Best electric commuter bikes in 2025: ebikes for commuting, shopping and riding around town

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.

We've concluded that the Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ is the best overall thanks to its light weight, great handling and integrated accessories.

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.

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The best electric commuter bikes in 2025

Best on test: 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.

• Read more: Specialized Turbo Vado SL 5.0 EQ review

Best value: Whyte RHe0 3

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• £2,299 / $2,815 as tested
• Pros: Well-specced; fun ride feel; good value
• Cons: Not the largest range; no off-bike charging

The RHe03 takes geometry cues from Whyte's hardtail mountain bike line-up, making for a capable and comfortable ride on roads and gravel paths.

A wide bar and a short stem give the bike quick steering, making it easy to weave through traffic, and the low-slung geometry makes it confident at speed.

You get good components for the money, with the bike's overall build feeling very solid, although the square-taper cranks are somewhat dated.

Some may find the 250Wh battery limiting in range and the lack of off-bike charging means you'll have to take the bike to a plug to juice it up.

• Read more: Whyte RHe0 3 review

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The competition

Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0

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• £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.

• Read more: Specialized Turbo Tero X 4.0 review

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Tern Quick Haul P9

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• £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.

• Read more: Tern Quick Haul P9 review

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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. 

• Read more: Cannondale Compact Neo review

Carrera Crossfuse

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• £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.

• Read more: Carrera Crossfuse review

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Engwe P275 ST

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• £1,899 / €1,899 as tested
• Pros: Great range; comfortable design; impressive value for money
• Cons: Rack rails aren't standard; range prediction not accurate; limited accessories

The Engwe P275 ST uses a mid-drive motor with 70Nm of peak torque, connected to a huge, 691Wh Samsung Li-ion removable battery sitting in the seat tube.

This huge battery gives the bike a large range, with our tester recording 94.94km/58.99 miles with 845m/2,772ft of climbing on a single charge and Engwe claiming up to a huge 260km range in eco mode on the flat.

We found the range prediction to be a little off in testing, often leaving us confused about how much was left in the tank.

Large 2.4in tyres make the bike comfortable on a variety of surfaces, and boost confidence thanks to the large contact patch.

The P275 ST poses incredible value for money, although the non-standard size rear rack rails make fitting panniers a pain, and there are limited accessories that are compatible with the bike.

• Read more: Engwe P275 ST review

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Genesis Smithfield

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• £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.

• Read more: Genesis Smithfield review

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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.

• Read more: Mango Dee Dee (custom build) review

• Buy now: Mango Dee Dee from Mango Bikes

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 that 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. 

• Read more: Merida eSpresso CC 675 EQ review

MiRider One GB3

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• £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.

• Read more: MiRider One GB3 review

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Tern NBD S5i

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• £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. 

• Read more: Tern NBD S5i review

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.