CleanTechnica Tested: The Lectric eBikes XP 3.0
The team at Lectric eBikes is constantly pushing the envelope with new designs, new features and new functionality so when they invited us to come out to their headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, I jumped at the chance. Upon arriving, I saw they had arranged a line of the current generation XP 2.0 ahead of the announcement of the XP 3.0 and I knew it was going to be a good time.
Disclaimer: Lectric eBikes paid for the author’s travel and accommodations to attend this event and provided an XP 3.0 to the author for the purposes of this review.
Introducing the New Lectric eBikes XP 3.0
Lectric’s excitable co-founder and CEO Levi Conlow welcomed attendees to the launch event before escorting us back out front of their headquarters for a quick refresher ride on the XP 2.0. This served as a fantastic baseline and foundation for his presentation of the XP 3.0 and the new features that came along with it. As Levi introduced us to the new 3.0, a line of the new bikes rolled out into the lobby, kitted out with some of Lectric’s new accessories lineup.
On the surface, the Lectric eBikes XP 3.0 might seem like a minor version update that merely smooths out a few of rough edges on the XP 2.0 but doesn’t seem to bring with it many disruptive features that would trigger someone to upgrade from the 2.0 to the 3.0. After learning about the 3.0, we headed out to a full lineup of XP 3.0s that the staff had brought out while we were learning about the new bikes.
- Upgraded motor with higher peak power output and torque with a more natural tuning
- Higher weight capacity on the rear rack
- New passenger package option ($99) for rear rack
- Improved front shock with 10mm more travel (50mm total)
- Upgraded saddle
- Upgraded ergo rubber grips
- Larger 180mm disc brake rotors (vs 160mm on the 2.0)
- 11 tooth high gear (vs 14 tooth on the 2.0), for more pedaling power at higher speeds
Seeing the 3.0 in person, the upgrades were immediately apparent. On the surface, the rear rack had been upgraded to support a staggering 150 pound weight limit. This let Lectric slap a fat passenger setup ($99) out back that, along with a set of pegs and seat tube-mounted handlebars, transform the XP into a serious people carrying machine. Specifically, two people. For mini humans, the rack is also compatible with Thule’s Yepp Maxi infant seat ($249), which is a cool option for parents looking to rock out on two wheels with their micro-sized family members.
The Riding Experience
As we took off out of the parking lot, the upgraded motor made its presence known, with a drastically improved acceleration curve that does away with some of the more aggressive pulsing behavior that some experienced with the XP 2.0. The old motor would kick on very enthusiastically when engaging, providing up to 35nm of torque but at the sacrifice of a bit of a wild experience for the rider.
The new motor on the 3.0 boasts the same 500 watts of continuous power output, but with a massive 1,000 watts of peak power output and nearly double the torque with 55nm. They’re not just throwing more power at the equation just for kicks, the motor on the 3.0 has been completely overhauled to give it a new acceleration curve that makes for a much more natural riding experience and a higher top end. At its regular price of $1,099 (currently on sale for $999), it’s still comes with a cadence sensor, not a torque sensor, but at this price point that’s to be expected. Even so, the motor delivers what feels like a higher power output while offering more natural and controlled experience at the same time.
Lectric sent us an XP 3.0 Step Thru for a more thorough review and we eagerly put it to the test around town and on our local hills. Up front, on the 3.0 the front hydraulic shock boasts an additional 10 mm of travel for a total of 50mm which makes a noticeable improvement in riding comfort. The new shock tag teams the responsibility for rider comfort with Lectric’s 20″ x 3″ compact yet voluminous puncture resistant tires that Lectric originally introduced with the 2.0. On the 3.0, Lectric brought the tires in-house and these are now Lectric eBike branded tires. In addition to being puncture-resistant, Lectric is now pumping a slime like sealant into the tubes as anyone who has ridden an electric bike knows just how tragic a flat tire can be, especially when its on the driven rear tire.
The 3.0 comes with the wider upgraded handlebars that were introduced with a 2.0 but boasts more comfortable grips. The grips on the 2.0 felt cheaper and harder, whereas the new grips on the 3.0 are rubbery with a much more refined squeezing experience, offering more traction for your hands as well. The same easy to read display serves as the primary interface for the rider and offers the same five levels of pedal assist to choose from.
With more power being laid down by the motor, Lectric smartly opted to upgrade the disc brake rotor diameter from 160 mm to 180 mm. This is a welcome upgrade and provides noticeably stronger, breaking feel than the smaller 160s. Safety isn’t fun to pay for up front but it can make all the difference when the stuff hits the fan. The larger brake rotors were especially comforting when flying down the absurdly steep streets winding through the foothills of Ventura, California. The brakes are still mechanical and tend to squeak during the break-in period. This is common for disc brakes and in our experience, it typically fades after the first 50 or 100 mi depending on your riding style and intensity.
Overall
These new upgrades to the Lectric XP combined with the optional capabilities provided by the lengthy of accessories make it a fantastic e-bike thats sure to find itself at home in many a household. The passenger package alone makes it a great option for teenagers as they can easily cart their friends around to a variety of events without having to worry about a license, insurance, buying gas, and the like.
Lectric eBikes continues to push the envelope when it comes to packing in as many features and options as they can at the lowest price point possible. It’s really hard to imagine what they had to do to keep the price point as low as it is considering that many other e-bike brands had to raise prices several hundred dollars over the course of the pandemic as e-bike adoption spiked and global supply chains ground to a halt, sending prices soaring.
The Lectric XP is already the top selling e-bike model in the US and the team aspires to make it the top selling electric vehicle overall. They’re currently selling around 140,000 of the Lectric XP’s per year, topped only by Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y. Sure, you might argue that they are targeting different audiences but trips made using any of these electric vehicles have the potential to replace internal combustion trips and can do so with zero emissions.
Perhaps more importantly, electric bikes enable teenagers to get out and experience the power and the benefits of electric vehicles for themselves. If you’re reading this site, you might be hoping that your child’s first vehicle is an electric vehicle, but with the prices of new vehicles rising significantly over the last few years, why not opt for a two-wheeled variant like the Lectric XP that gives kids a taste of the responsibility of operating a vehicle, new freedom to explore their neighborhood without getting sweaty, the ability to haul their friends around or even to get a job delivering food with Lectric’s new food containers, and to experience the beauty of zero emission transportation.
The future is electric. The future is now. The team at Lectric eBikes is building that future out and enabling a better future for humanity, one e-bike at a time.
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