Best Folding Electric Bikes 2023

Rad Power Bikes’ Rad Expand 5 is our choice for best Class 2 [20 mph limit] folding e-bike in 2023. When choosing a folding e-bike, product longevity is important to consider. Rad began building folding e-bikes in 2015, and the Expand 5 is their fifth iteration of this model, so they have a lot of experience in designing, building and selling folding e-bikes.

Power is delivered from the proof-tested 750-watt [750w] motor that dishes out predictable doses of acceleration that never surprises you, nor makes you feel like the bike is out of control. The 14 amp-hour/672 watt-hour battery [14Ah/672Wh], provides enough energy to power the motor for up to 40 miles between charges.

Part of the allure of having a folding e-bike, is the ability to take this bike almost anywhere to explore. The Expand 5 enables you to explore dirt roads as well as pavement and gravel, with its 20” x 4” fat tires – a key feature not always found on other folding electric e-bikes. Smooth, reliable shifting is delivered to the 14-tooth to 34-tooth rear cassette [14-34T] gearing and MicroShift 7-speed mechanical shift unit.

One of the new changes we welcome are the wider 660 mm handlebars and 6.9” rise now featured on the Expand 5. This provides better control and creates more stable handling. The power comes from Rad’s historically reliable rear hub motor, which safely accelerates at predictable levels. And the LED display is easy to use and easy to see in the sunlight. There’s even an LCD display upgrade available.

Here at EBR, we prefer hydraulic disc brakes for stopping power, but the mechanical brakes on the Expand 5 performed better than the average. The benefits of having mechanical brakes include easy maintenance and lower costs for repairs and replacement parts. The rigid suspension makes off-roading a bit more rough compared to folding e-bikes with suspension, but it’s sturdy and reliable.

Considering Rad’s reputation with customer service, and the Expand 5’s simple construction, sturdy build and history of performance and reliability, you get a lot of value here from a bike that’s priced in what we consider the affordable tier – making it worthy of our list of best folding e-bikes . You can buy this e-bike online and have it shipped directly to your door.

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Earning our vote as the best Do-it-All Folding E-Bike is Lectric’s XP 3.0 model, Building on the success of the earlier XP 2.0 model, Lectric now offers a more powerful 500w motor that boosts the peak 1000w, and 55nm. The power output really showed in our performance tests compared to the earlier model XP 2.0. The controller manages a five-level PAS, and this marvel of an e-bike also has a throttle for quick acceleration, or for when you’re tired of pedaling. The 10.4Ah battery offers a range of between 25 to 50 miles, and the charger will get you back up and running in six hours.

Using a Shimano Tourney 7-speed for gearing, Lectric decided to switch to a 11-28T cassette. This eliminates the ghost pedaling issue of the past, while increasing the top speed for effective pedaling from 18 to 20 mph. Providing positive handling and control are 50 mm travel coil spring suspension forks and 20” x 3” tires to keep you safely rolling. When testing on gravel roads, we found these tires hold their own and still offer a fun ride.

Lectric still installs mechanical brakes on this e-bike, but they switched from 160mm rotors to 180mm rotors, and our brake test revealed greater stopping power than the XP 2.0. Rear rack capacity increased from 75 lbs to 150 lbs, enabling you to carry a heavier passenger. But parents beware, the heavier weight doesn’t mean you should try carrying more than one passenger. Max capacity increased to 330 lbs. The e-bikes Passenger Mode adjusts the motor performance to accommodate your passenger, while also keeping the bike at a safe maximum speed of 10 mph.

At 65 lbs, the XP 3.0 is heavy as a folding bike, but the solid construction, off-road potential and overall reliability are fair trade-offs for this e-bikes weight. If the bike’s weight is not an issue for you, and you want to extend the bike’s range another 15-20 miles, you can fit it with the 14 amp-hour battery, for an additional pound and a half of weight.

Lectric is no newcomer to the e-bike world. Their engineering design team has a lot of experience in creating solid and reliable e-bikes that perform well and leave a lot of riders with smiles on their face. Residing in the $1000 range, this e-bike gives you a lot of value for your money – arguably the most value of any bike on this list of best electric folding bikes.

You can buy this e-bike online and have it shipped directly to your door, and since it folds down neatly, you just unfold it and it’s fully assembled and ready to ride!

