The rise of e-bike ridership has brought with it a rise in dangerous and even fatal bike accidents, exploding lithium batteries and construction woes. Now, Rad Power Bikes —a brand that's been navigating many of these issues— is aiming to set a new standard in e-bike safety with the launch of four new bike models, each equipped with its proprietary “Safe Shield Battery'.'
The Safe Shield Battery is UL Certified to UL 2271 and sports a heat-absorbing resin that protects against corrosion and overheating. This resin coats the entire battery cell and its thermal-resistant resin would stop a thermal event, such as battery overheating or a fire, from spreading.
Additionally, Rad Power Bikes claims that the unique resin would help prevent a fire, and battery-related burns as the result of an e-bike collision or other accident.
“With even greater versatility in our fleet and new, innovative e-bike battery technology… we’re taking a significant step towards a world where e-bikes are built for everyone and have the power to do just about anything,” said Phil Molyneux, CEO of Rad Power Bikes.
“Over the last two years, I have worked closely with our supply chain and quality leaders, overhauling our processes to make this next generation of e-bikes the very best for our riders.”
The Safe Shield Battery has two models: the Advanced Semi-Integrated Battery and the Advanced External Battery.
The Advanced Semi-Integrated battery retails for $599 comes standard on Radster Road and Radster Trail models launched this week. For those who already own a Rad Power Bike that uses a semi-integrated battery, the Safe Shield Advanced Semi-Integrated battery can be purchased and used with any Rad Power Bike with that battery type.
The Advanced External battery also retails for $599, and it comes standard on the RadExpand 5 Plus and RadWagon 5, and again, can be purchased aftermarket for existing Rad Power Bike users.
Both batteries can be recycled through Rad Power Bikes’ partnership with Redwood Materials.
Rad Power Bikes cautions against using the Safe Shield Battery with any non-Rad Power Bikes e-bike. Both the Advanced Semi-Integrated and Advanced External batteries will begin shipping to U.S. customers on May 15, 2024.
As for the four new models announced in conjunction with the Safe Shield Battery, they are a mix of trail, commuter and cargo e-bikes. All four bikes are UL Certified to UL 2849.
The four new models all feature turn signals, improved hydraulic disc brakes and brighter front headlights.
The “Radster” collection is new to Rad Power Bikes and includes the Radster Trail and Radster Road.
The Radster Trail offers a hydraulic front fork suspension and upright riding suspension, while the Radster Road has narrower tires and a greater handlebar sweep than the Trail and comes with full-coverage fenders and a chain guard for messy commutes. Both come in two sizes: “regular” for riders 4’11” - 5’8” and “large” for riders 5’7” - 6’4”.
Both the RadExpand 5 Plus and RadWagon 5 are geared towards those looking to haul groceries, kids or other cargo around town.
The RadExpand 5 Plus has a higher payload capacity, a visible color display and hydraulic front suspension. The RadWagon5 also has an increased payload capacity and now features a condensed frame that lowers the bike’s center of gravity for greater stability and accommodates a wider range of rider sizes.
The Radster Trail, Radster Road and RadWagon 5 give riders the ability to toggle between class two and class 3 speeds as an additional safety feature.
All bikes except the RadWagon 5 will begin shipping to U.S. customers on April 10, 2024. The RadWagon 5 will begin shipping to U.S. customers on April 17, 2024.
