Phoenix-based electric bike company Lectric eBikes has been a consistent price leader in the electric bike industry. Now the company has just let it slip that they’re working on an electric trike that will be launched at an unbelievably low price. Badging on the three-wheeler seems to point to a new product in the XP line known as the Lectric XP Trike.
The company’s CEO Levi Conlow posted a teaser on Facebook earlier today, revealing that Lectric has been quietly working on an electric trike.
And not just any trike, but one that bears a price tag of just $1,499. That comes in at $1,000 less than the most recent major trike launch, the RadTrike from Rad Power Bikes.
It’s also significantly less expensive than many other electric trikes on the market that can cost well over $3,000.
The truly interesting thing about the Lectric XP Trike isn’t just the price, but rather that it appears to offer significantly more that most other trikes.
For example, instead of using a front hub motor for front wheel drive, the Lectric XP Trike uses a more sophisticated drivetrain. It features a centrally mounted motor to drive both rear wheels through a differential axle (a simplified version of the way a typical rear-wheel-drive car functions).
It looks like they actually used a hub motor mounted as a mid-drive motor, which is a rare but not totally foreign drive method. It was popularized by a highly acclaimed cargo e-bike setup known as the StokeMonkey over a decade ago, and allows a cost effective hub motor to function like a much more expensive mid-drive motor.
The Lectric XP Trike also features hydraulic disc braking in the front and rear, which is a more premium type of brake that provides higher performance and lower maintenance.
Levi listed the battery as 14Ah, though didn’t specify the voltage. Assuming it matches the 48V batteries in all of Lectric’s other e-bikes, that would put the battery at a healthy 672 Wh.
The Lectric XP Trike is also listed as fully-foldable and arriving fully-assembled, meaning riders won’t need to assemble it themselves. The inclusion of a central folding mechanism in addition to the handlebar folding mechanism should allow it to fit in tighter spaces while folded.
We’re still missing key specs on the Lectric XP Trike, but Levi shared that a full reveal will be coming later this week on January 13th.
The ultra-affordable e-trike is true to Lectric’s reputation for crazy low prices. The company’s most affordable e-bike, the $799 Lectric XP Lite, is a 48V folding e-bike with value that hasn’t been matched in the industry.
The same goes for the company’s $999 Lectric XP 3.0 e-bike, which is a 28 mph (45 km/h) dual-passenger e-bike that undercuts all the other utility e-bikes we’ve seen so far.
And even the company’s $1,799 Lectric XPremium e-bike, despite being its most expensive, is a ridiculously good deal for a mid-drive e-bike with a torque sensor and dual batteries.
Don’t believe me? Check out the video from my review of that e-bike below.
Electrek’s Take
This. Is. Huge.
I hate to describe it this way, but this is kind of a RadTrike killer. And not just that, it basically shuts down every other electric trike on the market. Period.
Compared to the RadTrike, the Lectric XP Trike has 40% more battery, dual wheel rear drive instead of single wheel front drive and hydraulic brakes. And it costs $1,000 less.
It’s unclear if those cargo baskets come with the bike or if they’re added accessories. If they do come standard then it’s an even more killer deal, as those baskets will cost you over $100 to add yourself. Many companies hold those back behind a paywall.
Of course the Lectric XP Trike also has some downsides. It doesn’t have suspension. It doesn’t have a larger tractor seat saddle like the RadTrike or some others. It seems to have a bit of a wiring mess, though that might be due to the prototype nature of what is presumably the first model that we’re looking at in the picture.
But there’s no way around it, this is a crazy deal for anyone who needs a trike due to mobility or balances issues. Or anyone who just wants a trike.
In fact, I’ve been riding the RadTrike around for an upcoming review this week (that Lectric just kind of spoiled by pre-empting with this crazy unveil… thanks, Lectric), and it’s an awesome way to get around even as a healthy, able-bodied 33-year-old. You don’t have to be up there in years to enjoy a trike, though older folks are definitely a major part of the electric trike market.
I’ll be tuning in for more details and following this Lectric XP Trike launch very closely.
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No matter how badly a fleet wants to electrify their operations and take advantage of reduced fuel costs and TCO, the fact remains that there are substantial up-front obstacles to commercial EV adoption … or are there? We’ve got fleet financing expert Guy O’Brien here to help walk us through it on today’s fiscally responsible episode of Quick Charge!
This conversation was motivated by the recent uncertainty surrounding EVs and EV infrastructure at the Federal level, and how that turmoil is leading some to believe they should wait to electrify. The truth? There’s never been a better time to make the switch!
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Vermont’s EV adoption has surged by an impressive 41% over the past year, with nearly 18,000 EVs now registered statewide.
