The 9 Best Folding Electric Bikes For Adults 2023
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Electric Bikes are taking the biking world by storm. People love how convenient it is to have the option to use the battery for an easier riding experience or no motor for a better workout. E-bikes are a great way to get started in cycling. They allow you to ride long distances with minimal effort. After a while of riding an e-bike, you could start riding a non-electric bike for long distances as well.
E-bikes can be big and heavy. With the size in mind, it can be pretty difficult to transport e-bikes when you want to take them on the go. Folding Bikes are the solution e-bike manufacturers came up with to allow for better transportation. Folding E-bikes are bikes that fold in 1 or multiple places in order to make them more compact for transportation and storage. Most folding bikes come with smaller wheels than the average bike. These wheels are typically 20″ wheels but they can vary depending on the bike.
A good folding bike can be stored in a small space either in your home, garage, or outside, if necessary. They can also fit in most cars, especially hatchbacks and SUVs. You can see how a folding bike works in the gif above.
Folding electric bikes are an extremely convenient way to get into the e-bike scene. You don’t have to buy a bike rack for your car or any extra components to transport your bike to where you want to ride. You can just fold up the bike and put it in your car. You can store it easily in your home if needed. Electric folding e-bikes are very compact. They are great for people that want to take their e-bikes on the go or if you don’t have a lot of space to store a bike.
There are tons of Electric Folding Bike Brands out there and it can be difficult to find the best brands. So, I’ve done all the research for you so you don’t have to. Below I will go over the list of my top picks for the best folding eBikes. I’ll cover which are the best and most popular brands. Which bikes have the best features, battery lives, are the most compact, and much more. Below are the brands which I have found are the best.
Top Rated Electric Folding Bike Brands
- Lectric eBikes
- Aventon Bikes
- Rad Power Bikes
- GEN3
- BUZZ Bikes
- Snapcycle
- Turboant
If you want to learn more about what to look for in a folding e-bike, scroll down to the bottom of this page. After the list of the best electric folding bikes for adults, I will have a buyer’s guide that will explain what I use to evaluate the quality of a good electric folding bike.
Ebikes can be a pretty big investment so, you want to make sure you choose the right bike for you. Although I have compiled a list of the bikes I feel are the best folding e-bikes for adults, you should look at the options and features of each bike and see which fits your needs.
Prices can get pretty high on eBikes and most companies know that. So, many companies offer payment programs such as affirm, Klarna, and Paypal Credit which allow you to make monthly payments over time. To learn more about ways to pay for an eBike check out my article here.
The 9 Best Folding Electric Bikes for Adults 2023
- Lectric eBikes XP 2.0 Step-Thru (Budget Choice)
- RadPower RadMini StepThru 2
- Ecotric Dolphin 20-inch folding fat bike
- Buzz Centris 20 inch Fat Tire Folding E-Bike
- Snapcycle S1 Electric Fat Tire Folding Bike
- Quietkat Voyager Folding Bike
- Gen3 The Groove Electric Folding Bike
- Turboant S1 Folding Fat Tire Electric Bike
- Aventon Sinch Foldable Ebike
1. Lectric eBikes XP 2.0 Step-Thru Review (Budget Choice)
Lectric eBikes XP 2.0 Features
- Foldable to 37″ x 18″ x 28″
- Affirm Payment Option
- 5 Level Pedal Assist and Throttle Control
- Class 1, 2, or 3 Electric Bike
- 850W Peak Planetary Geared Motor
- 7 Gear Drivetrain
- 45 Mile Riding Range
- Fat Tires and Front Suspension
- Free Fully Assembled Shipping
The Lectric eBikes XP 2.0 is the best affordable electric folding bike on the market. At the time of writing this article, this is the best folding eBike for under $1,000. So, if you’re looking for an amazing and budget-friendly folding electric bike, this bike is the best option.
The Lectric eBikes XP 2.0 Folding Bike is packed with the features listed above and more. For a full list click the learn more button below. This bike comes with a 5 level pedal assist system so you can choose the amount of work you want to put in. It also has the option of going full throttle mode. It meets the requirements for class 1, 2, and 3 electric bikes. So you shouldn’t have any legal problems riding this in any area.
