How this 26-year-old went from running bitcoin trading desks in Taco Bells to creating the largest crypto exchange in Africa
ACCRA, GHANA – On the afternoon of Dec. 26, 2022, Chris Maurice finally capitulated and went to the emergency room at Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, just west of the city’s gothic quarter. For roughly ten months, the 26-year-old CEO of the largest centralized crypto exchange in Africa had ignored many of the symptoms consistent with malaria as he bounced between 21 different countries on the continent, advising heads of state on bitcoin adoption and setting up institutional accounts for his business, Yellow Card.
By the time Maurice was admitted to the intensive care unit, plasmodium parasites had been wreaking havoc on his red blood cells for nearly a year, multiplying in his liver and threatening to shut down many of his major organs, including his kidneys. His face and eyes were yellow from jaundice. As his hemoglobin levels plummeted in response to the intravenous meds administered as treatment, four days of blood transfusions helped save his life.
But to Maurice, his brush with death was simply the price of doing business. Since graduating from Auburn University in Alabama with a finance degree four years ago, he has traded security and stability for a career on the road, all with the goal of fundamentally disrupting Africa’s broken financial system.
“I’ve slept more nights than I can count in the Joburg airport,” Maurice told CNBC on the sidelines of the Africa Bitcoin Conference in Ghana. “I’ve mastered the art of where to go to find chairs with no armrests. I’m six-foot-five, so I need my space.”
For nearly 1.4 million users across the continent, Yellow Card – which offers an experience similar to Block‘s Cash App – is a vital lifeline to money.
“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for anybody to be able to come on and buy crypto within three minutes,” explains Maurice in an Uber ride cutting due south through the Ghanaian capital of Accra.
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice just before meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Accra, Ghana.
Chris Maurice
From there, Yellow Card users can send or receive digital cash in eligible markets. But unlike a centralized exchange like Coinbase, where many customers store their tokens for an extended period of time hoping that their digital assets will appreciate in value, the average customer on Maurice’s exchange keeps money on the platform for under five minutes. People take their local fiat currency, turn it into bitcoin or a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin like tether to send it across a border, and the recipient instantly cashes it out.
“It’s literally like, I deposit a million Francs in Cameroon, I buy USDT or BTC, and then I send it off,” continued Maurice.
Yellow Card customers can receive cryptocurrency from anywhere in the world and pay only a network fee, which typically ranges from 5 cents to $1, according to Maurice. That is especially helpful for people who would customarily turn to a money service provider like Western Union and MoneyGram, which sometimes charge heavy commissions on remittances.
The service is a game-changer for many Africans, who rely on money sent home from abroad, especially in countries where unemployment and inflation is rife. The latest data from the World Bank shows that in Sub-Saharan Africa – where up to 65% of adults are unbanked – remittance flows reached $50 billion in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. The actual number is likely much higher when you factor in money transferred over informal channels. Meanwhile, World Bank data shows that it is more expensive to send remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa than to any other region in the world. On average, it costs $15.60 (7.8%) to send $200 to or from Africa. That percentage can be as high as $38, or 19%, in some countries.
Building the crypto payment rails necessary for Yellow Card requires jumping through a lot of legal and regulatory hoops, which is why Maurice spends about nine months a year in the countries where he operates or plans to launch crypto services. He has local lawyers in pretty much every country on the continent, and he meets with elected officials and regulators to further foam the runway for adoption. The level of hospitality varies widely across the continent.
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice in Accra, Ghana loading cash onto his Mobile Money account, MoMo.
Chris Maurice
Maurice stands out pretty much wherever he goes thanks to his height and plume of curly black hair. His speech is punctuated with laughs and smiles, and that friendly demeanor puts people at ease. But it’s underpinned by an intense work ethic — he’s got a black belt in TaeKwonDo, was an Eagle Scout in his youth and a finalist for Rhodes and Marshall scholarships in college. He also cares deeply about revolutionizing a broken financial system. These traits help enlist supporters for his longshot ideas – like launching a centralized cryptocurrency exchange in Africa from his dorm room in Auburn, Alabama.
