E-bikes with fat tires are the SUVs of the cycling world; big wide tires provide a lot of traction and let you ride on any terrain, while the high volume of air provides a surprising amount of comfort. Fat tire e-bikes also tend to be a lot more stable due to their increased weight. Fat tire rides come in all shapes and sizes, from relatively small 20x4 inch folders up to gigantic offroad machines with 29x5 inch tires. If you haven't ridden on one of those big boys yet you're missing out! While professional opinions due differ on what constitutes a fat tire, we here at Electron Rider say "anything with tires at least 3.5 inches wide".
Fat tire e-bikes tend to be extra popular in coastal or desert areas, because - unlike a normal bicycle tire - you can ride a fat tire in the sand with no problem. The same is true for snow, although riding in freezing cold isn't quite so popular 🥶 For particularly deep and soft sand you'll probably need to drop your air pressure down, and you can actually drop it as low as 5 PSI and somehow still ride. PSI stands for "pounds per square inch", and these big rubber doughnuts have a lot of inches! Just remember that this low pressure and soft terrain will seriously hurt your efficiency and you should expect to get half, or maybe even less, of your usual range out of your battery.
The downside to e-bikes with fat tires is fairly obvious: they're big, heavy, and bulky. Such e-bikes weigh way too much for your typical bike rack so you'll have to pay more for a special heavy-duty one. They take up more space in the garage, can be difficult to park at crowded bike racks, and God forbid you have to carry them up and down stairs to your upper level apartment! Plus, these hefty cycles handle like... well, like the bike equivalent of an SUV. They're not very nimble or agile, and they take a lot more effort to pedal. Especially if you run out of juice, so try to avoid that!
Iconic is a new brand in the crowded e-bike space, but you wouldn't know it from the quality of their first model, the Cruiser - this is one amazing ride! It's got style, grace, imposing size, and quality components, and definitely lives up to the "Iconic" name in every way. Don't worry, this head-turner is useful too; Lights, cargo rack, and fenders make it a great utility city e-bike. You can even upgrade to a 1000-watt motor for truly satisfying acceleration!
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.
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.
The second iteration of Aventon's Sinch has changed so much that I hesitate to even consider it the same model. It's step-through now, it's got a rack and fenders, more advanced lighting, a telescoping stem, a torque sensor... but what the heck, it's the Sinch.2! It is still a fat-tired folding bike on 20x4" fat tires, and even more of a blast to ride thanks to that torque sensor. The basic suspension fork allows for comfortable riding in the city and on light trails, but it doesn't have a ton of travel so don't get too crazy. Another benefit of the new frame is that it's a lot easier to remove the battery; on the previous Sinch you had to fold the bike first before exposing the battery, which was inconvenient.
Really the only downside for the Sinch.2 is the brakes; they're good quality disc brakes, but they're mechanical as opposed to hydraulic. That means they take more grip force to activate, and they'll need occasional maintenance to tighten up the cables. For a bike that weights roughly 70 pounds and can carry up to 300 pounds of rider and cargo, hydraulic brakes would be a real plus.
It's all aboard the electric minibike train for the e-bike industry! The Core has an eye-catching design with tasteful branding colors, and it's a bit more comfortable than the average minibike thanks to full suspension and raised BMX-style handlebars. The 1,000 watt rear hub motor is incredibly fun to ride on, but a bit too powerful to legally call this an electric bike in some jurisdictions (sorry Californians). The extra-long banana seat can hold two passengers easily with the help of foot pegs, though riding two up will seriously affect your handling.
If you want a trike that's ready for some heavy duty hauling then the 4|2 Rickshaw is definitely worth checking out. Load it up with up to 500 pounds of cargo or passengers; the passenger seat is even rocking two seatbelts for safe transportation! Oh Wow Cycles uses advanced rear wheel differentials on all their trikes, which means that the rear wheels can turn at different speeds, allowing the Rickshaw to corner pretty darn well... for a trike, anyways. Fat tires and a suspension fork provide comfort and you'll feel good riding anywhere a trike has business riding. Like all trikes the hub motor is in the front wheel which can feel a bit weird at first, but you get used to it, and when the Rickshaw is fully loaded down you shouldn't notice any wheel slip when accelerating.
While I haven't officially reviewed this bike I did get to spend some time riding it and I was seriously impressed: it's comfortable, it's fast, and it's SMOOTH. Some of this is from good electronics that are configured well, but underneath Cyrusher has built a quality bicycle that feels good to ride without the electric assistance. This is an e-bike made for adventuring, with nary a fender nor a basket in sight, though you do get an integrated headlight to cover the basics. The fat tires provide traction and comfort on any terrain, the full suspension gobbles up bumps, and the 750 watt rear hub motor can climb even the steepest of hills thanks to the 52 volt battery platform and spicy 25 amp controller.
The Fat Tire, Do Anything Adventure Bike! This is a winning style of e-bike that can handle everything from running errands to commuting to off-road adventure riding, and it's quite comfortable thanks to those high volume fat tires and of course the suspension fork. The Gemini has dual batteries totaling an impressive 1,092 watt-hours and a much higher than average weight limit, so it's a perfect fit for both cargo haulers and long range trekkers. While the 1,000 watt motor is certainly fun to ride and allows speeds of 35+ mph while unlocked, this also pushes it into "moped" territory and it won't be legal to ride in some areas.
The FAT-AWD stands out from other dual-motor electric bikes as a versatile workhorse that is easily modified to suit just about any use case. On paper it's much less powerful than most dual-motor machines, but (as usual) paper doesn't tell the full story; with both motors engaged this e-bike is still quite peppy and provides satisfying acceleration! It's solid frame gives it a lot of stability and high payload capacity, but also means it lacks comfort, especially on long rides. Truth be told you'd probably have to invest in some comfort and convenience upgrades, but with it's impressively low price point you'd still be coming out ahead compared to how expensive most dual-motor setups are. Plus, EUNORAU has a great warranty and large dealer network, so hopefully you can get in to test ride one before buying!
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.
The Reindeer is a well balanced utility bike, choosing to be good at a lot of things without putting too many points in one skillset. It is equipped with a sturdy rack, fenders, and integrated lights - plus good visibility from reflective sidewall striping - so it's ready to hit city streets as a commuter. The fat tires combined with a front suspension fork provide good comfort for long rides and exploring trails, but you should invest in some puncture protection as the tires don't include any by default. This is a Class 2/3 hybrid with both throttle and pedal assist with a top speed of 28mph.
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!