6 Best Electric Folding Bikes: Top-Rated Folders For Commuting


6 Best Electric Folding Bikes: Top-Rated Folders For Commuting

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It’s no secret that folding bikes may help you move about, particularly if you live in a city with heavy traffic. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the finest electric foldable bikes for commuting.

Biking to work has numerous advantages, including saving money, staying active, and improving your health. But an electric bike takes many of the advantages of a bike and adds some of its own.

Bicycles nowadays are more high-tech than ever, and foldable bikes are becoming more popular than ever. A decent foldable bike doesn’t have to be expensive. So, here are our top choices for affordable electric foldable bikes.

An electric folding bike may help you get to work faster. Smaller wheels and a compact frame make a folder easy to store, carry, and use on public transit.

With an electric motor and a folding bike, you can easily board trains and buses, and most will let you ride without a reservation, even during rush hour.

The compact folded shape also simplifies storage at home and work. Clean bikes are often stored apart from other items in a storage bag.

Let’s take a closer look at the finest electric folding bikes we found in our research.

Otherwise, please read our full buyer’s guide at the end of this article for more information. See our guide to electric bike types for more information on choosing the right ebike.

Our picks for the finest electric folding bikes.

We’ve tried a wide range of folding e-bikes, from classics like Brompton Electric to newcomers and cheap options. The following are the best choices from our whole library of electric bike reviews.

  • £3,699 for the GXi GoCycle
  • £1,300 for the One MiRider
  • £1,295 Brompton x Cytronex (Cytronex conversion kit only)

GoCycle GXi

Best electric folding bikes

Because of its size and wheelbase, the GXi handles like a regular bike, which is a nice thing. Immediate Media/Warren Rossiter

  • As tested, £3,699
  • The claimed range is 50 miles.
  • An all-encompassing smartphone app

GoCycle’s folding e-bikes have a clever design that allows the wheels to finish up close to each other for simple mobility. The company was founded by a former McLaren Formula One engineer.

The GXi is commuter-friendly, with a sealed transmission, three gears, and 20in wheels, and the larger wheelbase makes it handle like a bike with wider wheels.

Despite its lightweight of 17.5kg, the GXi’s huge battery provides a range of approximately 50 miles. The power supply can be adjusted through the smartphone app, which provides a wealth of information, including the number of liters of gasoline saved.

MiRider One

Best electric folding bikes

The MiRider One is a stylish folding bike with a low-profile e-assistance system. Immediate Media/Warren Rossiter

  • As tested, £1,300
  • Up to 35 miles of range
  • To provide additional help, use the Boost button.
  • There is just one speed available.

We discovered that the MiRider One combines creative aesthetics with a pleasant, practical ride thanks to a fast-fold through a central hinge. It also has useful features like a skate wheel to assist you in pushing its 18.7kg weight around when folded.

The MiRider One has single-speed gear, but with the electric help, that’s plenty to conquer most hills around town.

When you press the ‘boost’ button, you’ll receive a turbo boost that will assist you in moving away from the lights and up steeper slopes. Cable disc brakes provide a safe stop, and the low price is also attractive.

More buyer’s guides for electric bikes

Have you not been able to find what you’re searching for? More electric bike guides are available to help you choose the perfect motorized ride for you.

Cytronex x Brompton M2L-X Superlight 2-Speed

Brompton Cytronex electric folding bike

Brompton Cytronex is an electric folding bike by Brompton. Immediate Media / Russell Burton

  • £1,295 (Cytronex conversion kit alone) as tested; Brompton offered separately.
  • Convert a Brompton into an electric folding bike.
  • Power delivery is smooth and lightweight using this technology.
  • In testing, the range was 29 miles with a 300-meter climb.

This is an anomaly since it’s an electric folding bike made from a regular Brompton and a Cytronex e-bike conversion kit.

If you’re currently a Brompton owner or want to go with a model other than the e-assisted choices that come standard, this is a good alternative. It’s worth noting, though, that installing the kit would void your Brompton’s warranty.

A new front wheel with an e-motor hub, a battery pack, charger, wire loom, and a bottle cage-style mount are all included in the package. The cost also includes installation, and instead of utilizing the strap-on battery attachment, Cytronex will add bottle bosses to the frame for a more secure fit.

The battery can be left in place when folded and adds only a few kilograms to the overall weight.

The result is a very efficient system that maintains the lightweight handling of a regular Brompton, but on steeper routes, you must be careful not to unweight the front wheel.

Take into account…

These bikes had a rating of fewer than 4 out of 5 stars in our tests, but they are still worth considering.

Brompton Electric H2L 2-Speed Brompton Electric H2L 2-Speed Brompton Electric H2L

Brompton Electric folding bike

Electric Brompton foldable bike. Immediate Media / Russell Burton

  • As tested, £2,725
  • Effortless help and an ingenious battery system
  • Would benefit from a control placed on the bar
  • The 300Wh battery is said to provide a range of 20-45 miles.

