Rad has new owner

[Biplaneguy]

Rad Power Bikes gets a new owner, pledge to build bikes in the US

Life EV has completed the acquisition of the well-known e-bike brand, which recently filed for bankruptcy.

www.engadget.com

Life EV Completes Rad Power Bikes Asset Acquisition

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[Gordon71]

I wonder if they will do anything for Rad owners that have the so called bad battery. I have two of them.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Pleges to build bikes in the us??? So prices are gonna skyrocket?

 

[stompandgo]

No tariffs.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Pleges to build bikes in the us??? So prices are gonna skyrocket?

Yeah, I saw that. If Trek builds less than 1% of its bikes in the US because of the cost of labour what makes these guys think they can do it?

it’s all about labour cost in the end, even the Chinese are off shoring production to reduce costs now. Hence the large number of bikes that now say Cambodia or Vietnam on them.

 

[fooferdoggie]

No tariffs.

They can’t make the parts here. No one does that. Assembly is not that big of a change. The bikes would not be better because Americans put them together. It would still be the same parts. I am not knocking it, just saying it won't really make the bikes better.

 

[RunForTheHills]

You don't need union assembly line workers these days. Robots have come a long way. Factory automation can make it a lot cheaper to manufacture in the United States. It's a big up front investment though.

 

[mschwett]

You don't need union assembly line workers these days. Robots have come a long way. Factory automation can make it a lot cheaper to manufacture in the United States. It's a big up front investment though.

rad isn't big enough to invest in the kind of automation it would take to do things like install derailleurs and hydraulic brakes. it will certainly cost much more to build up a bike from components in the US, but maybe that can be slightly offset by logistics savings, incentives, etc.

zero chance things like motors and tires and chains and displays and derailleurs and brakes get actually fabricated in the united states because of rad. i could see a future with improved additive manufacturing in which some of things are made here again, but likely at the very high end and not for years. the tariff situation will continue to affect the price of bikes since the value added by assembling foreign parts is very small.

 

[PedalUma]

At one time I assembled farm equipment from China including stuff like hydraulic log splitters. They came with Built in America stickers. Put on the wheels, handlebar, saddle and pedals... adjust the brakes and shifting... and there you have it, Built in America!

 

[fooferdoggie]

rad isn't big enough to invest in the kind of automation it would take to do things like install derailleurs and hydraulic brakes. it will certainly cost much more to build up a bike from components in the US, but maybe that can be slightly offset by logistics savings, incentives, etc.

zero chance things like motors and tires and chains and displays and derailleurs and brakes get actually fabricated in the united states because of rad. i could see a future with improved additive manufacturing in which some of things are made here again, but likely at the very high end and not for years. the tariff situation will continue to affect the price of bikes since the value added by assembling foreign parts is very small.

That’s the thing. That’s why we can’t just jump into manufacturing. It’s so expensive to do so. And guess who will pay for it?

 

[BlackHand]

More details here, where they correctly refer to it as US assembly rather than manufacturing. The new process should save on tariffs, offsetting the higher labor costs, but more importantly it essentially allows them to pay as they sell product instead of paying tariffs up front on stuff that might sit for months/years in a warehouse before being sold.

Also, 50% discount on replacement batteries for those with recalled batteries.

Rad Power Bikes’ new owner wants to rehire employees, open stores and return e-bike brand to glory days

Robert Provost, CEO of South Florida-based Life Electric Vehicles Holdings, Inc., laid out an ambitious roadmap to overhaul and energize the new company, Rad Life Mobility.

www.geekwire.com

 

[Underdog]

I've always admired the original Radrunner line of bikes, simple basic workhorse utility bikes. I always wanted one and tried several times to buy one, but one big problem stopped me from buying one, Rad's "Class 2" mentality that their bike's only go 20mph. Maybe not a big deal to some riders, but a deal breaker for me for sure. I'd be interested to see what they offer when they get up and running, and I wish them great success.

 

[Biplaneguy]

I've always admired the original Radrunner line of bikes, simple basic workhorse utility bikes. I always wanted one and tried several times to buy one, but one big problem stopped me from buying one, Rad's "Class 2" mentality that their bike's only go 20mph. Maybe not a big deal to some riders, but a deal breaker for me for sure. I'd be interested to see what they offer when they get up and running, and I wish them great success.

My Radster Trail is class 3 / 28mph.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Don't be too sure about the cost benefits of assembly in the US.

The Bicycle Corporation of America (BCA) closed its Manning, South Carolina, manufacturing facility in June 2025 due to high tariffs on Chinese-made components, which made domestic assembly financially unfeasible. As a subsidiary of Kent International, the factory closure resulted in 64 layoffs, driven by the impossibility of competing with lower-cost, fully imported bikes.

Key Reasons for Closure:
High Tariffs: Heavy tariffs on Chinese-made components and frames, often exceeding $3 million in a single month for the parent company, made US-based assembly too costly.
Import Competition: Over 90% of Kent's bicycles were imported, and the cost of importing components for assembly in the US was higher than importing fully assembled bikes.
Economic Viability: The company, which aimed to revive US manufacturing, determined it could no longer profitably produce bicycles in South Carolina

If Kent who has been around for quite a while and well versed in low end affordable bikes struggled to make it work, it might not be so easy.
The tariff shit_show continues. . .

 

[Chargeride]

Already chinese products are increasing in price, the chinese workers want more money, the days of cheap goods are ending, thats why they have invested in Africa, they will be the new far east sweatshops.
42billion in the belt and road intiative.
The US is still the biggest investor though.
Its incredibly complicated China and US are scrapping for influence all over the world.
The problem is china still doesnt trust Africans to run it

China's influence in Africa: Challenges and strategic implications

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