The best electric commuter bikes will get you around in style and give you a bit of a push when you need it.
Many of the first electric bikes to hit the market were hybrids. With flat handlebars and a comfortable, upright riding position, they’re a good option for general recreational riding, beginner cyclists, shopping and trips around town.
Electric urban bikes also work well for commuters who aren’t pressed for storage space and want a little assistance when cycling to work. If space is tight, take a look at our guide to the best electric folding bikes.
For more information on what to consider when buying an electric commuter bike and other electric bike options, we’ve got a full buyer’s guide at the bottom of this article, but first read on for our pick of the best electric commuter bikes.
The best electric commuter bikes in 2024
Canyon Grand Canyon:ON 9
- £3,699 / €3,899 / AU$6,899 as tested
- Pros: Smooth around town, but with the power for weekend adventures; good range and spec
- Cons: Low-quality tyres; smaller frames limited to 504Wh battery
Although it's a hardtail mountain bike rather than a hybrid, the Canyon Grand Canyon:ON is potentially a good choice for city riding if you want to go somewhere more adventurous at the weekend. It has the performance for steep and rough riding, but still feels comfortable around town.
It's powered by the compact, powerful Shimano EP8 motor, with a 630Wh battery on all but the smallest frame size, delivering over 100km of range. The 12 speeds give plenty of options to tune your own pedalling power.
Canyon Pathlite:ON 5
- £2,499 / €2,699 as tested
- Pros: Delivers lots of power; handles and rides well
- Cons: Very bulky
The Canyon Pathlite:ON 5 is all you want in a commuter bike. It soothes rough roads and presents great value, while Bosch's Gen 4 motor is powerful and the drivetrain is superb. Our testing was consistent with Canyon's claimed 100km range.
The battery slots into the down tube and comes out at the click of a key. Its charger is easy to carry in a rucksack, which is a bonus for commuting. Mudguards and integrated lights add to its ride-to-work credentials.
Where the Pathlite:ON 5 stands out from the field is off-road. Its handling, gearing, suspension fork and tyres make it at home on mountain bike trails, but it has an upright riding position for urban riding and bike paths.
The Bosch motor is discrete when you're pedalling unassisted. A welcome boost comes on steep inclines. You switch between off, Eco, Tour, eMTB and Turbo modes using the Bosch's Purion display.
Since it weighs 23kg, one place you won't want to take the Pathlite:ON 5 is up a flight of stairs.
Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0
- £4,000 / $4,500 / €4,200 / AU$7,200 as tested
- Pros: Comfortable ride
- Cons: Off-road focus may not appeal
The Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0 sits between bike categories. It’s neither a svelte commuter nor a fully fledged electric mountain bike, but don’t let this be a deterrent: our tester found it to be one of the best all-around ebikes they’ve ever tested.
The RockShox suspension fork and rear shock help the bike’s off-road performance, offering a composed ride on technical singletracks and more demanding terrain.
If you’re sticking to tarmac, the suspension also helps soften speed bumps and potholes.
Despite weighing 26.54kg (size large), it’s still lighter than many other commuter ebikes and rides like a lighter bike, too. It has excellent handling and a composed feel across varying terrain.
The Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0 doesn’t come cheap, but it’s hard to think of any other ebike that can do so much, so well.
Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ
- £3,400 / $4,499 / €4,300 as tested
- Pros: Light; well-balanced handling; lively ride
- Cons: Brakes and range could be better
The Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ is a versatile but entertaining electric commuter bike thanks to its nimble handling.
Our Urban Electric Bike of the Year for 2024 is essentially a speedy, flat-bar road bike with a lightweight motor. Mudguards, integrated lights and a 20kg load-capacity rack maintain practicality.
Some riders will want longer battery life – in testing, we achieved half of Specialized's 120km claimed range. You also might need to reduce the Tektro brakes' lever travel so they bite sooner.
Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0
- £3,900 / $4,000 / €4,100 / AU$6,900 as tested
- Pros: Smooth and comfortable; long range; sophisticated controller
- Cons: 26kg weight
The Specialized Turbo Vado comes in the SL version and this full-fat iteration, with a more powerful motor boasting 70Nm torque and larger battery capacity. Specialized calls it "4x You" as opposed to "2x You" for the Turbo Vado SL.
We got over 70 miles/113km on a charge. There's an impressive four-colour controller display, which you can configure using the Specialized Mission Control app. You can also set an alarm and deactivate the motor if the ebike is stolen.
It's a relaxed, comfortable ride, thanks to 80mm of suspension in the fork, a suspension seatpost and comfortable saddle, although at 26kg – 11kg more than the Turbo Vado SL – you're not going to want to lug the ebike up a lot of stairs.
Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0
- £2,600 / $3,500 / €2,999 as tested
- Pros: Well-tuned power delivery; low weight; lights included
- Cons: Underpowered motor
Weighing under 15kg and with a 130km range, the Turbo Vado SL is intended to take ebike use for recreation and city riding mainstream. Its motor weighs under 2kg and the concealed battery makes for clean looks, although the 35Nm torque output is lower than most ebike motors.
Support feels very natural, without any bursts of acceleration but still helping out well on inclines, although it seems a bit underpowered on the steepest climbs, even in its top Turbo mode.
All models come with lights, and higher specs add a rack and mudguards.
Tern Quick Haul P9
- £3,100 / $3,299 / AU$4,995 as tested
- Pros: Great handling and ride quality; vertical storage to save space; loads of extras to carry everything from kids to locks
- Cons: Add-ons raise price
Electric cargo bikes enable you to lug groceries, equipment, kids and dogs around, ditching the car, without breaking too much of a sweat.
The Tern Quick Haul can carry up to 70kg of additional load and is a much more affordable and compact option than Tern's older models. It comes with a large rack, which can also be used to stand the bike vertically and free up space when it's stored.
Tern sells loads of accessories and luggage, so you can kit the bike out for whatever you want to use it for.
With 65Nm of torque from the Bosch motor and a range that we found to average 46 miles, the Quick Haul has plenty of oomph to get you around. Handling and ride quality are great, although with a rack and luggage, it's not so easy to negotiate tight gaps.
Bianchi E-Spillo Luxury
- £2,159 as tested
- Pros: Attractive aesthetics; quality build; luggage options
- Cons: Seat tube cable routing; restricted size options
Coming with a rear rack for proper panniers and an upright riding position, the Bianchi E-Spillo Luxury is made for cruising stylishly to the shops or work. The Shimano Steps E5000 motor is partially concealed in the position of the bottom bracket. It has three modes – Normal, Eco and Turbo.
The 418Wh battery slides under the rear rack, bringing maximum claimed range to 120km. Our tester found the power gauge dipped sharply after 97km, underlining the bike is best for short, urban trips.
The E-Spillo Luxury has Shimano’s 9-speed Altus groupset. The 34t front ring, matched with an 11-36 cassette, suits most town riding. The brakes do a decent job of slowing the bike’s bulk.
Steel mudguards are included and match the brand’s iconic celeste frame. It weighs 21.65kg in size 53cm and also comes in a 47cm version.
The easy-to-read Shimano Steps dE6100 head unit displays speed, predicted range, distance and journey time.
Cannondale Compact Neo
- £2,000 / $1,900 / AU$3,499 as tested
- Pros: Brilliant handling; clever design; adjustable geometry
- Cons: Motor suddenly cuts off at speed limit; slow tyres
The Cannondale Compact Neo is a fantastic, space-efficient electric bike for nipping around town.
The range impressed, the ride thrills and the motor mostly works well: it could cut out more smoothly at its speed limit though.
Although modestly priced, the drivetrain performs well. The tyres are resilient, if a little draggy on tarmac.
The foldable bar and pedals help you store the one-size-fits-all Compact Neo in smaller spaces.
Canyon Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV
- £5,249 as tested
- Pros: Superbly equipped; excellent motor
- Cons: Enhancements aren’t cheap
The Canyon Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV is a user-friendly, capable ebike suitable for commuting and even touring.
It’s not as exciting to ride as some of the other bikes in this list, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, given its focus on practicality and utility.
The upright ride position helps you sensibly navigate through traffic, while the robust frame and suspension fork help deal with any surface.
The Bosch electric motor provides enough power to tackle hills, ramps and steep dirt tracks. The motor has a generous range and the bike achieved 52.71 miles (84.82km) with 3,227.53ft (983.75m) of climbing in testing.
With a dropper post and an anti-lock braking system, the Pathlite:ON 9 LTD SUV arguably has more features than it necessarily needs for its intended purpose, but that doesn’t stop it from being an impressive ebike.
Canyon Precede:ON CF 9
- £4,999 / €4,999 as tested
- Pros: Top-spec motor and large battery; belt drive with CVT transmission
- Cons: On the heavy side
The Precede:ON's futuristic design includes comprehensive integration for a slick, fast-looking commute. Power comes from a top-spec Bosch Performance Line CX motor, with a high-capacity integrated battery that gives plenty of range and is easy to remove for charging.
There's a belt drive with a constantly variable transmission system that means you don't need to change gears.
There's a slick-looking cockpit, too, and the Precede:ON feels stable without being sluggish or lacking agility. At 23kg, it's heavy though.
