Best Electric Bikes Under $1000

Where Lectric’s previous entries on this list featured folding frames, the XPress is a full-size commuter e-bike that continues the brand’s trend of cram-packing value into an affordable and highly functional package.

The base model is priced around $1k and includes a well-rounded spec package with tons of bang for the buck. It features a peppy 500W hub motor, a 499-Wh battery, a color display, and a custom suspension fork with a cushy 80 mm of travel. It’s available in either a high-step frame with flat handlebars or a step-thru (ST) frame with curved Dutch-style handlebars.

We tested the ST model with an upright and extremely comfortable riding position. The bike’s combination of cruiser-style handlebars, rubber grips, and a cushy saddle stood out as remarkably relaxed and ergonomic!

It’s also worth pointing out that the XPress 500 features a torque sensor that allows its motor output to vary in relation to the rider’s pedal effort. We thought it felt great—and it’s not often we find torque sensors on e-bikes in this price range.

Even the fully upgraded version is a great deal; a few hundred dollars extra will swap the 500W rear hub for a 750W motor and exchange the standard 499-Wh battery option for a larger 672-Wh power supply.

As Lectric’s first full-size commuter, we can’t recommend the XPress 500 enough.

The Ride1UP Portola is a strong competitor to the XP 3.0. It, too, packs in a whole bunch of features for the same price point of around $1k.

The Portola was clearly made to match (and beat) the XP. It lines up spec-for-spec in many areas and kicks things up a notch in others.

Case in point: the Portola is equipped with expected features such as a suspension fork, hydraulic disc brakes, and a welded cargo rack with a 130-lb weight capacity. And yes, it also folds down for easier storage or transport.

It’s also equipped with an exhilarating and punchy 750W motor. The Portola is a fairly small e-bike, but the motor makes it quite mighty.

We dig the Portola’s sleek appearance and solid ride feel. It handles better than many other folding bikes we’ve tested thanks to a non-telescoping stem that doesn’t have the notorious wiggle telescoping ones often do. As a result, however, the bike is a bit more suited for smaller riders below 6′ (or those who don’t mind limited leg extension).

We’re impressed with the Portola’s value, too; it’s worth every penny of its price tag.

The folks at Lectric upped their game with the XP 3.0 by improving everything that defined XP 2.0 and adding even more.

Most notably, the XP 3.0 has an integrated rear rack with a weight capacity of 150 lbs, which allows for passenger-carrying capability. It retained the XP 2’s 500W motor, but it has better acceleration and hill climbing ability thanks to an increase in peak output. The new Passenger Mode tames its speed to increase safety and prevent loss of control.

The bike’s ride quality has been improved as well, with a redesigned, more comfortable saddle, better gearing for more efficient pedaling, larger brake rotors for better responsiveness, and greater travel on the suspension fork for smoother travel. As with all of Lectric’s models, it’s one of the most affordable e-bikes on the market to be specced with hydraulic disc brakes.

Plus, the XP 3.0’s folding frame comes in both a standard and step-thru design. All of that on a capable, comfortable e-bike for around $1,000? Sign us up.

The XP 3.0 is quite possibly the most popular e-bike in America for good reason.

We’ve long held a soft spot for the RadRunner 2, and at its newly discounted price, it feels like an absolute steal. This utility e-bike is a durable machine with an adaptable design, making it an excellent choice for riders of all skill levels and ages. It’s great for commuting, running errands, or just cruising for fun.

Utility e-bikes like this are highly versatile. Its compact yet sturdy frame supports an impressive 300-lb payload capacity, and with a rear bench seat and footpegs available, it can easily double as a capable passenger hauler. The single-speed drivetrain keeps things simple and low-maintenance, while the 750W rear hub motor has plenty of power to get up to speed and climb hills with confidence.

But going beyond its practical design, the RadRunner 2 is just plain fun to ride. The fat, grippy tires help smooth out bumps in the road, while the upright seating position gives you great visibility and control. It’s not a speed demon, but with a top speed of 20 mph and a torquey 80Nm motor, it feels peppy and responsive. The twist throttle adds to the experience, letting you zip through traffic or take a break from pedaling whenever you need to.

