As part of the buildup to our Electric Revolution Live event in May 2022 (a follow-up of our Electric Revolution exhibit at the Petersen Museum), we are ramping up reportage on the EV scene via The Current.  It’s an ever-evolving, even frantic, landscape of electric vehicles, and it can be tough to keep abreast of all the latest bikes, batteries, and news constantly flooding the market. That’s why we’ve re-launched our weekly EV News Roundup to bring you cherry-picked stories that matter to you.  

Hello dear readers and riders! At the time of writing this article, it’s currently 70 degrees in the Northeast. This is the honeymoon phase of global warming when we’re all excited to take a long ride in the middle of winter. So, try to enjoy it while it lasts.

This week’s EV roundup boasts exciting new drops, fresh funds, and some surprising potential drops (and increases) in prices from the brands we love.

Let’s roll.

Rad Releases

The Stillride e-scooter is a sculptural statement, and explores possible paths for EV design [Stillride]
  • Swedish startup STILLRIDE dropped an exciting origami-inspired e-Scooter that is crafted out of folded sheets of metal. The company aims to revolutionize the manufacturing of light EVs through its LIGHT.FOLD robotic origami process, enabling automation of the bending of steel metal sheets. STILLRIDE predicts that this innovative tech will cut back on hardware by 20-50% and 25-45% on labor costs.
The Pave lightweight e-bi/cycle enters the hottest e-bike market: small urban runabouts. [Pave Motors]
  • Pave Motors, a Brooklyn startup founded by two brothers that make an EV “fusion bike and motorcycle,” recently released its Pave 1 e-Motorbike. The bike weighs about 99lb and can reach up to 30mph and had a range of 50 to 60 miles. A 50.4V 39Ah lithium-ion battery powers the bike and can be fully charged in just three hours. The real nifty thing about this bike is that it’s connected to a blockchain. When purchased, you’ll get a non-fungible token that is basically a private key to unlock the bike via the Pave+App.
Stark Future made a big splash this week all over social media with a slew of short films featuring their new design, an 80hp dirt bike. [Stark Future]
  • Stark Future, a Swedish electric dirt bike company, just shook up the industry with the unveiling of its cutting-edge electric dirt bike. Featuring extreme power and torque, this EV can leave gas-powered machines in the dust. Its 80hp electric motor can produce a solid 20 more ponies than most 450cc dirt bikes currently available on the market. Best of all, the bike also supports up to 100 customizable profiles ranging from 125cc two-stroke power belts up to 650cc four-stroke monsters.

As H-D’s Prices Drop, Rad Power’s Go Up

The Livewire is getting platform changes that will lower prices, which will surely be welcome news for fans of the brand. [Livewire]
Harley-Davidson’s new middleweight e-Motorcycle LiveWire platform might finally drop its prices. The manufacturer’s second go-around at an e-Motorcycle platform pushes its tech further with a new middleweight design that won’t break the bank. The major difference between the new Arrow platform and the original one is that the battery pack isn’t housed in the frame but rather is a structural component of the bike to which the motor, steering head tube, swingarm, control electronics, and other key components bolt seamlessly onto. This new platform can be used to create numerous models.

The Rad Power Bikes lineup: headed for a price rise in 2022. [Rad Power]
On the other side of the price spectrum, Rad Power Bikes sent an email out this week notifying customers that the company will increase its prices across all lines of e-Bikes starting at the end of the year. The email stated,

“Over the past 18 months we’ve taken creative steps to weather the global supply chain crisis. Nevertheless, these challenges have made it much more expensive to build and ship our electric bikes and accessories. In light of this, we’ve made the tough decision to raise prices across the Rad lineup beginning December 29th, 2021. 

These new prices will enable us to continue our commitment to only delivering high-quality and innovative products — plus, with flexible financing options, free shipping, and our direct to consumer business model, Rad Power Bikes will remain one of the most cost-effective ways to get around.”

 

Fresh Funds

Candela is an EV company on the water: in this case, a water taxi design. [Candela]
        1. Candela,

      an electric hydro-foiling boat developer, raised $24 million to accelerate production of its existing small crafts and a larger commercial boat.  The silent and stylish e-Boat company looks to make an impact in the traditionally oily, burbling, polluting watercraft market.

Harley-Davidson’s statement on the SPAC listing of Livewire [Harley-Davidson]
Blank-check SPAC takes Livewire public: in a newly popular strategy that avoids much of the government red tape (and regulation) of taking a company public, an SPAC AEA Bridges Impact Corp  took Livewire to the stock market under the heading LVW, with a nominal valuation of $1.77Bn.  In the deal, Livewire will retain 74% equity, ABIC shareholders 17%, and ABIC owners plus Korean powersports company Kymco will own 4%.   SPAC funding is popular among startups with little track record of sales or funding, who bank on future sales for a planned valuation.  Will it work in Harley-Davidson’s case?  Time will tell, but read their statement here.

Solid Power solid state batteries might one day power the F-100. [Solid Power]
Solid Power, the Ford-backed solid-state battery developer, made its public market debut this week and saw a boost in stock prices on its first day of trading

 

 

Stephanie Weaver is the EV Editor at The Vintagent, and a Philadelphia-based freelance writer. When she’s not locked to her laptop, she can be found riding horses and motorcycles.

 

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