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Aventon Sinch earned our nod for the Best Class 3 [28 mph limit] folding e-bike. Granted, it comes as class 2, but we enjoyed the ride feel when going a little faster into speeds in the low 20s.

Redesigning the frame, and lowering the bottom tube, this e-bike is more conducive to riders who have physical limitations. They also re-designed the clamp and hinge for folding the bike, making it stronger and easier to lock in place. The new design also eliminates the flexing problem we encountered on the previous model, as there was no more sideways flexing by the bike when we did our test rides.

This bike features a peppy 500w motor that offered great acceleration at each of the five PAS levels we tested it on. It also includes a thumb throttle for when you need quick bursts, or when you need to maintain the same speed while taking a break from pedaling. When doing the throttle-only portion of the hill climb test, this bike posted the second-fastest time of all the Aventons we had tested to that point.

The Sinch’s clean and stylish look hides the fact that this is a folding e-bike. Giving the rider a range of up to 40 miles on a single charge, the frame-integrated 48v 14 Ah battery recharges in under six hours.

Transferring the motor’s power to the wheels using a Shimano Altus 7-speed, with a 11-32T steel cassette, and 170 mm 52T crankset, this bike rides nice at any speed, and it never felt like it was trying to excuse the rider from pedaling. Stopping power was superb thanks to the Tektro mechanical disc brakes and 180 mm rotors. Softening the rough roads with its 45mm travel RST Guide front forks, the improved suspension was noticeable, especially when compared to the rigid frame folding e-bikes we rode.

The controller still uses a cadence and speed sensor for managing the motor engagement in the PAS modes, but it worked well for most riding conditions. Weighing in at 68 lbs, which was about average compared to similar e-bikes, the Sinch can carry a rider weighing up to 300 lbs, and can carry up to 55 lbs of cargo on the rear rack.

All in all, this bike can do a lot and offers a lot, especially when you consider it’s priced well around $1500.

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Some e-bikes are better than others when it comes to customizing them to suit specific tastes or meet specific needs. Blix’s Vika+ Flex features a slew of options earning its spot as the best modular folding e-bike for 2023.

Depending on your riding needs the Vika+ Flex is able to carry up to 110 lbs of cargo, and offers a unique customizable modular racking system. You have over 30 options to choose from, including different types and sizes of racks, boards, bags, posts, and more to make your Blix unique and able to accommodate your specific needs.

This e-bike gets around quite well with its 500w rear hub motor. Our test bike had no problem taking our 180 lb rider around at all of the PAS levels. The throttle had no trouble getting us up to 20 mph without pedaling.And when it came to climbing hills, this Blix was able to reach the top of our famed Hell Hole Trail on throttle alone, something similar e-bikes couldn’t do.

The 48v 12.8 Ah battery feeds the motor enough power to ride 45 miles on one charge, and can be recharged in 6 hours. Blix replaced the earlier mechanical brakes with Tektro’s 160mm rotor hydraulic brakes. With the help of the bike’s light frame, these brakes performed remarkably well in our brake test. Confidence in control came courtesy of the CST BMX 20” x 2.4” CST tires. The stiffer sidewall and road tread offered great handling.

Because of its compact design, this bike might seem a little small for larger riders. Also, when folding and unfolding the bike we found the hardware to be tight and somewhat difficult for folding, unfolding, and locking into place. But it’s light 55 lb. weight makes it easier to maneuver and zip around tight spots, and we appreciate the magnets that help it stay folded toether. The light weight is also good for lifting into a car trunk or SUV, or carrying upstairs or rolling onto public transport.

When considering all the features this e-bike offers, we find the Blix Vika+ Flex is a good deal for for the money. For more information on how to get your hands on a Blix Vika+ Flex, please click the red button below.

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Here at EBR we’ve been telling people that $1000 is the entry point for buying a decent quality e-bike, then came Lectric XP Lite. Listed at around $800, this little sister to the popular XP 2.0 not only lowered the bar on price, but they did it by being a well-established company offering a quality e-bike for less than $1000.

Before you get too excited and think this is all you’ll ever need, you need to consider the trade-off in what this ebike doesn’t feature, like suspension, gearing, and a big battery. But at 46 lbs, this single-speed is easy to fold up, throw in your car trunk and take it almost anywhere for a good ride.

