CSC E-RT3 launched as 75 mph seated electric scooter for under $7k
CSC Motorcycles, the southern California motorcycle and scooter (and e-bike) dealer known for its modestly-priced two-wheelers, has just unveiled yet another interesting electric scooter. The CSC E-RT3 comes with highway-capable specs yet at a fraction of the competition’s cost.
The new launch follows on the heels of the recent CSC ES5 unveiling. That electric scooter is designed for city commuting and offers a top speed of up to 52 mph (83 km/h).
The CSC E-RT3, which comes just a couple weeks after it’s smaller cousin, bumps that speed up by nearly 50%. With a peak of 75 mph (120 km/h), it should be plenty fast to get riders onto any highway in the country.
The bike features a mid-mounted motor with a belt drive output. It offers 8 kW (10.7 hp) of continuous power yet has a peak power rating of 17 kW (22.8 hp). The peak power is the true power pulled during acceleration, hill climbing, and other high load scenarios.
That power is supplied by a built-in 72V and 96Ah automotive grade lithium battery with 6.9 kWh of capacity. At a modest speed of 32 mph (50 km/h), the bike is rated for a maximum range of 124 miles (200 km). At the actual speeds you’ll be riding it, though, expect reduced range in the mid to high double digits.
An included 3.3 kW fast charger can fill the battery from 30-80% in just 70 minutes, or give a full charge in less than three hours.
The 456 lb (206 kg) CSC E-RT3 rolls on a 15″ wheel in front and 14″ wheel in the rear. Front and rear hydraulic disc brakes use Bosch’s dual channel ABS and a combined braking system for safety. Other features include a TFT display instrument panel, tire pressure monitoring, large windscreen, keyless start, electronic release seat cushion over storage area, USB charger, integrated speaker for music, reverse gear, cruise control, backlit switches, aluminum alloy rear rack, and elevated pillion seat for your riding partner in life.
The MSRP of US $7,299 is reduced to just $6,999 during the current pre-order period, though there are extra dealer fees to the tune of $410 that include inspection, paperwork for registering, etc.
Riders wishing to grab one of the first bikes can put down a fully-refundable $300 deposit ahead of estimated shipping in October or November of this year.
The CSC E-RT3 is a large scooter that pushes the brand into maxiscooter territory. The bike’s closest competitor in terms of performance is likely to be the BMW CE04. While that scooter has a serious design edge, the performance is surprisingly comparable.
The BMW CE04 is priced at closer to US $13,000, yet offers the same 75 mph (120 km/h) top speed and many of the same features such as tire pressure monitoring, combined braking system, keyless start, USB charging, etc. Sure, it has a USB-C charger instead of USB-A and a fancier 10″ screen, but it also weighs a whopping 509 lb (231 kg).
It does have a 20% larger battery, though it still claims a similar range, perhaps due to having nearly twice the power (and thus drains its larger battery more quickly). So while BMW’s electric scooter will look nicer and be quicker off the line, the rest of the performance is nearly identical. Fit and finish likely won’t be comparable, but saving $6,000 might be worth the tradeoff for many riders.
Electrek’s Take
Technically speaking, CSC rates the E-RT3 with a top speed of 74 mph. But I think that’s because they’re taking the 120 km/h rating, which equates to 74.56 mph, and rounding down. Ugh, that’s just like CSC… underpromising and overdelivering.
But hey, 74 mph is still fine by me. It may not be enough to overtake on the highway, but it’s sufficient to feel like you still belong there. And in practice, most people are probably going to use this as a commuter bike for a mostly urban/suburban riding combined with shorts jaunts on the highway between suburbia and, well, urbia? It’s just that compared to something like the CSC ES5 with its 52 mph top speed, the 74 mph to speed of the E-RT3 actually allows you to take faster roads and not feel like you’re being squeezed into the right shoulder.
It can’t compete with BMW’s pizzazz or design chops, but at a nearly 50% lower price tag than the BMW CE04, it doesn’t need to. Companies like BMW can still tout a much larger dealership presence for support and servicing, but CSC counters with a massive warehouse of spare parts in LA that they can get out to you in 48 hours, meaning that the occasional servicing still comes with fairly local support. Electric motorcycles also need less servicing to begin with, but the company is there when you need them. I had a CSC City Slicker back in 2019 that eventually needed a new rear pulley due to a wearing bearing. They sent me the part and the lead mechanic walked me through the process of swapping it out over the phone. Sure, I could have taken it to a motorcycle shop, too, but doing it myself in my apartment building’s parking garage also helped me better understand the bike and how it worked. Plus, I looked like a badass in front of the girls in my building.
So while the CSC E-RT3 isn’t as flashy as competitors like BMW, they offer good products and support, meaning this is going to be a very interesting new option in the market.
For those that want to go even faster though (or want something a little more impressive looking when rolling up at the bar), I’m currently testing out an 80 mph (130 km/h) CSC RX1E electric motorcycle for a full review coming soon. Here’s a teaser image below.
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Environment
Tesla (TSLA) board fully loses its mind and offers Elon Musk a pay package worth up to $1 trillion
Tesla’s board, which has already compensated CEO Elon Musk more than the company earned through its entire existence, is now offering a new pay package worth up to $1 trillion.
Today, Tesla filed its proxy statement ahead of its shareholders’ meeting in November, and there’s a lot in there, but the headline-stealing item is a new compensation plan being proposed for the company’s controversial CEO, Elon Musk.
