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Vvolt Alpha II Review, 2024 | A Relaxed City Cruiser with Serious Style

The Vvolt Alpha shared much of its visual styling with the brand’s Sirius and Centauri models. Now, with a refreshed design and a more relaxed feel, the second-generation Alpha II is here and proudly standing out from the crowd. We got our hands on this smart, cool-looking city cruiser and put it through its paces; let’s dig in and talk about its features and performance in this Vvolt Alpha II review!

A defining feature of the Alpha II is its ease of use. The bike has a single-speed drivetrain with a Gates Carbon belt: this combination requires no shifting, results in less wear and fewer replacement parts, and is generally cleaner and quieter than a traditional cassette and chain. Our testing revealed some tradeoffs with this setup (e.g. ghost pedaling), but these worked with the bike’s easygoing vibe.

At 45 lbs, the Alpha II is relatively light for an e-bike. This manageable weight paired well with the bike’s curved Dutch-style handlebars and 27.5×2.4” street tires to make for a remarkably nimble and spirited ride.

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E-Bike Tariff Exclusions Set To Expire Soon

Importers of Chinese-made e-bikes will be levied an additional 25 percent tariff on them beginning June 14, 2024. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office announced that exclusions to the Section 301 tariffs will expire, followed by a transition period.

The tariff exclusions had received several extensions. In addition to e-bikes, the exclusions had covered juvenile bikes, carbon fiber frames and hydration packs.

The exclusions end at midnight on June 14. Other exclusions will be extended however. Chinese-made bicycle trailers and some bicycle helmets will be renewed, extending their exclusions to June 1, 2025. An index of the full set of exclusions can be found on the USTR’s site.

UK Trade Changes Could Lower E-Bike Prices By $330

In the U.K. the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has announced that they intend to eliminate the anti-dumping duties it placed on Chinese e-bikes. Currently, the U.K. levies duties ranging from 18. percent at the low end up to a high of 79.3 percent on Chinese e-bikes.

The duties are meant to address dumping and government-subsidized manufacturing, which the U.K. implemented on January 19, 2024. The TRA will enter a 21-day waiting period to allow other government agencies to argue for or against lifting the duties. If no one argues against it, the duties will be terminated, and the decision will be back-dated to January 19, essentially wiping out the previous decision.

However, a final decision isn’t due until September, months after a new U.K. government is seated. The final decision will be rendered by the Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade.

The TRA is a new legislative body, one that was created following the U.K.’s exit from the European Union. It now handles duties that were once handled by the EU Commission.

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