Panasonic takes new approach to US e-bike market with Kent

Kent State University partners with SPIN to provide shared eBikes and eScooters that are available on campus and within the City of Kent for use by students, faculty, staff, and the community. Approximately 150 eBikes and 300 eScooters are kent electric bike available. Riding an eBike or an eScooter is a fast, easy way to get from class to class, run errands, and even a short commute. They are a great option for students, employees, and visitors to Kent State University.

I didn’t even try to dicker on the price because $15 is a screaming deal. Now I should be clear, I didn’t strictly need this bike. I’m retired, I have three perfectly good bikes and to be honest, one would really do just fine for the riding I’m doing these days.

The perfect choice for riders who are looking for a comfortable, and efficient ride. Crafted with a step-thru aluminum frame, this bike is lightweight and easy to mount and dismount. The removable semi-integrated battery ensures that you can charge your bike wherever and whenever you need to, and it’s lockable with a key to prevent theft. The 8-speed drivetrain provides a plenty of gearing range for hilly terrain, and the trigger shifter is easy to use.

Browse through other brands like Huffy, Mongoose, Decathlon,… For our third eMTB trip, I chose a 16-mile gravel forest service road. The first half was mainly uphill and the bikes performed magnificently.

Mid-drive motors, unlike hub motors, actually power the bike through the standard gears on a bicycle. Hub motors, on the other hand, are single-speed drivetrains that bypass the gears and chain altogether, allowing them to be controlled quite simply as there are no gears to worry about. Walmart has long offered an interesting array of low-cost electric bicycles. Some of the bikes have even dipped down into ultra-budget territory with prices below $400. It can be a good option for those that want the utility of an electric bicycle but don’t have a lot of spare cash.

That isn’t a bad thing, as many riders (including myself) have been very happy with lower-cost mid-drive motors. I have a Truckrun motor on my daily rider city e-bike, and it works wonderfully. The Kent Electric Cruiser’s 350W rear-hub motor was more than capable on the flat roads and bike paths around my home, easily reaching and staying at 20 mph. But when the bike was pointed uphill, the performance was much less impressive. With me pedaling and the power assist at maximum, my speed frequently dropped down into the single digits on steep hills. Cheaper mid-drive electric bikes tend to opt for Chinese-made mid-drive motors like those from Bafang, Truckrun, Tongsheng, and others.