Pedego and Electric Bike Company partner up for made-in-USA e-bikes
Pedego, one of the earliest entrants into the US electric bicycle market and home to over 200 brick-and-mortar e-bikes stores, will collaborate with Newport Beach, California-based Electric Bike Company, bringing highly customized US-made electric bikes into Pedego’s lineup.
Electric Bike Company has built an impressive reputation for its made-in-California electric bikes, which are assembled at the company’s handful of Newport Beach facilities.
The company’s famous Customizer program offers thousands of variations on its many models, allowing customers to create a bespoke bike with a combination of several dozen paint colors, a wide range of add-on accessories, and various e-bike components chosen by the rider.
Now Electric Bike Company and Pedego are teaming up to bring that same Customizer experience into Pedego’s network of brick-and-mortar franchise stores around the US.
“Electric Bike Company is excited to announce a collaboration with Pedego, one of the most respected names in the e-bike industry,” declared EBC in a statement provided to Electrek. “This partnership aims to revitalize Pedego’s 200 locations across the U.S. by introducing Electric Bike Company’s USA-made e-Cruisers and its unique customization tools, including the design wall, where customers can design bikes like the popular Model J, Y, E, or A.”
That design wall, also known as the Customizer, consists of a large touchscreen display where riders can physically design their custom e-bike directly on the wall before sending it off to be built-to-order in the California factory.
“The collaboration will enhance customer engagement by offering beautifully personalized, fully built bikes, all made in the U.S.,” continued the company. “Electric Bike Company stands as a leader in American-made, customizable e-bikes, while Pedego’s reach in the industry brings an established network of dealers and customers. Together, they will create a powerful synergy.”
The partnership seeks to address two key markets using the same physical store: mass-produced, affordable imports, as well as built-to-order American-made bikes.
The first two stores launching the new partnership include Pedego Electric Bikes Corona Del Mar and Pedego Electric Bikes Newport Beach on the Newport Peninsula, though the majority of Pedego’s network is expected to follow suit. Check out how the Customizer system works in the short video below.
Electrek’s Take
This is an interesting development because it comes at a time when we’re witnessing rapid consolidation in the e-bike market. Just last week saw two large e-bike brands shut down, underlining how increased competition and a squeezing market have impacted the ballooning e-bike industry.
When once competing brands can work together on partnerships or mergers that benefit both of them by combining unique selling propositions, customers benefit by maintaining access to those unique models.
In this case, Pedego is the undisputed king of putting ready-to-ride e-bikes on showroom floors and making them accessible to potential customers, which is a rarity in this direct-to-consumer world we’re living in. Pedego’s model has long set the company apart from most other internet-based electric bike brands in the US. On the other hand, Electric Bike Company’s famous custom-built e-bikes provide a unique opportunity for one-of-a-kind rides that are built by American workers who earn a living wage and work in comfortable conditions.
Both brands being able to team up seems like a win-win, keeping ready-to-ride electric bikes out on the floor but also bringing customers the option of building their own custom bike directly on the wall through customizer software inside the store.
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Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.
To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.
Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back
Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:
Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.
Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.
Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.
Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”
Permitting: Germany sets the standard
Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.
If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.
Grid connections: a growing crisis
Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.
This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.
Electrification: falling behind
Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.
More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist
On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.
Investments and corporate interest
Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.
Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs.
Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA
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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 the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, 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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The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.
What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far
We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.
BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.
The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.
BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.
To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).
BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).
Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.
Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT
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