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If you boil it down to the simplest terms, a bike is meant to get you from point A to point B. You could say the same thing about a car. In the bike world, a cargo or utility e-bike is to cycling what a truck or minivan is to the world of motor vehicles: they allow you to get from A to B with more things or more people in relative comfort and ease.
These heavy haulers are just sturdier than your typical bike; several cargo bikes can harry hundreds of pounds of payload. Many come with integrated racks and thicker tubing designed to manage higher cargo capacities such as humans (grown or growing), pets, or simply “stuff.” They’ll make the task easier if you frequently need to take things with you. And thanks to the motor, you can expect to haul more than ever.
Sure, many commuter or city e-bikes can also carry some spare cargo, but there is a higher safety element with dedicated cargo bikes. The wheelbases are longer for better stability; they often feature dual-leg kickstands for more effortless loading and unloading, a lower center of gravity for enhanced balance, and the assortment of accessory options are never lacking. You can get full-blown canopies or six hard-shelled panniers on specific rigs.
Here, we’ve lumped cargo and utility together. In truth, a utility bike is often a short-tailed cargo bike. It has the stout nature you’d expect, but the form factor isn’t overly large to the point where navigating a garage or apartment is problematic.
If this style sounds like it’s the solution to your problems, all that’s left to do is see which one catches your eye. That’s where our extensive testing and review process comes into play.
Down below, you’ll find individual reviews both for well-established and up-and-coming electric cargo bikes. Our review team puts them through their paces and adds thoughtful insight into what makes the ride unique for each one we’ve reviewed.
However, if you’re prone to analysis paralysis, we can also steer you to our picks of the top cargo and utility bikes you can find on the market.
Happy hauling and happy riding!