Carrera Crossfuse
- £1,899 as tested
- Pros: Bosch motor and battery; comfortable ride; quality Shimano gears and brakes
- Cons: Some gear misshifts
Halfords’ Carrera brand offers the competitively priced Crossfuse, with a 50Nm Bosch motor and lockable battery. The ride position is upright, and the saddle and handlebar grips comfortable, while wide tyres with a deep tread work well on a variety of surfaces and the short-travel fork helps smooth the way.
Range is good – we got close to 100km – and you can remove the battery for charging.
The single-chainring drivetrain offers a wide spread of gears and the hydraulic disc brakes come from Shimano, making for effective stopping power. Coupled with a very comfortable ride, we rated the Crossfuse a great commuter option.
Cooper CG-7E
- £2,199 as tested
- Pros: Easy-to-use power system; quality grips and saddle
- Cons: Bad app; some low-spec parts
Cooper makes ebikes that are designed for clean lines and simplicity, with a rear hub that includes both the motor and its 173Wh battery, so there's no wiring, sensors or other stuff to clutter it up.
It also allows regenerative braking, upping the range to a claimed 25 to 37 miles, which we exceeded. It's controlled via a phone app rather than a separate controller, which also reduces clutter, although we found it a little hard to read in bright sunlight.
It's a really nice bike to ride, with the characteristic feel of a steel frame. The motor helps, rather than taking over, although its 40Nm of torque is enough to get you up hills at a good pace. The gearing is basic but works, while Cooper has specced quality grips and saddle.
Genesis Smithfield
- £3,000 as tested
- Pros: Stylish urban option; steady handling
- Cons: Disappointing drivetrain
The Genesis Smithfield is a sleek urban ebike that rides nicely with a sizeable 150km claimed range and all you need for commuting, such as metal mudguards, a nurse's lock and bosses for bottle cages or racks.
Although the price tag calls for a better drivetrain than the nine-speed Shimano Acera, the Smithfield does boast a capable Shimano STEPS motor, long-lasting battery and disc brakes.
The Smithfield might not be the snappiest given it weighs 23kg, but it has the range and compliance for you to incorporate off-road sorties into your route home.
Our tester managed an undulating 81.5km using the variety of modes and found the battery recharged to 80 per cent in two hours and full charge in four.
GoCycle G4
- £3,999 / $4,999 as tested
- Pros: Clever design; nimble ride
- Cons: Expensive
The GoCycle G4 is a class-leading collapsible bike with an excellent motor and reasonable range. A carbon fork and mid-section reduce weight but increase cost to just shy of £4,000.
The GoCycle is well-specced. It has hydraulic brakes and a three-speed Shimano Nexus hub gear with ratios low enough for steep hills. Its battery should be good for 50 to 60km rides.
The G4 motor has so much torque it really whizzes around town, and beyond, including towpaths, thanks to wide tyres, suspension and traction control.
The GoCycle's app, which allows fine-tuning and displays loads of data, gets the best out of a fun-to-ride bike.
LeMond Prolog
- £4,350 / $4,795 / €5,195 as tested
- Pros: Lightweight; sporty; slick integration
- Cons: Potentially under-geared for some
Former professional road racer Greg LeMond is back in the bike business with this impressive electric bike. The LeMond Prolog is lightweight and sleek-looking, but one of its biggest surprises is its dynamic ride.
Unlike many electric hybrid bikes, which look to mountain bikes for their relaxed, upright designs, the Prolog is much sportier and consequently has faster handling.
The stiff and responsive carbon frame has wide tyres and comfortable contact points to cushion your ride.
The bike has a 1x Shimano GRX drivetrain and an oversized rear hub that houses a 250W motor, putting out 40Nm of power. We found the battery life to be decent in testing, with the bike only running out of power after 60 miles / 100km of riding.
At over £4,000 / $4,500, the Prolog is at the pricier end of the electric hybrid spectrum. But if you’re looking for a sporty assisted bike, we reckon it should be high on your list.
Mango Dee Dee
- £2,528 as tested
- Pros: Powerful, lightweight Bafang motor; options to customise the build and colour
- Cons: Firm grips; stiff front-end; noisy brakes
The Mango Dee Dee is available as a range of standard models, but we specced a custom build, which included a rack and lights, as well as the bright pink paintwork.
The Dee Dee mixes stable handling at speed with low-speed manoeuvrability that makes getting around town a breeze. It's powered by a compact Bafang motor with an internal 360Wh battery that we got around 30 miles range from.
