Rad Power Bikes is one of the most well-known electric bike manufacturers, and for good reason; they sell affordably-priced products with great utility and they're available almost anywhere. They've been at it for a long time too, with founder Mike Radenbaugh forming the company in 2007 after a couple years of tinkering and experimenting with building electric bikes in his garage. Since then the company has grown rapidly, selling over 100,000 units as of 2020 and generally being considered the largest seller of e-bikes in the US (but take that with a grain of salt as numbers aren't well reported for this industry).
A driving factor for Rad has been price, with most of their models costing around $1,500 USD, and some base models just over $1,000 USD. That's about the price you should expect to pay for a decent quality electric bike, by the way; yes, there are companies out there selling them for much less, but if you get a $500 e-bike from Amazon it's going to be crappy quality and not hold up over time. Rad Power Bikes products may not be the best in terms of quality, but they're far from the worst and (in my opinion) great value for the price, especially for newcomers to the space who have never ridden an electric bike before. If you want something a bit more premium, check out their "Plus" models; these versions cost between $2,000 - $3,000 USD and have more premium components, and often more accessories included at the base price.
It's important to note that Rad Power Bikes is primarily a direct-to-consumer company. You buy the model you want online, they ship it to you, and you're responsible for assembling it. That also applies to any down-the-road maintenance and repairs, so make sure you have a local e-bike shop that can work on it if you're aren't able to do it yourself. This can make warranty-related repairs very frustrating; even though Rad has a fairly standard warranty, there can be a lot of back-and-forth to sort out problems, and it usually involves a local shop helping to diagnose and fix the problem with parts shipped by Rad. I've heard, many, many complaints about their support being difficult to deal with, and slow shipping of replacement parts under warranty... so make sure you have another option for repairs.
I should mention that Rad Power Bikes does have some brick and mortar options; they have showrooms in a few US cities along with mobile service & delivery vans, making it much easier to purchase & service an e-bike from them if you live in the right place. According to their Dealer Locator page they appear to have hundreds of dealers in the US, but I suspect those numbers are wildly inflated. A couple of the e-bike shops in my city are listed there, and I know for a fact they don't carry any Rad Power Bikes products, though they would be willing to service one if you brought it in. I've talked to many local shops about the Rad Power Bikes brand and asked why they don't carry them, and every one has the same answer: "Rad Power Bikes only pays $100 commission for each bike sale." For reference, most brands pay a 30% commission. $100 isn't very much to cover setting up and tuning the bike, plus labor hours at the point of sale, so I can see why dealers choose to skip Rad Power Bikes products.
The RadWagon 4 is Rad Power Bikes best option if you're looking for an e-bike to replace your car. It has a long-tail cargo frame that can be outfitted to haul just about anything, even two small human passengers! The RadWagon 4 is, obviously, the fourth generation of this model, and by this point it's a pretty polished product. It's cheaper than most competing cargo bikes, which means it's also equipped with more basic components than most competing cargo bikes. That's right, no responsive mid-drive motor here; the RadWagon 4 is rocking a 750-watt rear hub motor, with pedal assist activated by a simple cadence sensor. That means the pedaling experience won't be as responsive and will take some time to activate the motor, so you'll definitely be leaning on the half-grip twist throttle to get moving from a dead stop... especially if you're carrying a full load of cargo!
Although the components are basic they are feature complete. Bright integrated lights and full coverage fenders allow for safe and clean operation in the city, and the bike is highly adjustable thanks to a long seatpost tube and a tool-free adjustable stem. The frame is a sort of mid-step or "mixte", with two lower bars that allow for easier mounts and dismounts, but still provide good frame strength; that's important for a cargo bike! That's also why there is no front or rear suspension. When you're hauling lots of weight suspension doesn't perform as well, and usually it's more important to have the extra frame strength.
Unlike many cargo e-bikes the RadWagon 4 is equipped with a unique tire size of 22" in diameter by 3" wide. This gives them a bit more rolling efficiency than the typical 20x4 tires, which I'm a fan of. Unfortunately, this also makes them difficult tires to replace, because they're custom made by Rad Power Bikes; you're not going to find inner tubes of that size at your local bike shop.
Rad Power Bikes has finally added a trike to their lineup! They've put their own spin on it too; most trikes are big and bulky, but the RadTrike is relatively compact and just 33" wide which fits through standard sized doors. It can carry up to 415 pounds of weight, although - unlike most trikes - it doesn't include any cargo baskets, but you can pay extra for some at checkout (or attach your own). The drivetrain is a simple single speed, so you'll be relying on the motor quite a bit, with both pedal-assist and throttle drive modes. The RadTrike is also limited to a top speed of 14mph, lower than most trikes at 20mph... but if you've ever ridden a trike you know you probably don't want to go much over 14mph anyways. Other unique touches include the backrest-equipped seat, reverse throttle mode, and a coaster brake in the right rear wheel. Don't worry, there's also a mechanical disc brake in the front wheel!
The sixth generation of Rad's do-anything adventure bike is better than ever with high and low step frame options, as well as upgrades to the frame, battery, and braking system. The RadRover is a monster e-bike with 26x4 inch fat tires, good on any terrain - even sand and snow - and equipped with reflective sidewall stripes and puncture protection. This is a Class 2 electric bike which means a top speed of 20mph, reachable using either the throttle or cadence-based pedal assist, powered by a 750-watt hear hub motor and a 672 watt-hour battery. Although the "Plus" line usually denotes Rad's more expensive offerings, the price of the RadRover 6 Plus has been reduced to only $1,399! It also doesn't appear that Rad Power Bikes offers a non-Plus version of the RadRover 6. This e-bike is impressively comfortable to ride, especially with the suspension fork that allows for off-road adventuring, but that comfort comes at a cost with a curb weight of around 75 pounds. It has an average carrying capacity of 275 pounds, although it doesn't include a rear rack but you could easily and cheaply add one on. It does include fenders and integrated lights. The pedaling drivetrain is an upgraded Shimano Altus 7-speed with a rear cassette range of 11-34 teeth, which means a more pleasant pedaling experience and better hill climbing capacity.
Rad Power Bikes may not have created the first compact utility e-bike, but one could argue that they've perfected it with their RadRunner series. A short wheelbase, 20" wheels, a heavy-duty rear rack, and upright seating position combine for an electric bike that can do just about anything while providing impressive comfort. Rather than having a bolt-on rear rack, it's actually part of the frame, essentially a long-tail cargo frame, but shorter. This allows carrying much more cargo - even a human passenger - with an overall weight limit of 350 pounds. It's easy to mount and dismount too, thanks to the low standover height of the step-thru frame. The 750-watt rear hub motor is plenty powerful even under heavy loads, and you can reach speeds of 20mph on either the throttle or cadence-based pedal assist.
One of the standout features of the RadRunner series is accessorizing; Rad Power Bikes has dozens upon dozens of official accessories that you can add at checkout. Of course, this can quickly drive the price to the point you won't feel like you're buying a value-priced bike anymore... but if it empowers you to replace your car with a decked-out RadRunner, it just might be worth it.