Lectric ONE shockingly unveiled as low-cost premium e-bike with auto-shifting gearbox
In what is likely to the biggest shock unveiling in the e-bike industry so far this year, leading electric bike maker Lectric Ebikes has just rolled out the new Lectric ONE. Positioned as a premium commuter e-bike in the budget space, the new model marks equally new territory for the low-cost e-bike company turned premium space competitor.
To understand how industry-shaking this e-bike launch is, you have to understand the company behind it. Lectric Ebikes’ entire MO has been to find highly-demanded niches in the US e-bike market and then roll out new models at a fraction of the cost of competitors. That’s how we got crowd favorites like the $799 Lectric XP Lite and the $999 Lectric XP 3.0, known as the best-selling e-bike in the country.
Now the company is doing it again, but targeting a much… much fancier type of e-bike segment. That means that the traditional budget-level derailleurs and chains are now being replaced by top-tier European transmissions and carbon fiber-reinforced drive belts.
Look no further than the Lectric ONE’s auto-shifting electric gearbox from Pinion, a German manufacturer whose same gearboxes routinely land on $10,000+ e-bikes such as those from Swiss manufacturer Stromer. Pinion’s highly acclaimed bike gearboxes are modeled after automotive transmissions and are widely seen as the holy grail of bicycle transmissions.
But Lectric didn’t just opt for a fancy gearbox, they chose the even higher-end version of Pinion’s 6-speed lineup with automatic electric shifting. That feature allows complete customization of the shifting parameters, letting riders dial in their performance marks such as ideal cadence, shift points, preferred gear to downshift into at stops automatically, and more, all from the bike’s dashboard display.
The weather-sealed gearbox is maintenance-free, just like the industry-leading Gates Carbon Belt drive found on the bike. As a replacement for bicycle chains, Gates’ carbon fiber-reinforced belts are quieter, smoother, longer-lasting, and more efficient than chains over their entire lifespan. And to top it all off, they don’t require maintenance such as oiling or washing.
And similarly to the move with Pinion’s gearbox, Lectric again climbed up to nearly the top shelf of the component hierarchy, opting for Gate’s premium CDC belt and CDX sprocket.
The inclusion of largely maintenance-free hydraulic disc brakes on 180 mm rotors adds one more component to the list of parts that riders won’t have to worry about keeping in tune.
And despite the 55-lb (25 kg) Lectric ONE‘s positioning as a lightweight commuter e-bike, it still packs in the extra power we’ve come to know and love from Lectric. A true 750W-rated Stealth M24 motor can be found in the rear wheel, offering speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h). The company explained, “As the lightest e-bike with a 750-watt motor, the Lectric ONE boasts the highest power-to-weight ratio of any e-bike ever, offering lightning-fast starts and quick acceleration.”
Two 48V battery options are available, either 10.4Ah or 14Ah. The 500Wh and 672Wh batteries offer maximum ranges of 50 miles and 75 miles, respectively. Both are UL-compliant for added safety and peace of mind.
The Lectric ONE includes a new color LCD display, a 24-amp potted motor controller helping that 750W motor put out over 1,300W of peak power, a left-side thumb throttle, a side-sweeping kickstand, 20″x2.5″ city tires, a thru-axle front hub, integrated front and rear LED lighting, a telescoping seat post and handlebars for wider range of size adjustments, and hidden cable routing.
The one area that struck me as an odd choice was the inclusion of a cadence sensor over a torque sensor. Generally, torque sensors are incorporated on nicer bikes like these to reduce sensor lag, which is often associated with cadence sensors. But Lectric Ebikes’ Co-founder and CEO Levi Conlow reassured me, explaining how “while most cadence sensors have 12 magnets, our has 96 of them, so we’ve got 8x the resolution and much snappier feedback.”
Lectric’s signature PWR pedal assist is also included, offering current-based pedal assist levels instead of speed based. While it’s not the same as a true torque sensor, it does significantly bridge the gap by removing the lurching feeling often found in speed-based pedal-assist e-bikes. And with 8x the number of cadence sensor magnets, the pedal assist lag should be significantly reduced as well.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of all on the Lectric ONE isn’t a component, but rather the price. The bike is launching at $1,999 with a standard range battery, though a longer range battery is available as a $200 upgrade. To put that into perspective, it would be difficult to walk into a bike shop today and order that Pinion automatic shifting gearbox for less than $1,999, let alone receive an entire well-designed bike for that price.
Pre-orders for the new e-bike are now open, with shipping expected to begin in May. Color choices are limited to black or… well, just black. Fortunately, the company has a wide range of accessories to choose from, helping riders make the bike unique and customized to various types of riding. Just don’t worry about a rear rack or fender set, those are included free for anyone who puts down a pre-order now.
