Lectric XPedition Review 2023 – The Most Bang for your Buck Cargo E-Bike?
Mar 27, 2023
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Range, Power, Strength, Maneuverability in a Leading-Value Cargo E-Bike
In the following Lectric XPedition review, we detail the performance and features of this new cargo e-bike. Offered at an incredible price point well below $2000, this bike is built to do almost everything you’d want in a cargo bike, including taking kids to school, bringing home groceries, and even delivering for work.
Supported by its powerful motor, sturdy frame, and it’s peak performing components, this e-bike is the do-all bike you can rely on, day-in and day-out, replacing your car for doing a large list of tasks. This bike is easy to ride, easy to get around town in, and will likely be a game-changer for you and your family.
The following review covers in great detail the performance of this bike in accelerating, cruising, stopping, hill climbing, long distance range, and overall ride comfort. Built by the renowned Lectric e-Bike company (who makes many other XP e-bikes we have reviewed), the XPedition fills a great many needs urban dwellers encounter on a daily basis, as they deal with the extraordinarily high cost of owning a car, along with the insurmountable burden of dealing with traffic.
The Lectric XPedition doesn’t fix these problems, but this bike has the potential of alleviating these issues, simplifying your life and adding value to your purchase of this e-bike.
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Bike Category:Cargo/Utility
Class 2 E-Bike:Throttle and pedal assist up to 20 mph.
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Lectric Xpedition Video Review
Pros- Pricepoint: no where else are you going to get a dual-battery, quality cargo e-bike like this for under $1800
- Overall design as the ultimate transportation solution taking kids, groceries, up to 450 lbs total capacity
- Easy for anyone to ride, Accommodates wide range of riders 4’11 – 6’5”
- 60 mile single battery / 120 mile dual battery range awesome for a 75 lb cargo bike.
- Great pick up and cruising speed from 750W rear hub (1310W Peak) with 85Nm of torque for dead starts and climbing hills.
- Keeping this bike at 75 lbs was a great accomplishment considering the longer frame and dual batteries.
- Improved cadence sensor performance with the new Pedal Assist Wattage Regulator (PWR), gives good pedal assistance on most road conditions
- dual-leg kickstand keeps the bike from tipping over, which is super helpful when placing a child on the back seat
- Array of optional accessories, like passenger floorboards, foot pegs, seats, back rest, and cargo racks gives a wide variety for customizing to meet your specific needs.
Cons- We’d still like to see a torque sensor on this bike, to make the pedaling experience easier climbing hills.
- We’d like to see an additional charger included for dual battery bikes, so you can charge both at the same time and be ready to ride in 6 hours, not 12 hours.
ELECTRICAL SPECS & FEATURES
- Motor: 750W rear hub (1310W Peak) with 85Nm of torque
- Battery: 48V, 14Ah Lithium-ion, Available with a Single and Dual-Battery
- Sensor: Cadence
- Throttle: Left thumb switch
- Class: Class 2
- Range: 75 miles (single battery) 150 miles (dual battery)
- Display: LCD display provides trip and battery
- Controller: 24A, IP-65 rated and potted for waterproofing and heat management
Weight & Dimensions
- Total (w/battery): 65 lbs (single battery), 75 lbs (dual battery)
- Max Rider weight: 330 lbs
- Max cargo capacity: 120 lbs
- Wheelbase: 48.5″
- Stand Over Height: 18.75″
- Handlebar Height: 40″- 45″ (adjustable)
- Bike Unfolded: 72″L x 12″W x 46″H
- Bike Folded: 72″L x 12″W x 32″H
- Seat to Ground: Max: 49” / Min: 32”
- Handlebar Width: 25″
- Rider Height: 4’11” – 6’5”
- Handlebar Reach: 17” – 24.5”
- Rear Rack Payload: 300 lbs
- Front Rack Payload: 35 lbs
Components & Accessories
- Frame: 6061 aluminum
- Suspension: Rigid
- Handlebar: 27″ (685mm)
- Gearing: Shimano SIS 7-speed, 11-28T cassette
- Shifter: Shimano Tourney
- Chainring: 54T
- Saddle: Custom designed saddle
- Grips: Durometer ergonomic
- Brakes: Zoom, hydraulic, 180mm rotors, dual piston calipers
- Tires: 20” x 3” street tires
- Kickstand: Dual leg stand
- Rear Rack: Integrated, 120 lbs capacity
- Lights: Integrated system
E- Bike Overview – Lectric XPedition Review
If you’re looking for an e-bike you can use to take your kids to school, pick up groceries, or make local deliveries for your work, then the Lectric XPedition is the bike for you. At a current price point of under $1800 for a dual battery cargo e-bike, the Lectric XPedition bundles some great features at an affordable price, and gives you a ton of value for your money.
