Ampler launches sleek new lightweight on and off-road commuter electric bikes
Ampler Bikes, an Estonian e-bike company that prides itself on high-quality, local European manufacturing, has announced new e-bike models that expand the brand’s focus past the bike lanes and onto the trails.
Ampler has spent years building up its street cred for the street, where the company’s different Ampler models have led the way among lightweight, minimalist-looking e-bikes. They’ve been a favorite of commuters for their simplistic look that hides away the bikes’ connected technology and quality components under the cover of minimalism.
In the company’s own words (with which this journalist agrees), “Ampler is known for producing some of the lightest e-bikes in the industry, and the new range makes them one of the most versatile selections in the market. No bulky batteries, maintenance-heavy components, or other clutter. Ampler combines modern technology with a traditional bicycle design to make pedaling easier, lighter, and faster.
Anyone looking at an Ampler e-bike would be hard-pressed to call it electric. They just look like a classy pedal bike you’d see any bike messenger pedaling down the bike lane. But hidden away inside the frames are batteries and sophisticated electronics providing a wide range of features and control parameters that let owners make the most of their e-bike.
Now the company is adding to its lineup its first non-purely road-oriented e-bike. The classic Ampler Curt model is joined by a new Curt Anyroad, which comes in both a classic diamond frame and a low-step option.
Compared to the existing Curt model, the Curt Anyroad comes with “thicker tires, fork mounts, and an advanced 10-speed drivetrain,” explained the company. “This bike is primed for all-road adventures and bike-packing escapades. Conquer rugged terrain confidently and experience optimal power and efficiency with each pedal stroke.”
Another accessible variant of the Curt has also been added, creating the Curt Low-Step. Both the Curt Low-Step and Curt Anyroad Low-Step come in frame sizes S and M, while the rest of Ampler’s lineup of several other models comes in frame sizes XS to L, offering a huge range of sizes to fit nearly every rider.
The addition now means there’s a low-step variant of all of Ampler’s e-bike models, many of which feature either single-speed Gates carbon belt drives or 9-speed and 10-speed Microshift transmissions. Most of Ampler’s e-bikes range from 14.5 to 17 kg (30 to 37 lb), making them some of the lightest urban e-bikes on the market.
And to further differentiate these lightweight and low-maintenance e-bikes, Ampler is rolling out several new color options. The company opened a massive 1,300 square meter (14,000 square feet) painting factory in 2022, allowing them to expand their color options with local painting.
Ampler’s e-bikes start at €2,790 (approximately US $3,040), with the higher spec models like the Curt Anyroad carrying a €3,690 price tag (approximately US $4,020). I’m a bit biased towards the Ampler Axel that I tested (below), which has a ride somewhere between the sportier Ampler Curt and more upright Ampler Juna.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve personally had the chance to test several of Ampler’s e-bikes during various trips in Europe, and even visited the company’s factory in Estonia to see firsthand the quality and attention they put into how they build their e-bikes (check out that video below).
The company obviously prides itself not only in its quality manufacturing, but also just how much tech is built into the bikes. In talking with Ampler’s team, I’ve always gotten the feeling that they don’t want to rush out new models just for the sake of a new model year, and that they don’t include flashy features just to check a box. If they build something new or include a new feature, it’s because they’ve tested it over sufficient time and determined that it’s actually going to benefit riders – not just grab a headline or add innovation for innovation’s sake. And I respect that.
The addition of the Curt Anyroad seems like a true-to-form move for the company, building upon the same design legacy but offering new roads (or trails) for riders to expand the possibilities for where a ride may take you.
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First Solar just cut the ribbon on a huge new factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and it dwarfs the New Orleans Superdome. The company’s $1.1 billion, fully vertically integrated facility spans 2.4 million square feet, or about 11 times the size of the stadium’s main arena.
The factory began production quietly in July, a few months ahead of schedule, and employs more than 700 people. First Solar expects that number to hit 826 by the end of the year. Once it’s fully online, the site will add 3.5 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. That brings the company’s total US footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, when its newly announced South Carolina plant is anticipated to come online.
The Louisiana plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules using US-made materials — glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel from Mississippi, which is fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
The new factory leans heavily on AI, from computer vision that spots defects on the line to deep learning tools that help technicians make real‑time adjustments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says the investment is already a win for the region, bringing in “hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses.” A new economic impact analysis from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette projects that the factory will boost Iberia Parish’s GDP by 4.4% in its first full year at capacity. The average manufacturing compensation package comes in at around $90,000, more than triple the parish’s per capita income.
First Solar CEO Mark Widmar framed the new facility as a major step for US clean energy manufacturing: “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
This site joins what’s already the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere: three factories in Ohio, one in Alabama, and R&D centers in Ohio and California. Just last week, First Solar announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore more Series 6 module work. By the end of 2026, the company expects to directly employ more than 5,500 people across the US.
Read more: First Solar pours $330M into a new South Carolina solar factory
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No, it’s not the new Bolt. GM’s design team previewed a new high-riding “sporty Chevrolet EV” that should be brought to life.
Is Chevy launching a new sporty EV?
This is the all-electric vehicle Chevy should sell in the US. General Motors’ design team released a series of sketches previewing a sporty new Chevy EV.
Although it kinda looks like the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV as a higher-sitting compact crossover SUV, the design offers a fresh take on what it should have looked like.
The new Bolt is essentially a modernized version of the outgoing EUV model with a similar compact crossover silhouette. Nissan adopted a similar style with the new 2026 LEAF as buyers continue shifting from smaller sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and SUVs.
Will we see the sporty Chevy EV in real life? It’s not likely. For one, the “exploration sketch” is by GM China Advanced designer Charles Huang.
GM Design posted the sketches on its global social media page, but the caption read “Sporty Chevrolet EV for the China Market.”
It’s too bad. The Bolt could use a sporty sibling like an SS variant. Chevy introduced the Blazer EV SS (check out our review) for the 2026 model year, its fastest “SS” model yet. Packing up to 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Chevy Blazer SS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds when using Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.
Will the Bolt be next? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And if GM does bring the sporty Chevy EV to life, it will likely only be sold in China. Like all the fun cars these days.
What do you think of the design? Would you buy one of these in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
While deliveries of the 2027 Bolt are set to begin in early 2026, Chevy is offering some sweet deals on its current EV lineup, including up to $4,000 off in Customer Cash and 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Ready to test drive one? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership near you.
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Environment
Podcast: Electricity is the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, new Porsche Cayenne EV, 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 electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
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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:
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