Electrek’s Take
This is kind of crazy, folks.
At this point, it seems like Lectric is just playing God with the entire e-bike market. I’m not exaggerating when I say this gearbox is extremely expensive. You literally couldn’t buy just gearbox for the price of this bike. It’s only through Lectric’s massive size and extreme purchasing power that they could even put it on a bike in this price class. The next cheapest e-bike I can find that has this same Pinion C1.6i auto-shifting gearbox is the Stromer ST7, which is a $13,000 electric bike.
Why they even went this direction, that’s a whole other question. Belt drive e-bikes can’t use a derailleur like a chain drive can, so if you don’t want to be stuck with a single speed on a belt drive, you need to either use an internally geared rear hub, which forces you to use a mid-drive motor (the standard solution) or use a gearbox at the pedals. And if you want to include a throttle, then your mid-drive options are limited and problematic (mid-drive motors with throttles love to chew up transmissions), giving more weight to the idea of replacing a mid-drive motor with a central gearbox. I never thought I’d actually see Lectric do it though, as it’s truly several classes above anything the company has produced before.
When trying to think about which bikes the Lectric ONE will compete against, I’m largely coming up empty. Instead, I think it’s creating a new class of bikes – premium value commuters. It sounds like an oxymoron, a premium-value bike. But that’s what they’ve built here. It almost fills the void left by bikes like the VanMoof A5, creating a fairly lightweight and small-wheeled, automatic shifting commuter e-bike with a sleek design. Except that it does so at half the price, and without the same level of in-house proprietary technology that doomed VanMoof into bankruptcy.
I feel like I’m still processing all that went into this bike, and the craziness of launching it at this price. Sure, it’s not for everyone. If you want fat tires or suspension, they’ve got a great $999 e-bike for you. But for folks who want a lighter, more efficient commuter e-bike, and suddenly want an insanely fancy automatic shifting gearbox paired with a Gates carbon belt drive, this is a weirdly affordable way to make it happen at just $1,999.
It’s a brave new world.
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Tesla’s sales have fallen 87% in Quebec in the first quarter 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The critical Canadian market has been wiped out, and Tesla is no longer importing new vehicles.
Quebec is the leading EV market in Canada, with the highest adoption rate of new electric vehicles.
That’s due to incentives, cheap hydro electricity, and a strong base of EV enthusiasts.
As the EV leader in North America, Quebec became an important market for Tesla.
However, Tesla’s market in Quebec is now gone.
We don’t have all Canadian data for vehicle registrations in the first quarter; however, Le Devoir managed to obtain data for Quebec from the Société d’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), which revealed that Tesla delivered only 524 vehicles in Quebec during Q1 2025.
That’s down 87% compared to Q1 2024.
The pause in the Quebec and federal EV incentive programs contributed to the sharp decline, but the pause also happened in the quarter, which helped sales by creating urgency to buy and take delivery.
However, it also created an awkward situation for Tesla in which it was accused of filing thousands of questionable requests for incentives worth $42 million CAD, which it later claimed was a backlog of deliveries that it hadn’t filed yet.
This controversy added to growing brand damage for Tesla in Quebec and the broader Canada due to its CEO Elon Musk’s backing of Donald Trump, who is openly calling for the US to annex Canada.
Tesla’s Canadian Troubles are not over
While Q1 2025 was bad, Q2 could prove even worse. Tesla had to increase prices in Canada in April due to the Canadian government slapping 25% tariffs on its vehicles in response to Trump’s trade war.
The combination of the end of some incentive programs, the higher prices, and the degrading sentiment for Tesla in Canada and Quebec is leading to very few sales in the market.
A source familiar with the matter said that Tesla doesn’t plan to import more vehicles in the country this quarter due to low demand.
The broader EV market in Canada declined 45% in Q1 due to the pause in the incentive program, but Tesla’s decline was much sharper, indicating larger issues than just the lack of incentives.
Electrek’s Take
The situation for Tesla in Canada is even worse than in Europe right now. It’s not the largest market in terms of size, but it has a significantly higher EV adoption rate than the US and has helped Tesla in North America.
As long as the tariffs are in place, there’s little hope for Tesla in Canada.
Even if they are removed, which I hope happens soon, as it would mean a de-escalation of Trump’s dumb and illegal trade war, Tesla is still going to have major brand issues due to Musk’s backing of Trump and him saying some foolish things like “Canada is not a real country.”
All of those factors add to Tesla’s aging and limited lineup, which too heavily relies on Model Y, which had a refresh that wasn’t significant enough to revitalize sales.
It’s really hard to be optimistic about Tesla right now.
