Buyer's guide: Folding e-bikes

Key takeaways

• The key trade-off with folding e-bikes is between compact size and ride quality - decide which is most important for you

• Due to space constraints, folders tend to have smaller batteries than conventional e-bikes - check range carefully

• The extra complexity of a folding e-bike means that they're usually more expensive than a conventional bike of similar specification

Table of contents

Benefits of folding e-bikes

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, the key benefit of a folding e-bike is that it folds up to take up less space when you're not actually riding it. There are many reasons why this is useful.

• Storage: If you don't have much room at home to store an e-bike, a folder will be easier to accommodate
• Commuting: A folding e-bike makes sense for mixed-mode journeys that include public transport
• Travel: Folding e-bikes are ideal for taking on holiday and are especially popular with motorhome owners

Frame and folding mechanism

This is clearly a really important part of your buying decision. There are lots of ways to design a folding bike, from a relatively simple sideways-hinged frame up to complex multi-way folds. Broadly speaking, the more elaborate the fold the more compact the e-bike will become when folded. The trade-off is that a really compact fold demands very small wheels (16in is a common size) and often a riding experience that's either agile or nervous depending on your confidence and familiarity. Small wheels don't ride over bumps that well. Bigger wheels give a more comfortable and controllable ride but at the expense of a bulkier package when folded.

As a result, it's really important to think about your needs and the use to which you're putting the bike. For example, if you're planning a mixed-mode commute such as riding to the nearby station, taking your bike on the train and then riding across town to work (and perhaps stashing your bike under a desk for safekeeping), then a compact fold is likely to be your prime consideration. You need an e-bike that takes up as little space as possible on the train and at your workplace.

You may want a folding bike simply because you don't have much space to keep an e-bike at home, in which case you may find that you don't need much of a fold at all. Folding handlebars and pedals take a lot of the width out of a bike, allowing it to take up much less space in a corridor or hallway. For this situation, you can look for a bike with 20 or even 24in wheels - if a super-compact fold isn't the main priority, you can choose a bike where the ride experience takes precedence over the fold.

Folding e-bikes are particularly popular with motorhome owners. Having parked a motorhome on site, a couple of e-bikes are perfect for easily popping into town for supplies or to nearby attractions that might be difficult to access in a large vehicle. Often a bike ride is an end in itself, too. While there's always the option of fitting a rack and carrying full-size e-bikes, many motorhomes have rear garages that allow bikes to be hidden away out of sight and behind locked doors. Folding bikes are brilliant for this. Again, you need to think about that trade-off between compact fold and ride performance. If you're short of carrying space and you're looking mainly for an errand-runner, look for the most compact fold possible. If you're looking to do recreational rides on perhaps unsurfaced cycle paths then a bigger-wheeled folder will cope admirably while still taking up a lot less space in the van than a full-size bike.

Motor

The majority of folding e-bikes use either front or rear hub motors. While there are folders out there built around a mid-drive motor, it's a much trickier design task. The key attraction of folding bikes is that they take up less space, so generally have small wheels and frame. That means there's not much space for a motor and battery - putting the motor in one of the wheels doesn't use any of that valuable room, allowing for a compact fold and a reasonably-sized battery.

While rear hub motors are generally more effective than front hub motors, it's not such a big deal on a small-wheeled folding bike. They tend not to be loaded up with luggage and ridden up steep hills, so the problems of wheel slip sometimes faced by front hub motors aren't usually much of an issue. The natural habitat of a folding bike is relatively flat city streets. If you're looking for a folder because it takes up less space in a motorhome, though, and you think you might venture onto unsurfaced paths, a rear motor is well worth looking for.

Don't expect mountains of torque from a folding e-bike motor. The guiding design principles here are small size and keeping to a reasonable weight so that you can lift the bike on to a train or up a flight of stairs. Again, on the fairly flat terrain that folding bikes tend to be used on, a high-torque motor isn't really a necessity.

Find out more at our guide to e-bike motors.

Battery and range

As with motors, the challenges with batteries on a folding e-bike are space and volume. The larger the battery capacity the further you can go between charges, but a larger capacity inevitably means a physically bigger (and heavier) battery. Finding a space for it while still allowing a compact fold is a real design challenge.