Yellow Card has facilitated $1.75 billion in transactions since launching in 2019 and has about 220 employees – mostly in Africa. The exchange lets users send money to 16 countries on the continent – and crucially, at the other end of that transaction, the platform has streamlined the process of converting crypto back to local currencies.
On a good day, the service will do $5 million in transactions. On a slow day, it is closer to $1 million, according to Maurice.
The company has also raised $57 million, including from Jack Dorsey’s Block and Valar Ventures, a venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel. Maurice says his ultimate goal is to expand service to the rest of the continent and turn Yellow Card into a billion-dollar company, up from its current valuation of $200 million. In practice, that means capitalizing on the exchange’s first-mover advantage.
“I realized very early on that there’s so much opportunity in all these countries and that we needed to be the first one there,” said Maurice.
“I drove from South Africa to Botswana, Zimbabwe to Zambia, then flew up to Ethiopia, Ghana, and Uganda. In all of these places, I was doing the grunt work – things like company registration and opening bank accounts, so that we would be ready to go.”
Maurice doesn’t stay anywhere for long, but the transient lifestyle suits him. He’s currently in Barcelona, but it’s just an apartment in a timezone that lets him take his morning work calls from a desk, rather than the shower.
“I can brush my teeth in peace,” Maurice says with his trademark smile.
How money moves in Africa
Moving money in Africa is an expensive and complicated process.
Commercial bank branch access is limited, especially for people living in remote and rural areas. Digital banking options are also limited. The latest stats from the World Bank show that just 29% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa uses the internet. Tack on rampant hyperinflation, widespread government corruption, and capital controls trapping domestic cash in banks, and money can stop making sense altogether.
“If someone wants to move money to the country next door, normally, you’d have to fill up a suitcase full of cash and move it over the border,” explains Ray Youssef, the CEO of Paxful, a peer-to-peer crypto marketplace where users can exchange tokens with one another.
Companies like Western Union and MoneyGram offer an expansive physical network of storefronts around the world designed to move money for those who are unbanked. That cash network was extraordinarily difficult and expensive to build, which is why there aren’t a lot of direct competitors. It is also why those cash transfers often incur substantial fees.
“The entire system of cross-border payments is all about rent-seeking. That’s what it’s designed to do,” argues Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer for the Human Rights Foundation, an organization that works with human rights activists from authoritarian regimes around the world.
“It’s not designed to help you move money from A to B. It’s designed by someone who’s going to make money off you moving money from A to B,” continues Gladstein.
If someone wants to move money to the country next door, normally, you’d have to fill up a suitcase full of cash and move it over the border.
Ray Youssef
Paxful CEO
Part of the problem stems from the continent’s quasi-colonial payment framework, in which roughly 80% of cross-border payments originating from African banks are processed offshore, mostly in the U.S. or Europe. That translates to higher costs and processing times that are sometimes measured in weeks.
“The mainstream way of approaching this is, ‘Oh, let’s just Africanize it. Let’s replace the intermediaries over there with intermediaries here,'” explains Gladstein. “That’s probably even worse because they’re going to be corrupt and expensive.”
Across the continent, there are fintech companies built on top of the existing banking system. These platforms abstract away the complicated back-office processes, but the fundamental problem remains. These businesses go through the same legacy payment networks, where they spend a lot of money settling payments — costs which they then pass on to customers.
The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, or PAPSS, launched in Jan. 2022 with a goal of bringing existing payment systems together under one interoperable network. But it’s too early to tell through official metrics whether PAPSS has begun to deliver on its promise of saving African users more than $5 billion in annual transaction fees.
An employee uses a Nokia 1200 mobile phone inside an M-Pesa store in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday, April 14, 2013.
Trevor Snap | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Then there’s mobile money, which has been around since the early 2000s. Think of it like an electronic wallet tied to a phone number that does not require a smartphone or data to operate. Users can pay bills and shop with their phone through SMS texting, instead of having to rely on traditional banking options.
