Best electric cargo bikes 2023 – bikes to ditch the car for | electric bike reviews, buying advice and news

by Rebecca Bland Nov 21 2022

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Best electric cargo bikes 2023 – bikes to ditch the car for — Tern GSD S10-1.jpg, by dave atkinson

The best electric cargo bikes for carrying ‘loads’

It’s not difficult to imagine what makes for the best electric cargo bikes. In this day and age, if we want a true car alternative, an e-cargo bike has to be able to carry a lot in a safe way and have a motor powerful enough to make it bearable. The whole idea is that the bike can carry as much, if not more than a car, and be far more fun. However, if you’re not completely sold on the idea and want something a bit more leisure oriented, read our guide to the best electric bikes for a wider range of bikes.

So what makes an electric cargo bike, a cargo bike? There are two common types – front loading and rear loading. Rear loaders generally have racks behind the rider’s seat, upon which you can affix accessories like child seats or pannier bags for large items. Front loaders are equally as useful, and are often seen with bucket type carriers – again, ideal for ferrying kids around as well as dogs, or the shopping. These types of bikes are not just great for families, but for businesses too. You’ve likely seen local deliveries being done with one, and they’re growing in popularity.

Best electric cargo bikes 2022

1. Tern GSD - £4,700 (best overall)

Its huge bags, racks and massive versatility have made the Tern GSD a popular choice. The new updated GSD is still the pick of the bunch. If you want a versatile, easily-adjustable load carrier and you’ve got the pockets for it, the Tern GSD S10 is as good as they come, carrying people and packages with consummate ease. The updates from the first version have made it a better overall bike, at the expense of, well, some extra expense.

This remains, though, the best option for nearly anyone doing normal things on a bike as well as wanting something capable enough to carry lots when you need it – assuming you can afford it. The other builds are even more expensive than the S10, which starts at £4,700, but for our reviewers, this is the model to go for.

For more detail, read our review of the Tern GSD S10 2021.

2. Riese & Müller Packster 40 Vario – from £4,659 (best front-loader)

The smallest of Riese & Müller’s e-cargo bikes, the Packster 40 is nevertheless still 2.23m long. You’ll often need to do three-point turns when walking it around, but it handles remarkably well once you’re in the saddle with Bosch’s Performance Line CX mid-motor providing plenty of assistance.

While the front storage space isn’t actually enormous, it’s plenty big enough for a small child or the weekly shop. It’s available with different cargo options too, such as a rigid box or with just a bare frame. As with most of these bikes, the accessories can have a big impact on cost. The starting price for the Packster 40 is £4,659.

For more detail, read our review of the Riese & Müller Packster 40 Vario.

3. Riese and Müller Load 75 Touring – from £6,489 (best for families)

The Riese & Muller Load 75 is a superb and versatile cargo/family bike for those with big garages (and deep pockets). It's mighty expensive with a starting price of £6,489 (plus more for accessories), but also a mighty investment that is incredibly versatile and customisable.

This is one of the few e-cargo bikes we've seen with full suspension, and it makes for a very smooth and comfortable ride. The Bosch CX Performance motor will get you up any incline, and the rain cover allows you to keep passengers comfortable, out of the rain and cold. It's a very impressive piece of engineering and one of the best around if you want to carry lots of people (up to three) and gear alike.

For more detail, read our review of the Riese and Muller Load 75 Touring.

4. Mycle Cargo - £1,999 (best sub £2,000 longtail)

Among the cheaper of available electric cargo bikes, the Mycle Cargo is the British based brand’s first foray into this type of e-bike, and impressed our reviewer, Richard. There’s a claimed total 'rider plus cargo' rating of 215kg, and you can choose between single or dual batteries – plus a load of accessories.

There are, of course, a few compromises, like the 7-speed Shimano Altus groupset and cable operated disc brakes, but for the price it’s an excellent starting point. Our tester even managed 70 hilly miles out of one charge of the dual battery model. For carrying lighter kids or medium weight loads, it’s a decent option to get into the world of cargo biking.

