Touted as true car alternatives, electric cargo bikes offer much more than just a fun way to get around town. They’re excellent at carrying more than you’d think possible, and while the very best ones can be pretty expensive, there are growing numbers of e-cargo bikes available for those on a tighter budget.
Most electric cargo bikes nowadays come in two basic designs: front or rear loading, relating to where you put the majority of your cargo. 'Longtails' with large rear racks tend to be a bit more affordable.
You’ll likely see mid-drive motors on a large proportion of e-cargo bikes. These help to get you going a bit quicker off the line, and the extra torque helps when you’re carrying really heavy loads.
Even under £3,000 there are plenty of high-value offerings to be had, which means you can dip your toes into the e-cargo world without having to spend a fortune. However, you may want to take a look at our overall guide to the best electric cargo bikes to get an idea of what you can get if you spend a bit more.
Best value electric cargo bikes
- Best longtail – Estarli eCargo Longtail | Buy for £2,995 from Estarli
- Best dual-battery option – Mycle Cargo | Buy from £2,499 from Mycle
- Best of the rest
- FAQs
How we chose
Best longtail: Estarli eCargo Longtail - £2,995
Estarli’s entry into the longtail e-cargo category is quite impressive. It’s under £3,000, comes with a powerful Ananda mid-drive motor and offers a 250kg carrying capacity. It’s a longtail, so the majority of the luggage (or passengers) is designed to be carried behind the rider - although there is a front rack too.
Our reviewer was impressed by the motor, which “ate up the steepest of Pennine hills.” It also comes with a two-year warranty on all components – motor and battery included. There are plenty of kid-friendly accessories like the Lazy Boy seat for those who want to use it as a car alternative and have a family. Overall, it’s a very decent offering at a great price.
For more detail, read our review of the Estarli eCargo Longtail.
Best dual-battery option: Mycle Cargo – from £2,499
The Mycle Cargo has one of the biggest rear rack carrying capacities on this list at 125kg, and a total bike weight limit of 210kg. This means kids, dogs, and even an adult can sit on the back without worry.
There’s also an option to equip it with dual-batteries, which is what our reviewer did. The downside to such a big bike is the weight, but if you’ve got the space then it’s an excellent budget e-cargo option for most applications. Annoyingly, it’s not actually in stock at the moment, but you can sign up to receive an email when it is via the Mycle website.
For more detail, read our review of the Mycle Cargo.
Best of the rest
Ecobike Electric Cargo Bike - £2,899
Another new entry for this year is the Ecobike Electric Cargo Bike. It doesn't offer as big a payload as its competitors, with just 55kg capacity on the rear rack. That does limit it somewhat as a family car alternative, but it does mean it retains agile handling.
Our reviewer was impressed by the bike's motor, an Ananda mid-drive which tops out at a claimed 130Nm of torque and peak power of 780W. (The 250W legal limit refers to 'continuous' rather than peak power.) It's also dual-battery compatible, with our test bike offering a combined 1,268Wh. This resulted in a realistic range estimate of around 100 miles.
For more detail, read our review of the Ecobike Electric Cargo Bike.
Elops Electric Cargo Bike Rear loading longtail R500 - £2,800
We're reluctant to add a bike that we haven't yet physically tested, but at its offer price of £2,800 and with a 170kg load capacity, the R500 might be worth a punt. One element it's important to highlight is that it's a hub motor - so possibly not well suited to hauling heavy loads up steep hills. It offers 58Nm of torque and is paired with a 672Wh battery for a decent amount of range.
The rear pannier rack can carry two children or one adult up to 80kg in weight, and the front rack 10kg. It's not the cheapest option, but if you want an easy way to carry the kids to school and back it could prove a solid option.
Find out more on Decathlon's website.
FAQs
How much can you carry on an electric cargo bike?
This depends on a number of things. Firstly, where is the load to be carried on the bike? A front bucket versus front rack will likely have a different weight limit. The bigger electric cargo bikes can carry upwards of 120kg – and so can some of the smaller ones if you look at the right brands.
The cheaper e-cargo bikes tend to have a lower carrying capacity, and if we’re being honest, you probably don’t want to carry more than is recommended anyway – particularly if it’s hub driven, as the motor likely won’t cope as well under heavy loads.
A good e-cargo bike (if this is what you define ‘good’ as) will be able to carry two small children and/or lots of other luggage that you’d struggle to carry on a regular sized e-bike.
How do I choose an electric cargo bike?
The main thing when buying an e-cargo bike is to make sure you get one that will fit your needs. If you have kids you want to cart around but don’t buy a bike with suitable accessories or carrying capacity, you’re wasting your money. Equally, if you’re tight on space and need something that can fit in and out of your house, you don’t want something excessively large.
Once you know what kind of e-cargo bike you’re after, you can look at the bikes available within your budget. Having a lower budget doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get a bad e-cargo bike, but you may have to make some compromises, particularly on motor quality and battery range.
What are the different types of e-cargo bike?
There are two main types of e-cargo bikes: longtails and front-loaders. The long tails have rear racks that carry most of the weight, and can often be set up to carry kids in specific seats or on a bench. The front loaders usually have buckets, which are great for keeping an eye on your cargo (particularly if said cargo is children or dogs).
How we review e-bikes
A lot of work goes into testing e-bikes thoroughly. Our reviewers ride each bike for at least a month before writing up their findings and coming up with final verdicts.
Every bike we review is assessed thoroughly based on its suitability for the intended discipline and riding style. A lot of focus is of course on the motor and battery, but we pay attention to all the component choices from wheels and tyres to the drivetrain and finishing kit.
We also compare the bike to its main rivals – if there is a similar bike with better spec and a lower price, we'll take this into account.
Why you can trust us
E-bikes recommended in ebiketips' buyer's guides will almost always be those we've reviewed in full, or which are rated highly by multiple members of the team.
We've reviewed literally hundreds of e-bikes over the years, and the bikes you'll find in this guide will all have scored 7/10 or more to have been considered for inclusion. Whatever the brand, whatever the marketing claims, if the bike hasn't performed, it isn't listed here.
All of our reviewers and buyer's guide writers are experienced e-bikers. You can therefore be sure we've carefully considered our selections, while the advice you'll find below is based on our real-world experience.
If you're new to e-bikes, you might want to take a look at our beginner's guide to buying an e-bike. Our overall guide to the best electric bikes may also be of interest if you're not yet quite sure what type of electric bike you're after.