Africa’s mobile money transactions rose 39% to more than $700 billion in 2021, according to data from the GSM Association, a non-profit representing mobile network operators worldwide. World Bank data shows that account ownership at a financial institution — or via a mobile money service provider — has more than doubled in the last decade, rising to 55% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa.
But even as adoption proliferates, mobile money users don’t get the perks of legacy banking, including earning interest on banked savings and building up a credit score based on a history of spending. Interoperability on the continent also remains a major issue with this alternative way of banking.
“The entire banking system in Africa is completely and utterly broken, even amongst the mobile money providers, the telcos,” said Youssef from Paxful.
“Two thousand payment networks and only 2% of them talk to each other. That number continues to grow. It’s not getting better, it’s actually getting worse,” continued Youssef.
Take M-Pesa, short for “mobile” and the Swahili word for money — “pesa.” It’s Kenya’s version of mobile money, and it’s incredibly popular there. M-Pesa operates in seven different African countries, but you can’t send money from M-Pesa Kenya to M-Pesa Ghana.
A resident checks his phone outside a mobile money kiosk in the Kibera district of Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022.
Michele Spatari | Bloomberg | Getty Images
“Even on the same network, owned by the same company, because of regulations, those two networks don’t talk to each other,” said Youssef.
One solution for moving money across borders is the centralized crypto exchange that Maurice built. The Yellow Card CEO says he would ultimately love to tie in with the Western Union network to help bring those costs for the customer to essentially zero through crypto, given that half of all the world’s remittance is still cash on both ends.
Another option for making international payments on the continent are peer-to-peer digital asset marketplaces, like the one that Youssef runs.
“People find each other, they do a trade, there’s an escrow which removes the trust from at least one side, and the deal is done,” Youssef told CNBC on the sidelines of the Africa Bitcoin Conference.
Paxful has facilitated $5 billion in transaction volume in Africa since it launched, though Youssef says it’s only a small fraction of the entire peer-to-peer market.
“Most of it happens on instant messenger, or on the street,” he said. “Africans have been doing peer-to-peer finance for a very long time; one might say over 1,400 years. So this is nothing new to them.”
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice in a hospital in Douala, Cameroon, recovering from food poisoning after eating cow skins.
Chris Maurice
From Taco Bell to Nigeria
On a 15-minute drive from Accra’s embassy-heavy Labone District down to the Atlantic Coast, Maurice describes himself as being as Southern as it gets. Before touching down in Nigeria in 2019 to launch his company, the New Orleans native hadn’t traveled much beyond the Southeastern seaboard of the U.S.
“My entire worldview was essentially confined to two states – Louisiana and Alabama,” said Maurice. “I had only been on a plane four times before flying to Lagos on a six-day-old passport with no visa and no shots.”
Despite his limited travels to that point, Maurice was no stranger to the difficulties associated with moving money around the planet.
Starting in the fifth grade, he used his father’s eBay account to sell Pokemon cards and other collectibles online – a venture that would ultimately cover his college tuition at Auburn. But the business of sending and receiving cash internationally wasn’t always straightforward. Some of his customers in Pakistan, for example, weren’t able to use PayPal. Bank wires were also not an option.
To get paid, Maurice instead had to wait in line at a local Western Union branch. It cost the buyer a hefty fee, and it cost Maurice time – and gas money.
At the age of 18, Maurice turned his attention to bitcoin and soon grew convinced that the world’s biggest cryptocurrency was the answer to his problems. It also presented a new business opportunity.
In 2015, Maurice and his freshman roommate’s best friend, Justin Poiroux, decided to get into bitcoin trading by running their own over-the-counter trading desk out of the Taco Bell on South Gay Street in Auburn.
“We started putting out ads on Craigslist that basically said, ‘We have bitcoin. Come give us cash,'” explained Maurice.