For more detail, read our review of the Mycle Cargo.

5. Rad Power Bikes Radwagon 4 - £1,649 (best budget option - OOS until Jan)

If you’re looking to dip your toe into the waters of cargo biking, then the Rad Power Radwagon 4 is a brilliant first bike. It’s very usable and easy to ride, and you can get accessories to carry all kinds of things. The motor’s not powerful enough to haul big loads up big hills, and some of the bits won’t survive too much heavy use, but it’s still a bargain.

The rear rack can be changed to take two passengers, or use the Ballard cargo bags that can carry up to 70 litres. As with the Mycle, there are some concessions made to keep it so cheap, like cable operated disc brakes - but for the price, it’s a great starting point.

For more detail, read our review of the Rad Power Bikes Radwagon 4.

6. Orbea Katu-E - £2,199 (best compact cargo)

Orbea's Katu-E 10 is an urban e-cargo bike with great acceleration. A different proposition to some of the heavy long e-cargo monsters listed here, it is a compact bike with 20-inch wheels (like Tern's GSD S10) but with plenty of load-carrying ability.

Our reviewer was impressed with its acceleration, and although it's fairly light, it is capable of carrying heavy loads. It's specifically designed for front-load carrying, with the large basket attached to the frame, and it has the super powerful Bosch Performance line CX drive system. If you're after something a bit easier to store indoors that is nippier around town than most e-cargo bikes, the Katu-E is worthy of your attention.

For more detail, read our review of the Orbea Katu-E.

7. Tern Quick Haul P9 - £3,100 (best GSD alternative)

The Tern Quick Haul is a really capable compact alternative to the brand's other e-cargo bikes, the GSD and HSD. It's aimed at people who want the same versatility offered by those, but at a lower price. Its main selling point over the cheaper RadWagon is a powerful Bosch Performance Line motor.

The Quick Haul can carry 150kg in total, with the Atlas Q rear rack rated for up to 50kg. It works with most of Tern's accessories too, including panniers, bars for passengers, toddler seats and seat pads for older children. Unlike its larger siblings, the Quick Haul looks and behaves like a city bike when unloaded. If you only need to take one passenger then this could be all the cargo bike you need.

For more detail, read our review of the Tern Quick Haul P9.

8. Raleigh Stride 2 Family Cargo Bike - £4,395 (best mid-priced family cargo)

The Raleigh Stride 2 Family Cargo Bike is a highly practical, spacious, and powerful e-cargo bike. It's also massive. At 2.6m, it's the length of a small car – but then that is what it's designed to replace. The Stride 2 is fitted out with Bosch’s top-of-the-line Performance Line CX motor and a large reinforced polystyrene ‘bucket’ at the front, which is protected by large metal bars.

This has a cargo capacity of 80kg and can be fitted out with harnesses, child seats and the like. There’s a rear rack too. One advantage of a long john design over a longtail is that you can more easily see your cargo, which may well be particularly appealing if they’re related to you.

For more detail, read our review of the Raleigh Stride 2 Family Cargo Bike.

9. Babboe Slim Mountain – from £4,149 (best for carrying kids)

The Babboe Slim Mountain is ideally suited to carrying small humans. The Slim Mountain has become quite a common sight on the continent, and if you primarily want a bike for transporting the kids, this could definitely be the one. The bike has a 'Long John' design, with the cargo bay in front of the pilot. That means that the small front wheel is controlled by a linkage system.

The first time you hop on the bike you need to adjust your filter to take account of where the front wheel is, and how the bike steers, but it’s not a difficult machine to ride once you’ve put a few miles under your belt. Carrying cargo that isn't small humans is a bit tougher than some other options we've tested and we found the Enviolo shifter a little stiff, but the motor system is great and the transmission requires very little maintenance.

For more detail, read our review of the Babboe Slim Mountain.

