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You are here: Home / Electric Bike Guides / Electric Cargo Bike Guide [VIDEOS]

Electric Cargo Bike Guide [VIDEOS]

May 15, 2015 by Pete 32 Comments

Spicy-Curry-riding-sideOne of the recent developments in the electric bike and traditional bicycle world has been the cargo or utility bike.

Cargo bikes are designed to carry loads that are larger and heavier than a traditional bicycle can carry like passengers, many bags of groceries, boxes, etc.

Electric cargo bikes offer an additional electric assist to the rider which allows them to carry a heavier load for a longer distance.

The electric cargo bike in many cases is a great alternative to driving a car for running errands and commuting to work.

Benefits of an Electric Cargo Bike

The average person who takes the kids to school, commutes to work, and needs to run errands around town can use this type of bike without getting too tired & sweaty.

Below is an intro video about a cargo bike documentary called Less Car More Go.

The documentary is currently in the works. Below is an excerpt from the documentary to give you more of a background on cargo bikes.

Businesses that need to make deliveries around town can benefit from the maneuverability of a bicycle in a congested urban environment. Electric bikes with cargo carrying capabilities can also be a great marketing tool for businesses because of there unique look and they make a statement about the businesses environmental concern.

UPS and DHL are also using cargo bikes for deliveries in some cities.

Here is a guide to heavy duty electric cargo bikes.

B-Line is a company in Portland Oregon that makes deliveries with electric trikes.

Now let’s take a look at some electric cargo bikes and trikes that are available or will soon be available.

Electric Cargo Bikes:

xtracycle 10e bosch electric cargo bike

Xtracycle 10E: The 10E is an Xtracycle Edgerunner with the Bosch mid drive e-bike system. The Edgerunner cargo bikes are known for their steel frames, 20″ rear wheel for lower cargo platform, and a health selection of versatile accessories. Xtracycle offers the conventional (non-electric) Edgerunners with attachment options (battery, etc.) for adding an e-bike kit of your choice. Here is a review of a Edgerunner with the Dillenger Bafang mid drive installed.

Juiced Riders ODK electric cargo bike

ODK3_blue_5_up

Juiced Riders: The Juiced Riders ODK electric cargo bikes have 20″ wheels front and rear with a super low step thru frame for stable load carrying capability. They offer amazingly high capacity battery size options with impressive price points. Here’s a review of the Juiced Riders ODK from a few years ago. The latest model has some good upgrades.

Rad Power RadWagon: The RadWagon features a powerful 750 watt direct drive rear hub motor with a large battery (48V 14ah 672 Wh with Samsung cells).  The frame has been designed with a substantial standover height to fit a wide range of rider heights. Rad Power offers a number of different cargo racks and baskets for the front and back of the RadWagon. It is impressively priced at $1,599.  

 

Yuba spicy curry electric cargo bike

Yuba Spicy Curry: The Spicy Curry has a sturdy aluminum frame with a rack that can be set up to carry passengers, groceries, etc. or big boxes with it’s flat bed configuration. The 20″ rear wheel keeps the center of weight low for better handling. It features a 350 watt mid drive system from Currie Electro Drive. Here is a closer look at the Spicy Curry e-cargo.

yuba el mundo electric cargo bike

Yuba elMundo: The Mundo is the original Yuba cargo bike with a sturdy steel frame and a bunch of accessory options. It features a BionX e-bike system. Here’s a review of the elMundo with a custom build.

 

yuba el boda boda electric cargo bike

Yuba elBoda Boda: The Boda Boda has a shorter wheel base and lower top tube for easy maneuverability while riding and while getting on/off the bike. Features the BionX e-bike system.

felt-bruhaul-electric-cargo-bike

Felt Bruhaul: Felt showed off their e-cargo with the Bosch mid drive e-bike system last year at the Interbike show. It should be available very soon.