Lectric eBikes included a powerful rear-wheel motor and a 7-speed drivetrain so that you can ride on any terrain and climb steep hills with ease. The electric motor pushes normally pushes 500W but at peak power, it gets up to 800W or more.
It comes with a great battery so you can ride up to 45 miles on a single charge and it features an LCD display so you’ll always know how much battery you have left. The XP 2.0 is great for your daily commute and it can be a great way to avoid public transportation without breaking the bank with these absurd gas prices. On top of the bike being a superior bike, the Lectric Bike company is a family business that was founded by 2 childhood friends and one of their dads.
Lectric eBike Company
The Lectric eBike company was founded by Levi Conlow and Robby Dezial, 2 25-year-olds that were childhood friends. Their first investor, cofounder, primary backer, and motivator was Levi’s father, who even after their first failed attempt at creating a winning e-bike gave them a 2nd chance, funding another project, even though it could possibly delay his retirement. Luckily for him, it paid off. In 2019 Lectric Bikes was selling 1 maybe 2 bikes a month. Now, they are known as one of the fastest-growing electric bike companies in the world. In just 1 year, they went from 1-2 bikes per month to $2 million in sales per month. Fast forward another year and they hit $85 million in revenue in 2021.
By hearing those numbers, you already know their product is amazing hence why it’s at the top of this list for the best folding bikes for adults.
Lectric eBikes designed this bike with the baby boomers in mind. Their goal was to create a high-quality electric bike that didn’t break the bank. They achieved just that. The electric bike is the best affordable electric folding bike on the market without compromising quality. There are other folding bikes that may be cheaper but in my research none that match the quality of The Lectric eBikes XP 2.0 Folding Bike.
In designing this high-quality and affordable electric bike, they ended up creating a bike with unparalleled speed, performance, accessibility, and adjustability. This allowed them to achieve their ultimate goal of giving mobility to the baby boomer generation thus giving them a greater sense of independence.
Overall, this is the best value electric folding bike for adults on the market right now, if you would like to learn more, click the button below.
2. RadPower RadMini Electric Folding Bike Review
Rad Power Bikes RadMini Features
- Foldable to 41″ x 22″ x 28″
- Affirm Payment Option
- 750W Geared Hub Motor
- 45 Mile Riding Range
- Puncture Resistant Tires
- 7 Speed Gearing System
- Twist Grip Throttle System
- Integrated Brake Light and Fenders
Next on the list is the Rad Power Bikes RadMini Step-Thru 2. The RadMini is a stylish step-thru electric folding bike that is great for all adults. It comes with a powerful 750W geared hub motor. The 750 W motor will give you the power you need to tackle different terrains and climb hills while riding around the city.
The RadMini comes with a 48V, 14 Ah Lithium-ion battery that gives you the ability to ride up to 45 miles on a single charge. 45 Miles will get most riders wherever they need to go. Most good electric folding bikes have a range of 45 miles +/- 5 miles. If you need a longer riding range than 45 Miles, you’ll have to look at a regular electric bike rather than a folding eBike.
The folding mechanism on the RadMini is well designed and robust. It features a number of safety features and safety redundancies so that it will never come undone while you’re riding. A folding bike that starts folding while you’re riding is a huge safety risk and Rad Power made sure to tackle this concern head-on.
In my opinion, the Rad Power Bikes RadMini is the best-looking electric folding bike on the market. Unlike other folding bikes that have the thick top tube where it folds the design of this bike is very clean and minimal. They also decided to put accent colors on this bike which gives it a more appealing look. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Rad Power Bikes Company
Rad Power Bikes was founded in 2015 by Mike Radenbaugh and Ty Collins who, just like Lectric Bikes, were childhood friends. Mike built his first electric bike in 2007 as a means of transportation to his high school. After building his first electric bike, he fell in love and worked alone as a local business doing custom e-bike conversions for many years. In 2015, Mike and Ty decided to found RadPowerBikes. RadPowerBikes is one of the most well-known electric bike brands on the market.
The vision of RadPowerBikes is to help create a world where transportation is energy efficient, enjoyable, and accessible to all.
Rad Power Bikes is definitely a brand you want to check out in your search for the best electric folding bike for adults. It has a great design with amazing components and construction. It is a little more expensive than the Lectric Bikes which came in at #1 on this list but it may be worth the extra money.
