There’s no getting away from the fact that e-bikes have more components than unassisted bikes, but these days the lightest electric bikes can get surprisingly close to their non-electric equivalents. The lightest options tend to be electric folding bikes, as part of their purpose is to be portable, but you’re now likely to find electric road and hybrid bikes at previously unattainable weights as motor and battery technology gets smaller and lighter. A few of the bikes listed below are even listed in our best electric bikes guide, which is a sign that it's not just a case of prioritising weight over usability.
That being said, there are still some e-bikes where their sole purpose is to be lightweight and these often suffer in terms of battery power. So just make sure you check the specs before buying anything with a ‘lightest e-bike’ tag on it to make sure it’ll actually do the job you need it to.
Lightest electric bikes
- Scott Lumen eRide - 15.5kg | Buy now for £14,699 from Wet Rock n Ride
- Lightrider E Ultimate - 14.8kg | Buy now from CHF 6'290.00 from Thoemus
- Trek E-Caliber 9.9 XX1 AXS - 16.35kg
- VELLO Bike+ Titanium - 9.9kg | Buy now from £4,190 from Human Cycle
- Hummingbird Electric - 10.9kg | Buy now for £4,495 from Hummingbird
- Hummingbird Folding Electric Flax Bike - 10.3kg | Buy now for £4,995 from Hummingbird
- HPS Domestique - 8.5kg | Buy now from €14.400,00 from HPS
- ARES Super Leggera - 9kg
- Ribble Endurance SL e Hero - 10.49kg | Buy now for £7,399 from Ribble Cycles
- LeMond Prolog - 11.8kg | Buy now for £4,210 from LeMond
Lightest e-MTBs
1. Scott Lumen eRide – from £6,499 (15.5kg)
The Scott Lumen eRide range is pretty tempting, even without the minimal weight. The American brand has used the TQ-HPR50 e-bike system, which weighs just 3.9kg with the motor system itself weighing just 1,850g.
Unfortunately, for the lightest tech it’ll cost you £14,699 for the eRide 900 SL. Lower spec models begin at £6,499 but weigh a few kilograms more. As with anything cycling, the less it weighs, the greater the likelihood of it costing more. But it’s a nicely set up bike, and the real ride feel of the TQ-HPR50 e-bike system is the main selling point.
For more detail, read our article on the Scott Lumen.
2. Lightrider E Ultimate – CHF 10’374.00 (14.8kg)
Claimed to be the lightest full-suspension e-MTB in the world, the Lightrider E Ultimate tips the scales at under 15kg, which is pretty impressive. It does, however, mean that there is a slightly less beefy motor than you’d probably like – but it’s designed as a cross country e-MTB so perhaps 30Nm with a peak of 40Nm will be enough for your riding.
That being said, it’ll set you back CHF 10’374.00, which is roughly £9,285 at the time of writing. It uses a Maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR mid-drive system which weighs 3.5kg, just 400g lighter than the TQ-HPR50 e-bike system. If you’re after an e-MTB that’s likely just as nice to ride with the motor turned off and you have deep pockets, the Lightrider E Ultimate could be for you.
3. Trek E-Caliber 9.9 XX1 AXS - £12,100 (16.35kg)
Although no longer available in its 2021/2022 composition, we thought the Trek E-Caliber was deserving of a special mention, weighing in at 16.35kg for the 9.9 XX1 AXS model. As is the theme with lightweight full-suspension e-MTBs, it cost a hefty £12,100 but took advantage of the Fazua 50 Trail motor system.
It’s also the electric inspired version of the XC racing bike the Super Caliber, which was ridden to Olympic gold by Jolanda Neff at Tokyo. So if you want a racing inspired XC e-bike, this was an excellent choice – just keep an eye out for new lightweight e-MTBs coming from Trek in 2023 as an alternative.
For more detail, read this off-road.cc article on the Trek e-Caliber.
Lightest electric folding bikes
4. VELLO Bike+ Titanium – from £4,190 (9.9kg)
Unveiled at the Cycle Show in April 2022, the VELLO Bike+ Titanium uses super light components to keep the weight low, including “ultra-lightweight titanium” which means the bike weighs less than 10kg. Another unusual feature is that it utilises the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to regenerate battery power when coasting – thus providing more range.
It’s also folding, but it looks like the Cycle Show bike may have been a one-off, with production models tipping the scale at 12.9kg without pedals. This is still light for an e-bike, but you’ll have to do some trimming, or adding of carbon fibre parts to get the bike below 10kg. We reviewed the non-titanium version.
For more detail, read our review of the VELLO Bike+.
5. Hummingbird Electric - £4,495 (10.9kg)
The Hummingbird Electric was the lightest e-bike of its kind when it launched in 2019. It’s still incredibly light at 10.9kg, and impressed us during testing. There is plenty of carbon fibre in play to help keep the weight low, and the fold is similar to the Brompton style.