Part of what makes this bike less expensive and lighter rests with its 350w motor [750w peak]. It feels underpowered when using PAS 1 and 2 but comes to life at PAS 3. When riding this e-bike at PAS 5, we got close to topping out at 20 mph, which is the limit for being a Class 2 e-bike.

The battery is smaller than most, at 7.8 Ah [374 Wh], but with the smaller motor and lighter frame, it still has energy to take you up to 40 miles when pedaling. The small but mighty 350W motor makes efficient use of the battery. We reached 16 miles in our max PAS range test and still got 35 miles out of a range test don at PAS 3. The key here is pedaling – the XP Lite will do more for you if you do more for it.

Another benefit of the compact design is the ease in which you can maneuver this bike around town, and around obstacles. The XP Lite’s nimble handling makes it easier to scoot around pedestrians and slow bikes on the path. Helping you keep control are the 20” x 2.6” tires that provide positive traction.

Using 160mm rotors, front and back, the small wheels didn’t take away the braking system’s ability to safely stop us during our brake test.

Before we rode the XP Lite, we didn’t realistically believe decent folding e-bikes could be sold for under $1000, but the folks at Lectric surprised us again. If you want fat tires for off-roading, a powerful motor to race past your friends, and ride over 50 miles on a single charge, then you’re not going to get that with the XP Lite and you’d be better stepping up to the XP 3.0. But if you want a good quality, affordable folding e-bike that won’t empty your bank account, then you should consider Lectric’s XP Lite as it’s the most affordable bike found on our list of the best folding e-bikes.

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Electric bike options have literally exploded onto the market in recent years, including folding e-bike frame selections. There are e-bikes you can fold, and there are folding e-bikes. GoCycle’s G4 not only resides in the latter of the two, but is by far the easiest e-bike to fold of all the folding e-bikes we’ve tested.

Add this to its super light 38 lb weight and you get one of the easiest e-bikes to fold, carry and store. Packing a powerful 500w motor that even climbs hills, mag wheels and a drivetrain that’s years ahead of the competition, and at a price under $4000 and you have an e-bike that earns our nod as the Best Premium Folding Electric Bike.

Combining the aluminum front frame to the carbon composite rear frame, GoCycle give’s you a very light bike that’s easy to carry but still built strong. Rolling atop a set 20” x 2.25” wheels, this smartly designed bike makes handling and controlling the G4 a breeze, and the adjustable frame and bars can provide a home to riders ranging in height from 5’4” to 6’2”.

The G4 features GoCycle’s unique proprietary Cleandrive enclosed drive system, to keep your hands clean from the greasy chain and sprocket, and a motor that delivers up to 800w of peak power and cruises comfortably at 15 mph. The futuristic looking single-sided fork and rear swingarm make changing tires and fixing flats easier than you’ve ever imagined. Adding to the list of conveniences includes no chain, sprocket or greasy mess, as well as the optional mudguards, lights, integrated lock holster, panniers, and travel and storage systems.

The only thing we thought could be better on this bike was the LED display. On its own you can’t do much with it. That’s because it is most effective when coordinated with the rider’s smartphone, adding lots of images and data to help enhance the overall riding experience. If you’re a rider who likes to ignore your phone when riding, you’ll be a little disappointed about that.

But overall, the GoCycle G4 leads the pack in it’s design and construction, and it has a lot of innovative features that other e-bike companies will likely imitate in a few years. GoCycle also offers a service plan, featuring bike mechanics who are specifically trained to fix GoCycle e-bikes. So if you want a folding e-bike that features leading innovation to enhance your riding experience, then you should consider the GoCycle G4.

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With its patented folding frame design, demonstrated strength, ease at folding and unfolding, and range of options for carrying cargo, Tern’s Vektron earns its place as the 2023 best folding electric bike for Cargo.

At 39 lbs, this bike is one of the easiest to fold, unfold and carry around for the commuter and/or traveler. It’s powered by a high performance Bosch 250w motor, generating 65 Nm of torque, and an energy management system [EMS] that efficiently distributes energy from the battery to the motor, thus maximizing the bike’s range.

Rolling atop 20” road tires, the rear hub channels the bike’s speed using the Shimano Deore 10-speed gearing, a step up in quality compared to most e-bikes. Riders ranging in height from 4’10” to 6’5 can easily adjust the bike’s tool-free stem and quick release seat post. Brakes are handled by a hydraulic disc system and 160mm rotors.