Overall, this bike is a well-made and well-designed folding bike that will be a great choice for anyone. The RadMini 4 is one of the best quality folding electric bikes you can buy and It’s also backed by a great company that wants to help bring energy-efficient transportation to the masses. It’s one of the best folding e-bikes on the market. Click the button below to learn more.
3. Ecotric Dolphin 20 Inch Folding Fat Bike Review
ECOTRIC Folding Fat Bike Features
- Foldable to 39.3″ x 16.5″ x 27.6″
- Affirm Payment Option
- 500W Brush-less Hub Motor
- 45-48 Miles Riding Range
- 20″x4″ Fat Tires
- 7 Speed Shimano Gearing System
- Pedal Assist and On Demand Throttle
- Front and Rear Reflector (no light included)
The ECOTRIC fat tire folding bike is an amazingly designed folding bike that lives up to the ECOTRIC brand and at a very affordable price. At the time of writing this article, the ECOTRIC dolphin was the least expensive bike on this list.
The dolphin has a step-thru frame that makes mounting and dismounting this e-bike a breeze. No more throwing your leg over your bike to get on, just step right thru the middle. It’s in the name, but we cannot skip over the amazing fat tires they put on this bike. Having fat tires on a bike, especially a smaller folding bike, gives you a smoother ride and great shock absorption.
It comes with a powerful 500W brushless motor and a long-lasting 36V/12.5AH Removable Lithium Battery. The battery takes approx. 6-8 hours to reach a full charge. This battery is rated for 400-600 charging cycles. With a riding range, of 45 miles on a single charge. That means this folding eBike is good for 18,000 – 27,000 miles. That’s a lot of miles!
This folding bike features a 7 Speed Shimano gearing system. Shimano is a well-known and leading bike component brand. They make derailers, cranks, shifters, etc.
The ECOTRIC Dolphin is UL Certified. UL Certification means that the bike has passed all the UL safety tests to make your ride as safe as possible. Looking for a UL-certified bike is a great way to know you’re getting a safe quality electric bike.
ECOTRIC Company
ECOTRIC is an industry leader in the electric bike industry. They were founded in 2017 in Oakland California and within 2 years, they had sold a total of 10,000 bikes over the US. They have a research & development base and a complete electric bike production and assembly. This allows them to keep up with the amazing growth that the e-bike industry is receiving.
ECOTRIC is determined “to produce environmentally friendly, utility, and high-quality e-bikes for customers”. They always put their customers first and the outstanding growth and popularity their bikes have received is an excellent reflection of such.
They produce a number of different electric bikes but today, we’re focusing on the ECOTRIC fat tire folding bike.
Overall, the Dolphin, the Ecotric Folding Fat Bike, is a great fat tire folding bike for any rider, if you would like to learn more, click the button below.
4. Buzz Centris 20 inch Fat Tire Folding E-Bike Review
ECOTRIC Folding Fat Bike Features
- Foldable to 34″ x 22″ x 34″
- Klarna Payment Option
- 500W Rear Hub Motor
- Up to 40 Miles Riding Range
- 20″ x 4″ Fat Tires
- 6 Speed Gearing System
- Pedal Assist and Thumb Throttle
- Front Head Light
The Buzz Centris is Buzz Bikes’ premiere electric folding bike. It comes with pedal assist and thumb throttle mode. So, you can either pedal or use the throttle when you’re tired. When using throttle mode, your riding range will be reduced. With pedal-assist mode, you can ride up to 40 miles. They haven’t tested how far you can ride with just throttle mode, however, from my experience with other electric bikes, it’s usually around half of the pedal-assist range. So, you can probably get around 20 miles on throttle-only mode.
Buzz Centris comes with a 500W Rear Hub Motor and a 48V/10.4Ah Battery. The motor gives you amazing power output and the high-quality lithium-ion removable battery gives you great riding range. Removable batteries are an amazing feature of e-bikes.
A removable battery allows you to take the battery into your home or office to charge your bike. When the battery isn’t removable, you may have a hard time charging your bike if there are no plugs where you have to lock it up. Also, even if there was a plug, you probably wouldn’t want to leave your charger outside with your locked bike. Removable batteries are something you should look for when choosing your bike.
