Mike Rowe has done some of the hardest jobs in America — and pedicab driving still humbled him. On his CNN show Somebody's Gotta Do It, Rowe climbed onto a traditional pedal-powered pedicab and found out what every driver learns on night one: hauling three passengers up a hill on leg power alone is one of the most physically punishing jobs on the street. Watch it below. Then let us tell you why that job doesn't have to look like that anymore.
What did Mike Rowe's pedicab episode get right?
Everything. The struggle you see in that video is not TV exaggeration. A loaded pedicab can carry over 1,000 pounds of passengers, and on a pedal-only cab, every one of those pounds goes through the driver's legs. Rowe — a man who has crawled through sewers and wrangled alligators for a living — lasted a shift and called it one of the toughest gigs he'd tried.
For decades, that physical wall defined the business. Drivers turned down heavier fares, avoided hills, quit after one summer, and aged out fast. Fleet owners churned through riders because the machine, not the market, set the limit on what anyone could earn.
We didn't watch that era on TV — we lived it
XION's founder started as a pedicab driver more than 23 years ago, in the same pedal-powered era Mike Rowe stepped into for CNN. Those years on the seat taught us exactly where the job breaks down: the hills that kill your night, the group of six you have to wave off, the drivers who quit in August because their knees are done.
That's why XION exists. We didn't set out to build a nicer tricycle. We set out to remove the one thing holding back every driver in that video — the physics.
What changed? The electric pedicab.
A modern XION pedicab is a different machine from the one that beat up Mike Rowe:
- 750W direct-drive transaxle powering the rear axle through a differential — adjustable up to 3,000W, so a fully loaded cab climbs hills the old cabs couldn't touch.
- 72V 58Ah battery mounted under the passenger seat — 5 to 6 hours of runtime under full load, with a 5-hour recharge.
- 1,500 lb payload capacity, hydraulic disc brakes, brake lights and blinkers standard. Class 2, 20 mph — street-legal in cities across the country.
- Engineered and assembled in San Diego, with American-made frames, backed by a 2-year frame warranty, 1-year motor and battery warranties, and lifetime phone and email support — coverage confirmed for commercial multi-driver use.
The driver still pedals — passengers still get the open-air, human-powered charm that makes pedicabs work as a business. But the motor does the brutal part. The part that made great television and terrible careers.
How much does a pedicab driver make now?
Here's the number that changed when the machine changed: a single XION electric pedicab generates $30,000–$35,000 per year in typical markets — and top operators earn more. Because electric assist means longer shifts, heavier fares, and hills that are revenue instead of roadblocks, one driver on one cab can produce what used to take iron legs and perfect weather.
The math scales, too: a 3-cab starter fleet grosses $90K–$105K a year, and operators typically pay back a cab in under 12 months. Our 3-seat pedicab is $13,500 and the 6-seat is $15,000, with volume discounts starting at 3 units. XION cabs now operate in 59+ U.S. markets.
The takeaway from Mike Rowe's pedicab ride
Rowe's whole show was built on a simple idea: somebody's gotta do it. Our answer, two decades later, is — sure, but nobody's gotta suffer like that anymore. The job Mike Rowe tried is still one of the best cash businesses on the street. The machine is just finally worthy of the people doing it.
See the XION electric pedicab →
Driving for Uber or Lyft? See how pedicab income compares →
Frequently asked questions
Is pedicab driving as hard as it looks in the Mike Rowe video?
On a pedal-only cab — yes. On a modern electric pedicab, the 750W direct-drive transaxle handles the load, so drivers finish full shifts without the physical toll shown in the episode.
Do electric pedicabs still count as pedicabs?
Yes. XION pedicabs are Class 2 electric bikes (20 mph) — the driver pedals and the motor assists, which is why they're permitted as pedicabs in cities nationwide rather than regulated as motor vehicles.
How much does an electric pedicab cost?
The XION 3-seat pedicab is $13,500 and the 6-seat is $15,000, with a 10% discount at 3+ units and 15% at 10+ units. Used cabs run $7K–$10K.