Many folding e-bikes have a battery mounted on the frame somewhere, sometimes taking advantage of the typically small wheels to tuck the battery down in front of the rear wheel. Some bikes will have a battery mounted at the front on the bars, getting it out of the way of the folding frame entirely. You'll also find some cunning solutions like integrating the battery into the seatpost (the tube that the saddle is mounted to) - with their small frames, folding e-bikes usually have really long seatposts, and if they're long they need to be relatively large diameter so they don't flex too much, at which point you've got a load of effectively free volume to put a battery into.

Exactly where the battery is probably isn't a key consideration when choosing a folding e-bike as it's always going to be secondary to effective folding. Bear in mind that you're unlikely to get a battery of comparable capacity (and hence range) to a full-size, non-folding ebike. You're looking at typically around 350Wh compared to 500 or upwards for a conventional bike. Again, that's not necessarily a huge drawback, as you're less likely to want to cover substantial distances on a small-wheeled folder anyway.

That said, it's important to check that the range any e-bike you're looking at matches up with your expected use. This isn't always straightforward as claimed ranges vary enormously (and real-world ones more still), so be generous with your estimates of desired range and conservative with manufacturers' claimed numbers.

A key point to look for is a readily removable (but also secure) battery. As one of the heaviest single components, it's often useful to be able to detach it, especially for things like lifting the bike into a motorhome or car boot. It's also handy to be able to charge the battery somewhere away from the bike itself.

Find out more in our guide to e-bike batteries.

Additional features

Depending on your needs, there are various extra features that you'll want to look out for.

• Mudguards: Generally folding e-bikes aren't the kind of bike that you get changed to ride. For most commuting and utility purposes you just want to jump on in whatever you happen to be wearing and head off. Mudguards do a remarkable job of keeping you free of spatter and are pretty much essential for any practical e-bike (folding or otherwise). Most folding bikes include mudguards as standard.
• Lights: In the UK it's a legal requirement to display front and rear lights during the hours of darkness, and even in daylight they're valuable. Given that an e-bike has a big battery in it already, it makes sense to look for integrated lights that are powered from the main battery so you only have one thing to keep charged. Integrated lights are usually in the "be seen" rather than the "see by" category so if you're likely to venture onto unlit routes after dark we'd recommend budgeting for a more potent additional headlamp too.
• Locks: Integrated locks are an increasingly popular feature of all kinds of utility e-bike, although far from universal on folders. They're somewhat useful in preventing an opportunist from just riding away on your e-bike, but realistically you're going to also need a decent cable or shackle lock to actually secure your bike to something immovable.
• Racks: Think about how much (if any) luggage you anticipate carrying. The small size of folding e-bikes means they're not the best beasts of burden, but most will handle a few bits of shopping or a laptop. Built-in racks are a common but not universal standard feature, while many manufacturers have a range of additional racks or custom luggage too.
• Kickstand: A kickstand saves you having to lean your e-bike up against something when parked. Given the weight of a folding e-bike they do need to be suitably sturdy, though.

Brands to consider

The market for folding e-bikes is a competitive one and there are a lot of worthy brands out there. Here are some key brands to consider:

• ADO
• Brompton
• Cube
• Eovolt
• Estarli
• GoCycle
• MiRider
• Raleigh
• Tern

Budget and price

The more complex a bike is, the more expensive it gets. So e-bikes are more expensive than unassisted bikes and folding bikes are more expensive than conventional bikes. Inevitably, then, folding electric bikes don't come cheap. Here's what to expect at various key price points.

Under £1,000

While you can find worthwhile electric folding bikes under £1,000, approach with caution. It's inevitable that the cheapest folding e-bikes will be compromised in some way - there just isn't the budget for manufacturers to do everything well. Common compromises include:

• cable-operated rim brakes rather than hydraulic discs
• cheaper frame materials and less sophisticated design leading to heavier weight
• simple folding mechanisms that are less compact
• unbranded motors and transmission components

If you're on a tight budget it's well worth looking for reduced prices on the previous year's models - you can often save hundreds of pounds just because a bike has last year's colour.