The Centris folding eBike comes with a 2-year warranty and is UL Tested. UL testing is essentially a safety audit to make sure that a product is safe for the consumer and workers. Having the UL seal is an extra level of security to the consumer and workers.
Buzz Bikes Company
Buzz Bikes is a solid bike brand under the umbrella of United Wheels. United Wheels is a Global Holding Company that owns a number of outdoor brands such as Huffy Bikes, Niner Bikes, Batch Bicycles, Royce Union, and VAAST Bikes.
Since Buzz Bikes is owned by United Wheels, it has the experience of all the other brands at its fingertips. It’s stated that Buzz Bikes was “born from 125+ years of cycling innovation”. Under all the United Wheels brands they ship more than 5 million bikes every year to over 50 countries. Due to the large volume of United Wheels, each of their brands is able to benefit from reduced costs through mass production and ordering.
The Buzz Centris is an amazing electric folding bike, if you would like to learn more, click the button below.
5. Snapcycle S1 Electric Fat Tire Folding Bike Review
Snapcycle S1 Features
- Foldable to 39″ x 20″ x 31″
- 750W Geared Hub Motor with 1,200 Peak Watts
- 45 Mile Riding Range
- 4″ Fat Tires
- Detachable hidden battery
- Half Twist Throttle System w/ Ergonomic Grip
- Shimano Derailleur
Snapcycle is a California-based electric bike company that was founded by young cycling enthusiasts. They focus on creating amazing and affordable electric bikes that we love. Snapcycle bikes won’t break the bank. They focus on giving the best price to perform ratio they possibly can.
The Snapcycle S1 is one of 3 bikes that Snapcycle currently manufactures. The Snapcycle S1 is their electric folding fat tire bike. It comes with a 750W geared hub motor. At peak power, it’s able to put out 1200W of power and has 85Nm of torque. Having these high levels of power and torque allow the rider to conquer any terrain and ride in places many other folding electric bikes can’t. In terms of performance, this bike will satisfy the pickiest riders.
The Battery that Snapcycle includes on the Snapcycle S1 is a 48V 14Ah Samsung Lithium-Ion Battery. Samsung is a name everyone knows and Samsung is becoming well known in the battery space as well. They design some of the best electric bike battery cores on the market and many high-end electric bikes have Samsung batteries powering them. The battery can give you up to 45 miles on a single charge with pedal-assist mode and up to 30 miles in pure electric power mode.
The charge time of the battery on the Snapcycle S1 is a bit longer than others on this list, it takes about 5 hours to fully charge the S1’s battery. However, the battery pack is detachable. If you plan on riding a lot or doing back-to-back rides on a regular basis, you could buy a backup battery to switch out as needed. This way you can charge one while the other is being used and vice versa.
The S1 also comes with a rear rack for storing items while you ride. This can be very useful if you plan on utilizing your folding
Overall, the Snapcycle S1 is a solid folding eBike, if you would like to learn more about Snapcycle or the Snapcycle S1, click the button below.
6. Quietkat Voyager Foldable Electric Bike Review
Quietkat Voyager Features
- Foldable to 40″ x 34″ x 16″
- 750W Class 2 Rear Hub Drive Motor
- 48 Mile Riding Range
- 20″x4″ Fat Tires
- 7 Speed SRAM Gearing
- 5 Levels of Pedal Assist, Throttle, and Walk Assist
- Compact & Lightweight
Quietkat is a higher-end e-bike that specializes in hunting e-bikes. Their bikes are very durable and great for offroading due to the nature of their clients. Quietkat bikes are built with sturdier materials and fat tires so they can conquer any terrain. They also have very strong motors with good gearing ratio options so that you can climb hills when offroading.
Due to the nature of their target use case and the performance metrics, they look to achieve, Quietkat bikes typically have a higher price tag on them. This e-bike is one of the most expensive on this list.
However, with the Quietkat Voyager, their electric folding bike, they tend to have discounts on a regular basis that puts them closer to the price range of other bikes on this list. Quietkat bikes would be considered electric mountain bikes, but many people still use them as commuter bikes due to their superior performance and amazing quality.