Housing a powerful motor is one of the keys to making a cargo bike satisfy its owner. Lectric paired their new PWR controller program with their 750-watt motor to make this a workhorse-of-an-e-bike. But beware, It’s easy for a bike maker to throw a powerful motor on a frame and call it a day. But, that can compromise the bike’s ability to go far. Lectric wanted to make sure their motor is powerful and energy efficient, offering the rider a good range. Our range test covers this (spoiler alert: when was the last time your transportation expense was pennies on the dollar?).
With traffic woes worsening across the country, not to mention the exorbitant cost of owning, maintaining and fueling cars and trucks, the XPedition is the perfect answer to delivery drivers. This bike is easy to get around town in, you can customize to meet your needs. We’ll go over some of the key accessories shortly.
Climbing hills is another feat Lectric designed this bike to accomplish. Out hill test covers those results, too. So you will want to keep reading.
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Whether running errands or just taking a casual ride, the Lectric XPedition has you covered.
Power to the rear wheel when you need it, thanks to the 750-watt rear hub motor.
The right gear at the right speed, Shimano 7-speed 11-28T drivetrain really works.
Another great feat of ingenuity is the frame design. Not only does this bike comfortably seat riders from 4’10” to 6’5” in height, but this bike can also handle up to 450 lbs total weight. And it does this without looking and feeling like a giant monstrosity of a bike. This bike looks cool and stylish, which is what your kids will want as you take them to school on this bike.
To keep the bike completely upright for seating and securing small children passengers, the XPedition comes equipped with a dual stand that prevents the bike from tipping over. You will also find this stand comes in handy if you need to remove the rear wheel for fixing a flat tire. Very cool!
In light of the features and performance the Lectric XPedition promises, the reviewers at Electric Bike Report have a lot to cover in this review, starting now.
Circuit Speed Test – Lectric XPedition Review
To help us see how an e-bike motor engages at each PAS level with the rider’s pedaling, we do a circuit test. Our course is a one-mile loop, with 4 left turns and a 30-foot long slight incline. I rode around the circuit, using no motor on the first lap, and then moved up one PAS level at a time on each of the remaining five laps, pedaling at a consistent – and not strenuous – pace. We timed each lap and calculated the average speed for each PAS level and the no motor lap.
Our XPedition test bike was set up as a Class 2 e-bike (throttle and pedal assist up to 20 mph). You can also get this bike as a Class 1 (pedal assist up to 20 mph and no throttle), or as a Class 3 e-bike (throttle up to 20 mph, pedal assist up to 28 mph). Utilizing its 750 watt rear hub motor, and weighing 75 lbs, the XPedition showed it has good mid-range power, that levels off at the highest two PAS levels.
Riding the first lap with no PAS was difficult, especially up the incline. PAS 1 was helpful, except on the incline and when speeding up after turns. The output in PAS 2 was really noticeable, so much so that I could ride on that level for most of the day. There is a significant burst of speed when clicking into PAS 3, which made me expect even more output in PAS 4 and 5, but those increases were slight.
The motor did get me going consistently at around 20 mph in PAS 5, but the real takeaway from this is you don’t need to ride all day in PAS 4 or 5. Using PAS 3 for your primary cruising speed is good enough. First, you’re going to be carrying a child or goods, so you don’t want to risk having to suddenly slow down. Second, you want to take advantage of this bike’s long range. You will use energy more efficiently if you delegate PAS 4 and 5 as your level for speeding up and passing. And that’s it.
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An optional child seat with back and arm rests makes family rides safe and comfortable.
Easy to read, daytime and dark, one of the simpleset display units you will ever find.
Like all Lectrics, this 4-foot long cargo bike also folds for easy storage and transport.
Range Test & Battery Performance – Lectric XPedition Review
One of the most common questions we get here at EBR is, “How far will this bike take me on a full battery charge?” Due to variables like weight, weather and road conditions, there isn’t a specific number we can give. But we can do a range test, using the lowest PAS level and another using the highest PAS level, to give you an average.
Our XPedition bike came with dual batteries. On the PAS 1 test our ride made it 60.60 miles (see the chart above for specific details). On the high PAS test, using PAS 5, I rode this bike for 32.33 miles. Even though both distances were below the expected range provided by the Lectric company, these numbers are still really good considering this is a 75 lbs cargo bike. The range came close to some lighter cruiser bikes we tested.