Merida eSpresso CC 675 EQ
- £4,000 as tested
- Pros: Accessories included; fluid and punchy motor; quality finishing kit
- Cons: Off-road tyres ill-suited to tarmac
The Merida eSpresso CC 675 EQ is a competent electric bike with a great spec, including a Shimano motor which delivers stacks of smooth assistance.
Comfort comes from the well-judged geometry and plush contact points.
The wide, grippy tyres excel off-road, lending versatility to the eSpresso CC which has sufficient range to explore beyond the suburbs.
But they feel quite slow on tarmacked surfaces.
MiRider One GB3
- £2,495 as tested
- Pros: Easy folding; suits a wide range of rider heights; reasonable range for a city folder at around 45km
- Cons: Rear light not included
The MiRider One is a compact folding electric bike that enables you to nip around town. It's highly adjustable to suit a wide range of rider heights and folds in half for storage.
There's a magnesium alloy frame that's lighter than aluminium and corrosion-resistant, while a shock absorber at the rear makes for a more comfortable ride.
Power comes from a rear-hub motor with a 252Wh battery that gives reasonable range. A three-speed gearbox that works when stationary, not just when you're pedalling, enables you to adjust your pedalling speed and there's a low-maintenance belt drive.
Mycle Cargo
- £1,899 as tested
- Pros: Low-priced cargo ebike option; well specced with huge range; 215kg carrying capacity
- Cons: Slight power lag; lacks accessories
If you need to carry large loads, a cargo ebike is a good option to make the trip easier, with the assistance making load lugging less of a chore. The Mycle Cargo can handle up to 215kg loads, so there's loads of carrying capacity.
It's also one of the cheapest option in the class, but still packs a battery of over 700Wh, a 65Nm motor and a seven-speed Shimano drivetrain with plenty of gear range. It even comes with lights, a padded seat for the rack and integrated footboards.
Despite its hefty 36.5kg weight, the Mycle Cargo is easy to navigate in town, with a nimble low-speed ride and stable feel. The electric assistance does take a pedal turn or so to kick in though, which isn't great for standing starts when loaded up.
Pure Electric Flux One
- £999 as tested
- Pros: Value-for-money; smooth motor
- Cons: One size; no mudguards
The Pure Electric Flux One is simplicity itself. The single-speed drivetrain with Gates belt drive will reduce maintenance and deal with flat commutes. Its 55t chainring and 22t sprocket will see you up to 35km/h before spinning out, while the rear-hub 250Wh motor has 35Nm of torque.
Our tester found the 252Wh battery carried the Flux One beyond its claimed range of 40km.
You adjust the motor’s three modes with buttons on the LCD display, which has an odometer and shows speed and battery life, while you can take the battery off the bike to charge fully in five hours, and three hours tops it up by 80 per cent.
The riding position is similar to other hybrids, offering good visibility. The Flux One’s comfy saddle and agile handling make it a joy to ride, however, riders taller than 6ft 2in might be cramped by the single frame size. The lack of mudguards is a glaring omission on a commuter bike.
Rad Power RadRunner 3 Plus
- £2,199 / $2,299 as tested
- Pros: Easy to ride; steady handling
- Cons: Struggles on big hills; kickstand isn't great
If you’re looking for a cost-effective method of transport with great performance, the RadRunner 3 Plus is a good bet.
The RadRunner is easy to ride and versatile, while its step-through design and frame shape mean it can be ridden by a variety of people.
The bike has a 672Wh battery, which powers a 250W rear-hub motor. The motor system provides a smooth delivery of power and works well in most situations, struggling only on steep inclines.
The steering is steady and the bike simply rolls along. You can add a child seat or bench seat to the rear rack and the kickstand is a welcome addition.
Ribble Hybrid AL e Fully Loaded
- £2,099 / $2,270 / €2,326 as tested
- Pros: Sophisticated motor and app-based control; quality finishing kit
- Cons: Unremovable battery
Ribble uses the Mahle ebikemotion rear-hub motor with its fully enclosed 250Wh battery to provide gentle assistance rather than a burst of power.
It’s simple to control the assistance level and monitor the battery via the top-tube button, and the phone app adds more info, including the option to use your heart rate to control the motor’s power.
Other kit is good too, with Mavic wheels, Schwalbe Marathon tyres and a SRAM single-ring drivetrain. The Fully Loaded spec adds mudguards, rack, lights and a bell.
Tern NBD S5i
- £4,000 / $4,699 / €5,000 as tested
- Pros: All-round handling; comfy; good spec
- Cons: Cold weather curtails range
The Tern NBD S5i has all you want in an electric urban bike: comfort, practicality and stability.