The Quietkat Voyager comes with a 750W Class 2 rear hub motor and achieves a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. The bike has 5 different pedal assist modes. You can also utilize this foldable e-bike in full throttle mode or walk assist mode. Having a powerful motor such as this allows for easy riding across all terrains, even rough terrain.
The battery that comes with the Quietkat Voyager is a 48V 12.8AH battery. This powerful battery gives you a battery life of up to 48 miles. However, riding ranges are always an estimate if you’re riding up a hill it’s not gonna last for 48 miles. Typically the riding range of an e-bike is in ideal conditions with an average size rider.
The Quietkat Voyager, weighing 54 lbs, is the lightest folding electric bike on this list. It has a compact aluminum frame that allows it to be so lightweight. Even though it’s lightweight, it is still a very sturdy bike. Don’t forget, this bike is made for offroading! So, you get amazing durability combined with a lightweight frame.
As Quietkat bikes are typically for hunting there are a number of different addon kits you can get with this bike such as the Overland Kit or Ultimate Hunter Kit. These kits come with things such as bike trailers, suspension seat posts for smoother rides, puncture-resistant tires, and more. They also have an urban commute kit that comes with an eBike Cover, comfort saddle (cushioned), handlebar bag, and more.
If you would like to learn more about the Quietkat Voyager electric folding bike, click the button below.
7. GEN3 The Groove Electric Folding Bike Review
GEN3 The Groove Features
- Foldable to 38″ x 28″ x 24″
- 500W Bafang Rear Hub Motor
- 45 Mile Riding Range
- 20″x4″ Fat Tires
- 7 Speed SRAM Gearing
- 5 Levels of Pedal Assist and Thumb Throttle
The GEN3 Groove comes with some great features. It has a 500W motor that at peak power puts out 1,000W. 1000 Watts is a lot of power, with that, you won’t have any trouble climbing hills or getting power on rough terrain.
In addition to the great features of this electric bike, it also comes with great components. Most of the gearing components are Shimano parts. Shimano is a very well-known cycling component brand. They make all kinds of components from basic cranks, derailers, and shifters all the way up to high-end wireless shifting systems that go on $15,000 road bikes. So, having Shimano parts on your e-bike is a great thing.
Some of the Shimano components that The Groove has include Shimano Tourney 7-Speed Derailleur, Shimano 7 Speed Flywheel, Shimano TX50 Shifter, and more.
GEN3 Company
GEN3 is an electric transportation company based in Bellevue, Washington. Their goal is to do their part to take steps toward energy-efficient travel. GEN3 consists of a team of product developers that have decades of experience. GEN3 gives off a very fun and energetic vibe, they want to provide a great outdoor pass time for their customers through their powerful and fun electric bikes.
One of the things that stood out about GEN3 for me is that they openly advertise their certified pre-owned models for people that are looking for a good deal. There are a number of companies that do certified pre-owned products, but most companies hide it in the small print. So, if you’re looking for a like-new quality bike at a discounted price, their certified pre-owned section is a great place to look.
For those that don’t know, certified pre-owned are products that have been returned. Then a company’s service team does maintenance on them to bring them up to like-new quality. Once fully refurbished and brought back to like-new quality they are sold at a discounted price.
The GEN3 Groove is a great folding bike that has great features and components, if you would like to learn more, click the button below.
8. TurboAnt Swift S1 Folding Fat Tire Electric Bike Review
TurboAnt Swift S1 Features
- Foldable to 38″ x 28″ x 24″
- 750 W Brushless Gear Motor
- 35-60 Mile Riding Range
- 20″ x 4″ Kenda Fat Tires
- Front and Rear Lights
- 7 Speed SRAM Gearing
- 5 Levels of Pedal Assist
The TurboAnt is more expensive than many of the other e-bikes on this list. It’s a great bike, but I didn’t think it was worth the added cost which is why it is so far down on this list. The TurboAnt bike features a quick folding mechanism that makes storage super easy. You can see the folding system in action in the GIF above. It is very easy to fold and once you get the hang of it, it should only take seconds to fold and unfold.