According to data from Drive Electric Vermont and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, 17,939 EVs were registered as of January 2025, increasing by 5,185 vehicles. Notably, over 12% of all new cars registered last year in Vermont had a plug. Additionally, used EVs are gaining popularity, accounting for about 15% of new EV registrations.
To put it in perspective, Vermont took six years to register its first 5,000 EVs – and the last 5,000 were added in just the previous year.
Rapid growth, expanding infrastructure
In just two years, Vermont has doubled its fleet of EVs, underscoring residents’ enthusiasm for electric driving. To support this surge, the state now boasts 459 public EV chargers, including 92 DC fast chargers.
The EV mix in Vermont is leaning increasingly toward BEVs, which represent 60% of the state’s EV fleet. The remaining 40% consists of PHEVs, offering flexible fuel options for drivers.
Top EV models in Vermont
Vermont’s favorite EVs in late 2024 included the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Nissan Ariya, Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV, Tesla Model Y, and the Ford F-150 Lightning. These vehicles have appealed to Vermont drivers looking for reliability, performance, and practical features that work well in Vermont’s climate.
Leading the US in reducing emissions
This strong adoption of EVs earned Vermont the top ranking from the Natural Resources Defense Council for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transportation in 2023. “It’s only getting easier for Vermonters to drive electric,” noted Michele Boomhower, Vermont’s Department of Transportation director. She emphasized the growing variety of EV models, including electric trucks and SUVs with essential features like all-wheel drive, crucial for Vermont’s climate and terrain.
Local dealerships boost EV accessibility
Nucar Automall, an auto dealer in St. Albans, is a great example of local support driving this trend. With help from Efficiency Vermont’s EV dealer incentives – receiving $25,000 through the EV Readiness Incentive program – it recently installed 15 EV chargers for new buyers and existing drivers to use.
“Having these chargers on the lot makes it easier for customers to see just how simple charging an EV can be,” said Ryan Ortiz, general manager at Nucar Automall. Ortiz also pointed out the growing affordability of EVs, thanks to more models becoming available and an increase in pre-owned EVs coming off leases.
Read more: Vermont becomes the first US state to pass a law requiring Big Oil to pay for climate damage
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Elon Musk said Tesla’s self-driving will start contributing to the company’s profits… wait for it… “next year” with “millions of Tesla robotaxis in operation during the second half of the year.”
The claim has become a running joke, as he has made it for the last decade.
During Tesla’s conference call following the release of its Q1 2025 financial results, Musk updated shareholders about Tesla’s self-driving plans, which he again presented as critical to the company’s future.
He made a series of claims, mainly updating timelines about Tesla’s self-driving efforts.
Here are the main comments:
- The CEO reiterated that Tesla will launch its paid autonomous ride-sharing service in Austin in June.
- He did clarify that the fleet will consist of Model Y vehicles and not the new Cybercab.
- Musk also confirmed that Tesla is currently training a fleet specifically for Austin.
- As we previously reported, this internal ride-hailing fleet operating in a geo-fenced with teleoperation assist is a big change from Tesla’s approach.
- Musk said “10 to 20 vehicles” on day one.
- Musk said that Tesla’s self-driving will start contributing positively to the company financially in the middle of next year, and “There will be millions of Teslas operating autonomously in the second half of next year.”
- Musk has literally said something similar every year for the past decade and therefore, it’s hard to take him seriously.
- The CEO claimed that Tesla would get “a 90-something percentage market share” in the autonomous market.
- Musk again claimed that no one else is getting close to Tesla’s capacity, and he criticized Waymo for being too expensive.
- Musk is “confident” that the first Model Y will drive itself from the factory to a customer’s home later this year.
- The CEO said that he is confident that Tesla will deliver “unsupervised full self-driving” in consumer vehicles by the end of the year.
Despite Tesla missing earnings expectations by a wide margin, the company’s stock rose 4% in after-hours trading following Musk’s comments, indicating that shareholders still believe Musk’s self-driving predictions, despite his predictions having been incorrect for almost a decade.
Electrek’s Take
The first point I believe will happen. Tesla needs it to happen. It badly needs a win on the self-driving front.
However, as we previously explained, while Tesla will claim a win in June, it will be with a limited geo-fenced and teleoperation-assisted system that won’t scale to customer vehicles, which is what has been promised for years.
Tesla was even asked how it plans to launch this in Austin in June, when FSD in consumer vehicles currently requires frequent interventions from drivers, and Ashok, Tesla’s head of autonomous driving, admitted his team is currently focused on solving the intervention specifically related to driving in Austin.
With training on specific Austin routes and using teleoperations, Tesla can make that happen, but the road between that and unsupervised self-driving in consumer vehicles and “million of Tesla robotaxis” in the second of next year is a long one.
Basically, other than the first point, I believe Tesla will not achieve any of the other on anything close to the timelines announced by Musk today.
I’m willing to take bets on that.
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