Whether you’re a first-time e-bike rider or a seasoned commuter, its sturdy build, adaptable accessories, and approachable frame design make it one of the most well-rounded choices on the market. It has long been the benchmark for utility e-bikes, and now, at a lower price, it’s an even better option for riders on a budget.

The Aventon Soltera.2’s design is simple and lightweight; it doesn’t immediately look like an e-bike. In fact, the manufacturer is reaching back to its roots here; Aventon was known for its stylish single-speed fixies before earning its reputation as a powerhouse in the e-bike market.

Like the Ride1UP Roadster V2 mentioned above, the Soltera.2 is an urban e-bike for active riders. It’s built around a reserved 350W motor and a modest 346-Wh battery. On paper, these figures might look low when compared to more powerful motors or higher-capacity batteries, but the Soltera.2 balances these differences out in a few ways.

First, with a small-ish motor, the Soltera naturally has to rely a bit more on rider input. This makes it feel more like an analog bike and ultimately makes the Soltera.2 pretty efficient. It also results in commendable range, speed potential, and uphill capability (though the latter will require some work).

Second, Aventon specced a highly sensitive and adaptive torque sensor, which allows the Soltera.2 to give riders more effort when pedaling harder—just like a “regular” bike!

Third, the bike weighs a manageable 46 lbs, so its motor has less weight to compensate for from the outset.

While the Soltera.2 doesn’t feature a ton of extra bells and whistles, it has it where it counts. It’s a Class 2 e-bike with a throttle, a cool design, some flashy color options, a variety of quality components, and solid performance – all from a reputable brand with demonstrated reliability. You can’t go wrong.

To put it simply, the Lectric XP Lite 2.0 is the most affordable e-bike to earn our stamp of approval. And if we’re being honest, we don’t just give it a thumbs-up; we give it an emphatic two.

The number of features Lectric packed into the Lite is impressive. It’s the lowest-priced e-bike we’ve tested with hydraulic disc brakes, and its color display looks better than many black-and-white LCDs we’ve seen on bikes double the price. At the time of writing, Lectric is also throwing in their “Elite” 850-lux headlight.

To be clear, sacrifices had to be made to achieve such an affordable price tag, but these trade offs also have upsides. For example, the Lite 2.0 has a single-speed drivetrain, but this ultimately makes it less complicated to operate. The bike’s 300W motor and 374-Wh battery might seem limiting on paper, but the pairing gave us respectable mileage in our Range Test.

The Lite is also one of the more practical and portable folding e-bikes we’ve tested, as it weighs less than its more heavily-specced cousins.

To offset some of its limitations, Lectric offers a handful of uncommon upgrade options, including a larger 672-Wh battery and a Gates Carbon belt. The latter option takes an already low-maintenance setup and gives it a longer life, a smoother feel, and quieter operation!

The bottom line is that, while the Lectric XP Lite 2.0 is relatively stripped-down, most riders won’t miss anything—especially at this price.

For those who prioritize comfort and prefer casual rides, the Retrospec Chatham Rev 2 is a fun, relaxing, and extremely comfortable retro-style beach cruiser. We think it’s just as good of a commuter as it is for leisure rides at the park or boardwalk, and at the time of writing, its price below $1,000 makes it a bargain.

We’ve tested a handful of Retrospec’s e-bikes and found a running theme: they feel like more expensive models. This comes back to our reasoning for (usually) considering the $1k mark to be the starting point for quality; there’s usually a noticeable drop in build quality and ride feel on cheaper e-bikes. Not so with the Chatham Rev 2.

This bike’s beauty lies in its simplicity; it’s not decked out with complicated electronics and too many buttons. Instead, it has simple but solid frame construction, a small LED indicator/control panel instead of a display, a user-friendly 7-speed drivetrain with an over-bar thumb shifter, an easy-to-use throttle, and basic but effective mechanical disc brakes.

The Chatham’s most appealing features are its thick and accommodating saddle, its curved, ergonomic handlebars, and its stable and cushy 26×3” fat tires. We also found its reserved 350W motor to be fun, accessible, and capable when pedaling uphill.

If you’re looking for a classic, comfortable cruiser-style e-bike that won’t cost an arm and a leg, we think the Chatham Rev 2 might be the bike for you!