The XPedition single battery model comes standard with one 14 amp-hour/672 watt-hour battery, and double that for the dual battery bike 28 amp-hour/1344 watt-hour. Looking at the size of these lithium-ion batteries, feeding the 750w workhorse motor, the range results are really respectable for this bike.
Hill Climb Test – Lectric XPedition Review
We test each bike on its hill climbing ability at the same location – the infamous local Hell Hole Trial. At one-third of a mile long, and an average grade of 12 percent, this hill is a good representation of one of the toughest hills you’ll encounter on your e-bike. Some of the e-bikes we tested didn’t make it to the top.
Lectric e-Bikes claims the XPedition can climb just about any hill, so we put this bike to the test. First, we attempted to climb our grueling Hell Hole hillclimb using the throttle only. When e-bikes fail our hill test it’s usually here on the throttle-only segment. But the XPedition not only reached the top, it aced this test! I got this bike to the top in 83 seconds, at an average speed of 13.1 mph.
This bike continued to exceed our expectations in the maximum pedal assist test. Using the top level, PAS 5, we easily pedaled this bike to the top in 70 seconds, at an average speed of 15.5 mph. When an e-bike conquers our hill test the way this bike did, that usually means it will do well carrying the rider and his/her goodies, too.
Looking at the bike’s performance in this test, there are a few bike features to look at. First is the 750-watt motor, the muscle that accomplishes the running, lifting and getting you there. It’s tuned to really do the heavy work you need a cargo bike to do. Paired with the controller unit, the motor kicks out the power you need, when you need it.
Even though this bike can still benefit greatly by having a torque sensor to manage power output, this bike still works pretty darn well with the cadence sensor it has. Still, we’ll be cheering when Lectric finally puts torque sensors on all their e-bikes.
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The XPedition’s dual batteries give you the ability to haul plenty of weight and still take you far.
The right grip throttle, located on the inside part, provides peaky perks of power at will.
We went over 60 miles, using one battery and PAS 1, 2nd battery can go 120 miles or more.
Safety and Brake Test – Lectric XPedition Review
Heavier bikes tend to not do as well on our brake test, because additional weight generates more inertia and requires greater external force to counteract. But the Tektro hydraulic brakes, with dual piston calipers and 180mm rotors, made this bike stop like it’s a lighter bike, and we were impressed! The average braking distance was 18’5”, which is great considering the average for all bikes is between 20’ to 22’.
As physics dictates, heavier bikes tend to need more external stopping power to get the bike to stop quicker. Conversely, the weight can also be used to make the bike stop quicker. With that in mind, Lectric put road tread tires on the XPedition that utilizes friction created by the bike’s weight to help it stop sooner.
The bike’s stopping power enabled us to keep control of this bike when slamming on the brakes. This is reassuring news for anyone planning to strap their youngster behind he or she on the back of this bike.
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Ride Comfort & Handling, Cockpit, and More – Lectric XPedition Review
Good handling and control come from the standard size 685mm wide handlebar. We were glad to see rubber ergonomic grips instead of faux leather. That’s because faux leather get’s slippery and unmanageable with sweaty palms, and in wet weather. The levers and PAS switches are easy to activate during a ride, so we have no complaints about that.
Some of our test riders were not keen on the collapsible stem connected to the handlebar, due to high speed wobbles. This stem is meant to make transporting the bike easier in vans and SUVs. Unless Lectric experiences a significant demand for this stem, maybe they can offer a regular stem on their future edition.
The rigid suspension may seem a little bumpy to anyone who has been riding suspension bikes, but rigid suspension is the norm for cargo e-bikes. That’s because coil, air and or gas suspension would have to be readjusted each time you pick or drop off a person or cargo. Not only does this issue make void the sensibility of adding suspension, but it also affirms having rigid suspension. Additionally, as anyone who has pedaled full suspension mountain bikes, pedaling up hill is problematic using adjustable suspension.
680mm handlebar fits just right, makes turning and controls easy; levers and switches all within easy reach.
We really impressed with how well these Zoom brakes stopped this cargo e-bike! Super important when transporting a child!
Junior’s happy seat – fun in the sun and happy to go with mom or dad, wherever that may be.
This dual leg stand is perfect for parking your bike! Makes seating your kid simple and safe, and not worries about tipping over!
