Best Electric Tricycles, 2023

If you’re looking for a trike on a limited budget, the Lectric XP Trike has some great features and offers great value for the money. Actually, it’s just plain great, and happens to be available on the cheap!

As a well-known leader in the electric bike world, Lectric eBike’s new XP Trike rewrote the rules on how to make an e-trike more affordable. The XP Trike is priced around $1500, making this the most affordable option of our best e-trikes list.

Building the drivetrain for a trike can be the most expensive part of production. Lectric crafted a unique and cost-effective design with a 500W hub motor mounted on the frame, behind the pedal crank, that drives a short chain connected to the differential. The differential slows down the inside wheel on turns so the rider doesn’t spin out of control, creating a balanced center of gravity when you ride. It’s clever as it provides a better feel than a front-hub motor setup, but is far less costly than mid-drive motor configurations.

The Lectric XP Trike fits riders who are 5’4” to 6’1”. And on top of that. The XP Trike comes with the folding frame feature Lectric is known for, reducing its size to 38.5″L x 30.5″W x 30″H when folded. The 415 lbs maximum weight capacity on the Trike means it can carry a rider weighing up to 325 lbs, 35 lbs max in the front basket, and 75 lbs in the rear basket. Adding the three maximum amounts gives you 435 lbs, meaning you cannot do the maximum limit for the rider and both baskets at the same time.

Providing additional safety for new riders and folks who have been away from bikes for a while, the XP Trike has a default mode that limits the trike to a 5 mph top speed while you get the hang of riding the trike. You can easily switch out of the mode by going into settings. We like the emphasis on safety to help ease riders into electrified trikes especially since they perform best at more mild speeds anyway.

Mobility doesn’t have to be expensive. The XP Trike is a dependable e-trike that’ll help more people enjoy riding which is why it leads off our list of the best electric tricycle.

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Fewer names are bigger in the electrified bike world than Rad Power Bikes. They were able to take a lot of experience into their first Trike design, and it hits a lot of high notes.

Rad designed the RadTrike using smaller 18-inch wheels and a simplified powerband that uses a front wheel hub motor. Riders can appreciate the ease of stepping on and off this low-sitting bike, along with its easy-to-maneuver, light frame.

The 750 watt front-hub motor generates up to 85 Nm of torque, making it powerful enough to carry heavy loads and climb steep hills. The weight capacity is 325 lbs for the rider, rear basket up to 60 lbs, and front basket 30 lbs, with total payload capacity not to exceed 415 lbs.

Handling the RadTrike is also made nice since it’s rear wheel base is as long as you can go while still sitting through a door frame, and the smaller tire size keeps center of gravity low for better balance. It’s easy to hop on and off the RadTrike too, and the fold-down handlebar makes it easier to transport and store when not in use.

Powering the motor is the 10 Ah (480 Wh) battery that gave us a range of 58 miles on our test ride. Stopping power comes from a simplified brake system, using a mechanical front disc brake, with 180mm rotor, and a rear coaster brake. Also making the RadTrike simple to operate is the single-speed drivetrain.

Keeping safety in mind, Rad caps the top speed at 14 mph for its e-trike. And you get good peace of mind knowing that RadTrike’s engineering meets the safety certification guidelines with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Rad offers three different kits so you can get the rack/basket combo that fits your hauling needs.

It’s not quite as affordable as the XP Trike, but it’s a little more solid and refined feeling, and still less expensive than most electric trikes on the market today which might make it the best value electric trike.

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E-trike aficionados looking for more bells and whistles will want to consider the Evelo Compass electric trike. Active riders looking for a trike they can pedal more, might also appreciate the e-trike’s Bafang 500W mid-drive motor, which has a throttle, and 5-level PAS.

Giving this trike better traction and stability comes from the dual wheel differential. The differential enables each rear wheel to travel at different speeds from one another, based on whether the bike is turning and taking curves. This increases rider safety because the differential prevents the wheels from spinning out of control.

Paired with a 10.4 Ah battery that can take you up to 40 miles on a single charge, there’s an option for a dual battery, doubling your range to 80 miles. Stopping power is provided by the Tektro mechanical front and rear disc brakes, with 180mm rotors.

The total weight capacity is 415 lbs, and this trike can carry a rider who is up to 350 lbs. Rolling on 24-inch wheels, this trike sits a little higher than the others, which means bigger and taller riders might prefer the Compass over other e-trikes.

The Compass comes with a 4-year warranty, meaning Evelo has a lot of confidence in the e-bikes they build. They can ship the e-trike directly to you, needing only basic assembly. Evelo has a 4-minute video that shows how easy the assembly is.

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• Safety: First and foremost, we want to recommend trikes that have a good reputation for being safe. Many riders choose a trike because they have special needs, tied to an injury, disability or age. That means these riders might be more at risk riding a trike that isn’t as safe as the other trikes available.
• Performance: The trikes we recommend feature power plants and drivetrains that can meet rider needs, while also giving them fun experiences. We’ve considered factors like powerful motors that can accelerate, cruise and carry cargo; batteries that enable the trike to travel at least 40 miles; drivetrains that can handle weight and work well within the trike design; brakes that stop quickly and safely; and suspension and other operation components that give the rider comfortable and an enjoyable experience.
• Quality Build: We are selecting trikes that we have tested and we know are designed and built well. That means we have confirmed the quality of the bike, that they feature quality components, and that they were designed and built by expert e-bike builders.
• Easy Operation: Trikes can seem difficult to operate from someone who has never ridden one. For riders who have mobility issues, this can make it even harder for them to trust riding an e-trike, let alone riding one all together. We picked bikes that are among the easiest for anyone to ride.

This best e-tikes list is meant to provide a brief overview of the trikes we covered. We recommend you read our in-depth written review for more information. Before your first ride on an e-trike, make sure you have a good understanding of all the controls and safe operating methods. Also be sure to check out the owners manual before you ride. All e-trikes listed have manuals you can download in PDF format, or helpful videos for safe assembly and operation. This will enhance the safety and quality of your ride, while increasing the likelihood you’ll have many more riding days.

Try sticking to low power when you ride your new trike for the first time. The technique for riding a trike is different from riding a bike. Riders who are transitioning from a bike to a trike might feel like they are learning to ride all over again. That’s okay because they need to discover the difference between the two in order to become a better trike rider, and you’ll likely pick it up very quickly.

Consider best safety practices including wearing a helmet and high-visibility clothing when you ride. We recommend you to check local regulations and guidelines regarding the use of e-trikes, as they may vary depending on your jurisdiction. Always remember, trikes are not meant to go fast, nor ridden abruptly – take your time and enjoy the ride!

If you decide to purchase one of these trikes, please use the links for pricing found throughout the article. It supports our work here at the Electric Bike Report, and enables us to continue testing and reporting the latest updates on electric trikes and bikes.

Have a bike that you think would be a good contender for our best electric trikes page? Let us know in the comment section below. At the very least, we always want to know what our readers are riding.