The step-through frame simplifies mounting and dismounting. To store the NDD S5i, you can stand it on its end and fold down the handlebar and steerer to save space.
Less experienced riders and older hands alike will appreciate its confidence-boosting handling.
Only its range could be improved. We found chilly temperatures crimp its battery life.
Trek Allant+ 8
- £4,250 / $4,450 / €4,400 / AU$5,700 as tested
- Pros: Comfortable; easy to ride; fully equipped
- Cons: Hefty
Geared to commuters, with a high-powered 85Nm Bosch motor and a large-capacity 625Wh battery, the Allant+ comes with loads of mounts, including bolts on the underside of the top tube.
There's a high spec with a rack, kickstand and mudguards. It also includes lights and quality pedals that will grip your shoes without wrecking their soles.
There's loads of gear range and powerful hydraulic disc brakes, while the 2.4in 650b tyres do away with the need for suspension but still deliver a comfortable ride. At a shade under 26kg, it's a heavy electric hybrid bike though.
Volt London
- £2,200 as tested
- Pros: Slick looks; impressive range
- Cons: Only one frame size available
The Volt London is a singlespeed electric hybrid bike with chunky tyres to take on unpaved surfaces. There's a 504Wh removable battery that will give you around 60 miles of range and a Bafang motor that kicks in readily and offers three levels of assistance, plus a Turbo and a Walk mode.
Although it might seem as if the single gear might limit you to urban riding, we found that switching back and forth between assistance levels allowed us to use the motor as a substitute for gears when we hit a hill.
The mix of the motor's performance and light handling gives a nippy ride feel. The Volt London is well equipped, although if you use the front rack you'll obscure the front light. There's only one frame size, which won't suit taller riders and won't fit shorter ones.
Buyer’s guide: what to look for in an electric commuter bike
Types of commuter ebike
Most electric commuter bikes can perhaps be best described as all-rounders. They’ll usually have mudguards (or mudguard mounts, at the very least), often come equipped with lights, and there will probably be mounts for a rack, so you can carry extra stuff.
But there are more specialist machines such as the Canyon Pathlite:ON, where not only do you get lights, mudguards and a rack, but the higher-spec machines come with a second 500Wh ebike battery for long-distance trekking.
There are also flat-bar versions of sporty drop-bar road ebikes, such as the Orbea Gain and Focus Paralane2.
Other variants we’ve reviewed include the Tern GSD and Rad Power RadWagon electric cargo bikes, and the Orbea Katu-E, an e-shopper.
Commuter ebike motor systems
Mid-mounted motors are a popular choice for electric commuter bikes. These have a motor mounted between the cranks that powers the rear wheel when you’re pedalling. It’s a position that provides plenty of stability because it puts the motor’s weight low down and centrally on the frame.
Look out for systems from Bosch and Shimano. A rear-hub motor is another option, but front-wheel motors are less common on hybrids.
Batteries are typically mounted low on the down tube, also for stability, although some hybrid electric bikes stash the battery out of sight within the frame or have it mounted under the top deck of a rear luggage rack.
More expensive models tend to have larger-capacity batteries for additional range and there may be the option to plug in a second battery, if you want to go further.
There’s usually a controller on the handlebar, where it’s within easy reach, that enables you to select assistance level and keep an eye on your battery status as you ride.
Range
Some quoted ranges are pretty accurate or even conservative, but look out for exaggerated claims if you’re planning to use your ebike for anything more than local excursions, or don’t have access to convenient charging.
In general, you’ll want a battery capacity of 250Wh or more for a decent range. Most hybrid electric bike motors will push out a maximum of 250 watts, so that would give you an hour if you were using the motor at full power, though in reality that will rarely happen.
In practice, the motor will be working less hard than this, but your real range will depend on where you’re riding, the assistance level selected and other factors.
Added extras
For practicality, it’s nice to have mudguards, and front and rear lights as part of the package, giving you all-weather rideability.
Also look out for a rear rack or rack mounts, so you can use your hybrid electric bike with panniers or other cycling luggage for shopping or longer excursions.
And if you're planning on longer rides on your ebike, the option to add a second battery will more or less double your range.
What if you're not sure a hybrid electric bike is for you?
If you're not sure where to start on your electric bike journey, read our explainer on how an electric bike works and our guide to the most popular electric bike motors. You can also read our guide to the best electric bikes to help you choose the right ebike for you.
If you decide you'd like drop bars, then consult our best electric road bikes guide or our list of the best electric gravel bikes, while if you would prefer a mountain bike, we've also got a guide to the best electric mountain bikes. There's also the option to convert a bike that you already own to electric power; the best electric bike conversion kits will make this a reasonably simple task.