The rear rack is integrated into the frame, and allows for various child seats to me mounted so you can take your little one with you.

Since we only had a chance to check out this e-bike at a recent expo we weren’t able to do our normal slew of performance and safety tests, nor were we able to ride the usual 100 to 175 miles we normally ride on test bikes. But honestly, we were enamored with the bike’s ride quality, and the reputation it carries as an innovation leader make it a simple choice as one of the years best electric folding bikes.

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Okay, so we ran out of awards on this one as we’re rolling with “Another great Class 3 Folding Electric Bike,” but hey, this bike impressed in the tests and we’d be remiss to not have included it amongst the list of the best folding bikes.

Inspired by the portable folding Welbike motorcycle used by the British Army during World War II, the folks at Mod designed their City+ in the same spirit: it easily folds into a portable 65 lb unit; durable; and offers a respectable range of up to 50 miles on a single charge. Fortunately, MOD made this folding e-bike for fun, not for war.

Power is distributed from the surprisingly powerful 500w rear hub motor. In our Circuit Test, this bike easily cruised at 24 mph, and completed our hill climb test with better-than-expected results. Mounted to at the rear of the seat tube, the Samsung 48v 12.8 Ah, 614 Wh battery, provided enough energy for us to ride 25 miles using PAS 5 the whole time, and 50 miles casually pedaling at PAS 2.

Bike gear shifting is through the Shimano Altus 7-speed, with a 11-32T cassette and 52T chainring. This worked great with the motor output because we had no “ghost pedaling” issues (something more common with rear hub motors), and pedaling uphill in 1st gear was easy-peasy. This bike has great stopping power, thanks to the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, featuring dual-piston calipers, 160mm rotors and a motor shut off to keep the motor from pushing you forward when you really mean to stop.

This bike provided one of the more comfortable sitting experiences, with its wide Selle Royal gel saddle cushioning our behinds. Adding to the soft ride are the Moo coil spring suspension fork, with 50mm travel, and the EXAForm suspension seatpost. Improved traction and handling are offered by the Kenda 20”x3” tires, which enabled us to do some light off-roading as well. Protecting us from splattered mud and puddles are the stock wheel fenders.

The City+ folds neatly to a mere dimension of 42” x 15” x 26.5”, making it convenient to store. However, chances are Mod wasn’t planning to have the City+ pushed out of an airplane with paratroopers. That’s because the one thing this bike misses is having a good strap or clamp to lock the bike in place when it’s folded. Our City+ e-bike unfolded easily – and unexpectedly – on its own after we folded it for storage. We used bungee cords to solve that. So, there’s something for the MOD team to work on improving.

With a riding capacity of 265 lbs, 65 lbs for carrying cargo on the rear, this folding e-bike is made for almost anyone to ride. MOD even offers a child seat, with a backrest, and a seat tube-mounted handlebar so your little one can feel more connected to the ride. So, all in all, if you’re looking for Class 3 folding e-bike, the MOD City+ might be just what you’re looking for.

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The Lectric XPremium is the “Big Kahuna” in the folding e-bike world: it can do a lot because it has a lot. Holding two batteries instead of one, the XPremium will likely take you further than any of the other folding e-bikes available. Lectric claims this bike will take you up to 100 miles, yet we managed to take our model seven miles beyond that before the batteries quit for the day.

Many of the folding e-bikes we rode are also better suited for pavement. The XPremium felt at home everywhere we rode it: paved streets, bike paths, gravel roads and dirt trails. The torque sensor worked great with the controller in getting the motor to engage with our pedaling. For most of our test rides, its 500w mid-drive motor felt like it had the same power as a 750w rear hub motor. The XPremium did not leave us clamoring for more power.

Lectric designed the frame from scratch, instead of trying to incorporate their new ideas on an existing frame. The XPremium’s wheelbase is the longest of all the folding e-bikes we’ve tested, and was most noticeable in tight turns and dips. Softening the ride is the combination suspension forks, with 80mm of wheel travel, suspension seat post, and comfy gel saddle.