Brompton teamed up with Williams Advanced Engineering (famous for Formula One and Formula E) to create a custom solution for its electric folding bike. It consists of a front hub motor and a stylish battery, all contained in a Cordura bag. The overall weight of the bike is 17.43kg, against 11.35kg for a regular Brompton.

Two buttons control the system on the battery, although we’d like a bar-mounted control or the option to cycle between settings using Brompton’s app (and a phone mount).

Although the Brompton’s engine offers a snappy ride, it can seem excessive in certain circumstances, even if it is enjoyable to gain a jump on other riders at traffic lights. The greatest combination of power and range is found in the center of the three settings.

Before folding, you must remove the battery, but this is an easy process, and the charger is small and convenient.

Emu Mini

Best electric folding bikes

The Emu Mini foldable electric bike is ideal for city commuting. Immediate Media/Warren Rossiter

  • As tested, £999
  • The product is reasonably priced and small in size.
  • There are three gears and disc brakes.
  • For taller riders, this isn’t ideal.

The Emu Mini, at £1,000, delivers a punch that belies its small stature.

It’s light for an e-bike, only 17.7kg, and its 16in wheels have thick tires, allowing it to handle more than city streets. You’ll be able to go about quickly thanks to the 3-speed gearing, and you’ll be able to stop thanks to the disc brakes safely.

The range is a little limited: we only got 13 miles out of it, but a £100 battery upgrade would increase that. Aside from that, this is a bike for quick trips.

Even so, since the battery is housed in the Seatpost, it’s simple to remove for recharging, and the charger is small enough to bring with you if you need a boost at work before heading home.

Tern Vektron is a fictional character created by Tern Vektron

Best electric folding bikes

The Tern Vektron is a tough folding bike that can carry a lot of weight. Immediate Media / Oli Woodman

  • There are three different specifications available.
  • Bosch motor in the middle

The Tern Vektron features the same three-step fold as Tern’s pedal-powered bikes, thanks to a mid-mounted Bosch motor. Its wheels are a little bigger than a Brompton’s, measuring 20 inches instead of 16 inches.

The Vektron has hydraulic disc brakes, which are more powerful than mechanical disc brakes. In all, three different construction choices are offered.

What to look for in a foldable electric bike buyer’s guide

Ebike motor systems that fold

Brompton electric folding bike battery

The replaceable battery of the Brompton is located at the front of the bike. Immediate Media / Russell Burton

Most folding e-bikes utilize a hub motor in either the front or rear wheel, powered by a battery incorporated into the frame. However, it reduces battery capacity and hence range and increases weight.

Another option is to remove the battery. Brompton has adopted this technique with a front-mounted pack that can be carried separately. You can charge your battery when your bike is locked up or in the garage/bike shed. Some internal batteries, like the GoCycle GX and GXi, may be removed.

To be legal in the UK and EU, an electric bike’s motor must generate no more than 250 watts. These motors are found in most e-bikes, including folding models.

Electric bike gears that fold

Electric folding bikes have a limited gear range

The gear range on electric folding bikes is restricted. Immediate Media / Russell Burton

Some foldable e-bikes only have one gear ratio. The engine may be adequate for a short, flat commute, but you won’t be establishing any speed records around town.

For longer, hillier rides or simply for pleasure, you may wish to invest in some extra gear. Hub gears are popular because they are out of the way and less prone to break than derailleur systems.

Hub gears may have two or three speeds or eight or more. Gearing and shifter cabling add weight and complexity to the design.

Dimensions of the wheels

Best electric folding bikes

A folding bike features tiny wheels that allow it to be folded down to a smaller size. Gocycle

A folding e-bike will feature tiny wheels so that it may be folded into a small package. The original Brompton features 16-inch wheels, the same size as those seen on many other folders.

Tern and GoCycle, for example, utilize 20-inch wheels. In exchange for greater weight and a bigger folded size, their larger size reduces rolling resistance and allows them to travel more easily over road irregularities.

Dimensions when folded

Electric folding bikes

For mixed-mode commuting, electric folding bikes are perfect. Immediate Media / Russell Burton

Folding size and convenience are other factors. If you’re using public transit, you’ll need a folding e-bike that can fit on packed trains or up steep bus steps.

A design with an integrated battery is helpful here since it won’t obstruct the fold. The separate battery pack concept from Brompton works great here. The folding mechanics and tiny folded dimensions remain unaffected.

Another option used by GoCycle and others is to partly fold the bike so you can push or pull it using the seat as a handle. It takes up more space than a fully folded bike, but it eliminates the need to carry the bike’s substantial weight.

The MiRider’s unique design features a skate wheel on the bike’s bottom for easy folding.

You have to go a long way and return at various times to work. Your legs are tired, and you can’t go on. Having a 750-watt folding bike means you can hop on the train or bus and fold it at the station. And of course, it means you can also fold it and get home again.

Related Tags

This article broadly covered the following related topics:

  • best budget folding electric bike
  • best folding electric bike 2021
  • best folding electric bike 2020
  • best folding electric bike UK 2020
  • 750-watt folding electric bike

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