InMotion V5 electric unicycle review: How I didn’t even hurt myself testing it
The electric unicycle crowd is a pretty passionate one. It’s not rare to see you folks in my comment section, lecturing me about how your EUC goes farther and faster than whatever e-bike I’m covering that day, all for a fraction of the price. And I’ll admit, the ability to ride an electric vehicle to your destination and then just pick it up to carry it inside like a briefcase does have its appeal. So I figured I’d give the InMotion V5 a test, as it’s supposed to be a very beginner friendly wheel.
I’m actually not a total beginner at electric unicycles, but it’s been a good half a decade or so since the last time I hopped on one.
And even then, I was far from being able to teach a class on the subject, to put it lightly.
So I figured it’s about time to climb back up on the one-wheeled horse. And to do so, InMotion hooked me up with a novice wheel known as the InMotion V5.
It’s about as beginner-friendly as it gets with modest power, a low top speed, and a smaller battery to keep it lightweight.
Check out how my testing went in my video review below. Spoiler alert: I didn’t hurt myself! Oh yeah, then keep reading to see my complete thoughts on this alternative electric vehicle.
InMotion V5 video review
InMotion V5 tech specs
- Motor: 450W hub motor
- Top speed: 12.5 mph (20 km/h)
- Range: 12.5 miles (20 km)
- Battery: 188 Wh
- Wheel size: 14″
- Weight: 25 lb (11.3 kg)
- Brakes: Umm, you just lean backwards?
- Extras: LED lights, little foam pads to cushion your ankles, not much else
- Price: $599
What is an electric unicycle like?
Electric unicycles have proven to be just as convenient as I imagined them to be. It’s amazing to have a fully-capable little electric vehicle that fits under my chair. I don’t even have to worry about locking it outside like an e-bike or an e-scooter since I can just bring it inside with me.
But the convenience is only appreciable after you put in the time to become comfortable riding one. Depending on your sense of balance and mental elasticity, that may take just a few short days or several long and painful weeks.
There’s a lot of hopping off and dropping the EUC along the way. In fact, I highly recommend picking up one of those protective unicycle condom things that sleeves right over it and prevents you from scratching up your shiny new wheel.
For me, I was usually able to hop off and grab the handle, preventing mine from getting too scratched.
When it comes to learning, the best thing to do is start out in an open area like a parking lot.
Start with one foot on a platform and position the wheel up against the leg of that foot (I’m right-handed and like to start with my right foot on the wheel first). Then in one motion jump the other foot onto the empty platform and lean your whole body forward.
Now you’re 100% going to fall.
Congrats, you just had your first attempt and your first fall! Repeat that several dozen times, and you’ll be done.
Just kidding, sort of. Actually, not really. That’s pretty accurate.
Basically just keep doing that same thing, but keep these tips in mind. 1) Don’t look down at the wheel, but instead off at a point in the distance. 2) Don’t just lean your shoulders forward, but instead lean your whole body forward. If it helps, think of pushing your chest out and forward. 3) Make sure you’re standing up straight and not turning into a turtle.
Keep doing that until you can basically go straight. Once you feel like you’re rolling decently enough, it’s time to start turning. You turn by looking where you want to go. Look left, go left. Look right, go right.
I’ve read before that some people recommend starting up against a wall or fence so you can hold onto it for balance. But I found that to just get in the way since I was relying on the support instead of letting my brain learn to balance by itself.
The best way to train once you have your basic balancing down pat is to move from a wide open parking lot to somewhere with paths that have defined edges.
Walking paths in a park are best, especially ones with gentle curves instead of straight lines with hard angles at intersections. When your mind sees a boundary on either side, it just starts to move your body and steer you to stay within the boundary.
You quickly learn that steering is almost more involuntary than voluntary. Don’t try and steer left like you’re in a car. Instead, look down the curve to the left and lean slightly towards your target. Your body will handle the rest.
For me, it fortunately only took a few minutes off falling off the wheel to re-learn what I originally learned years ago from my first attempt at an electric unicycle. If this is your first time ever, then expect it to take several sessions over a few days.