Bullitt electric cargo bike

Larry vs. Harry Bullitt: The Bullitt is a solid front load carrying cargo platform with many accessories to choose from. You can select to add a BionX system to it.

virtue gondoliere electric cargo bike

Virtue Gondoliere+: This has the big front box for carrying kids, groceries, boxes, etc. The cargo weight is positioned center and low. It does take a little while to get used to the steering of these types of cargo bikes. Uses a front hub motor system by Virtue.

pedego-stretch-electric-cargo-bike

Pedego Stretch: Pedego showed off this e-cargo at Interbike 2014 and it should be available this year. It features a sturdy aluminum frame with multiple rack platform placement options for carry passengers, groceries, boxes, etc.

ezee Expedir electric cargo bike

eZee Expedir: This e-cargo features a 26″ front and 24″ rear wheel for slightly lower load distribution. It has an impressive low step thru design.

Biruni electric cargo bike

Biruni:  Is a new e-cargo company offering affordable cargo e-bikes that have a relatively short wheelbase.

 

IZIP Metro electric cargo bike

IZIP E3 Metro:  This is a short wheelbase bike with the ability to carry some cargo thanks to the large front basket and rear rack.

motiv sherpa electric cargo bike

Motiv Sherpa: This a relatively “short tail” beach cruiser style cargo bike with sturdy front and rear racks.

Electric Cargo Trikes:

Butchers-and-Bicycles-MK1-E electric cargo trike

Checkout the guide to electric trikes that includes the tilting Butchers and Bicycles MK1-E shown above.

Organic Transit Elf electric cargo trike

And here is a guide to electric recumbent trikes that includes the Organic Transit Elf shown above.

Add Assist

madsen-cargo-bike

Madsen cargo bike.

There are many more cargo bikes on the market. A lot of these conventional cargo bikes can have an electric bike kit added. You or your local bike dealer will need to make sure that the bike and kit are compatibile.

Other Ways to Carry Cargo

burley kids bike trailer

bob bike trailer

Bike Trailers:  If you already have an electric bike that you like you can use a bike trailer to easily haul some extra cargo.  The cool thing about a bike trailer is that it is easy to add or remove from your bike.

ortlieb downtown commuter

Bike Racks and Bags (or Panniers):  There are many great cargo racks and bags that you can add to your existing electric bike to haul more gear.

The Price of E-Cargo Bikes:

You can expect to pay $2000+ (USD) for an electric cargo bike.  This may seem like a lot, but when you consider how it can be used in lieu of your car for a lot of trips around town it starts to be more reasonable.

The stop and start driving around town causes a lot of wear and tear on your car.  By using an electric cargo bike instead you will save money on gas and maintenance (tires, oil changes, tune-ups, etc.).   Not to mention, have more fun 🙂

That’s it for now.  I will be adding more resources to this page, so stay tuned.

Here is a guide to heavy duty electric cargo bikes.

-Pete

P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips!

Related

Filed Under: Electric Bike Guides, electric cargo bike Tagged With: bionx, bosch, business vehicle, delivery bikes, electric cargo bike, electric utility bike, ezee, fedex, finance, madsen, xtracycle, yuba elmundo, Yuba Spicy Curry

Comments

  1. cycle9 says

    September 9, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    Nice rundown on the various options. I’ve been using an electric cargo bike for years and it just eliminates excuses to take the car – things like I’m tired today, I’m in a hurry, or It’s not convenient! I really think these are a practical way for everyday people to replace car trips, even if they need to transport children, groceries, etc. At Cycle 9, I’ve taken my experiences and used them to help other people get the right electric kit for their cargo bikes so they can transform their lives too. You can check out my story on my blog at https://www.cycle9.com/blog/cargo-bikes/the-electric-cargo-bike-my-story/

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      September 9, 2010 at 8:35 pm

      Thanks Cycle9!

      I totally agree that electric cargo bikes have great potential to be car substitutes and/or replacements. If you do want to replace your car, an e-cargo bike is great for around town and you can always rent a car (or take a bus, train, plane) for trips out of town. That may not work for everyone, but for some it could be very reasonable.

      Reply
  2. Diana says

    November 10, 2010 at 1:54 pm

    With all the available choices, it can be overwhelming for those who are new to cargo ebikes. Thanks for covering a lot of the bases here, great place to start for anyone thinking about these very doable alternatives.