Every Wednesday at 7pm, he and Poiroux, a tech-savvy coder, would grab a spot in the back and split a 12-pack of Doritos Locos Tacos while drop-ins would swap dollars for bitcoin. Customers would slap a couple hundred dollars down on the table (bitcoin was trading at around $250 at the time), scan a QR code, and that was it. On the backend, Maurice and Poiroux were using LocalBitcoins, a peer-to-peer exchange, to carry out the trades.
At the time, Maurice says, his OTC desk offered an easier onramp to crypto than Coinbase, whose interface was tough to navigate. Profits came from the arbitrage play between payment methods, since bank transfers and cash had different fees.
As for the location? Maurice says he chose Taco Bell because it offered the “perfect amount of apathy.”
“This operation would have never flown at a Chick-fil-A,” he said.
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice in Amboseli, Kenya.
Chris Maurice
After two weeks, business was booming, so they decided to expand the franchise.
“We started calling up friends from high school who were now at LSU, Yale, Georgia, Alabama, anywhere that we knew someone,” continued Maurice. “A few weeks later, we had seven Taco Bells on the eastern United States, all within college campuses, where you could walk in and buy bitcoin.”
Four months later, the Taco Bell trading desks were moving thousands of dollars in bitcoin. They weren’t too rigorous on the accounting at the time, but Maurice estimates that roughly thirty thousand dollars was exchanged across the entire franchise.
“Then one day, Justin and I were talking and we said, ‘Man, we should really do something less sketchy with our lives’.”
Then Maurice had a chance meeting at a Wells Fargo near campus that changed his life.
“I meet this Nigerian guy who is sending $200 to his family, and the bank charged him $90,” Maurice recalled.
“I’m like, ‘Man, have you heard of bitcoin?'” continued Maurice. “I explained to him what bitcoin is and how he could try it out by downloading Coinbase.”
There was just one problem: He had no idea what would happen on the other end of the transfer.
“What on earth is this guy’s mom going to do with $200 worth of bitcoin?” he said.
“I started skipping class and researching what the banking system was like in Nigeria – and the currency,” said Maurice. “Could you buy bitcoin in Nigeria? Could you sell it?'”
Maurice and Poiroux decided that the core market for Yellow Card should be the people who stood to benefit the most from an alternative, international payment network that cut out extra transaction fees and wait times.
While Poiroux stayed behind in Alabama to continue building and maintaining the tech that fueled the entire operation, Maurice set off to Lagos to establish a physical presence, including laying all of the regulatory groundwork needed to get the business off the ground.
Centralizing crypto payments seemed like the obvious thing to do. Up until their launch, peer-to-peer crypto payments on Binance, Paxful, or other more regional exchanges had been the status quo for many wanting to trade and invest in digital tokens.
“Generally, the reason that people use centralized exchanges is for the experience, right? It’s significantly easier to use Coinbase than it is to use MetaMask, which involves trying to figure out how to get your own ethereum and store your own keys,” explains Maurice.
Having the edge on general licensing has also put Yellow Card ahead of the competition.
“The amount of local expertise that is required to get some of these payment service providers signed, as well as registering entities and setting up bank accounts — it is such a different way of doing business than in other parts of the world,” Poiroux tells CNBC.
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice on a roadtrip from South Africa, north to Zambia.
Chris Maurice
Running Yellow Card
Poiroux doesn’t crave the limelight — he has always worked behind the scenes, unconcerned with notching public accolades. If Yellow Card were a band, he’d be the drummer or bass player, keeping everything solid in the background while Maurice took center stage as the lead singer.
Poiroux started coding when he was 10, because he wanted to make his own video games. But after reading the bitcoin white paper, he became obsessed with the idea of decentralized, unstoppable software.
The Yellow Card co-founder and chief technology officer dropped out of college freshman year, and instead holed up in his off-campus apartment teaching himself how to be a full-stack developer through a combination of YouTube tutorials and engineering blogs. It took a year and a half of coding for 16 hours a day for him to build the beta of Yellow Card, and he mostly did it himself.
“If something needs to be built, I will learn, figure it out, and build it,” Poiroux says, with a hint of a Southern drawl. “Fairly confident this comes from my background as a farmboy from Alabama.”
