Electric Bikes | The Verge

Can ‘eSUV’ e-bikes really go from trail to town?

2026-09-26T04:27:45-04:00

Have you ever wanted an electric bike that easily transitions from the drudgery of urban asphalt to adventures in gravel and dirt? That's what a subclass of so-called "electric SUV" (eSUV) e-bikes claims to do, with their wide, all-terrain tires and front and rear suspension, plus practical accessories like fenders and racks.

So, that's what I set out to test on a new TL Carbon e-bike from Amflow, the DJI offshoot that upended the mountain bike industry a few years ago with its incredibly small and powerful Avinox motors.

After a month of testing in the heart of Amsterdam - including a three day bikepacking trip along coastal bicycle super …

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Rivian spinout Also apologizes for delays in shipping futuristic e-bikes

2026-09-08T20:40:22-04:00

Rivian's futuristic e-bike is delayed, and customers are not happy.

Last year, Rivian's micromobility spinoff Also unveiled a new, software-controlled electric bike called the TM-B that immediately set the e-bike world ablaze. With USB-C chargeable battery, removable seat post, and software-controlled pedal-by-wire system, the TM-B set itself apart with a totally unique approach to electric bicycle design. It's not an exaggeration to say that nothing else looked like this bike.

But that list of high-tech features is creating unexpected bottlenecks for Also's product team. The company had originally said customer deliveries would start in …

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Fine, electric mountain bikes don’t suck

2026-07-17T10:46:45-04:00

You don’t need a $10,000 Amflow PX Carbon Pro, but it doesn’t hurt. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

Cheater, I'd grumble between huffs as yet another e-bike rider casually skittered past me on a steep ascent. It's this purist attitude that, for years, has left me blind to one simple fact: electric mountain bikes are fun!

My attitude adjustment came a few weeks ago, the very first time I rode an Amflow PX Carbon Pro fitted with the incredibly compact, lightweight, and powerful M2S motor from Avinox, a new DJI offshoot that has incumbents like Bosch and Specialized on edge. The motor doesn't make me a speed demon, but it does let me suck better by compensating whenever my poor technique kills the momentum.

Mountain biking has a long histor …

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This motor could be the future of e-bikes

2026-06-30T11:43:24-04:00

The Avinox MG Concept MGU coming next year. | Image: Avinox, The Verge

Imagine an e-bike motor that lets you select your preferred pedaling cadence and then automatically adjusts the gears to keep your legs spinning at that exact speed, no matter how steep the hill gets - all without a fragile derailleur or heavy multi-speed cassette to maintain. Prefer manual control? No problem, you can have as many gears as you like in whatever ratio makes you feel most connected to the terrain. That's the e-bike motor announced last week at the big Eurobike trade show in Frankfurt, by not just one company, but two.

Pictured above is the MG Concept. It's a Motor Gearbox Unit, or MGU, from Avinox, the DJI spinoff that's upe …

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TMD’s keyless bike lock is a $280 solution to a $60 problem

2026-06-29T00:50:25-04:00

A $280 bike lock on a $10,000 e-bike.

I've seen lots of so-called "smart" bike locks over the years, but none so far could justify the added cost. A newcomer that got its start securing ATMs for banks is trying to change that. There's nothing wholly unique about the TMD Chain Lock, but the combination of materials, performance, and insurance-friendly ART-2 certification makes it worth considering.

TMD's first bicycle lock combines a Bluetooth proximity sensor and motion alarm with a slender core of hardened steel chain wrapped in a soft and lightweight sleeve of high performance Dyneema and Kevlar fibers. That makes this lock tough, yet flexible enough to conveniently wrap arou …

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Is this solar e-bike a good idea or sophisticated e-waste?

2026-06-25T03:28:59-04:00

Tempting, isn’t it? | Image: Phosgo

I like the idea of a solar-powered electric bike, but I don't think anyone should buy the new Phosgo Go5 - not yet, anyway. This "world's first AI solar e-bike" promises to "eliminate range anxiety," and is sold by a new brand out of China hoping to make a big splash by selling direct-to-consumer through a global crowdfunding campaign. So many red flags here.

According to a media kit the company sent me from a generic gmail.com address, Phosgo is a joint venture between Jiaxing Dazhe Solar Energy and Shenzhen Honglianda Technology. Dazhe provides the flexible solar technology pioneered by someone identified only as "Dr. Li," while Hongliand …

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Amflow’s TL e-bike is ready for baby’s first mountain adventure

2026-06-23T06:08:07-04:00

A family “eSUV” designed to be fun and practical. | Image: Amflow

Amflow, the e-bike brand spun out of DJI, just announced its TL Carbon, a do-it-all "eSUV" suitable for both bikepacking adventures and dropping the kid at daycare on your cycle to work.

The TL Carbon is built around Amflow's incredibly compact yet powerful Avinox M2 mid-drive motor. The all-terrain e-bike offers 125Nm of hill-flattening torque and up to 1100W of peak output. It supports up to 1280Wh of battery capacity when its 800Wh removable battery is paired with a 480Wh extender. You can even opt for a hub that charges up to four batteries sequentially.

This sport-tourer comes standard with mudguards, integrated lights, and a rear rac …

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Solid-state batteries still aren’t ready, but gels are

2026-06-14T01:48:21-04:00

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on e-bikes, power stations, and how to work anywhere, follow Thomas Ricker. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.

How it started

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere as we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, and that's a problem. From exploding e-bikes in stairwells to lithium-ion power banks combusting midflight, the volatile nature of traditional liquid electrolytes has become an undeniable public safety hazard.

In 2025, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) i …

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The Cybertruck of e-bikes is here to replace your car

2026-04-20T12:36:55-04:00

The Olto truly rules the bike lane. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge

It was at about 36 miles per hour that I decided the Infinite Machine Olto is not a bike. Sure, it has pedals, you don't need a license to ride it in most (but not all!) places in the US, and the folks at Infinite Machine assured me it is allowed in the bike lane. But I've never used the pedals. Why would I? This thing weighs a whopping 175 pounds, and even with some motorized assistance it's like pedaling a rock uphill. Also, everyone gives me dirty looks when I pass them in the bike lane. The real giveaway, though, was the first time I twisted the throttle and passed a car on a city street. They were going maybe 30 in a 25. I probably shou …

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Amflow’s latest e-bikes with Avinox motors raise the bar again

2026-04-09T07:05:08-04:00

150Nm of raw climbing assist. | Image: Amflow

Amflow, the e-bike brand spun out of DJI, is back with two impressive electric mountain bike ranges built around its incredibly dense Avinox motors. The e-MTBs aim to break the traditional tradeoff between power, range, and weight.

Even better, if Amflow's bikes don't appeal to you then over 60 other e-bike makers have adopted Avinox drive systems, including Canyon, Mondraker, and Pivot. That should give you ample choice and puts competitors like Bosch firmly on notice.

The flagship Amflow PX (weighing around 20kg / 44lbs) and the Amflow PR (weighing around 22kg / 49lbs) are powered by Avinox's new M2S and M2 drive systems, delivering up t …

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