Musk saw his previous compensation plan, worth $55 billion, the biggest ever for a CEO, rescinded by a judge who found Musk to have negotiated, or more accurately, not negotiated, against a board under his control.
To compensate him, the board gave Musk a pay package worth $26 billion last month and said that a bigger, longer-term package would also be submitted for shareholders’ approval soon.
Now, Tesla has submitted the new compensation package for shareholders’ approval, and in short, it would give Musk, who is already Tesla’s largest shareholder, about $1 trillion more in stock options.
To receive the grant, Tesla would need to increase its market cap to roughly $8.5 trillion and achieve some milestones, such as putting 1 million Robotaxis into operation and delivering over 1 million robots.
Tesla board members Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson wrote in a letter to shareholders:
We’re asking you to approve the 2025 CEO Performance Award. In designing the new performance award, we explored numerous alternatives. Ultimately, the new award aims to build upon the success of the 2018 CEO Performance Award framework, which ensured that Elon was only paid for performance delivered and incentivized to guide Tesla through a period of meteoric growth. The 2025 CEO Performance Award similarly challenges Elon to again meet a series of even more aspirational goals, including operational milestones focused on reaching Adjusted EBITDA targets (thresholds that are up to 28 times higher than the 2018 CEO Performance Award’s top Adjusted EBITDA milestone) and rolling out new or expanded product offerings (including 1 million Robotaxis in commercial operation and delivery of 1 million AI Bots), all while growing the company’s market capitalization by trillions of dollars.
Tesla’s shareholders meeting is going to be held on November 6, 2025.
Electrek’s Take
Musk is already the person who benefits the most from Tesla’s stock by a long shot. He would be benefiting even more if he hadn’t sold tens of billions worth of stock to buy an overpriced Twitter, but that was his own decision.
Now, he managed to convince the board, which is obviously still fully under his control, to give him a new pay package worth up to $1 trillion, as Tesla’s sales have been going down two years in a row and earnings are in a steady decline for coming up on 3 years in a row now.
The craziest thing is that Tesla shareholders are going to happily give him the money and hope that he can pump Tesla’s stock enough to get paid.
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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 Tesla Master Plan Part 4, a new affordable EV from VW, wireless EV charging, and more.
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We are finally getting our first look at the future of BMW. The iX3 is “a massive leap” from BMW’s current vehicles with nearly 500 miles of range, ultra-fast charging, and the brand’s advanced new tech. And that’s just the start. The BMW iX3 kicks off a new era for the German luxury brand.
BMW unveils the iX3 with 500 miles range, fast charging
BMW promised the iX3 would be “the benchmark of the industry,” and it wasn’t kidding. The stylish new electric SUV made its world debut at the Munich Motor Show on Friday as the first of BMW’s Neue Klasse models.
After unveiling the new electric SUV for the first time, CEO Oliver Zipse called it a “one-in-a-lifetime moment” and the start of a new era for BMW.
The iX3 is the first of an entirely new generation of BMW vehicles, created from the ground up. BMW “skipped an entire generation” when it comes to design, Zipse said, adding it’s still “more BMW than ever.”
To maximize range, BMW gave it a clean, aerodynamic design with very few lines. One of the first things you’ll notice is the re-imaged front end. The new face is centered around an updated vertically oriented kidney grille, which is designed to match the more upright vehicle design.
As the first vehicle powered by its new Gen6 platform, the iX3 is “a massive leap” from current BMW models in terms of range, charging, efficiency, and more. It’s also BMW’s first EV with bidirectional charging.
The BMW iX3 offers an impressive WLTP range of up to nearly 500 miles (800 km). On the EPA scale, it’s expected to deliver around 400 miles of range.
Based on an 800V architecture, the BMW iX3 can deliver charging speeds of up to 400 kW. According to BMW, that means it can add over 230 miles (370 km) in just 10 minutes.
Updated interior powered by super-brains
The interior is just as impressive with an updated minimalist design. A massive 17.9″ infotainment, powered by its new Operating System X, sits at the center.
It’s also the first BMW model to debut with its new Panoramic iDrive system. The new system “offers a whole new driving experience” and will be used in all upcoming BMW vehicles.
BMW’s new infotainment is powered by “genuine super-brains,” or four advanced computers that can process data about 20 times faster than the systems found in current vehicles.
Measuring 4,782 mm in length, 1,895 mm in width, and 1,635 mm in height, the BMW iX3 is about the same size as the Porsche Macan Electric (see our review).
BMW will begin iX3 production later this year at its new plant in Debrecen. Deliveries are scheduled to start in Europe in early 2026, followed by the US in the summer. BMW will build a special variant for China, which will be produced at its Shenyang plant.
It will initially launch as the BMW iX3 50 xDrive. In Germany, it’s already listed on BMW’s website with prices starting at €68,900 ($81,000).
In the US, the new BMW iX3 will be available in summer of 2026, starting at around $60,000 with an estimated range of around 400 miles. In early 2027, BMW will launch the iX3 40 sDrive and iX3 40 xDrive. BMW said prices will start at under $55,000 with slightly over 300 miles range.
Starting next year, BMW said every vehicle will be all-new. The new iX3 will be the first of 40 new or updated BMW vehicles by 2027.
What do you think of the all-new BMW design? Are you a fan? Drop us a comment and let us know your thoughts.
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