It can be demoralizing in the beginning, but don’t quit. You think those dudes who walk tightropes were just born on a clothesline in the delivery room? No, they practiced until they could do it with their eyes closed. And that’s all there is to learning to ride an electric unicycle… practice!
The InMotion V5 makes it fairly easy since it just isn’t overly powerful. It’s not going to rocket out from under you, and it’s not going to freak you out with sudden acceleration. It doesn’t even weigh that much at just 25 pounds.
It even has cute little audio tips, like when you fall over it calls out, “Be careful!” Thanks, like I hadn’t thought of that.
Once I got the hang of it again, I really started to enjoy cruising around on the InMotion V5.
I could wiggle between parking meters, bollards, rows of picnic tables or just about anything else that came along my way. I could slow to nearly a crawl (though I’m still trying to figure out how to just rock back and forth in place, idling). I can roll over debris that might freak me out on smaller 8″ scooter wheels. And I can even take it up and down inclines, though I don’t have very many in Florida to test it on. The manufacturer claims it can handle an 18º slope, but I’ll believe that when I see it.
The 12.5 mph speed limit might seem like a lot at first when you’re struggling to go 3 mph, but you’ll quickly run up against it. It kind of freaks you out the first time you hit it, as the wheel speeds up slightly to gently rock you backwards while reminding you to “Slow down!”
Since the InMotion V5 is very much a beginner wheel, there’s a decent chance you’ll outgrow it and want to move up to a more powerful and faster model. That’s exactly what has happened to me now that I’ve gotten comfortable on it.
Even though you may progress pass its abilities, it’s a great way to get started in this fun world of single-wheeled electric vehicles. And at $599, it’s a pretty cheap way to test the waters, too.
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![Classic Jeep Grand Wagoneer gets a battery electric makeover [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/grand-wagoneer_EV_2.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Texas-based tuning firm Vigilante 4×4 is known for its wild, high-horsepower Jeep SJ Hemi restomods – but they’re more than just a hot rod shop. To prove it, they’ve developed a bespoke, all-electric skateboard chassis designed to turn the classic Jeep Grand Wagoneer into a modern, desirable electric SUV.
The scope of the Vigilante 4×4 electric chassis project is truly impressive. More than just a Jeep SJ frame with an electric drive train bolted in, the chassis is a completely fresh design that utilizes precise 3D scans of the original SJ Wagoneers, Grand Wagoneers, and J-Trucks to establish hard points, then fitted with low-slung battery packs to give the electric restomods superior weight balance, a lower center of gravity, and objectively improved ride and handling compared to its classic, ICE-powered forefathers.
The result is a purpose-built platform that delivers power to the wheels through a dual-motor system – one mounted in the front, and one at the rear – to provide a permanent, infinitely variable four-wheel drive system that offers both on-road performance and the kind of off-road capability that made the Grand Wagoneer famous in the first place.
Vigilante 4×4 electric Jeep SJ
“This isn’t a replacement for our Vigilante HEMI offerings,” reads the official copy. “It’s a total revisit of the Vigilante platform under electric power.”
The company emphasizes that its new chassis is still in the prototype stages. As such, there are no specs, there is no pricing, there are no range estimates. Despite it all, the response from Jeep enthusiasts has already been strong. “Keep in mind this is our first prototype,” a spokesperson said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done – but the journey has begun.”
Electrek’s Take
Retro done wrong – think the Dodge Charger Daytona EV or VW ID.Buzz – is a disaster. Always. If that nostalgic tone is just a little bit off, the song doesn’t work. The heartstrings don’t pull. Done right, however, the siren song of nostalgia will have you putting a second mortgage on your house to put a Singer Porsche or ICON Bronco in your garage.
It’s too soon to tell what side of that line the Vigilante 4×4 Jeep SJ will eventually fall, but one thing (at least) is certain: it’s closer to the mark than that Wagoneer S.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Vigilante 4×4, via Mopar Insiders.
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EQORE, a distributed battery storage startup based in Somerville, Massachusetts, has raised $1.7 million in seed funding to help industrial buildings tackle rising electricity costs. The round was oversubscribed and includes backing from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Henry Ford III of Ford Motor Company, and Jonathan Kraft of The Kraft Group.