Around £1,500

We consider somewhere a couple of hundred pounds either side of £1,500 to be the "sensible entry level". For this kind of money you can expect a fully-featured folding e-bike without too many compromises. You should be able to find:

• multi-speed transmission from a well-known manufacturer like Shimano
• rear hub motors
• disc brakes (although they might be cable-operated rather than hydraulic)
• lower weight

£3,000 and up

At these higher price ranges we're well out of the scope of compromise. There's still a lot of variety but nothing for this money is going to have significant drawbacks. It's more about choosing the type and style of folding e-bike that works best for you. Look out for:

• mid-drive motors from well-known manufacturers like Bosch
• lightweight aluminium (or even carbon fibre) frames
• sophisticated folding mechanisms
• proprietary integrated design features like displays or lights

Where to buy

When shopping for folding e-bikes, it's especially useful to have some hands-on experience. Folding mechanisms vary considerably in speed and ease of use and it's valuable to be able to compare candidates. You may have to visit a few shops to look at all your candidates - many shops may only carry one or two brands of folder. A good way to see a wider range is at country, camping, outdoors or motorhome shows - folding e-bikes are very popular in the general leisure market and manufacturers and dealers often exhibit at such shows.

One of the advantages of folding e-bikes is that mail order is straightforward - an electric folder can arrive at your door fully assembled but folded. Taking it out of the box will probably take longer than actually unfolding it for your first ride.

Buying tips

Having identified the folding e-bike you want, it's always worth shopping around a little. Shop margins on bikes are fairly tight, so there's not much scope for negotiation, but often shops will find themselves with excess stock, or they want to clear space for new models, so offers are commonplace.

Folding e-bikes are expensive, but most shops have respectable finance deals to spread the cost. 0% finance is commonplace.

Remember that you may be able to take advantage of the Cycle To Work tax exemption scheme if your employer offers it. Paying for an e-bike through salary sacrifice can substantially reduce the cost.

Pay attention to warranties and after-sales support when making your choice. Folding e-bikes are inherently quite complex so there's more scope for things to go wrong compared to a conventional bike.

Recommendations

There are hundreds of folding e-bikes on the market. The following are just a handful that stand out for one reason or another - excellent value, great design, super-compact folds, riding performance and so on. We've split them into broad price categories so you can home in on something suitable.

Entry level (Under £1,000)

While we'd recommend looking at £1,500 and up for low-compromise folding e-bikes, cheaper options do exist.

What to expect (Under £1,000)

While you can find worthwhile electric folding bikes under £1,000, approach with caution. It's inevitable that the cheapest folding e-bikes will be compromised in some way - there just isn't the budget for manufacturers to do everything well. Common compromises include:

• cable-operated rim brakes rather than hydraulic discs
• cheaper frame materials and less sophisticated design leading to heavier weight
• simple folding mechanisms that are less compact
• unbranded motors and transmission components

If you're on a tight budget it's well worth looking for reduced prices on the previous year's models - you can often save hundreds of pounds just because a bike has last year's colour.

You can usually rely on sporting goods giant Decathlon for good value, and its BTwin bike range has a lot to offer. The E-Fold 500 is its electric folding offering. Inevitably at this price there are compromises - the frame and fork are heavy steel, the brakes are cable-operated rim brakes and you get a six-speed derailleur transmission. It's also on the heavy side at 21.4kg. But you do get 20in wheels, a rear hub motor and a 250Wh rack-mounted battery offering a claimed 50km (30 miles) of range in Eco mode. The E-Fold 500 is also fully equipped with mudguards, a rear rack and integrated lights powered by the main battery.

BTwin E-Fold 500, £999

The ADO Air 20 has a lot to offer considering its entry-level price. Most of the typical compromises of folding e-bikes at this price go out the window - the Air has a lightweight aluminium frame, hydraulic disc brakes, a low-maintenance belt drive transmission, a torque sensor for smoother power delivery and a claimed range of up to 100km (60 miles) from a 345Wh battery. You even get mudguards and lights. As the name suggests, it's light too, at 17kg with all the accessories. The main compromise with the Air is that it doesn't have a multi-speed transmission - you get one gear. Given that you've got a motor that's not necessarily a deal-breaker, but the Air will be better suited to flatter routes - the 37Nm of torque will run out of oomph on steeper hills and it'll be hard for you to supplement it with just one gear.

