And of course, ironically, the less credit you need, the more credit you have.

And wiring harnesses fail on ebikes even from major manufacturers. If you manufacture bikes you should have some way for customers to get repair parts easily. Most ebike riders who buy a complete bike are not going to repair their bikes on their own let alone source parts for it. 

I wasn't implying that you need a hub motor tube but that the 20×3 inch tube is not commonly kept in most bike shops since it's a odd ball size

Is Slate not political?  What a weird denial.

These can be used without the pedals, but the battery range is worse and it will have trouble up steep hills on throttle alone. Or they can be ridden as pedal assist. A lot of people will choose to pedal over throttle.

Incorrect. The radwagon has a twist throttle and can be ridden without pedaling. Its a class 2 ebike.

These bikes are tools.  They can carry the rider + a passengers + a significant amount of cargo without worrying about fitness or fatigue. 

I feel the need to weigh in on this as I am a bicycle mechanic. More specifically I am my shop’s ebike mechanic. Putting a Rad ebike together is pretty easy, especially if you come from an automotive back ground. The real issue with these wide tire hub motor ebikes is when you get a flat. While popping out the old…

This will allow you to ride faster and farther with less effort. The point isn’t to get exercise, but to extend what’s viable on your bike. It’s not for the hardcore lycra and spandex crowd but something to “take to the shops” or use as your daily commuter.

“It wasn’t meant to be funny. Don’t laugh.”

These things aren’t self propelled. They have enough power to provide pedal assist so you can get up big steep hills while carrying 70+ pounds of gear/human cargo without sweating, but they aren’t motorcycles-lite. Very popular in urban areas.

In case you’re being serious, that’s some stupid mobile phone fako depth of field effect. Which helps make photos look awful.

“Still not sure I see the need for this vs. a regular bike though.”

I would guess its 74 inches wide, and 70 inches tall. Maybe ~200 inches long

I disagree. The capabilities of the Maverick will be puny when compared to the Ridgeline. The Ridgeline is actually somewhere between mid-size trucks and full-size trucks in size and payload capacity, and closer to full-size in interior roominess and square-footage of the bed (for CCSB trims). You may be letting the…

So it’ll steal sales from the Ranger, but there’s no real demand for it? The Ridgeline is significantly more expensive than this will be. They’re betting it will create new sales that otherwise were priced out of the new pickup market. So nominal used car buyers.

I agree.  Ford needs to ditch the two back doors and give it a longer cargo box.  If Chevy, Ram, and VW can do it, Ford should as well.

This seems like it will take sales from the Ranger.

I know what the answer is, but I’m hoping for a regular cab, or at least a 2-door with jumpseats.

while i appreciate the modest platform, the body panel to glass ratio is still absurd.