Phoenix-based e-mobility outfit Lectric has announced a new addition to its cargo-hauling electrified rides, which includes the recently launched XP 3.0 and the XP Trike. The XPedition cargo ebike can haul up to 450 lb, comes with a 1.3-kW peak motor and can be had with dual batteries for 150 miles of riding range.
Lectric says that the new cargo ebike has essentially been in development since the first XP model launched in 2019, and is being aimed at parents looking to leave the car at home when hauling small children to school, package delivery folks wanting a cleaner and greener way to move stuff around the city, and anyone else who needs to get cargo from A to B without adding exhaust fumes to the local air.
"I’m so pumped to finally introduce our cargo e-bike to the market," said Levi Conlow, company co-founder and CEO. "When we started Lectric in 2019, we set out to be the Greatest Urban Transportation Solution Ever and to challenge the idea of transportation as we knew it. The XPedition, more so than its predecessors, truly challenges a car’s capabilities and provides electric functionality."
The ebike rides out with a 750-W (1,310-W peak) rear-hub motor for 85 Nm (62.7 lb.ft) of torque and a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h), though this can be restricted to allow the XPedition to serve as a Class 1 or 2 ebike as dictated by local regulations.
It also sports a 7-speed gearset for ride flexibility, and there's a twist throttle when you need it. A new Lectric technology called Pedal Assist Wattage Regulation has been included as well, which essentially provides a predetermined power level for each of the five available PAS modes – instead of limiting each mode to a certain speed.
The aluminum-alloy frame can accommodate riders between 4.9 and 6.4 ft in height (1.49 to 1.95 m), and houses a single 672-Wh Li-ion battery behind the seatpost for up to 75 miles (120 km) of per-charge riding, but the cargo ebike can be had as a dual-battery option for double the range.
A rider weight of 330 lb (149.6 kg) is supported, plus the XPedition can haul up to 300 lb (136 kg) of cargo at the back and 35 lb (15.8 kg) in front, on the way to a max payload capacity of 450 lb (204 kg). Lectric has included a dual-leg kickstand for parked-up stability too.
The cargo ebike rolls on 20-inch wheels wrapped in 3-inch puncture-resistant street tires, stopping power is provided by hydraulic brakes front and back with 180-mm rotors, daylight visibility in traffic is helped along by integrated lighting, and the foldable stem riser makes for easier between-ride transport in a car or storage indoors.
The XPedition is on sale now for US$1,399 with a single battery or $1,699 in dual-battery configuration – which makes it a little cheaper than the RadWagon 4 and a lot less expensive than Trek's latest entry into the cargo ebike space. It weighs in at 68 lb (30.8 kg) for the former configuration and 75 lb (34 kg) for the latter, and optional accessories include extra-large panniers, running boards, a plus-one chair, seat cushions and more. The video below has more.
Product page: Lectric XPedition
Myself the XP3.0 is enough for me towing a trailer at $999. But for a family and replacing a car, this one is hard to beat.
Those kids are too young for that seating as easily fall out. They need to be strapped in a seat. Older kids that can reach the footboards can sit like that.
whilst it's a nice idea, honestly there is ZERO chance in hell i'd use this to go anywhere realistically except maybe the most densely populated areas where automobiles themselves are already constrained so they can't get up to speed in the first place.
IF i were to get one and these - and that's a big IF, first thing i'd do is increase the lighting, add a horn, and one of those bolt on high poled flags they put on kids bikes so someone could see me when they're backing out so they don't kill me and my kids on the way to the grocery!
Honestly, the advertising is BS, they should show it loaded with packages from DHL or FedEx in Hong Kong or somewhere in Asia and a young scrawny kid who has no fear of death riding it.
I live in the 'cycling city' of Oxford. The number of people you see transporting their kids around in cargo-type bikes is thankfully relatively small. if people want to waste their time cycling around, running the risk of being killed, then that is a personal choice that I wholeheartedly support. However, ramming two young kids into a cycling contraption and then going out onto a public road, even in a place like Oxford is tantamount to child abuse. It mystifies me how people will risk their lives of their kids in such a way.