The Heybike Mars 2.0 is one of the punchier and more powerful bikes on this list, so if you want something fast that’ll get you over some steep hills easily, this bike fits the bill! Depending on which version of the bike you get, it has speeds up to 32 miles per hour, and it did a really solid job in our Hill Test.

We liked that the Mars came with both a suspension fork and a suspension seatpost to make the ride cushioned and comfy. Many of the bikes on this list can be upgraded to include a suspension seatpost, but in this case, it comes standard. The fork has 65 millimeters of travel, and the seatpost has 45 millimeters, so there’s plenty of squish for riding on or off-road in comfort.

The final highlight is the Heybike app that the Mars 2.0 can be paired with. This is one of the more functional apps you’ll find on a bike at this price point; you can use it to change class settings and the top speeds of each of the bike’s assist levels, plus you can track ride data and get turn-by-turn navigation using either Apple or Google Maps.

“Simplicity” is a funny concept. Depending on your interpretation, it could mean boring, bland, or just plain blah. On the other hand, it can be synonymous with being uncomplicated, relaxing, and easy to enjoy. In the case of the Retrospec Beaumont Rev 2, it’s very much in that second group. It’s simple in a great way.

The bike’s standout feature is comfort. It’s a relaxed cruiser with a comfortable riding posture, a cushioned wide saddle, and an easily accessible 19-inch standover height. Its 27.5×2.4-inch tires are ideal for gentle cruising, and the handling is smooth and easy to control.

A unique aspect of this bike is its aesthetic. It features a throwback, classically styled frame, but unlike most affordable e-bikes—which typically offer only two or three color options at best—Retrospec pairs its classic styling with six color choices, allowing you to find one that suits your taste.

There is solid all-around performance. The battery delivers a good 18-44 miles of range, and the bike has enough pep on flats to move up to 20 mph. It’s got nice acceleration to it though that doesn’t overwhelm the rider. It has solid hill help for a 350W motor, but we mainly like this bike for cruising flat environments in comfort and style.

Simple design done right might be a hard needle to thread, but Retrospec has managed to do it here. We appreciate the Beaumont Rev 2’s pleasant nature and think it is an excellent choice for anyone looking to get out more and move a little faster than walking or using a traditional bike allows.

The truth is that e-bikes are not cheap machines. Quality e-bike motors and batteries are not inexpensive to make, so they’re not typically cheap to buy.

We’ve found a handful of companies that do a good job building safe, durable, and inexpensive e-bikes, but some others do little to ensure that the products they sell will work as advertised. Amazon and AliExpress are the Pandora’s Box of cheap e-bikes, so it’s wise to steer clear of them.

While there are some exceptions, our general rule of thumb is that $1,000 is your best starting point. That’s enough money to get you quality components and trustworthy manufacturing. It’s also the most common lowest price we see from reputable e-bike manufacturers.

Every bike on this list has been tested and reviewed by the experts here at Electric Bike Report, but we had to whittle it down from the hundreds we’ve ridden. To determine which bikes made the cut, we considered the following factors:

• Utility/Usefulness: -Just because an electric bike has two wheels and a motor doesn’t mean it’s going to be useful. We analyzed each bike’s practicality to ensure that it lived up to its claimed capabilities.
• Quality to price ratio:– Regardless of how much you spend, the bike has to be worth the money. The higher the price, the more features and performance we expect from it. Each of these bikes matched or exceeded our expectations.
• Longevity: -There are plenty of bikes you can purchase under $1,000 that probably will not last more than a year or two. We made sure that wasn’t the case with each bike we chose by examining its componentry, its build quality, and its manufacturer.
• Ride Quality: -Is the bike worth riding? Five miles into a ride, are you still comfortable? We considered these factors (and many more) to ensure that the comfort, handling, and features of each bike added up to an enjoyable, comfortable, and user-friendly experience.
• Diversity: -A wallet-friendly list that contains only city bikes or beach cruisers wouldn’t be useful to shoppers seeking something of a different style. We selected a variety of options of different styles to appeal to a broad range of tastes.

Every bike on our list is there for a reason. All of these bikes meet the qualifications for what we would look for in a budget-friendly electric bike. With so many options to choose from, which is right for you? We encourage you to read, compare, and ask questions!

What did you think about our picks for the best electric bikes under $1,000? Are there ones we missed that you’d like us to review? Let us know in the comments below!