Velotric Nomad 1 review: A UL-listed fat tire electric bike for dirty adventures
The first thing I noticed about the Velotric Nomad 1 was the screaming yellow color (technically called “Mango”). But the second thing, and perhaps more important, was just how much fun the bike is to take off-road where the asphalt ends and the adventures begin.
Technically there are several nice colors, but I instantly fell in love with this bright Mango colorway that feels both fun and like a nod towards safety via high-visibility. But of course an e-bike is more about performance than looks, so let’s dig into just how well this e-bike works.
Take a gander at my video review below if you want to see it in action, or keep on reading for my complete thoughts.
Velotric Nomad 1 Video Review
Veloric Nomad 1 tech specs
- Motor: 750 W continuous-rated rear geared hub motor (1,200W peak)
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle and pedal assist
- Range: Up to 55 mi (88 km)
- Battery: 48V 14.4Ah (691 Wh) frame-integrated, removable
- Charge time: 6 hours
- Max load: 440 lb (200 kg)
- Weight: 73 lb (33 kg)
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes, 180 mm rotors
- Extras: Backlit LCD display with speedometer, tripmeter/odometer, battery gauge, PAS level indicator, left side thumb throttle, included front and rear fenders, optional rear rack, integrated headlight and tail lights, kickstand
Safety meets performance
First of all, let’s talk safety. The Velotric Nomad 1 has UL certification for both the bike itself and the battery.
That not only provides extra peace of mind for owners, but also is an increasingly important consideration as more areas consider bans on e-bike sales for non UL-certified models.
And like I mentioned above, while there are many other attractive color options, the bright yellow paint job makes the bike harder to ignore by drivers. Combined with front and rear LED lighting, that’s another key factor in safety and visibility.
But beyond mere appearances, let’s talk shop. With 1,200W of peak power and a set of fat tires, this e-bike is built to take it to the dirt just as well as it can handle commuting on the streets.
There’s nothing terribly special about the tires, they’re commonly available CST BFT 26 x 4.0 fat tires. But they certainly get the job done, as I experience on a combination of sand and dirt, as well as some fun excursions on mulched nature trails.
I also really like the included fenders for keeping all that sand, dirt, and mulch off of my back and the front of my jeans, which isn’t always a given in off-road e-bikes. But since the Velotric is one of those world-colliding e-bikes designed for the tarmac and the turf, the fenders are a nice touch. And they aren’t cheap dinky fenders either, like many fat tire e-bikes unfortunately use. These are well supported fenders that do their job without flopping around.
As usual, I’m guilty of using too much throttle when I get off-road, as it is hard to resist treating the Nomad 1 like a dirt bike and throttling over little hops and bumps.
The 750W rear hub motor is happy to dish out that power all day, and the siren’s call of that thumb throttle is like music to my ears. The left side thumb throttle setup has never been my favorite, as I’m more of a half-twist right side throttle man myself. But when in Rome, I can make do.
Despite enjoying throttle riding a bit too much, I always try to get in some good pedal assist testing as well. Without a torque sensor, the Nomad 1 has to rely on a more basic cadence sensor for pedal assist. It seems to work fine, minus the telltale lag when you try to get rolling. It’s especially important to remember to downshift before stops when you only have a cadence sensor, as getting rolling in high gear with fat tires while you wait for the electric assist to kick in is a real doozy.
So I’ll ding the Nomad 1 there, as I have to for any cadence sensor-based pedal assist e-bike. Torque sensors are just so much nicer, and I miss them when they aren’t there.
But the lack of a torque sensor surely helped Velotric bring the Nomad 1 in at a reasonable price, which is currently the sale price of $1,499.
That’s an attractive price for a UL-listed fat tire e-bike with 1,200W of power and a set of nice features like front suspension, grippy hydraulic disc brakes, 8-speed Shimano transmission, full fender set, LED lighting, and a large nearly 700 Wh battery.
One more addition that I would have loved to see would be a rear rack included as standard equipment, but you can always add that $69 component yourself if you need the storage. Mounts for a front rack seen on either side of the head tube imply that you could almost turn this thing into a cargo bike if you needed to.
But to me, I still think the Velotric Nomad 1 finds it true home in the overlap between commuter and adventure bike. Most people aren’t like me with a storage room full of e-bikes. Most people have to settle on a single model, and so to have a bike that feels good in the bike lane yet can still handle a fun trail ride is a major advantage, and that’s exactly what the Nomad 1 seems to offer.
This isn’t a high-end electric bike, don’t make any mistake. You’ll find much higher quality with bike shop bikes like a Trek, Specialized, or other several thousand dollar e-bikes. But at under $1,500 for a great performing e-bike, I’d say this is more than fair. Bigger names will charge you more for less bike, and they don’t even come with the safety certification of the Nomad 1.
So to wrap this review up in a sentence, I’d say the Velotric Nomad 1 is a great budget offering that can get you out on a safe, fun adventure (or a normal boring cruise to the coffee shop) without breaking the bank.