Regardless of the rigid suspension, the 20” x 3.3” fat tires help soak up some of the bumps and roughness of the road, not to mention they also help support the weight of the rider, bike and goodies you’re carrying on this bike.
The 48.5-inch long wheelbase is noticeable, especially in turns. But you’re going to feel that with any cargo bike you ride. Fortunately, the XPedition doesn’t feel too long. We rode in and around town pretty easily with this bike, which is another quality worth appreciating: this bike is built to handle a lot – like a big bike – but it doesn’t ride like a big bike.
Summary / Where to Buy – Lectric XPedition Review
Lectric e-Bike built a winner with the XPedition cargo bike. Essential cargo bike options this bike has includes powerful motor, long range, sturdy frame, fat tires, and accessories galore, but best of all you can get this for a steal of deal, and it’s from one of the top e-bike companies in the US! The company’s mission is to sell quality e-bikes at an affordable price (their bikes make regular appearances on our list of the Best Electric Bikes Under $1,000), and they definitely accomplished that with this bike.
The 750-watt rear hub motor delivers optimal performance making this bike go. The acceleration and cruising speed make for a happy ride all-around. Lectric said this bike can climb virtually any hill, and this bike proved it could in our hill test.
Keeping the bike’s total weight with two batteries at 75 lbs plays a big part in making it ride nice while also achieving really respectable ranges: 60 miles with one battery and 120 with both.
This bike is made for almost any rider of any height ride. The frame build and ergonomic design can host riders from 4’10’ to 6’5”, giving them a comfortable, easy ride.
Something we’d like to see Lectric change is putting a torque sensor on this bike to give it an even better pedaling experience on uphill rides. Lectric deserves some credit with trying to make their cadence sensor better for this bike. We don’t know how much of a price hike Lectric would have to go to cover the cost of adding a torque sensor, but so many other bike companies are starting to add it on other bikes that we think Lectric will be next.
Also, with dual battery bikes, Lectric should throw in an additional charger. It takes the charger six hours to completely charge the battery, which means 12 hours for both. We think a rider should be able to come home, get seven or eight hours of sleep, and have his or her bike ready to ride first thing in the morning. But considering all the great features on the XPedition, and all the things this bike can do, our grumbling about what else we want is very minor.
Topping off the positives of this bike are the vast array of accessories that help you customize your XPedition to meet your main needs. If you need to transport kids, there are padded seats, footboards, and handrails to keep them safe, secure and comfortable. If you need panniers or racks to store items for delivery, they’ve got you covered on that. If you want to use this e-bike on your grand expedition outdoors somewhere, like the name implies, this is your expedition e-bike.
At the end of the day, people are sure to be happy with the XPedition if they are looking for a brand new, versatile and reliable cargo e-bike that’s priced below $2000.
Lectric is a direct-to-consumer seller, shipping is no charge to the greater 48 states, and the bike comes to your door fully assembled. Like all other Lectric bikes, all you need to do is unfold the bike when you take it out of the box.
Thank you for reading this review. Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Lectric XPedition.
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Awesome kid-hauling, grocery-getting, let’s go camping Cargo Bike! The 85 nm motor should have plenty of Power to do ALL the above and MORE! Lectric Bikes are my Go-To brand whenever I talk to Ppl about E-bikes b’cuz they simply offer THE BEST Bang for the Buck- hands down!!!! Their ratings are fantastic and there’s a Legion of Happy Owners that Love their bikes!!!
Thank you for sharing your awesome experience with the XPremium! Feel free to comment on any of our posts. And thanks for supporting the Electric Bike Report!
Forrest
Do you ship to Canada…?..? Tank you
Yes. Customers getting their bike shipped to Canada will be charged $200 per bike for shipping. This $200 fee also covers all of the duties and taxes charged as a result of importing the bike.
I’m wondering if the batteries are UL certified?
Jim:
That is a great question!
Lectric eBikes’ batteries are not specifically UL certified, they didn’t apply and pay the fee, but their batteries do pass the ISO 4210 and UN 38.3 standards for safety.
In addition to these certifications, the batteries are thoroughly tested by their in-house product development team, as well as a third-party testing facility. Lectric eBikes’ chargers pass the ISO 4210 standards for safety.
Forrest
So Lectric is turning its back on NYC?
Can you be more specific?
With everything considered such as aftercare, service and how quickly lectrics wear out, this isn’t a good deal all-in.