10. Benno RemiDemi 9D - £3,399 (best for small spaces)

The Benno RemiDemi 9D is a good quality compact cargo bike that can be built with a range of luggage options. It's fun and versatile bike and just the kind of thing you need if you’re hankering after a cargo bike but really don’t have the space for one.

It’s not as versatile as its sibling, the Boost, or Tern’s GSD but it’s quite a bit cheaper than either and will offer enough carrying capacity for many people in a compact package. It’s not a light bike, but the Bosch Performance Line motor helps to take the strain.

For more detail, read our review of the Benno RemiDemi 9D.

But what if you don’t need to carry a load every day?

11. Carla Cargo Trailer - £4,005 (best trailer)

For those that perhaps don’t require a cargo bike every single day, but do need something a bit more capacious than a regular bike, the Carla Cargo Trailer might be your answer. It affixes to the rear axle of your e-bike via a towbar hitch and has a payload rating of 200kg.

It is hefty, and weighs 45kg on its own, so it’s only going to be suitable for those with a lot of storage space. In its current form it can be used with e-bikes but there is also an E-Carla, which comes with a front wheel motor, which can be used with non-electric towing bikes.

For more detail, read our review of the Carla Cargo Trailer.

How to choose from the best electric cargo bikes

Is an electric cargo bike eco-friendly?

If by using an electric cargo bike you have changed the way you’re travelling from driving a car, then yes! In fact, a lot of businesses are now jumping on board as not only is it more environmentally friendly to use e-cargo bikes than delivery vans, but within cities it can often be faster.

How fast can an electric cargo bike go?

This depends entirely on how fast you can pedal. But if you’re thinking about the motor speed limit, it’s limited to the same speed as all other e-bikes in the UK, and the assistance will cut out at 15.5mph. Whether or not you can ride faster than that will depend on the terrain, how much you’re carrying, and your fitness.

What are front-loader e-cargo bikes?

Also known as box bikes, or Long Johns, these two wheelers are probably what springs to mind when someone says ‘cargo bike’ to you. They have a front wheel that’s moved forward, with a low slung box in front of the rider. The steering is operated via cables or a linkage. First made in the 1920s in Denmark it is perhaps the most useful load lugger and most are capable of carrying two kids or a big supermarket shop.

Two bikes spin this on its tail by putting the box at the rear: the Madsen (no longer made), and the Mike Burrows 8 freight. The advantages and disadvantages are well-argued, but the consensus is that box forward is the preferred style because you can see your cargo. That’s especially important if your cargo is kids or dogs: it’s nice to have eye contact.

What are longtail e-cargo bikes?

Imagine a conventional bike with the rear wheel pulled back a bit, with a longer rear rack. This is originally an African load-carrying design, made popular by a group of young men in San Francisco who created the xtracycle and the Yuba Mundo (from a German design).

The longtail can take plenty of cargo in custom panniers, or you can strap stuff to the extended rack. It’s the most versatile bike for carrying two children once they are able to sit in a child seat, and you can easily carry another adult too.

Can I use my current e-bike as a cargo bike?

Many e-bikes can be put into service as e-cargo bikes, it could just be your daily ride with a rack on! We are used to pannier racks at the front and the rear but the porteur style rack – where the front rack is attached to the frame rather than the fork – is a way of adding a flexible platform on which to place a laptop bag or a few bits of shopping.

Because the load is separated from the steering it doesn’t affect the handling as much, and the rack gives useful extra capacity but without adding to the bike length or much to the weight. Winora, Civia, Soma, Omnium and Bicicapace are some of the companies currently making porteur-style bikes.

What kind of motors are on electric cargo bikes?

Due to the volumes of stuff these bikes are generally required to move, mid-drive motors are generally favoured on electric cargo bikes as they apply power more effectively at lower speeds, such as when you're first getting moving. Mid-motor systems are generally smooth, powerful and a pleasure to ride. They will also work with any gearing system including hub gears, which you may see more of on electric cargo bikes – think Enviolo and Rohloff.

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Best electric cargo bikes 2023 – bikes to ditch the car for