ADO Air 20, £999

Raleigh has chosen to make the Stow-E-Way quite long, which makes for a more "bike like" riding position but, combined with 20in wheels, means it won't fold own as small as some rivals. The drive system is from TranzX, with a hub motor in the back wheel and a 250Wh battery tucked between the frame and the back wheel. That's a relatively short battery, and Raleigh claim a 48km (30 mile) range - not huge, but likely to be ample for the sort of trips a folding e-bike is likely to make. It's fully equipped out of the box with a rear rack, mudguards and lights. There's a 7 speed transmission with a twist shifter. The most notable compromise to get the Stow-E-Way into its price point is the use of cable-operated rim brakes rather than hydraulic disc brakes. Rim brakes were fine for decades and continue to be so, but they're not as powerful as discs and will need more frequent maintenance.

Raleight Stow-E-Way, £1,399

Mid range (£1,000 - £3,000)

Moving up to the next price bracket, you're getting lighter weight and better components.

What to expect (£1,000 - £3,000)

We consider somewhere a couple of hundred pounds either side of £1,500 to be the "sensible entry level". For this kind of money you can expect a fully-featured folding e-bike without too many compromises. You should be able to find:

• multi-speed transmission from a well-known manufacturer like Shimano
• rear hub motors
• disc brakes (although they might be cable-operated rather than hydraulic)
• lower weight

Estarli's 20in wheel folder is a modern interpretation of the classic "hinge in the middle" folding bike, with an aluminium main frame. A notable feature of the e20.X is the automatic two-speed gearbox. While there's only one speed between the pedals and the rear hub (driven by a toothed belt) the planetary gearbox inside the hub has a low and high gear to optimise the output from the electric motor. The Estarli doesn't come with a rack as standard, although it's one of a range of options that include various bags and even a child seat. On the subject of options you can also choose from three tyre choices for speed, puncture protection or off-road.

Estarli e20.X, £1,895

MiRider offers a wide range of folding bikes with various wheel sizes and price points. The One GB3 is based on MiRider's extra-compact 16in wheel platform and has a very distinctive look. You may not realise it's an electric bike at all at first glance, with a subtle rear hub motor and the 252Wh battery tucked insidde the frame - you can remove it by folding the bike. Claimed range is 70km (45 miles). All of the One models feature rear suspension that goes some way to mitigate the potential comfort disadvantages of small wheels. The key feature that distinguishes the GB3 from the cheaper One models is the integrated three-speed gearbox in the hub alongside the motor, with a low-maintenance belt drive transmission.

MiRider One GB3, from £2,295

At a whisker under £3,000 the Eovolt Afternoon Pro is arguably high-end, but given that there are more expensive options we've put it in the mid range. At 22kg it's not the lightest, but you're paying for design and features. The Pro's battery is integrated into the seatpost. With 360Wh of capacity Eovolt claim up to 80km of range. There's a belt drive transmission and, most notably, the Bafang rear hub motor includes an automatic gearbox, so you get the benefits of multiple gears without having to actually change them. The overall effect is a very clean, uncluttered profile. As you'd expect, you get Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.

Eovolt Afternoon 20in Pro, £2,999

Top of the range (£3,000 and above)

Up above £3,000 you're well into the realms of unique design, high-end materials, hand-made manufacturing or a combination thereof.

Brompton's folding bikes are iconic and well-known for their super-compact fold - Bromptons have been the number one choice for mixed-mode commuting for decades. As you'd expect, Brompton has worked hard to preserve those strengths with its electric bikes. The presence of a front hub motor and cable-operated rim brakes might seem odd on a bike costing over £3,000 but Bromptons are hand-made in Britain. This version of the C-Line has a 12-speed transmission by combining a four-speed derailleur system with a 3-speed hub gear. An especially neat feature of Brompton's e-bikes is the battery, located in a bag at the front - it's readily accessible and easy to remove.

