The 4 Best Commuting Ebikes That Could Replace Your Car (2024)

Updated May 16, 2024 09:26AM

The electric bike category is by far the fastest-growing category of bikes on the market—and that’s for good reason. Not only are they fun to ride, but the electric assist means riders can travel farther, more comfortably, and with more capacity. If you find the right commuter e-bike, it might just replace your car.

We tested 17 bikes in the category over the past year in the city, on bike trails, and carrying everything from groceries to people. Here are our favorite four.

At a Glance

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Editor’s Choice

Canyon Precede:ON 5

Pros and Cons
⊕ Nimble ride feel
⊕ Quiet, fast electric assist
⊗ Accessories are expensive

Canyon, the direct-to-consumer brand better known for its performance-oriented bikes may not be the first name you think of when it comes to commuter bikes. But the Precede:ON 5 is such a blast to ride that we found ourselves looking for reasons to take it out, be it for our daily commute, a jaunt to dinner with friends, or on a weekend ride on the bike trails. The heart of this bike is its Bosch Performance Line Sport drive system—the motor is tuned for Class 3 pedal assistance up to 28 miles per hour, making it an excellent fast commuter. Size medium and large bikes use a removable 625-watt-hour battery, but even the size small bike with its 500 watt hour battery offers 50 miles of range. The 27.5-inch wheels get up to speed quickly and help the bike feel far more nimble than you’d expect.

Aluminum fenders kept the bike clean in the rain, although the bike’s premium-looking champagne colorway wipes off easily. Thanks to its flashy looks, this bike earned more compliments from passersby than any other e-commuter we tested. Ultimately, the Precede:ON 5 is a solid choice, offering stable handling even with loaded panniers on either side of its integrated rack.

Best Compact E-Cargo Bike

Tern Quick Haul D8

Pros and Cons
⊕ Easy to navigate in cities due to its size
⊕ Large carrying capacity for its size
⊕ One of the few cargo bikes that fits easily in the back of a midsize SUV or wagon.
⊗ Not as large as a typical cargo bike if you need to carry a lot of items

It’s been a few years since Tern introduced its first small-wheeled cargo bikes, but the Quick Haul D8’s new compact design is a real standout amidst the competition. The 20-inch wheels mean it’s the same size as an average commuter bike, but it’s much easier to get on and off of. Navigating narrower streets in a city takes less effort than a traditional cargo bike, too, while its Bosch motor provides plenty of power to carry a whole lot of gear. It doesn’t have the same carrying capacity as a larger cargo bike, but with a weight limit of 331 pounds, it’s integrated rear rack and optional front rack can accommodate groceries, commuter gear, and even small kids on the back. For a quick-handling e-commuter bike, it has a large capacity for its size and comes at a price point that is significantly more accessible than other e-cargo bikes.

The Quick Haul is versatile, too—its one-size adjustability makes the bike easy to share within a household and easy to store vertically if you need some extra space in the garage. If you’re looking for a part-time e-cargo bike, part-time commuter bike for multiple uses, this is your best bet.

Best Car Replacement

Specialized Globe Haul ST

Pros and Cons
⊕ Carries up to 419 pounds of gear with a compact frame
⊕ Assist goes up to 28 mph
⊗ Your car might start collecting dust

The Specialized Globe Haul ST is a smartly designed compact cargo e-bike that comes at a fair price without skimping on quality or safety. This class-3 e-bike features a rear hub motor that powers the bike up to 28 miles per hour. With five different assist levels, you can conserve the battery when cruising along on the flats, then crank it up as needed when hauling gear or climbing steep gradients. It offers a compelling alternative to the highest-end models in this category as it offers lots of cargo capacity, plenty of power, and a name brand to back it up at a reasonable price point..

The Globe Haul ST is made for hauling a serious amount of gear—up to 419 pounds (including rider weight), which makes carrying groceries, child seats, and other cargo a breeze. It even has enough space to carry an additional adult. Available in one size that fits riders from 4’5” to 6’4”, its compact frame is about the length of a standard bicycle, and includes a telescoping seat post and a quill stem to ensure proper fit for a range of rider heights. The frame’s low center of mass, coupled with smaller 20-inch wheels, beefy 3.5-inch tires, and wide handlebars, provides a very stable ride, even when loaded down with gear or passengers. Out of all the e-cargo bikes we tested, this one is the most likely to replace your car.

Best Budget Bike

Flyer L885

Pros and Cons
⊕ Above-average carrying capacity
⊗ 20 mph assist isn’t as fast as other bikes we tested

Believe it or not, there are a few differences between this e-bike and the wagon Flyer we rode in as children. This Flyer is a class two e-bike that offers pedal assist to 20 miles per hour as well as a throttle to get you going from a stop light. The bike also claims 500 watts of power from a hub-driven motor, which brings the price down compared with mid-drive-equipped e-bikes. Plus, it offers a range of accessories that allowed us to carry a week’s worth of groceries or children, and it does so without costing an arm and a leg.