Swift S1 comes packed with great features and components from well-known brands. It features a Shimano 7 speed derailleur and freewheel. It has Tektro Aries Brakes, Prowheel 42T Crank, and Promax Stem. The frame is made from lightweight Aluminum alloy 6061. Even with the lightweight Aluminum Alloy frame, this bike weighs 67.2 lbs. That’s on the higher end of the bikes on this list. The Quietkat Voyager weighs 54 lbs and the rest of the bikes range from 60 to ~68lbs.
The battery on this bike is a 48V 14 Ah Lithium-Ion Battery. With this battery, you can expect to get a riding range of 35-60 miles on a single charge. Even though this bike has a great riding range, if you run out of juice, you can still pedal as if it is a normal bike. This way you’ll never get stranded on your bike. I just might take a little more effort to get home.
The battery on this bike has a lot of juice, so it’s no surprise it takes about 7 hours to fully charge. The battery is removable tho, so you can take it off the bike to charge it but know that you must fold the bike in order to remove the battery.
The TurboAnt electric bike is shipped 90% assembled so upon arrival you do have to do a little work before riding your new e-bike. However, most of the work will be done for you. You’ll be off to the races in no time.
If you would like to learn more about this folding e-bike, click the button below.
9. Aventon Sinch Foldable E-bike Review
Aventon Sinch Features
- Foldable to 41″ x 23″ x 31″
- 500W Motor with 750W Peak
- 40 Mile Riding Range
- 20″x4″ Puncture Resistant Fat Tires
- 7 Speed Gearing
- 5 Levels of Pedal Assist
The Aventon Sinch Step-Thru is a foldable electric bike with a 500W motor and a top speed of 20 miles per hour. At peak power, the brushless motor is able to deliver 750W. It comes with a 6061 Double Butted Aluminum Alloy Frame. With the aluminum frame, this bike ends up having a total weight of 68 lbs and has a maximum weight capacity of 300 lbs. The powerful motor combined with the lightweight aluminum frame gives you optimum power output.
The Aventon Sinch comes with mechanical disc brakes that give you the stopping power that you need to safely maneuver on your rides. It also features a good front suspension system and wide wheels that give it the maneuverability that you desire.
This bike features a 7-speed gear system to give you the utmost versatility on your rides.
It features a great battery that gives you a 40-mile average ride range. Also, Aventon unlike many other brands provides the battery ride testing results. So you don’t have to guess whether the ride was done with pedal assist on or off and you’ll know a better range of how far you can ride.
On pedal assist level 1, at an average speed of 10 mph, they were able to ride 71 miles on a single charge which is amazing for a folding bike.
To give you both ends of the spectrum, on pedal assist level 5 at an average speed of 20 mph, they were able to ride 38miles.
Last but not least on full throttle mode, they were able to ride 30 miles without pedaling.
These tests were done with a rider weight of 165 lbs on flat terrain. So, results may vary depending on weight, terrain, and wind resistance.
Aventon Company
Aventon is a bike company that’s been around for a few years now. I was first introduced to Aventon through the track bike they were manufacturing a few years back. However, with the recent growth in the electric bike market and the endless potential that e-bikes are presenting, Aventon decided to move away from normal bikes and tackle the electric bike market.
Aventon made their first e-bike in 2018 and over the years have amassed a small collection of electric bikes including their new Aventon Sinch. Aventon has removed most, if not all, manufacturing of regular bikes at this point and only makes electric bicycles but even though they’re newer in the electric bike industry, they have the know-how of all the bikes they’ve made. Combining their experience and customer research with the cutting-edge tech of the e-bike industry, they have been able to make great award-winning electric bikes while keeping the price point low.
Aventon has repeatedly been named in the press stating things such as “my best bet and the most bang for the buck” – Forbes and “Remarkably solid e-bike” -Bicycling.com. So, I’m not the only one out here giving Aventon praise. They are a solid bike company and you’re sure to get a good value with any of their products.
If this bike sounds impressive to you, click the button below to learn more.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose The Best Electric Folding Bike
Choosing the best value electric folding bike for your needs can be a daunting task. There are so many components that make up an e-bike. In this buyer’s guide, I will cover the main things that I pay attention to when looking at an electric bike. This isn’t an exhaustive list because no one wants to read a 20,000-word article on everything there is to know about e-bike components. However, this buyer’s guide will give you a great understanding of each of the most important components of an electric bike. After reading this buyer’s guide, you’ll be able to make an informed decision of which bike will suit your needs.
