they’re largely discounting their bundles as opposed to simply dropping the base price on just a lonesome bike. While I’d love a straight up “shave some off the top” deal, Lectric’s year-round prices are already so fair that it makes sense that they can’t cut base prices too much farther. Even so, their huge bundles bring some impressive value to the table.
The Lectric XP4 is the go-to high-value electric folder on the market right now, and they are offering savings of over $300 on their 500W version of the bike and over $500 off their 750W version of the bike. The two packages start at an incredibly reasonable $999 and $1,299, respectively, and bundle in things like suspension seat posts, upgraded headlights, locks, phone holders, and more.
I’d also recommend checking out their XP Lite2 if you want an even lighter and more compact e-bike (and don’t mind giving up the suspension fork and multiple gear ratios).
My third favorite option is the Lectric XPedition2, which is an amazing value for a heavy-hauling cargo e-bike that starts at just $1,399.
And while I don’t ride it as much myself (yet), the XP Trike2 starts at just $1,499 and is great for riders who need that extra help with balance or just prefer a three-wheeled ride!
It should also be noted that Lectric invests more in philanthropy than any other e-bike company, and it’s something I highly respect. Last year, I bought an e-bike from them just to give it away to someone in need since Lectric was donating $250 to charity for every bike sold. I like to support good companies, and they’re good people.
Priority Bicycles
Priority Bicycles is my go-to recommendation for anyone who wants a higher-quality e-bike than a typical direct-to-consumer model. While I love a good budget bike as much as the next guy, no one expects a $1,000 e-bike to last forever. Entry-level e-bikes definitely start showing their age with everyday riding. But a Priority bike? These are built to last for years and years and years, thanks to the higher tolerances, upper shelf components, and better quality manufacturing.
The New York City-based bicycle company got its start with pedal bikes before expanding into electric bikes, so they know how to make a ‘real’ bicycle instead of just a powerful two-wheeled commuter machine. These are bike-first people.
My favorite model is the Priority Current Plus, which has a 750W mid-drive motor, Gates carbon belt drive, powerful hydraulic disc brakes, and a large 720 Wh battery. It also comes with two options for internally geared hubs: either a 5-speed Shimano Nexus or a slick Enviolo continuously variable transmission (CVT).
It’s normally a $3,299 e-bike, but it’s reduced to just $2,749 for the rest of the month (you won’t see the discount until it’s actually in your cart).
That over $500 savings is huge, and Priority has deals that are almost as good on the company’s more moderately priced models, too. The Priority Glide e-bike is marked down to just $1,499 and the Priority E-Coast is marked down to just $1,699! (And I found that if I put more than one bike in the cart, the discounts are even higher!)
These are much higher quality bikes than you’d get from other companies at these prices, so they’re definitely worth a look if you like the idea of a low-maintenance, high-end belt-drive electric bike.
Ride1Up
Ride1Up has long been a solid option for high value in the commuter space, and has spent the last few years expanding beyond merely road roles and into most of the key e-bike categories.
The company’s Vorsa model is an incredible all-around e-bike that can handle just about anything, from commuting to nature trails to cargo hauling and more. Just about the only thing it can’t do is fold (though they’ve got the Portola for that).
Ride1Up currently has a $225 off sale on the Vorsa if you add in a free touring package (suspension seat post, foam saddle, and mirrors), bringing it down to $1,595 for everything.
Again, this is more of a bundled deal than a straight discount (similar to how Lectric runs most of their sales), but it still means you’re getting a better price and more value, which is the goal.
If you’re looking for a more dedicated mountain bike and want the advantages of a mid-drive from Brose, the Ride1Up TrailRush is a BEAUTIFUL example of bringing electric mountain bikes to the masses with quality parts at a reasonable price. It’s $100 off at $1,995. That’s even better than the launch price, and will get you on a bike that feels right at home on technical off-road trails.
Despite the price, this is absolutely not an entry-level electric mountain bike. This is the real deal, just at a great, direct-to-consumer price! Check out my video testing it below.
And lastly, that Portola I mentioned earlier as Ride1Up’s folding e-bike, it’s marked down to just $995. That’s an incredible deal for a slick-looking, excellent-performing 28 mph folding e-bike that offers 750W of power and hydraulic disc brakes wrapped inside of 20×3″ tires, all held in a classy hydro-formed frame.
JackRabbit
JackRabbit doesn’t actually electric bicycles, but these feel more like a typical throttle e-bike than they do an electric scooter, which is probably the better technically-correct classification.
Instead of pedals, they have foot pegs. That means you can’t pedal them, but you get a simpler, lighter, more stripped-down ride that feels like a bike, at least for the vast majority of US e-bike riders that use throttle more than they do pedal assist.
Stores usually don’t even give me a problem when I bring it inside… that’s how compact it is (and check out those swivel handlebars!)
The company is running free shipping on all of their models through December 2nd and offering 25% off of all accessories, but their main sale is on the OG2 Pro, an e-bike I just finished reviewing, and which is marked down by $150. It’s still not exactly low cost, now at just $1,499, but that’s the best price I’ve ever seen it at, and I doubt we’ll see a sale like this again for a long time… likely 12 months!
The OG2 Pro is perhaps one of JackRabbit’s best models, in my opinion. It still features their smallest frame to keep it nice and compact, but boasts big power from a 500W motor and long range from the RangeBuster battery. This is basically a mini motorbike that feels like an e-bike yet only weighs 30 pounds. When I want something small and lightweight, the JackRabbit OG2 Pro is THE bike I go to.
Aventon
Aventon has long been another staple of the value-priced electric bicycle market in the US. They’ve invested heavily in a wide dealership footprint and so in addition to an online e-bike company, they’re also found in hundreds of local bicycle shops.
While they’ve got a model for just about every type of riding, their new Aventure M is definitely one of my favorites from their lineup. It’s a fat tire off-road e-bike so it’s great for trails or where there simply aren’t any trails, but it’s also got a mid-drive motor that gives you the best balance and responsiveness, not to mention great hill climbing power and startup torque.
It’s $100 off from its normal $2,899 price, marking it down to $2,799, so it’s not a huge deal, but it’s an awesome bike if you can afford a higher-end fat tire bike.
It feels like a fat tire-inspired upgrade over the Aventon Ramblas, in many ways, which is a full-featured electric mountain bike marked down from $2,899 to just $2,499. This is definitely another to look into if you’ve got the cash for something nicer like this.
On the budget-friendly end, the brand’s Soltera 2.5 is priced at just $999, marked down by $200, and is an excellent modest-power commuter if you’re on the hunt for something lightweight and easy to ride.
Velotric
One of my favorite parts about Velotric is how heavily they’ve invested in a few key features that I rarely see yet: hardcore waterproofing and location tracking.
Velotric has some of the most waterproof e-bikes out there (and their batteries can be submerged in up to 3 feet deep of water), and they include Apple FindMy tracking in most of their models.
One of my favorite models is the Velotric Fold 1 Plus, which is currently marked down to $1,399, and comes with a free suspension seat post upgrade and free pannier bag.
Between the location tracking, UL-certified batteries that can be drowned in water, and the wide color range including fun options like bright yellow and bright blue, this is definitely one to consider.
What other deals are waiting out there? Let me know in the comments if you found something good and I’d love to check it out!
Stay safe out there, everyone. Happy trails, and may your battery always be charged!
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