The timing couldn’t be more relevant. Data centers are booming, and that demand is slamming an already stressed grid. Big, utility-scale batteries help at the grid level, but they can’t fix the bottlenecks happening on local distribution networks. That’s where onsite storage steps in — storing energy when demand is low and discharging it when demand spikes, which helps stabilize costs for both the grid and the businesses using it.
MassCEC’s head of investments, Susan Stewart, said, “What excites us the most about EQORE’s technology is the dual impact: grid support and customer savings.” She noted that commercial and industrial buildings are ideal hosts for battery storage, but haven’t gotten much attention until now. “EQORE is closing that gap.”
Investor Randolph Mann highlighted what makes the company stand out: “By uniting advanced controls with high‑resolution metering and true end‑to‑end service, EQORE finally makes commercial behind-the-meter storage effortless and financially compelling for businesses.”
EQORE comes out of MIT’s Sandbox program and delta v accelerator and is currently part of the Harvard Climate Entrepreneurs Circle incubator. CEO and cofounder Valeriia Tyshchenko, a third‑generation engineer from Ukraine and MIT graduate, said the new funding will help the company scale alongside its existing revenue.
With the seed round closed, EQORE plans to grow its team and ramp up battery deployments at energy-intensive manufacturing facilities. The company doesn’t just install batteries; it operates them. Its autonomous software shifts when a facility uses power based on market conditions and utility incentives, reshaping load in real-time without disrupting operations.
Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2
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![Check out Hyundai's cool new off-road electric SUV concept [Images]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/11/Hyundai-off-road-SUV.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Hyundai took the sheets of its new off-road electric SUV, the Crater Concept, at the LA Auto Show. Here’s our first look at the compact off-roader.
Meet Hyundai’s new off-road SUV, the Crater Concept
We knew it was coming after Hyundai teased the off-road SUV earlier this week, hidden under a drape. Hyundai took the sheets off the Crater Concept at the LA Auto Show on Thursday, giving us our first real look at the rugged off-roader.
Hyundai refers to it as a compact off-road SUV that’s inspired by extreme events. The concept was brought to life at the Hyundai America Technical Center in Irvine, California.
The off-road SUV draws design elements from Hyundai’s Extra Rugged Terrain (XRT) models, such as the IONIQ 5 XRT, Santa Cruz XRT, and the new Pallisade XRT Pro.
Although it’s a concept, Hyundai said the Crater Concept is a testament to its commitment to designing future XRT vehicles that are more functional, more capable, and more emotional.
“CRATER began with a question: ‘What does freedom look like?’ This vehicle stands as our answer,” Hyundai’s global design boss, SangYup Lee said.
The off-road SUV features Hyundai’s new Art of Steel design theme, first showcased on the THREE concept at the Munich Motor Show in September.
Hyundai said the design team was guided by one clear goal: To create a rugged and capable vehicle that’s designed to go anywhere. The Crater Concept embodies that vision with added wide skid plates, 33″ off-road tires, limb risers, rocker panels, and a roof platform.
Hyundai designed the interior for “tech-savvy adventure seekers,” with a singular design centered around a high-brow crash pad that stretches across the dashboard.
The concept also swaps the traditional infotainment setup for a head-up display that spans the entire front window, which Hyundai said includes a live rearview camera.
Hyundai’s off-roader includes a new Off-Road Controller for front and rear locking differentials, as well as a terrain selector with modes including Sand, Snow, and Mud. Other off-road features include downhill brake control, trailer brake control, a compass, and an altimeter.
Although Hyundai said it was electric, it didn’t reveal any further details about the powertrain. The off-road SUV could be a battery-electric or fuel-cell-electric vehicle.
Like the new Nexo, Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the concept features “HTWO” lamps exclusive to its FCEVs.
Earlier this week, the design team at Hyundai Design North America also introduced its new design and ideation studio codenamed “The Sandbox.” The creative design studio is set to serve as a global hub for future XRT vehicles and gear.
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