In Canada, Tesla currently has some inventory of the new Model Y, which it managed to secure before the tariffs. If you’re interested in a Cybertruck, there are plenty available. Although, I have a feeling that you are better off waiting a bit as I assume prices will come down.
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![Here's a closer look at Kia's low-cost EV2 [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/05/Kia-EV2-closer-look.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Kia’s smallest and most affordable EV is already creating quite the buzz. The EV2 will sit below the EV3 in Kia’s expanding EV lineup. With its official launch approaching, the Kia EV2 was spotted on public roads, giving us a closer look at the upcoming electric SUV.
Take a closer look at the Kia EV2 caught on public roads
Although the EV2 will likely only be around 4,000 mm (157″) long, Kia promises it won’t feel so small when you’re actually in it.
Last month, we got a sneak peek of the interior at Milan Design Week. During an exclusive event, Kia showcased the EV2 concept and revealed a few new details we can expect to see.
Kia designed the EV2’s interior to be a relaxing retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle, sort of like a porch or balcony. Thanks to its flat floor layout, the SUV offers flexible seating. By folding the second-row seats and pushing the front seats forward, the EV2 offers an open space to stretch out or “enjoy a meal,” according to Kia.
Although no other details were offered, like Kia’s newer EVs, you can expect to see its new ccNC panoramic infotainment system with dual 12.3″ driver and navigation screens.
After the EV2 was spotted driving on public roads, we are getting a better look at Kia’s upcoming electric SUV. The video from ShortsCar reveals a front-end design similar to that of the EV3, EV5, and EV9, featuring its signature vertical daytime running lights (DRLs) and Star Map lightning.
Despite its small size, the EV2 has a surprisingly large presence on the road, thanks to its upright stance and broad wheel arches, reminiscent of the larger EV9.
A production version of the EV2 was also spotted in Germany this week, with its European debut just around the corner. The images by SH Proshots (via TheKoreanCarBlog) show a similar design to the model caught driving in Korea.
Kia will launch the EV2 in Europe and other regions in early 2026. Prices and final specs will be revealed closer to then, but the EV2 is expected to arrive with a WLTP range of around 300 miles (483 km). Smaller battery options could offer less range at a lower price.
Since it’s slated to sit below the EV3, which is 4,300 mm (169″) long, the EV2 is expected to be closer to 4,000 mm (157″) in length.
Like Kia’s other electric vehicles, it will be based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which also underpins its IONIQ series.
Kia’s CEO, Ho-Sung Song, told Autocar that the company plans to launch the EV2 in the UK with prices starting at about £25,000 ($32,000). Since that was a few years ago, plans could have changed. We will learn more soon. Check back for the latest.
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Voltpost, a startup that turns existing lampposts into EV chargers, has officially launched its first public charging site in Oak Park, Illinois. The curbside charger, installed in partnership with the Park District of Oak Park and utility ComEd, brings easy, affordable EV charging access right to the neighborhood.
Instead of building entirely new charging stations, Voltpost retrofits existing lampposts with a modular Level 2 charging platform. That means less construction, lower costs, and quicker deployment – Voltpost says its EV charger can be installed on a lamppost in minutes. It’s controlled via a mobile app, and it’s designed to serve public spaces like curbs and parking lots, as well as private locations like university campuses and apartment complexes.
“The deployment of a Voltpost charger in Oak Park will expand EV charging access for the local community and help catalyze the transition to sustainable transportation,” said Voltpost CEO and cofounder Jeffrey Prosserman. “This builds on our work in New York and Michigan, and it’s a step toward scaling our platform nationwide.”
Voltpost says its approach is more sustainable and equitable, since it’s using infrastructure that’s already there instead of building from scratch. And it opens up EV charging to more people who don’t have a private driveway or garage.
Kassie Porreca, president of the Park District Board of Commissioners, said, “Ensuring the residents of Oak Park benefit from affordable access to EV charging infrastructure is vital to fulfilling our commitment to serving the needs of our community.”
Najwa Abouhassan, senior manager at ComEd and a liaison for the 2c2i climate tech initiative, said this project connects innovation with community impact. “We’re proud to support Voltpost’s mission to bring sustainable, street-level charging to the places people live and work.”
With this first public site now live, Voltpost says it’s aiming to expand across the country, turning more streetlights into smart charging hubs for EV drivers.
In 2023, Voltpost participated in the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Studio program, a collaboration between the NYC DOT and Newlab. In its pilot, Voltpost installed chargers on lampposts at Newlab in Brooklyn and in a DOT parking lot. The chargers were installed in an hour, operated with a high uptime, and got positive feedback from EV drivers.
Read more: This lamppost EV charger just went commercial in the US
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