    Reply
    • Pete at Electric Bike Report says

      November 10, 2010 at 4:40 pm

      Hi Diana, Yes it can be overwhelming. At the same time it is exciting that there are so many cargo ebike possibilities for the many ways a cargo bike can be used. I’m glad you like the guide 🙂

      Reply
      • Yennifer Hernandez says

        April 7, 2017 at 4:50 pm

        Hi Pete! Cool review! Thanks for sharing! Love your reports!
        Check the amazing e-cargo bikes from Urban Arrow. Beautiful Dutch bikes! http://www.urbanarrow.com Equipped with Bosch!

        Reply
  3. Sylvia Halpern says

    November 10, 2010 at 6:12 pm

    Electric assist and Xtracycle work really well together. With the Xtracycle you have plenty of room and protection for the motor. The wires and components fit under the ‘deck’ for a very clean look. The bags are big enough to hold whatever shopping or hauling is needed.

    Reply
    • Pete at Electric Bike Report says

      November 13, 2010 at 11:22 pm

      I totally agree Sylvia, because I use the Xtracycle with an electric kit as my “car” 🙂 It may not be the coolest looking bike, but it gets the job done!

      Here is a pic of it: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=150824371614237&set=a.131672330196108.17573.130374776992530

      Reply
  4. Dave says

    December 14, 2011 at 4:02 pm

    I’m quite surprised that the Yuba El Mundo did not make your list. It’s a fantastic Cargo Bike and feature one of the best Electric Bike Systems in the industry – EZee. 

    Reply
  5. Michael K. says

    June 10, 2012 at 7:35 am

    Great idea. This would work in small towns like where I live to make local deliveries from stores to their customers. Our local fed ex or UPS could benefit from these bikes, cutting costs of running those big trucks a few miles around town.

    Reply
  6. lin says

    July 13, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    One doesn’t need to buy a cargo bike to carry cargo! Nor spend $2k. I ride a Prodeco Stride loop frame folding bike, with a freeload rack in front (rated to 50 lbs). This has two low side pannier shoppers I use depending on where I’m going. The rear rack (also the battery rack) has a trunk bag which can hold up to 20 lbs. I’ve shopped Costco and purchased a 35 lb bag of dog food, two shoppers full of other groceries, and loaded lighter stuff on the rear. Total carried: 68 lbs in addition to me =). Would never try to ride with this on a regular bike, the handling improves with the assist. Oh, and I have a clip on Wald basket for the front, just in case the rest of the space isn’t enough. Total cost: bike $1100.00, racks & bags, $220. this is now my car – and it hasn’t let me down once.

    Reply
    • Pete says

      July 13, 2012 at 3:35 pm

      Great work Lin! Thanks for sharing your car replacement set up. It sounds like a great e-bike! If you are on Facebook, please share a picture of your e-bike here:

      https://www.facebook.com/ElectricBikeReport

      Reply
  7. Karl Dean says

    April 27, 2014 at 10:54 am

    California AB-2173 will require electric cargo bikes/trikes to weigh 80lbs or less otherwise they will be classified as Mopeds, requiring license plates, motorcycle license endorsement, insurance and DOT approved helmets to operate! https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB2173

    Reply
  8. Jess Jacobs says

    June 6, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    Greetings! I am researching electric cargo bikes & trikes to sell ice cream from. I’ll carry a small freezer with product so I’ll need something sturdy. Is it possible for you to suggest a model that could handle that? I appreciate any advice you may have. I have also looked into mopeds with a side car attachment but I’d much rather go electric. I live in Madison, WI and an electric bike or trike would allow me to go places where gas powered vehicles can’t go.

    Thanks in advance!
    Jess

    Reply
    • Pete says

      June 20, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      Hi Jess,

      Here is a guide to electric trikes:

      https://electricbikereport.com/electric-trikes/

      Madsen makes a cargo bike with a large bucket on the back:

      https://www.madsencycles.com

      Hope that helps.

      Pete

      Reply
  9. Bike Friday says

    May 25, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    Pete,

    Thanks for putting together this great piece on e-assist cargo bikes! It’s an excellent overview of many of the options out there, very cool to see US made bikes like the Elf in the mix. If you do an update, we’d love to see our U.S. made bike, the BionX Haul-a-Day make it in there!

    Cheers,
    Bike Friday

    Reply

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