Hybrid electric bikes are accessible, but also versatile - they often come with mounting points for bags, racks and mudguards, and clearance for wider tyres. In recent years, they’ve also become more suave looking, and the best electric hybrids in particular have moved away from the image of clunky ‘can’t decide what it is’ bikes and towards a sleeker, more adaptable concept that’s just as at home on the canal towpath as it is on smooth asphalt.
If a mix of surfaces sums up your riding then a hybrid is likely a good place to start. Even if you only ride in and out of the city, you may benefit from a hybrid just for the wider tyres and comfort-oriented geometry. However, if you want to see what else is out there, give our overall guide to the best electric bikes a read.
If you’re on a budget, you’ll be pleased to know you don’t need to spend thousands upon thousands to get good value. If you want an all-singing all-dancing e-hybrid with a mid-motor and lots of range and premium gearing, then yes you can certainly spend a lot. But for the vast majority of people, something in the £1,500 to £3,000 area will more than likely fit the bill.
Best electric hybrid bikes
- Best overall electric hybrid – Raleigh Trace | Buy for £1,799 from Raleigh
- Best for off-road – Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500 | Buy for £2,500 from Evans Cycles
- Best step-through electric hybrid – Moustache Lundi 27.5 | Buy for £3,599 from Fully Charged
- Most practical – Tern HSD S00 | Buy for £5,200 from Tern Bicycles
- Best value - Estarli E28.8 Pro | Buy for £1,650 from Estarli
- Best of the rest
How we chose
Best overall electric hybrid: Raleigh Trace - £1,799
The Raleigh Trace is a straightforward hybrid e-bike, with all the essentials you need to get riding. It's powered by Mahle's X35+ Ebikemotion rear-hub system, which provides smooth assistance without being overbearing. You get a 250Wh battery, which our reviewer got over 30 miles out of over hilly terrain.
40mm tyres provide comfort whether you're on the road or taking an off-road detour, and the rack, mudguards and integrated lights all go some way to elevate the bike's hybrid status. It's a pretty good price at its standard price of £2,099 - but it's currently reduced to £1,799.
For more detail, read our review of the Raleigh Trace.
Best for off-road: Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500 - £2,500
If you’re after a bike that’s able to tackle more serious terrain than a canal towpath while still performing well on the road, then we present to you the Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500. With 100mm of front fork travel, and a mid-drive Bosch Performance motor (offering up to 65Nm of torque), it’s a capable and fun bike to ride.
The newer 2024 version has a slightly lower slung top tube, which makes it easier to get on and ride. Hydraulic disc brakes make it a great choice if you’re planning on riding in the wet, and the price is good too for a mid-drive option. The 500 denotes the battery size, so this is a 500Wh option. There's also a 625 version for those who want to ride a little bit further.
For more detail, read our review of the Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 500 (2021).
Best step-through electric hybrid: Moustache Lundi 27.5 - £3,799
Stylish, yet incredibly practical, we really enjoyed our time with the Moustache Lundi 27.5. It might look a little bizarre, with the angular frame and the moustache-shaped handlebars, but that’s only part of the story with this hybrid. It’s incredibly comfortable, with an upright riding position that feels natural in more urban environments.
The star of the show is the Bosch Performance Line mid-drive motor, which is paired with a 500Wh Bosch PowerTube battery. It also comes with all the things you’d expect from a decent hybrid – space to carry your things, integrated lights, mudgards and a kickstand.
For more detail, read our review of the Moustache Lundi 27.5.
Most practical: Tern HSD S00 - £5,200
You only have to glance at the Tern HSD S00 to understand why we think it’s among the most practical hybrid options available. It’s almost like a mini utility bike, with plenty of carrying capacity but without sacrificing the ride quality – or where it can be ridden.
It comes with a suspension fork and chunky tyres so you can take it off-road, as well as a mid-drive motor to keep you powering along wherever you choose to ride. It’s also great if you're short on space, as you can store it upright on the back wheel. It’s not exactly cheap, but a great investment if you want a bike as versatile as this.
For more detail, read our review of the Tern HSD S00.
Best value: Estarli E28.8 Pro - £1,650
The E28.8 Pro boasts a 'classic' bike frame, with a rear hub motor and an integrated 375Wh battery - there's a Trapez model too (pictured above) with a lower crossbar. It comes with mudguards as part of the 'Pro' package, but if you want a rear rack you'll have to spend another £35 - which in the grand scheme of things isn't terribly expensive.
The bike comes with an interesting handlebar integrated dash, which displays your usual ride metrics like speed. Our reviewer averaged between 30-40 miles per charge with a maximum of 1,300ft of climbing. It's a pretty classic, no frills (well, except the dash) electric hybrid, and is great value compared with other offerings.