The Flyer L885 is a bit of a blank slate, as the bike only comes with a rear rack integrated into the frame. Want a basket? You’ll have to add it for an additional cost. The same goes with carrying children. But the result is a bike that can be tailored to your specific needs.. The Flyer L885 is available with a range of child carriers, battery range extenders, a fixed front cargo rack, and more customizable features. Bonus: The Flyer L885 also meets UL 2849 certifications, which ensures electrical and fire safety for all of the bike’s electrical components—a crucial certification for something that will likely replace your car.

How to Choose a Commuter E-Bike

What’s the Difference Between a Commuter E-Bike and a Cargo E-Bike?

A cargo e-bike is a sub-category of a commuter e-bike. Specifically, it’s designed to carry more than just the rider. Cargo e-bikes can be accessorized to meet your specific needs. Some are designed to accommodate child seats, while others can be outfitted with bike bags (panniers), crates, racks, and baskets with ease. Longtail cargo bikes are probably the most common, which place all of the carrying capacity behind the rider. Mid-tail cargo bikes are more compact than a long-tail cargo bike, but still longer than a standard e-commuter bike. These are more maneuverable and lighter than a traditional cargo e-bike at the expense of not being able to carry kids, pets, or other loads as easily.

A front-loading cargo bike (sometimes called a bakfiets, Dutch for “box bike”) places the rider behind the main cargo area. These bikes feature a a low-slung box or container up front to carry anything you might need. These typically are the biggest bikes, and are incredibly stable as a result. The downside: they’re so big that they take up quite a lot of storage space.

What’s the Benefit of a Cargo E-bike?

Data shows that the majority of vehicle trips in North America amount to less than six miles. A cargo bike can easily cover that distance, plus they can carry everything you typically need. Being able to skip traffic and the hassle of finding a parking spot—and getting a small workout as you go— makes a cargo bike an easy choice for commuting.

How Do I Choose the Right Size of Commuter E-Bike?

Many commuter e-bikes will come in a range of sizes to fit riders of all heights. This size range is usually expressed with an XS to XL size range, but some bikes will be measured in centimeters.

A correctly sized bike will place your arms at roughly a 90-degree angle from your torso without feeling uncomfortable. Your knees will have a slight bend to them at the bottom of your pedal stroke. Most importantly, the bike will feel comfortable to maneuver.

Visiting a trusted bike shop is your best bet for finding a bike that fits. Having another set of eyes to help you find the correct size bike will ensure your money is well-spent. The pros will help you determine the right bike for you based on your riding experience, mobility, and needs, and they’ll help you determine proper sizing for things like handlebars, saddles, and even your frame.

Finally, you should give the bike a test ride. That includes standing over the top tube of the bike (sometimes referred to as a crossbar) comfortably with both feet flat on the ground. The top tube can touch you, but it’s better if it doesn’t.

What Is the Difference Between Electric Bike Systems?

All e-bikes adhere to the popular e-bike class system, which differentiates between the top assisted speeds of different bikes. Most of these bikes are rated as Class 1, offering pedal assist up to 20 miles per hour. The fastest e-bikes have motors powerful enough for Class 3 operation, providing pedal assistance up to 28 miles per hour.

Most of the bikes we tested are Class 2, particularly those at lower prices. These models offer pedal assist up to 20 miles per hour, but they also have a handlebar-mounted throttle that can propel the bike up to 20 miles per hour without needing to be pedaled.

Many of these e-bikes use a hub-driven electric motor, offering a compact size and a look that is hard to distinguish from non-electric bikes. Other e-bikes use a mid-drive electric motor, placing the motor where the crankset is. These systems tend to be a bit more powerful than a hub-driven electric motor, but they’re heavier.

How to Best Avoid an E-Bike Battery Fire

The dramatic increase in news around e-bike battery fires means that people are more concerned than ever about whether the e-bike they’re purchasing is safe. Currently, the best way to know that your e-bike’s electric components have been tested for safety is by looking for bikes with certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

There are two main UL certifications to look for: UL 2271 and UL 2849. UL 2271 certifies that the battery itself meets safety and performance standards which ensure that an electrical design is robust and sufficient enough for regular use.

UL 2849 is the more common, and much more comprehensive, standard. This standard outlines a set of required guidelines for bicycle motor manufacturers, including construction, environmental conditioning, performance testing, and thermal cycling. This isn’t just for the battery either: the testing includes the motor, its controller, all of its wiring, and even the charger too.

Not every bike meets these standards, as certification (and the engineering required to meet these standards) is expensive. But just about all of the best e-bikes adhere to these standards, even at more entry-level price points.

How We Test

Two riders tested 17 commuter e-bikes, with a vast majority of those miles pedaled on local loops in San Antonio, Texas, picking up a week’s worth of groceries and hauling gear to and from work. Testers specifically looked at carrying capacity, safety certifications, how stable the ride was, and the amount of power each bike had. It was important for us to feel like the bike was making our lives easier, rather than inconveniencing ourselves to hop on a bike rather than take our cars instead.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Alvin Holbrook is a tech editor for Velo and has been in the bike industry for nearly a decade, covering all kinds of riding machines. When he’s not riding or writing about riding, , he uses his background in urban planning to cover stories about active transportation, policy, tech, and infrastructure through the Urbanist Update series. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife and an ever-growing stable of bikes and kitchen utensils.

Our Favorite Commuter E-Bikes Might Just Replace Your Car