It’s quite pricey at nearly £4.5k, but is a great option for urban riding and last-mile commuting. It isn’t quite as compact as a Brompton, and thus won’t fit into smaller luggage compartments on busy trains, but it’s easy enough to carry through buildings and as it’s so light, it can easily be carried up stairs as well.
For more detail, read our review of the Hummingbird Electric.
6. Hummingbird Folding Electric Flax Bike - £4,995 (10.3kg)
Sticking with the Hummingbird brand, they recently released the Flax, made partially using flax fibres to produce a bike that weighs a reported 10.3kg. This is 600g lighter than their Hummingbird Electric model and £500 more expensive.
It’s a single-speed machine, built around the ‘all-in-one’ Zehus motor system. This consists of a 158Wh battery contained within a hub motor. The idea behind using flax is that it’s sustainable as well as being lightweight. The waste from the production stage is biodegradable, meaning it’s less harmful to the environment to dispose of than other materials' waste products.
For more detail, read our article on the Hummingbird Folding Electric Flax Bike.
Lightest electric road bikes
7. HPS Domestique – from €14,400 (8.5kg)
When we heard about the HPS Domestique in 2021, it was claimed to be the world’s lightest e-bike, and it looks like it still could be. The HPS brand designed the Domestique e-road bike in conjunction with Formula 1 engineers, with the aim of producing an electric road bike that rides just like an unassisted one. Oh, and that weighs roughly the same as well.
This is achieved through the 1.5kg Watt Assist System, which includes a minuscule 85Wh battery or an 193Wh option they reckon can cover three hours of riding. All of this in a sleek carbon fibre package will set you back €14,400 - about £12,700 at the time of writing. It’s a lot to spend to be part of a select club, but if weight matters to you on an electric road bike, this is definitely one of if not the lightest around.
For more detail, read road.cc’s article on the HPS Domestique.
8. ARES Super Leggera - €18,950 (9kg)
If style and appearance are important to you when choosing a lightweight electric bike, then look no further than the ARES Super Leggera. It’s not the lightest, but it’s still pretty close at 9kg. Made in partnership with the same High Performance Systems (HPS) that made the Domestique above, it utilises the Watt Assist system which houses components close to the bottom bracket area for a sporty ride.
Hidden in the downtube are the electronics that manage the battery and motor, although the battery itself looks like a water bottle installed in a specially designed cage. If you think you want one, however, it’s a pretty exclusive affair. They’re only sold and exhibited in ARES showrooms located across the globe, (although not in the UK) and cost €18,950 (£16,730 at the time of writing).
For more detail, read our article on the ARES Super Leggera.
9. Ribble Endurance SL e Hero - £7,399 (10.49kg)
If you’re after something a little more attainable, then the Ribble Endurance SL e Hero is a great call. Not only is it more available, but it’s significantly cheaper for only a kilogram or two more weight. This particular model now comes with a 2x12-speed Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, and the popular hub-driven MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ motor and battery.
We last reviewed it in 2019, but were impressed with the value, quality and lightness of it all – and that’s before it was 10.49kg! A reliable option, with actual availability in the UK, the Endurance SL e is hard to fault.
For more detail, read our review of the Ribble Endurance SLe Di2.
Lightest electric urban and hybrid bikes
10. LeMond Prolog - £4,169 (11.8kg)
Not only is the LeMond Prolog pretty lightweight for an urban bike, it looks really suave, too. It uses the same MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ motor and battery system as many other road going brands like Ribble and Orbea, so you know what to expect in terms of power assistance and battery range.
Although it’s not groundbreaking in terms of weight, the Prolog is still light enough to be hauled up flights of stairs and stick some wider tyres on and you’ve got a pretty capable bike.
For more detail, read our review of the LeMond Prolog.
How to choose from the lightest electric bikes
Does the weight of an e-bike matter?
When you’re riding, not a great deal, as long as the e-bike system is good enough to make it not feel like you’re riding through treacle. If you’re concerned about the weight of an e-bike because you need to be able to carry it about, like a folding bike, then yes, it does matter to a degree.
It’s impossible to escape the fact that electric bikes need more kit on them to make them electric. That’s why they usually weigh more than their unassisted counterparts. But as we’ve shown with some the bikes on this list, the technology is progressing so you can choose an electric bike that provides both the power and minimal weight needed to do the job.
What e-bike is the lightest weight?
The HPS Domestique electric road bike is certainly one of, if not the lightest electric bike available as a production model. There are some custom models that might be a bit lighter, but the Domestique weighs just 8.5kg (although it costs €14,400).
What motors are on the lightest electric bikes?
This depends. If we talk about the lightest of all categories, then you’re likely looking at hub motors – unless you look at the HPS Domestique, which uses a motor nestled above the bottom bracket. You’ll see mid-drive motors in the lighter electric mountain bikes, as mountain bikes perform far better with mid-drive than hub-drive.
Folders are likely to use hub-driven motors, and similarly with electric road bikes, except for those using proprietary tech.
Explore the complete ebiketips archive of electric bikes reviews.