Just because a bike is cheaper, doesn’t make it a good deal. Especially in the ebike world. The standard bike brands aren’t charging you more because they can, they’re charging you an appropriate amount for an actually high quality bike. This thing is a pile at best. Lectric doesn’t make anything worthwhile.
But what does a 30 year industry veteran and ebike shop manager know?!
What would you recommend? Let’s assume value is one of the primary factors, but price alone is not a constraint. Also looking for a 400lb+ weight capacity.
How does the Expedition fare on really rundown asphalt and sidewalks? I’m pretty sure I live in the pothole capital of America and so this is what’s holding me back. But I’m drawn to it for the ability to carry any sized human on the back and the price point. Do you feel like the sensor gives you a much closer torque feel than standard cadence sensors? The Aventon Abound would have been the winner if the weight limit on the rack would have been higher.
Thanks for reaching out! The Expedition has a shorter wheel base than the other cargo e-bike we’ve tested. That gives this a slightly better ride in that it feels more like a cruiser than a long cargo bike. Sorry to hear about your road conditions! The trade-off with having cargo carrying capacity (on any e-bike) means you’re likely going to have little or no suspension, especially if you want to be able to have your child ride on the back. The cadence sensor cannot determine road conditions. The only difference with the Lectric’s cadence sensor is that it clicks in a little sooner than some of the other e-bikes we’ve tested, which is important when you’re carrying extra weight.
Did that answer your question?
Forrest
Yes! Thank you!
If given the choice, would you choose this one?
Something not touched on in these reviews and this one as well is the batteries themselves. They are generic Sharkfin, Hailong styled (though I believe they are a different brand) and can be found for around $300 shipped from China all day, every day. That means when the day comes and the batteries die, you can buy two new ones for $600 total.
In bikes like the Aventon Abound (Which I had considered too) not only is there only room for a single battery, but its a special integrated design that you have to buy from Aventon. At the time of sale on their site, you can buy a second battery for $300 ($200 off of $500), but when the day comes you have to replace those batteries you are spending $500 or $1,000 to do so.
Can you say more about the wobble you noticed in the stem? Under what conditions did it happen, and did it make it hard to control the bike? I’m wondering if this is a safety issue or just an annoyance.
Thanks for inquiring! It turned out that the hex bolt for tightening the stem has loosened. So, we applied a little dab of Locktite to the end of the bolt and re-tightened and that appeared to resolve it.
In your range test, you only got 60 miles! The dual battery Xpedition is advertised to go 150 miles (your chart lists 75 miles, which is only true for the single battery version). Was your route very hilly? Do you think Lectric goosed their numbers by having a perfectly flat course with minimal stops and turns?
Thanks for reaching about the Lectric XPedition. Manufacturers don’t normally give us the details on the course they use for range tests. I know from second-hand accounts that many companies do their tests on a flat track, where they can control the conditions.
There are a lot of variables that influence results. That’s why we list our test rider’s name, weight and height for comparison. Other influential factors include elevation gain, air temperature, wind, and road conditions.
The minimum PAS range test was on 3/12/2023, with the daytime temperature ranging between 54-62 degrees during the test, and N/NE winds of 6-8 mph, distance 108.14 miles, 9 hours 39 minutes, elevation gain 755′
The maximum PAS range test was on 3/16/2023, temperature range of 50-54 degrees, winds N/NE 7-10 mph, distance 50.40 2 hours 47 minutes, elevation gain of 780′
So, even though we don’t know the exact variances between our test and Lectric’s, it’s fair to say that you will probably get results that are more similar to our results, unless you mostly ride where the bike paths are straight and level.
Does that help answer your question?
Hi,
In your range test, are the results from dual battery use? Like the user above mentioned, the claimed ranges listed in the graph of 75 and 25 miles matches Lectric’s claims for the single battery. As their site lists 150 and 50 miles for the dual battery. I wanted clarification on how many batteries yielded your ranges 60 and 33 miles. Thanks!
Thanks for posting (and sorry for the delay!). Our test bike used one battery, which is what our range result reflects. Range will always very because of different rider sizes, weight and with the different terrain (hills, flat lands, elevation, and climate).
Are you sure about that wheelbase measurement 48.5 inches long? The Lectric website indicates the Xpedition is 72 inches in length. Having a hard time seeing the rear rack extending 23.5 inches beyond the edge of the rear wheel. Flagging as the wheelbase doesn’t seem to be listed anywhere else on the internet, but is key for assessing which car rack is workable.
Thanks for posting your question! Our wheelbase measurement is between the front and rear axles (48.5″), rather than the end of the tires (72″).