By Paul Smith
Former Head of Test | Kaiwhakahaere Whakamātautau
How much does a good electric bike cost? Here’s what you get – and what you miss out on – when you opt for a cheaper model.
The average price of currently available e-bikes we’ve tested is $5,725. That’s a lot of money. But there are several models that sit somewhere between $2,500 and $4,500, including a handful that get our Consumer Recommended tick.
What do you miss out on when you pay less? What matters, and what doesn’t? Here’s what you need to know.
Electric bikes test and buying guide
We've tested a range of e-bikes, scoring them on motor system and bike style. Learn about how they work, the different styles available and how to buy the right model.
The differences that matter
Less usable motor power
Cheap e-bikes can look impressive on paper, with big claims about motor power and torque. But usable power is what matters. In our tests, some cheaper models ran out of grunt riding our hill-climb route (a long climb at a moderate pace), or their usable power greatly reduced as the battery drained.
On the other hand, a few of the less expensive models we tested punched way above their weight, impressing us with their hauling and hill-climb performance – and scoring our Consumer Recommended tick.
Rear-hub vs mid-drive motor
The very cheapest models we’ve reviewed have rear-hub motors, which are built into the back wheel of the bike. For relatively flat urban riding, you’ll likely be happy with one of these.
But if you plan to tackle a lot of hills – especially carrying heavy loads – a mid-drive motor, which sits around the pedals, is a better bet. Because it sends power through the bike’s gears, it can make better use of the motor’s power while climbing. More refined mid-drive motors tend to feel more natural and responsive, almost like an extension of your legs.
More basic gears
Because you still need to pedal an electric bike, its gears matter too. Most e-bikes use Shimano components, but cheaper bikes tend to use Shimano’s more basic ranges. While these are basically functional, you’ll find that shifting between gears is clunkier, there are fewer options to find a comfortable pedalling cadence (because there are 7 or 8 cogs rather than 9 to 11) and low-speed climbing performance might be limited.
There are advantages to cheaper gear systems, though: they often last longer and require less maintenance, because the parts are simpler. And when you do need to replace a component, like the chain, it will likely cost less.
A cheaper suspension fork
The suspension fork is the part that holds the front wheel and absorbs bumps in the road or trail. In cheaper forks, you’ll find coil springs with limited adjustment, compared to the highly adjustable air springs in pricier forks. Some of the cheap forks we’ve tested either barely respond to bumps or bounce like pogo sticks.
We’ve also seen a lot of rusty and seized-up forks on cheap e-bikes, and bike shops tell us these lower priced versions are difficult to maintain. Unfortunately, it’s hard to avoid cheap forks on cheap e-bikes. One saving grace: if you’re just riding around town, you don’t need suspension – a rigid fork will be fine.
Less durability
Sometimes a manufacturer chooses lower-quality materials and components to save costs. Overall, cheaper electric bikes can be difficult to maintain, meaning higher costs and ultimately a shorter lifespan.
You might find that cheap e-bike tyres get frequent punctures, for example, or that spokes get loose or wheels buckle. Gears are harder to keep shifting sweetly, brakes become noisy, parts rust quickly and suspension forks seize up. Motors and controllers may not be weathertight, and their sensors can be glitchy.
Find out which three e-bike brands earned a People’s Choice endorsement in our latest customer satisfaction survey.
The differences that probably don’t matter
Fewer controller options
Top-end e-bikes come with top-end controllers. They have large, colourful screens, showing every bit of ride data you need (and a lot you don’t). Many have an app that allows you to customise the motor power delivery or assist modes. They can record your ride data and offer GPS-based in-ride navigation. Some have digital bike lock functions and theft protection.
Do you need all this? No. The most important function of the controller is to make it easy to change assist modes and accurately display an indication of remaining battery charge and riding range. Even a cheap e-bike should be able to do that without relying on an app that may eventually not be supported.
Convenience features
Most electric bikes aimed at urban or commuter riding, no matter the price point, come with fixed lights, mudguards to keep road spray at bay, luggage racks to take loads off your back and a kickstand so you can park up anywhere.
Different brands of brakes
Even cheaper e-bikes will whisk you along at 30–40km/h. The good news is that all currently available bikes we’ve tested are fitted with a reliable brand of hydraulic disc brakes, so you don’t need to compromise on braking. Hydraulic disc brakes will reliably slow you down safely from speed in all-weather conditions and need very little maintenance.
Weight
There is no fixed ratio between cost and weight, but when you’re looking at two similar-style bikes, the cheaper one is likely to be heavier. Cheap e-bikes often use steel parts over aluminium ones, or rely on more material rather than better design. Weight isn’t so important once you’re riding, but if you need to get a bike up steps or onto a rack, or move it around in tight spaces, it becomes significant.
Different aesthetic
Cheap e-bikes might not look as good as pricier models. However, we’ve seen many cheaper e-bikes recently that look great – they’ve moved on from the “built in a garage” look many had a decade ago! Are looks important, though? Of course not: it’s what’s inside that counts.
Our favourite cheap e-bike
Our expert pick for the best e-bike on a budget.