Poiroux, who had been on a presidential scholarship to Auburn before quitting school, said he kept his off-campus apartment all four years so that he could still get the college experience of going to bars and football games. His parents eventually got on board after he and Maurice landed their first $100,000 in venture funding.
Today, Poiroux runs his own fleet of 40 software engineers across 13 countries who are responsible for keeping the entire operation going. His team is in charge of everything from patching bugs in the code to creating technical workarounds for nationwide internet cuts.
“A lot of the infrastructure dependencies in Africa aren’t reliable and so you have to build a lot of logic surrounding it that you wouldn’t necessarily, originally think of,” explains Poiroux.
In Zambia, for example, it is not uncommon for the largest mobile phone network, MTN, to go down for two to three days. Extended network downtime means having to deal with pending transactions and bracing for more extreme edge cases. Third-party infrastructure dependency is another big sticking point, particularly when it comes to the availability of the network and the payment service providers.
Poiroux first went to Lagos in 2020, and he now makes it back to Africa every three to four months, rotating between Yellow Card engineering hubs in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Part of what makes Yellow Card so convenient for users is its interoperability with existing banking options, as well as alternative payment service providers, including mobile money. While the platform will custody crypto assets if users want to keep their tokens on the exchange, very few choose to do so. Poiroux emphasizes the fact that they are really more the gateway to crypto.
As the counter-party for all trades, Yellow Card also market makes on the exchange against African currencies, a feature which proves crucial when it comes to reducing price volatility and fairly pricing assets.
“We’ll buy several million dollars a day worth of naira,” Maurice says, referring to the Nigerian local currency. “We’re one of the few companies that will actually take on local African fiats.”
35-year-old Franklin Okoye, who works in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, earns a living by helping businesses to import goods like clothes and chemicals from China. Okoye says that he and other merchants use Yellow Card specifically because it offers “very competitive” market rates when he has to convert between tether and the Nigerian naira.
“We have difficulty in Nigeria here accessing dollars to make payments abroad. So everyone is looking for alternative ways of making payments,” said Okoye, adding that he swaps more than $1 million worth of naira for tether (and vice versa) on Yellow Card each month. “Everyone is going to crypto.”
Beyond the remittance use case, many customers use the platform to hedge against inflation and currency devaluation by holding some of their local currency in a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin like tether, according to Yellow Card’s director of special projects, Oparinde Babatunde. He thinks that’s a big reason why crypto’s latest bear market didn’t hurt their business — the need to protect against inflation has only gone up as governments around the world began printing cash during the pandemic.
Maurice tells CNBC that Yellow Card’s business customers are also using the platform to pay for expenses like their Amazon Web Services bill, and Poiroux added that they have seen some of their retail customers earn money by informally day trading and trying to find arbitrage opportunities between coins.
“We have tons of people who use Yellow Card essentially as a full-time job,” Poiroux said.
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice and his
Chris Maurice
Spreading the bitcoin gospel
Nowadays, Poiroux spends less time in the weeds of coding. Instead, he devotes most of his waking hours to thinking about what comes next and how to scale the business specifically to meet the needs of the people for whom he built the platform.
“Our approach is — and this has been my approach on the technical side — to build one solution, one platform — where we can quickly plug-and-play other functionalities,” Poiroux tells CNBC from Atlanta, where he’s working between visits to his production hubs in Africa.
“Think things like new payment service providers, so that we can scale quickly and make crypto as accessible as possible,” he said, noting that other crypto payment platforms have taken the opposite approach, hyper-focusing on big markets like Nigeria instead of the entirety of the continent.
Poiroux says that in addition to the retail-facing part of the business, the enterprise side of the operation is also a major priority. Yellow Card offers a Payments API that enables companies around the world to collect and disburse funds in Africa without currency devaluation risk.
“The super-cool part is that it uses the same infrastructure as our retail platform,” Poiroux explains of yet another project he architected and helped to code. “So if we expand our retail business, we can instantly make that available to the companies that have integrated this service already.”