Motor
When looking at electric bikes, the motor is one of the most important parts. Having a strong motor will allow you to ride on various terrains, climb hills, and have an overall great experience when riding. The battery provides the juice to continue going but the motor is where the power comes from. If your motor is weak, your eBike won’t have any kick behind it, you’ll feel like it can’t take off, it won’t have good acceleration and overall it won’t be an enjoyable ride.
When choosing a motor on most e-bikes, you have 4 options. You can have a front hub motor, rear hub motor, mid-mounted motor, or an all-wheel-drive motor. An AWD motor is when there’s a motor on both the front wheel and the back wheel. All-wheel drive bikes are typically more expensive because you have 2 motors. With 2 motors, you typically need a bigger battery or 2 batteries which also raises the cost.
With Foldable eBikes, you typically are going to have a rear hub motor or a front hub motor. I haven’t seen many, if any, mid motors on folding bikes. This is probably due to where the folding occurs is where a mid-motor resides. So, it would be a design headache to try to design a folding mechanism around the motor.
Most of the best folding electric bikes have rear motors. This includes all of the ones on this list. I don’t personally know why they’re all rear wheel-mounted motors, but that just seems to be normal on folding electric bikes.
Speed
The speed of most electric bikes is limited due to local regulations. Most electric bikes fall into a class of e-bikes. There are class 1, 2, and 3 electric bikes and then you can find e-bikes that are for offroad use only. In most parts of the US, your bike needs to be one of the 3 classes to ride it on the bike paths. So, check your local laws.
Class 1 E-bikes are pedal-assist electric bikes that are only allowed to provide power while pedaling and up to 20 mph. Class 2 E-bikes use a throttle to accelerate and can only supply power up to 20 mph. Class 3 electric bikes are pedal-assist but they can go up to 28 mph. In most parts of the US, a class 3 e-bike is going to be your fastest electric folding bike.
Battery Pack
The Battery Pack is another vital part of your electric bike. The motor provides the horsepower and acceleration of your eBike, while the battery provides the juice. When your battery runs out, your motor can’t work anymore. Having a battery pack that can last your entire ride is a huge perk. However, to know if it’ll be able to last your whole ride, first, you need to know approximately how far you’ll ride in one outing.
If you plan on riding to and from work and it is only 10 miles to work and 10 miles home, then you need at least a 20-mile riding range on a full charge, assuming you don’t charge it at work. Some bikes have a removable battery which is great for commuting to work because you can take the battery off the bike and charge it inside while you work. Having a removable battery also gives you the ability to purchase a backup battery, that way you can charge one while using the other thus allowing for even less downtime.
On a folding bike, the riding range of a fully charged battery is typically below 50 miles, with most good folding bikes having a range of 40 to 48 miles is the sweet spot. Below 35-40 miles and you’re getting into the lower-end bikes and you won’t really find a folding bike that can do over 50 miles on a single charge. If you need to ride longer distances, you’ll want to look into regular electric bikes instead of folding bikes. Your other option is to get creative in ways such as charging at work or having multiple batteries.
Size and Storage
One of the biggest reasons people consider getting a folding bike is the convenience of storage and the ability to turn their bike into a small thing for easy transportation. When looking at electric folding bikes, you’re going to want to make sure that the bike folds down to a compact size that will fit where you plan on storing it. You’ll also want to measure your car to make sure that the bike will fit in your method of transportation.
Electric Folding Bikes are going to be lighter than your standard e-bike but when looking at good foldable e-bikes they still weigh a decent amount. The Quietkat Voyager (listed above) is the lightest folding e-bike on this list. It weighs 54 lbs. Most of the other e-bikes on this list weigh 60-70 pounds. In the future, I plan on making a list of the best lightweight electric folding bikes. You can find some that weigh 20-40 lbs but in terms of performance, durability, and overall quality they don’t compare to the folding bikes on this list.
The best size electric folding bike is relative, for one person who has an SUV a bike of one size may work better while someone with a more compact hatchback may need a smaller folding bike. For this reason, my list doesn’t order based on sizing, but I put the measurements of each folding bike when folded under the features for easy access.