If you're looking for a more conventional ride feel and greater mixed-surface capability, have a look at the Electric G-Line that mixes the classic Brompton profile with bigger wheels, a rear motor and hydraulic disc brakes.

Brompton Electric C-Line 12 speed, £3,230

All of Gocycles' e-bikes have a distinctive, ultra-modern look but the range-topping special edition G4i+ steps things up even more. This space-age folder features a carbon fibre central frame section, carbon fibre five-spoke wheels and a carbon fibre front fork (which is more of a prong, given that it has just one leg). Other distinctive features include the integrated handlebar that includes a status display that wouldn't be out of place on the starship Enterprise as well as a built-in daytime running light.

Rather than use an off-the-shelf motor, Gocycle has developed its own proprietary design that's smoothly integrated into the single-sided fork. It's controlled via torque sensors at the pedals for smoother and more responsive power delivery. The battery is integrated into the frame (but easily removable) with a 375Wh capacity that Gocycle say should be good for up to 80km (50 miles).

Mudguards and lights are included (although they're not in this picture) and there's a particularly neat kickstand that's designed to match the curve of the underside of the frame when folded away. The fold is a fairly straightforward central hinge, with the folded size further reduced by a fold-down handlebar and pedals.

The G4i+ is one of the most expensive folding e-bikes available, but high-tech materials and striking design don't come cheap. Gocycle also has the regular G4, which has magnesium rather than carbon fibre wheels and is slightly heavier but otherwise the same for £1,500 less.

Gocycle G4i+, £5,499

Tern's range-topping Vektron S10 has a couple of relatively unusual features for a folding e-bike. For a start, it's got a mid-drive motor driving the rear wheel via a conventional chain and 10 rear gears - most electric folders use a hub motor. It's not just any mid-drive motor, either - Tern has specced a Bosch Performance drive unit that offers 300% assistance (that is, it'll deliver three times the power you do) and a healthy 65Nm of torque. The Vektron also has 20in wheels rather than the 16in that's the folding bike norm, delivering a more familiar ride feel and better comfort over bumps. And not only does the S10 have an integrated rear rack, the rack is directly compatible with child seats from Thule and Dash. You can carry up to 27kg on the rack - you don't usually get that kind of load-lugging ability on a folder. Claimed range from the 400Wh battery is 53-106km (34-68 miles).

If the S10 is a little spendy, there's a cheaper Q9 model with the same frame, fork and wheels that makes do with a 9-speed transmission and a lower-torque Bosch Active Line motor.

Tern Vektron S10, £3,900

Frequently asked questions

How easy are folding e-bikes to fold?

There's a lot of variety in the folding mechanisms, so there isn't a single, simple answer to this. In general, the less elaborate the mechanism the quicker it is to fold, although usually at the expense of ultimate compactness. Some manufacturers claim as little as five seconds to fold or unfold and there aren't many bikes that take more than 10-15 seconds with a bit of practice.

Why do folding e-bikes have such small wheels?

The primary design consideration for folding e-bikes is the folding part, so generally everything is skewed towards being as compact as possible. Making the wheels small is a key part of that. The downside is that smaller wheels don't roll over bumps as easily, so they deliver a harsher, twitchier ride. There are a very few folding e-bikes with 24in wheels, but 20in is a good sweet spot between compact size and smooth ride.

Will a folding e-bike fit in my motorhome or campervan?

If you've got a large coachbuilt with a garage, definitely (as long as you haven't already got loads of other stuff in there). We reckon that slightly larger-wheeled folders are ideal for motorhomes - you don't necessarily need a hugely compact fold, but you probably do want a bike that's OK on unpaved surfaces and longer distances. Panel van conversions and smaller campervans vary hugely in the amount of inside space available, so you may wish to compromise on the ride and go as small as possible here. Measure the space available and see what you've got. Do pay attention to weight - folding e-bikes aren't light, two of them could easily be 40kg which is a significant proportion of the typical weight you can put in the garage.

Summary

With a big choice of folding e-bikes, it's important that you consider your needs in terms of ridability (for which bigger wheels are better), foldability (for which smaller wheels are better), performance (look for multi-speed transmissions) and range. That will help you to narrow down the options and home in on the right folding e-bike for you.