E-Cells, an e-bike brand in the US known for its all-wheel-drive fat tire e-bikes with extremely high performance, has announced that it is terminating operations and closing its doors.

The announcement was posted to the company’s social media accounts by the brand’s founder David Cleveland.

The closure was due in part to the impact of new tariffs on imported goods, with tariffs on Chinese-produced electric bikes reaching a total of up to 170%.

“Effective immediately, we are announcing the closure of our business,” explained Cleveland. “Due to unforeseen circumstances — including extreme tariff increases and other market challenges — continuing operations is no longer sustainable.”

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He thanked customers for their years of patronage, with E-Cells operating for around six years. “We are grateful for the trust and support we have received from our customers and community over the years.”

E-Cells was a leader in the extremely high-performance electric bicycle niche. The brand’s models were popular with hunters and outdoorsmen, often sporting massive tires with all-wheel-drive, dual batteries, and dual suspension. Many models featured well over 2,000W of power and speeds topping 30 mph (51 km/h).

Those features resulted in large, robust, and extremely capable e-bikes that could be ridden in off-road and overlanding scenarios. Many E-Cells owners used the powerful electric bikes to pull heavy trailers, especially hunting trailers.

Now the company is reaching out to existing customers who have open orders and plans to handle the distribution of remaining stock internally. “We are no longer accepting new orders. Customers with existing orders will be contacted individually. Remaining inventory will be handled internally and is not available for public sale.”

The closure of E-Cells may be just the beginning of a broader shakeout in the US electric bike industry. Larger e-bike makers are better able to weather the storm of economic uncertainty, but as tariffs rise and economic pressures mount, smaller and mid-sized companies could find it increasingly difficult to stay afloat. The combination of supply chain disruptions, higher import costs, and price-sensitive consumers creates a challenging environment, especially for brands that rely heavily on overseas manufacturing.

Unless there’s a meaningful shift in trade policy or targeted support for the micromobility industry, we could see more e-bike companies scaling back operations or exiting the market entirely. And with fewer players in the space, consumers may face reduced choices, higher prices, and slower innovation – just as e-bikes are gaining mainstream traction as a sustainable transportation solution.

It’s not just electric vehicles. Toyota is warning, “We don’t have much time left,” with China poised to take the lead in another emerging technology following EVs.

Toyota is warning that China’s lead with EVs is just the start

It’s no secret by now that China is, by far, leading the transition to electric. Last year, over 17 million EVs were sold globally. According to Rho Motion, China accounted for 11 million, or over 60%.

Even as new models from leading OEMs like Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Kia are being introduced, China continues outpacing every other country. Through the first three months of 2025, over 2.4 million electric cars were sold in China, nearly 60% of the 4.1 million sold globally.

And it’s not just electric vehicles. Most batteries that power them also come from China, with companies like CATL and BYD dominating the market.

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Data from SNE Research shows that CATL and BYD alone accounted for over 55% of the global EV battery market in 2024. With overseas sales surging in key markets like Southeast Asia, Europe, and Central and South America, BYD is not only selling more EVs but also the batteries needed to power them.

In March, BYD released its new Super e-platform with ultra-fast charging batteries that can add 250 miles range in just five minutes. The first model based on the platform, the Han L, starts at just 219,800 yuan ($30,000).

And then there’s the smart driving technology. Earlier this year, BYD confirmed that most of its vehicles, including its ultra-low-cost Seagull, will now include its new “Gods Eye” driver-assistance system. Others like Huawei and Momenta are racing ahead with newer, more advanced ADAS systems.

Now, Toyota is warning that China is about to take the lead in another emerging industry, following EVs. Misumasa Yamagata, president of Toyota’s hydrogen business, warned that hydrogen vehicles are headed for the same fate as EVs.

According to the Financial Times, Yamagata said, “We don’t have much time left — it’s important to accelerate quickly.”

Toyota has been developing hydrogen vehicles for over 30 years. However, like electric cars, China is quickly taking market share.

China already accounts for the majority of hydrogen commercial vehicle sales. Toyota’s hydrogen boss explained, “China is the most advanced in the world for hydrogen trucks.” Why? Yamagata states it’s “because the Chinese government ordered turning major logistics routes into hydrogen highways.”

China is rapidly expanding refuelling stations while driving down costs, which are now just a third of Japan’s. Hydrogen fuel cell bus and truck sales in China were higher than in every other market combined, at 7,069.

Electrek’s Take

We are already seeing it happen with electric vehicles. With a flood of new EVs entering China, BYD, XPeng, NIO, and most others are now looking overseas to drive growth.

BYD’s overseas sales hit another record in April, with nearly 80,000 vehicles sold overseas, which is its fifth straight month of growth. In total, BYD sold over 380,000 new energy vehicles (EVs and PHEVs), 195,740 of which were purely electric.

According to S&P Global Mobility, BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe to around 186,000 in 2025. By 2029, that number could reach around 400,000.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is alienating trade partners with new tariffs on imports while threatening to end federal incentives, which will only put the US further behind.

It’s already becoming evident in global markets like Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, and several others, where Chinese brands are quickly gaining a presence.

The trend is only expected to accelerate with new tech quickly advancing. Will China continue reshaping the global auto and tech market? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Lectric Ebikes appears to be preparing for a major new product launch, teasing what looks like the next evolution of its wildly popular folding fat tire electric bike. Based on the clues, it looks like a new Lectric XP 4 could be inbound.

In a social media post released over the weekend, the company shared a minimalist graphic reading “XP4” along with the message “Tune in 5.6.2025 9:30AM PT.” That date – this Tuesday – suggests we’re just hours away from the big reveal of the Lectric XP 4.

If true, this would mark the next generation of the most successful electric bike in the U.S. market. The current model, the Lectric XP 3.0, has become an icon of accessible, budget-friendly electric mobility. Starting at just $999, the XP 3.0 offers a foldable frame, fat tires, a 500W motor, a rear rack, lights, and hydraulic brakes – all packed into a highly shippable design that arrives fully assembled. It’s the kind of package that has helped Lectric claim the title of best-selling e-bike brand in the U.S. for several years in a row.

With the XP 3.0 still going strong, the teaser raises plenty of questions. Will the XP 4.0 be a modest update or a major leap forward? Could we see new features like torque-sensing pedal assist, a location tracking option, or upgraded performance? Or is Lectric preparing a more comfort-oriented variant, maybe even with upgraded suspension or even more accessories included standard?

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The teaser image, which features stylized stripes in grey, blue, and black, may hold some clues. One theory is that the colors represent new trim options or component upgrades. Another possibility is that Lectric is preparing multiple variants of the XP 4.0 – perhaps targeting commuters, adventurers, and off-road riders with purpose-built versions. We took the liberty of a bit of rampant speculation late last year, so perhaps that’s now worth a revisit.

At the same time though, Lectric’s penchant for launching new models at unbelievably affordable prices has never run up against such strong pricing headwinds as those posed by uncertainty in the current US-global trade war fueled by rapidly changing tariffs for imported goods.

Whatever the case, Lectric’s knack for surprising the industry with high-value, customer-focused e-bikes means expectations will be high. The brand has built a loyal following by delivering reliable performance at a price point that few can match, and any major update to the XP lineup is likely to ripple across the market.

As a young and energetic e-bike company, Lectric is also known for throwing impressive parties around the launch of new models. It looks like I may need to hop on a red-eye to Phoenix so I can see for myself – and so I can bring you all along, of course.

Be sure to tune in Tuesday at 9:30AM PT to see what Lectric has in store – and you can bet we’ll have all the details and first impressions as soon as they drop.