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After a month off trying to wrap our heads around all the chaos surrounding EVs, solar, and everything else in Washington, we’re back with the biggest EV news stories of the day from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, and everyone else on today’s hiatus-busting episode of Quick Charge!
It just gets worse and worse for the Tesla true believers – especially those willing to put their money where Elon’s mouth is! One believer is set to lose nearly $50,000 betting on Tesla’s ability to deliver a Robotaxi service by the end of June (didn’t happen), and the controversial CEO’s most recent spat with President Trump had TSLA down nearly 5% in pre-morning trading.
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Hyundai is getting ready to shake things up. A new electric crossover SUV, likely the Hyundai IONIQ 2, is set to debut in the coming months. It will sit below the Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its entry-level EV lineup.
Is Hyundai launching the IONIQ 2 in 2026?
After launching the Inster late last year, Hyundai is already preparing to introduce a new entry-level EV in Europe.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Europe, confirmed that the new EV will be revealed “in the next few months.” It will be built in Europe and scheduled to go on sale in mid-2026.
Hyundai’s new electric crossover is expected to be a twin to the Kia EV2, which will likely arrive just ahead of it next year.
It will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform, which powers all IONIQ and Kia EV models (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9).
Like the Kia EV3, it will likely be available with either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery pack option. The former provides a WLTP range of 267 miles while the latter is rated with up to 372 miles. All trims are powered by a single electric motor at the front, producing 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque.
Although it may share the same underpinnings as the EV2, Hyundai’s new entry-level EV will feature an advanced new software and infotainment system.
According to Autocar, the interior will represent a “step change” in terms of usability and features. The new system enables new functions, such as ambient lighting and sounds that adjust depending on the drive mode.
It’s expected to showcase Hyundai’s powerful new Pleos software and infotainment system. As an end-to-end software platform, Pleos connects everything from the infotainment system (Pleos Connect) to the Vehicle Operating System (OS) and the cloud.
Pleos is set to power Hyundai’s upcoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with new features like autonomous driving and real-time data analysis.
As an Android-based system, Pleos Connect features a “smartphone-like UI” with new functions including multi-window viewing and an AI voice assistant.
The new electric crossover is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,400), or slightly less than the Kia EV3, priced from €35,990 ($42,500). It will sit between the Inster and Kona Electric in Hyundai’s lineup.
Hyundai said that it would launch the first EV with its next-gen infotainment system in Q2 2026. Will it be the IONIQ 2? Hyundai is expected to unveil the new entry-level EV at IAA Mobility in September. Stay tuned for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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Tesla has unveiled its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cell factory in Nevada and claims that it is nearly ready to start production.
Like several other automakers using LFP cells, Tesla relies heavily on Chinese manufacturers for its battery cell supply.
Tesla’s cheapest electric vehicles all utilize LFP cells, and its entire range of energy storage products, Megapacks and Powerwalls, also employ the more affordable LFP cell chemistry from Chinese manufacturers.
This reliance on Chinese manufacturers is less than ideal and particularly complicated for US automakers and battery pack manufacturers like Tesla, amid an ongoing trade war between the US and virtually the entire world, including China.
As of last year, a 25% tariff already applied to battery cells from China, but this increased to more than 80% under Trump before he paused some tariffs on China. It remains unclear where they will end up by the time negotiations are complete and the trade war is resolved, but many expect it to be higher.
Prior to Trump taking power, Tesla had already planned to build a small LFP battery factory in the US to avoid the 25% tariffs.
The automaker had secured older manufacturing equipment from one of its battery cell suppliers, CATL, and planned to deploy it in the US for small-scale production.
Tesla has now released new images of the factory in Nevada and claimed that it is “nearing completion”:
Here are a few images from inside the factory (via Tesla):
Previous reporting stated that Tesla aims to produce about 10 GWh of LFP battery cells per year at the new factory.
The cells are expected to be used in Tesla’s Megapack, produced in the US. Tesla currently has a capacity to produce 40 GWh of Megapacks annually at its factory in California. The company is also working on a new Megapack factory in Texas.
Ford is also developing its own LFP battery cell factory in Michigan, but this facility is significantly larger, with a planned production capacity of 35 GWh.
Electrek’s Take
It’s nice to see this in the US. LFP was a US/Canada invention, with Arumugam Manthiram and John B. Goodenough doing much of the early work, and researchers in Quebec making several contributions to help with commercialization.
But China saw the potential early and invested heavily in volume manufacturing of LFP cells and it now dominates the market.
Tesla is now producing most of its vehicles with LFP cells and all its stationary energy storage products.
It makes sense to invest in your own production. However, Tesla is unlikely to catch up to BYD and CATL, which dominate LFP cell production.
The move will help Tesla avoid tariffs on a small percentage of its Megapacks produced in the US. Ford’s effort is more ambitious.
It’s worth noting that both Ford’s and Tesla’s LFP plants were planned before Trump’s tariffs, which have had limited success in bringing manufacturing back to the US.
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