Suspension
The suspension on a bike is used to absorb impact to give you a comfortable ride. Most electric folding bikes aren’t going to have a crazy suspension system. Electric folding bikes don’t usually come with rear suspension, but it is common for them to come with a front suspension system. They typically aren’t super robust suspension systems, but they will definitely help more than nothing.
If you want a robust suspension system, you want to look more into electric mountain bikes. With the terrain requirements of a mountain bike, having great shock absorption is a huge factor of a good mountain bike.
However, on a bike that you’ll be riding on the city streets, the main bumps you’re going to encounter are sidewalk ramps, speed bumps, and the occasional pothole. Under these circumstances, the suspension isn’t that important. The front suspension fork that is provided will be enough to give a smooth ride.
Tires
The tires that come on most electric folding bikes are small wheels with wide tires. They are what many would call fat tire electric folding bikes. The better folding bikes usually come with 20″ wheels, but you can find some cheaper electric folding bikes that have 16-inch wheels too.
The 16″ electric bikes feel cheap and really small. When I see a normal-sized adult on the 16″ bikes it reminds me of those clowns that ride on those mini bikes. It just doesn’t look right. 16″ wheel bikes may be right for some people but I’d say the average adult should go with a 20″ wheel folding bike.
Fenders
Some folding bikes you find will come with fenders, either front fenders, rear fenders, or both. Having fenders on a bike is convenient especially if it’s your main form of transportation. Fenders keep the wheels from throwing up dirt when riding over wet or dirty terrains.
If you’re gonna be using your bike as a main form of transportation, you’ll probably use the bike rain or shine. If this is the case, you’ll definitely want fenders. I’ve ridden my bike (without fenders) the day after a big rain and it threw dirt upon my back the entire ride. My back was brown and wet by the time I finished my ride. So, fenders can be a great option, if you may be riding in a similar scenario.
Seat
If you’ve sat on a bike seat for more than 20 minutes, as an adult, you’ll know that having a comfortable seat is important. If you plan on riding very regularly I’d even recommend getting padded cycling shorts. For very long rides, it seems like the ideal scenario would be a padded seat, but in reality, having less padding on your seat but the proper shape of a seat for your body is more important.
I can’t tell you what seat will be best for your body, I’d start out with whatever seat comes with your bike. The great thing b about a seat is it can be switched out later if it is uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to switch it out, a good seat goes a long way.
Gears
All the bikes on this list have multiple gears, so you don’t need to worry too much about this, but something to pay attention to when looking at other electric folding bikes is whether or not it is a single-speed bike.
Having a single-speed bike means that it won’t have different gears for climbing and cruising. You’ll pedal at the same “speed” no matter what. Although you will have pedal assistance since it is an e-bike, your pedaling will have to keep up with the speed you’re riding at.
Pedal Assist Modes
Many electric bikes come with different levels of pedal assist. This means the level of assistance the motor gives you while you ride. Higher pedal-assist levels will make it a lot easier to pedal while lower levels will require more effort on your part.
Many of the bikes on this list have 5 levels of pedal assist and some have throttle mode. Throttle mode means you are able to accelerate up to 20 mph with just the throttle without pedaling. Throttle mode can be good if you’re new to riding and you think you’ll get tired on your rides.
However, it’s important to note the riding ranges on most electric bikes are calculated using pedal assist. If you use strictly throttle mode, you’ll be able to ride about half as far maybe less. For example, if the riding range states 40 miles, I’d estimate you could ride about 20 miles on throttle-only mode.
Lights
Lights are very important especially if you’re going to be riding at night. Without lights riding at night can be very dangerous, you always want to be seen when riding your bike. There are way too many cyclists that get hit by cars because they “came out of nowhere”. Having a light can’t save everyone, but it will definitely put the odds in your favor.
Some electric bikes come with lights that run off the battery on the bike. This is ideal because you never have to worry about charging your lights. However, if your bike doesn’t come with lights, it doesn’t mean you can’t buy the bike, there are lights that you can buy separately, you just have to make sure to keep them charged.
When riding on a road, your rear lights are the most important. You should also have a front light but the rear light allows the cars that you can’t see to see you. The cars in front of you, you can see and maneuver if necessary, but the cars behind you, you’d have no time to react to.
