![]() ![]() ![]() First, yes, you have mirrors and a turn signal, plus a very bright LED headlamp with a high-beam light. Photograph by Michael Frankĭuring riding there are some distinctions to adjust to if you’re either used to a conventional gas moto or an e-bike. The Special Edition gets some extras that the other bikes don’t have, such as a Peak Design phone mount that lets you see more metrics that aren’t visible from the gauge cluster, and it has a 30-liter rear storage bag as well as a very handy 12-liter central frame cavity that’s ideal for stowing takeout or your gym bag.Ī Special Edition-only phone mount gives riders even more information. Pair the UBCO app to enable a bunch of mode settings, such as how much regenerative braking you want (which feeds back into the battery), hit the red start button, twist the throttle, and go. The suspension has preload adjustment so that you can dial in how much it sags under rider weight or payload since total capacity is 330 pounds. Cargo E-Bike BasicsĪs for use, the UBCO is very easy to get comfortable with. Of course, I tested the premium $6,499 2x2 Special Edition, which gets a larger, 3.1 KWh that, in theory, delivers up to 75 miles of range. That’s more expensive than lots of e-bikes but not crazily priced. Step up to the $4,499 version with that same battery and it comes with turn signals and mirrors, making it street-legal. Starting with cost, you can score a stripped-down UBCO for $3,499, but that version comes with a shorter-range battery of 2.1 KWh. Or, more to the point, why not get the UBCO? It ticks most of the above boxes. Sure, the $11,470 Osa can hit 56 mph, but at that point just go get the Zero. I’ve tested the least expensive Cake, the Makka, and although it ticks the semi-affordable box at $4,170, unfortunately, it has too little power to achieve its claimed top speed of 28 mph. Then there’s Sweden’s Cake, winner of lots of Red Dot awards and so on, but with lots of drawbacks. Yes, Zero was first in the e-moto space and makes full-on electric motorcycles, and even though it’s recently introduced some cheaper models, they’re still cresting $12,500. UBCO, which stands for Utility Bike Company, is a New Zealand outfit that builds its e-scooter-ish devices to fit a lot of those priorities, specifically on cost. Maybe it can double as a dirt road escape pod, especially if you live where that’s not too far from home. Can keep up with traffic, and has cargo-hauling capacity for groceries and so on.ĭ. It can go at least 40 miles without needing a charge.Ĭ. ( The kind that catches on fire will run you $800 and ruin your life.)ī. ![]() The median for decent e-bikes ranges around $3,000 to $4,500. UBCO’s 2x2 Special Edition bike is a solid mix between utility and recreation. So, probably an electric scooter would be pretty nifty, if… And if you live in the boonies, charging infrastructure is weak sauce, to say the least. Also, there are the parking and plugging concerns that don’t fit your life - especially if you live in a city without a garage or other storage. If you’re a tech-savvy, planet-health-concerned person you’d probably like to own an electric car, but those are really expensive. So what about you and your dreams of participating in personal mobility of the electrified variety? As a result, you’re going to see Amazon and UPS and many other tech giants experiment further, because smaller, more nimble, and zero-emissions vehicles are simply cheaper and easier to maintain on a fleet basis and far easier to park without getting ticketed. In lots of cities, delivery companies are carrying your groceries and hauling your meals on two wheels and they depend on this mode of transit and so do scads of consumers. Why don’t they regulate? In short: the economy. The e-bike “revolution” has cooled off, in part due to fears of battery fires and towns and cities perplexed by how to regulate the increasing crop of half-bike, half-motorcycles that, a few decades ago in the U.S., would’ve required a moped registration. ![]()
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