Lectric’s CEO answers the most common questions about its shock electric bike launch

Published

1 year ago

March 15, 2024

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Earlier this week, Phoenix-based e-bike maker Lectric Ebikes surprised the industry with the unveiling of a high-end yet low-cost electric bike. The $1,999 Lectric ONE e-bike, which includes components like a Pinion automatic shifting gearbox normally found on models approaching five figures, resulted in a flood of questions. To get to the bottom of the most pressing concerns, we sat down with Lectric’s CEO Levi Conlow to discuss the decisions made in designing and producing the new e-bike.

Question 1: Why does the Lectric ONE use a cadence sensor instead of a torque sensor?

When testing the Lectric ONE with both cadence and torque sensors, we didn’t really feel like the torque sensor added very much to the experience, and would end up costing the consumer a lot more. We spent a lot of time dialing in the power delivery on this bike with PWR so that the experience comes shockingly close to the experience with a torque sensor. There are several settings users can adjust to dial in the way power gets delivered on this bike.

For reference, PWR is Lectric’s own design for more natural feeling pedal assist. Compared to most low-cost electric bikes that feel jumpier and tend to lurch forward when riders begin to pedal, Lectric uses a less common current-based pedal assist system that results in a smoother and more natural feeling ride. Having tested it many times, I can personally say that it still doesn’t feel as responsive as a true torque sensor, but it’s miles more natural feeling than the cheap cadence sensor and speed-based programming on most other e-bikes in this category.

Question 2: Why didn’t you guys include a suspension fork on the Lectric ONE?

We wanted the Lectric ONE to be as light as possible to maximize ease of use for our riders. At 55 pounds, and with a 750w motor, the ONE is light enough to carry up to an apartment and powerful enough to rocket up to 28 mph for a quick, sweat-free commute.

This answer actually surprised me a bit. Sure, it definitely saves weight. But it seems like the Lectric ONE, with its much more sophisticated pedal drivetrain thanks to that Pinion electric-shifting automatic gearbox, is more of a cyclists’ e-bike. That means it is likely going to attract folks who already like to ride a pedal bike and are already bike commuters. Many (if not most) commuter bikes already lack suspension, allowing them to be more robust and longer lasting, not to mention lighter. So while the Lectric ONE is definitely lighter without a suspension fork, I imagine many of the people considering it are already frequent cyclists and likely have gotten used to common rigid bikes.

Question 3: Why the small (20-inch) wheel size on the Lectric ONE?

Putting smaller wheels on the Lectric ONE serves two primary purposes: Number one, weight savings. There really aren’t any advantages to having a commuter bike with a larger wheel diameter, and it adds weight and makes transport bulky. With 20-inch wheels and a foldable stem the ONE can be transported with ease. Number 2, acceleration is vastly improved with smaller diameter tires. It’s hard to put into words just how fast this bike gets moving from a standstill. Being able to accelerate fast adds to the joy of commuting by bike, gets you to your destination faster, and improves safety by enabling riders to maneuver quickly out of potentially dangerous situations.

I know there are some large-diameter wheel purists out there, but I personally agree about the benefits of 20″ wheels. Where I live, probably 80-90% of the commuter bikes seen on the streets and bike lanes are 20″ wheel bikes. It’s just more common around here. Large diameters have their advantages, but in commuting roles, they tend to be more than necessary.

Question 4: Is the Lectric ONE UL compliant? Does that mean Lectric does its own UL testing?

The Lectric ONE is certified to UL 2849 by SGS, a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. SGS is one of the leading global testing, inspection, and certification companies with over 99,600 employees operating a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

This is quite common. Underwriter Laboratories is divided into non-profit and for-profit sides, with the former setting the standard and the latter offering its services to test and certify to that standard. While some companies do go straight to UL for their testing, others turn to various laboratories that have received international approval to certify to UL standards.

Question 5: This is a very different type of e-bike than you’ve ever made before. What type of rider does the Lectric ONE target?

The Lectric ONE is a commuting e-bike. With this product we are aiming to get people on a bike that can actually replace car miles. The almost maintenance-free drivetrain and semi-automatic shifting make this product as reliable as a car so you don’t even have to think as you’re riding. This product is also for folks who want to see the most cutting-edge technology the e-bike industry has to offer. Lectric’s scale has enabled us to bring many advanced features to a price point that is actually reachable.

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Environment

I found this cheap Chinese e-cargo trike that hauls more than your car!

Published

3 hours ago

July 5, 2025

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I found this cheap Chinese e-cargo trike that hauls more than your car!

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.

Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!

I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!

Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.

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To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.

Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!

Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.

The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.

The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!

I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.

That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.

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Environment

OPEC+ members agree to larger-than-expected oil production hike in August

Published

4 hours ago

July 5, 2025

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OPEC+ members agree to larger-than-expected oil production hike in August

The OPEC logo is displayed on a mobile phone screen in front of a computer screen displaying OPEC icons in Ankara, Turkey, on June 25, 2024.

Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Eight oil-producing nations of the OPEC+ alliance agreed on Saturday to increase their collective crude production by 548,000 barrels per day, as they continue to unwind a set of voluntary supply cuts.

This subset of the alliance — comprising heavyweight producers Russia and Saudi Arabia, alongside Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates — met digitally earlier in the day. They had been expected to increase their output by a smaller 411,000 barrels per day.

In a statement, the OPEC Secretariat attributed the countries’ decision to raise August daily output by 548,000 barrels to “a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals, as reflected in the low oil inventories.”

The eight producers have been implementing two sets of voluntary production cuts outside of the broader OPEC+ coalition’s formal policy.

One, totaling 1.66 million barrels per day, stays in effect until the end of next year.

Under the second strategy, the countries reduced their production by an additional 2.2 million barrels per day until the end of the first quarter.

They initially set out to boost their production by 137,000 barrels per day every month until September 2026, but only sustained that pace in April. The group then tripled the hike to 411,000 barrels per day in each of May, June, and July — and is further accelerating the pace of their increases in August.

Oil prices were briefly boosted in recent weeks by the seasonal summer spike in demand and the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which threatened both Tehran’s supplies and raised concerns over potential disruptions of supplies transported through the key Strait of Hormuz.

At the end of the Friday session, oil futures settled at $68.30 per barrel for the September-expiration Ice Brent contract and at $66.50 per barrel for front month-August Nymex U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude.

Environment

Podcast: Trump/GOP go after EV/solar, Tesla, Ford, GM EV sales, Electrek Formula Sun, and more

Published

19 hours ago

July 4, 2025

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Podcast: Trump/GOP go after EV/solar, Tesla, Ford, GM EV sales, Electrek Formula Sun, and more

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 Trump’s Big Beautiful bill becoming law and going after EVs and solar, Tesla, Ford, and GM EV sales, Electrek Formula Sun, and more

Today’s episode is brought to you by Bosch Mobility Aftermarket—A global leader and trusted provider of automotive aftermarket parts. To celebrate Amazon Prime Day July 8th through 11th, Bosch Mobility is offering exclusive savings on must-have auto parts and tools. Learn more here.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

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After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast: