Rad Power Bikes

Last updated

Rad Power Bikes
Company typePrivate
Industry Electric bicycles
Founded2007
FounderMike Radenbaugh
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
United States
Key people
Products Electric bicycles, accessories and related components
Number of employees
215
Website radpowerbikes.com

Rad Power Bikes is an American electric bicycle brand based in Seattle, Washington. Rad Power bikes are primarily sold in North America.

Contents

History

The company's headquarters in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington Rad Power Bikes Headquarters.jpg
The company's headquarters in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington

Rad Power Bikes was founded by Mike Radenbaugh in 2007. The company's business model is direct to consumer and it designs its products at its Seattle headquarters. [2] Radenbaugh remained CEO until 2022 when he was replaced by Phil Molyneux. [1]

Rad Power Bikes opened an office in the Netherlands in 2017. After economic challenges and four rounds of layoffs it left the European market in 2023 to focus on sales in North America. [3]

In 2022 Jonathan and Kaye Steinsapir filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Rad Power Bikes after their daughter died while riding a RadRunner which was settled for a sum of $1.5 million. [4] [5] As part of a separate safety concern in the same year, Rad Power Bikes recalled RadWagon 4 model bikes due to an issue with some of the tires that could cause them to pop and for the rider to lose control of the bike. [6]

Starting in September 2023, Rad Power Bikes announced that all of its e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries would meet UL certification. This was concurrent with a New York City requirement that all e-bikes sold be certified. [7]

Rad Power Bikes has raised a total of $329 million in investments. It is the largest ebike brand in North America with more than 350,000 sales. [8] [9] [10]

Battery issues and potential closure

After a post-pandemic decline in e-bicycle sales and demand, Rad Power announced to its employees in November 2025 that it faced "significant financial challenges" and would need to scale back operations. The company also filed a WARN notification with the Washington State Employment Security Department on November 10 that would involve a full shutdown of operations and termination of all 64 jobs at the Seattle headquarters by January 2026 at the earliest. Rad Power also cited the increased tariffs and "macroeconomic landscape" as factors in its financial situation. [11]

On November 24, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a product safety warning for Rad Power Bikes that used two models of electric batteries. The agency had found that at least 31 battery fires had been linked to the two models, which were found to have a risk of "spontaneously igniting and exploding", especially when the battery was exposed to water or debris. [12] [13] Rad Power did not issue a recall and challenged the findings from the CPSC. [12]

On December 15, 2025, Rad Power Bikes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as the company explores strategic options, including a possible sale of its assets. The company listed assets of $32 million and liabilities of $72 million. [14]

Models

Rad Power has made several model families of bikes, including the following:

Recognitions

In 2021, Rad Power Bikes was included in the inaugural list of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies. [15]

Recognized by Fast Company and Inc. magazines as one of the most innovative and influential companies in 2021. [16] [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Soper, Taylor (November 16, 2022). "Rad Power Bikes CEO Mike Radenbaugh replaced by former Sony leader Phil Molyneux". GeekWire. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Rad Power Bikes: Mike Radenbaugh : How I Built This with Guy Raz". NPR.org. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  3. ↑ Hawkins, Andrew J. (July 10, 2023). "Rad Power Bikes is pulling out of Europe to focus on US e-bike sales". The Verge. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  4. ↑ "E-Bikes Are Booming—And Virtually Unregulated. Will This Lawsuit Make Them Safer?". Bicycling. January 31, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Parents of girls in fatal e-bike crash settle with each other; Rad Power files cross-complaint". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Rad Power Bikes alerts riders of safety concerns with RadWagon 4 tires". The Seattle Times. September 23, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Rad Power Bikes will certify its e-bikes to UL standards". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  8. ↑ Berman, Bradley (August 6, 2020). "The Teenage Tinkerer Behind an E-Bike Revolution". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Rad Power Bikes overtakes VanMoof". The Verge. October 28, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  10. ↑ Toll, Micah (October 28, 2021). "Rad Power Bikes lands giant $154M investment". Electrek. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  11. ↑ Schlosser, Kurt (November 10, 2025). "Rad Power Bikes faces possible shutdown as it tries to survive 'significant financial challenges'". GeekWire. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Takahama, Elise (November 24, 2025). "Seattle's Rad Power Bikes linked to 31 fires, federal warning says". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  13. ↑ "CPSC Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using Batteries for E-Bikes from Rad Power Bikes Due to Fire Hazard; Risk of Serious Injury or Death" (Press release). U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission . Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  14. ↑ Schlosser, Kurt (December 15, 2025). "Rad Power Bikes files for bankruptcy protection as Seattle e-bike maker pursues potential sale". GeekWire. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  15. ↑ "TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2021: Rad Power Bikes". Time. April 26, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  16. ↑ Staff, Fast Company (March 9, 2021). "The 10 most innovative transportation companies of 2021". Fast Company. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Check out Rad Power Bikes on Inc.com". Inc.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.