Rolling on a set of Kenda 20” x 4” fat tires, the XPremium had great traction on all surfaces. Even with the longer wheelbase than its cousin, the XP 3.0, this bike still provided a fun time on the off-road course. An unexpected reward was the XPremium’s stopping ability. Using Zoom hydraulic disc brakes, with dual-piston calipers, this bike’s brake test results were better than what we were expecting from 160mm rotors and the bike’s above-average weight of 79 lbs.

Chances are, when riding a longer range e-bike, like the XPremium with its 330 lbs weight limit, you’re not going to start and stop as often as you would on smaller e-bikes. And with the heavier weight, you also get a heavy duty hinge and lock for safely folding the bike for storage, and unfolding the bike to ride. You can fit a host of accessories to customize your ride, including installing a seat on the rear rack so you can transport your child when you ride.

So, if you’re looking for a folding e-bike that can take you 100 miles, carry cargo, and rides comfortably on all surfaces, then the Lectric XPremium could be right up your alley. For more information on the Lectric XPremium, and where to get it, please click the “Check Best Price” button below.

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The saying, “Have your cake and eat it, too,” comes to mind when thinking about the Eveloo Dash folding e-bike. The design and components on the Dash make it look like it’s more expensive than its price tag says. Selling for a price between $2000 and $3000, The Evelo Dash gets our nod as the Best Mid-Tier Folding Electric Bike.

The more you look at this e-bike, the more you will see things that are normally found on more expensive e-bikes. We applaud the engineering and design team at Evelo for really thinking outside the box with the Dash. This e-bike does a lot, and with less. Looking at its unique, European-like features, it’s hard to say which one we like best: belt drive, mid-drive motor, internal gear hub, and lightweight frame.

Evelo’s choice of putting a belt drive and internal gear hub was not only a great way to eliminate greasy messes when handling this bike, but it’s also the most efficient way to transmit power to the rear wheel, and increase the possible range this bike can travel. Folding and unfolding the bike was very easy, the hardware locked into place firmly, and the bike rides like its frame is one piece, not two. Rating this as a folding e-bike, the Evelo Dash checks the most important boxes on the list.

Three hundred fifty watts might not seem like a lot on an e-bike, but when you consider it’s a mid-drive motor on a bike weighing less than 50 lbs, then you understand how this bike is designed to have a full time pedaling commitment from its rider. This e-bike is ideal for the rider who needs to transport the bike on a bus or commuter train to complete the final leg to and from work; or for the traveler who needs an alternative to walking, public transit and rental cars. The more you consider how and where to use this folding e-bike, and compare that to other folding e-bikes, the Dash’s benefits become more clear.

An important note about this e-bike’s limitations: since it’s designed to be easy to fold and transport, it has a smaller battery, which means a range of 40 miles, or less if you’re using the higher PAS levels and not pedaling as much. Also, suspension would increase the weight (and cost), so you’ll want to limit your off-roading to flat dirt roads. And finally, the internal gear hub shifts differently than derailleurs – you will need to briefly pause pedaling when you downshift and only change one gear at a time.

So, if you’re looking for lightweight folding e-bike that’s easy to fold, unfold, lift, carry and transport, and will give you more when you put more effort into the ride, and features unique bike technology, then the Evelo Dash might be the bike for you. To learn more about prices and places to get yourself a Dash, please click the “Check Best Price” button below.

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It’s not always obvious why someone is attracted to the idea of a bike that folds. Some people want them because they save space; others want them because they make great commuters; and some people just like them because of the novelty and unique look.

Whatever your reason for buying a folding bike, make sure you think long and hard about what you want to do with it, because not all folders are created equal. Just like other realms of the cycling world, there are subsets of bikes inside the folding e-bike category that are designed for different uses. A lightweight commuter folding e-bike won’t perform well off-road, and a heavy all-terrain folder would be tough to carry up a set of stairs. So make sure you’re getting the right bike for you. Also, think hard about whether a folding bike is the right choice for your needs. Folding bikes often ride much differently than their full-sized counterparts, so keep in mind you might be trading ride quality for compactness. But, after all that thinking, if you’re still looking for an e-bike that packs down small but is still capable, you’ve come to the right place.

If you want to explore other categories of e-bikes, we’ve got some great e-bike reviews that look in-depth at virtually any type of e-bike you can think of. Or, if you’re new to the world of e-bikes, we’ve got a handy e-bike buyers’ guide that’ll help you get started.