For more detail, read our review of the Estarli E28.8 Trapez Pro.
Best of the rest
Volt Infinity - £2,999
It’s not often you get mid-drive motors for under £3k, particularly on British designed e-bikes, but Volt has smashed it out of the park with their newer e-hybrid, the Infinity. Whilst the frame design may look ‘urbanised’, with the inclusion of a suspension fork and seatpost, it’s far more capable than you may think.
Our reviewer Stu summed up his thoughts on the Infinity thus: “For the level of spec and the finished build quality, the Volt Infinity STEPS is a solid performer for the money. The hub gear system and automatic shifting is a real bonus to use if you want an easy ride experience, and you have the option to go manual should you wish.”
For more detail, read our review of the Volt Infinity.
BMC 257 AMP AL TWO - £5,200
At just over £5k the BMC 257 AMP AL TWO is quite the investment - but perhaps worth it for those with deep enough pockets who want something luxurious and suave. It features Bosch’s Performance Line CX mid-drive motor, which offers outstanding climbing ability, and a large 625Wh battery for plenty of range.
It doesn’t feature Bosch’s new Smart System, but unless you’re really into your e-bike tech you may not feel like you’re missing out. Our tester was impressed with the bike’s range, suggesting it would have lasted for 100 miles on the flat or 60 miles on a very hilly route around the Pennines. While it’s largely billed as a city commuter, the wide tyres and ability to carry 20kg on the rear rack means it’s far more adaptable than that.
For more detail, read our review of the BMC 257 AMP AL TWO.
Yamaha Crosscore RC - £2,200
The Yamaha Crosscore RC is positioned as an urban bike, but it’s so much more capable than that. The price is pretty good for what you get – which includes Yamaha’s own PW-ST mid-drive system. We rated it and felt it was really quiet and responsive – particularly for a motor that tops out at 70Nm of torque.
The only things missing from this bike are mudguards and a rack – but you can add those on retrospectively (or at the point of purchase if you buy from Yamaha). And we think the price might be enticing enough to overlook these omissions.
For more detail, read our review of the Yamaha Crosscore RC.
Tenways CGO600 Pro - £1,799
More oriented towards the urban end of the hybrid market (but still capable enough to head off-road if need be), the Tenways CGO600 Pro is one of the brand's newest releases. Like many of their others, it's single-speed and uses a belt drive, so it's ideal for those who perhaps don't want the trouble of drivetrain maintenance.
It comes with mudguards and some rather interesting integrated (into the frame) lights, but no rack as standard - although you can add one. The rear hub Mivice motor works well at getting you up to speed, and the 360Wh battery can last a good week of city commuting if you don't push it too hard.
For more detail, read our review of the Tenways CGO600 Pro.
FAQs
What is the difference between an electric hybrid bike and a hybrid bike?
A battery, a motor and a few hundred quid. The first two explain the third one.
An electric hybrid bike is most likely designed for road and some light off-road use. It’ll be a flat bar bike with wider than average tyres to take some of the strain on towpaths and well-maintained bridleways. You shouldn’t expect such a bike to be capable on more serious bike trails, and they won’t be the fastest on the roads, but people look at hybrids as a sort of do-it-all bike that can be used year-round. If you’re not entirely sure what kind of electric bike will suit your needs best, take a look at our beginner's guide to electric bikes.
You’ll likely see a mixture of mid-drive and hub-drive motors on offer, with the latter generally being slightly cheaper. Internal hub gears or a more conventional derailleur setup is also a choice you’ll have to make on purchasing. The former is better for someone who doesn’t want to do as much maintenance. The same goes for a belt drive versus a chain.
What are the best uses for electric hybrid bikes?
Electric hybrid bikes make for excellent commuter bikes. Why? Quite simply, they’re hardy bikes that can be ridden all-year-round with ease. The wider tyres and utility accessories you’ll normally find on these type of bikes (think, lights, mudguards, rack) make them attractive for people who want to get from A to B without much fuss. (Here's our guide to the best commuter e-bikes if this is specifically what you're after.)
That’s not to say they don’t make great leisure bikes too though. They often come with large capacity batteries, offering plenty of range, while those with mid-drive motors in particular can really can help you tackle some of the steeper hills you may otherwise have been avoiding. These things may boost your confidence to ride further than you normally would.
What's the difference between a hub motor and a mid-motor?
Price and weight for a start, but you'll also typically benefit from more power at slow speeds with a mid-motor (like when you're on a steep hill). We've got a whole article about hub motors v mid-motors if you'd like to know more.
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 8/10 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.
