Some people ride electric bikes for fun, but for others, it's a necessity! Dedicated commuters often don't own a car and use their e-cycles to get to and from work or school, running errands, and other general transportation purposes. A great thing about all bicycles (including the electric ones) is that all of them technically work for commuting; You can ride to work on even the most basic fixie and carry your lunch in your backpack. However, some electric bikes are purpose built for commuting, and those are the bikes this category is concerned with.
So, what makes an e-bike good for commuting? A good lighting system is a must-have. You need bright head-and-tail lights, ideally integrated to draw power from the main battery pack. Brake light activation, turn signals, and a horn are also highly recommended if you ride on busy city streets. At some point you will have to ride in nasty weather so make sure you've got sturdy, full-coverage fenders! Don't forget about cargo, either; carrying everything in a backpack is a hassle and won't work for grocery store runs. A sturdy rear rack is the best option, one with plenty of mounting points for mounting pannier bags or a luggage crate.
Those qualities are what we consider the "must haves" for commuting, but there are still more things to consider if you're trying to find the ultimate commuting ride. Large diameter wheels (at least 26 inches) have a much lower attack angle against bumps and thus roll more efficiently, especially if you have tires with an efficient hybrid tread, which provide a good balance between grip and efficiency. Front fork suspension is a good idea as well; cracks, bumps, and potholes can quickly add up to a sore body when you're bouncing over dozens of them every day! And finally, be sure to get an e-bike with a high capacity removable battery. High capacity so you can complete your entire trip without range anxiety, and removable so that you can bring it in to work or school with you - a locked up e-bike is much less likely to be stolen if it's missing the most important and expensive component!
Depending on your specific use case there might be other considerations for finding your perfect electric commuting machine... but this should cover all of the basics. Best of luck finding yours!
Full suspension, extra strong integrated rack, lights, fenders, a cafe lock... the City Robin X+ has just about everything you could want in an electric bike! This is a Class 3 electric bike capable of reaching 28mph on pedal assist, and it feels divine thanks to the advanced torque sensor.
The ultimate all-terrain adventure utility bike! The Aventure.2 is the new-and-improved version of Aventon's already-popular Aventure model, a monster fat tire e-bike that can handle any terrain thanks to all that tire air volume and a suspension fork. It works well as a utility commuter too, equipped with full-coverage fenders, a cargo rack, and a full suite of lighting and signaling accessories... although finding places to park it can be tough due to its imposing size. This is a class 2/3 hybrid capable of 20mph on the throttle, or 28mph using only pedal assistance. Pedaling should be a great experience too, because the Aventure.2 has a torque sensor, making for a much more responsive motor performance.
I never know what to expect when people switch industries to start making electric bikes. E-bikes are hot right now and everyone wants a piece of the pie! However, in the case of motorcycle racer Eric Buell, the resulting e-bikes are simply excellent. I got to test ride a prototype of the 3S in the summer of '23 and even though it was a little rough around the edges I was blown away by the quality. The 2S is the "so long range it's extreme" variant, rocking dual batteries for a whopping 2,000 watt-hours of total capacity. Combine this with the responsive and efficient mid-drive motor from VALEO and you've got an insane amount of range potential. These Class 3 e-bikes can easily cruise at 28mph, and feel safe even on congested city streets thanks to a certified motorcycle-grade loadout of lights, signals, and mirrors - rare in the US but legally required for such a powerful e-bike in Europe. Kudos to the FUELL team for keeping those high standards on both sides of the pond!
Value packed is the name of the game for the E-TORQUE, a feature-complete budget-friendly commuter from EUNORAU. "Feature Complete" means it's got everything you need to use it for it's intended purpose of city commuting: Lights, signals, fenders, sturdy rear rack, and basic suspension are all included at no extra cost. You may have guessed from the name that the E-TORQUE is indeed equipped with a satisfyingly responsive torque sensor, which provides a better riding experience than the cadence sensors which are common at this budget price range. Plus EUNORAU has an excellent warranty and hundreds of dealers around the world!
The Eagle isn't dual battery - unlike some of HAOQI's other offerings - but it still has a beefy 960 watt-hour battery that has more range than your butt does. Available in both high-step and step-through varieties and rocking commuting niceties like fenders and a rear rack, the Eagle is a fairly balanced e-bike that will ride well in a variety of situations. You can even do some off-road exploring thanks to the suspension fork, though it's a pretty basic one so avoid stunt jumps.
Every manufacturer wants their own 20x4 inch fat-tire step-thru "do everything" e-bike this year, and Hiboy is no exception! Their EX6 stands out from the crowd with a skinny cruiser-esque frame, which is undoubtedly more comfortable if not quite as load bearing. The EX6 is also what most people (myself included) would consider suspiciously cheap, currently priced at just $800... but to be fair they might just be trying to clear out inventory before the end of the year. It's got a decent capacity battery, lights and fenders, a sturdy rack, and the stem has a wide adjustable range for dialing in the fit.
Lot's of modern e-bikes have a dual battery option for a lot of extra cheddar, but the HAOQI Antelope Cargo has two included by default! That allows for some serious range of between 40 and 80 miles depending on how much you're pushing the motor, but take that with a grain of salt as we haven't actually tested it ourselves yet. The Antelope Cargo is a thick-framed step through with 20x4" fat tires and a full set of commuting must haves; lights, fenders, and all that jazz. This style of e-bike has been wildly popular in 2023, though one thing that sets the Antelope Cargo apart is the very high carrying capacity of 400 pounds, due in part to the extremely sturdy cast alloy wheels. That combined with the dual battery setup will definitely make this an attractive e-bike for delivery drivers!
The AQ177 Pro Max has the biggest battery I've ever seen on an e-bike... was this monster made in Texas?! The downside of all that juice is a Texas-sized curb weight of 116 pounds... no sir, this electrified bicycle is not for the faint of heart. With a full loadout of commuting accessories, hydraulic brakes, and a suspiciously low price tag of just $1,799, this e-bike is tempting indeed... but how will the quality hold up over time? Dive into the full review to get my take.
I never know what to expect when people switch industries to start making electric bikes. E-bikes are hot right now and everyone wants a piece of the pie! However, in the case of motorcycle racer Eric Buell, the resulting e-bikes are simply excellent. I got to test ride a prototype of the 3S in the summer of '23 and even though it was a little rough around the edges I was blown away by the quality. These bikes have mid-drive motors from VALEO, a French company I hadn't heard of before. I love these motors! They're incredibly powerful and their responsiveness rivals that of high-end Bosch systems; they have an "auto mode" that intelligently adjusts not only the motor power output (which is fairly common) but also automatically shifts the gears of the internal hub. It's an incredibly elegant system; just turn on the bike and ride, and never fiddle with controls. Electronics aside these are kitted out to motorcycle specifications with surprisingly bright lights and a full suite of signaling controls, plus the usual fenders and sturdy rear rack, and even a rearview mirror!