In the meantime, both Maurice and Poiroux are spreading the gospel of bitcoin pretty much everywhere they go. Last summer, for instance, Maurice advised Central African Republic on adopting bitcoin as legal tender.
Maurice and his Cameroonian lawyer were brought to Bangui to meet with the minister of public works, who is in charge of the country’s crypto strategy. About halfway through the meeting, the electricity cut out, which meant no AC and no light for the remainder of the conversation.
“We were in a dark room with no windows talking about how the country would be tokenizing everything from their natural resources, to Makumba gorillas,” Maurice recalls.
The conversation didn’t miss a beat, because everyone at the table was engrossed in the conversation at hand — how other countries had been taking advantage of Central African Republic through currency controls for its entire history and how bitcoin presented the country with its first real opportunity to determine its own finances.
“Bitcoin gives them a chance to control their own destiny — to keep their money outside of foreign banks, in their own country, to use how they see fit,” Maurice said. “It really is financial freedom.”
Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice with his Cameroonian lawyer, Jonie Fonyam, and Central African Republic’s Minister for Public Works, Pascal Koyagbele.
Chris Maurice
The latest commercial vehicle from Volkswagen isn’t another box, retro-tastic van. Instead, it’s a crew cab, flatbed-style pickup truck with modern amenities, room for six, serious payload capacity, and a fully electric powertrain.
Making an appearance on Volkswagen’s German konfigutator, the new e-Transporter DoKa is a flatbed style pickup built on a longer version of the new, Ford Transit-based Volkswagen Transporter van chassis that debuted last year.
The flatbed DoKa rides on a 3,500 mm (~138″) wheelbase and a 5,613 mm (~221″) overall length, making it about 10.4″ longer than the Ranger-based Amarok. And, because the DoKa has a shorter hood, that extra length is almost all cargo bed, making the truck much more practical on job sites or delivery runs than VW’s other Ford-based work truck.
And, frankly, it looks more practical than a mid-size pickup – especially if you need to actually fit a crew in your crew cab pickup.
Room for six Europeans
It might not be as stylish as the ID.Buzz, but the DoKa is built to work with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 3,225 kg (7,100 lbs.) and a payload capacity between 348 and 785 kg (1,730 lbs.). Plenty of capacity, in other words, for tools, gear, or a pallet of appliances. The DoKa even has a fairly decent tow rating. The flatbed truck is rated to 2,000 kg with trailer brakes (4,400 lbs., about the same as an ICE-powered Chevy Blazer or Jeep Cherokee with tow package).
All those kilograms are motivated by a 100 kW (135 hp) electric motor making 415 Nm (306 lb-ft) of torque at zero rpm in the base models, and up to 210 kW (280 hp) in the top-spec versions. The konfigurator doesn’t list battery specs, but the e-Transporter DoKa flatbed probably uses the same 64 kWh battery and ultra-quick charging capability as the van.
Pricing starts at €52,208 ($60,527 as I type this), pre VAT, and options to make the truck ready for specialized work surely abound.
Electrek’s Take
Volkswagen has a long history of building van-based flatbed pickups, stretching all the way back to the original Type 2 flatbed in 1952. The trucks, like their iconic van siblings, have inspired the sort of cult following that led many industry insiders (myself, included) to expect an ID.Buzz-based flatbed truck to pop up sooner than later. That hasn’t happened – and, given the relative lack of enthusiasm for a $70,000+ Volkswagen-branded minivan in the market, it probably never will.
That said, the original VW kombi variants were born out of necessity, not fashion. They were built to work, and they helped rebuild Europe’s economy after the war and probably led to the conception of one or more people reading this in US (or your parents, anyway). So, if you’re in the market for a Volkswagen-based work truck that’s true to the spirit, if not the shape of the original T2, the new e-Transporter DoKa double cab flatbed truck variant might be the one for you.
VW e-Transporter DoKa gallery
SOURCES: VW, via CarScoops; T2 image via Bonhams.
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I’ve spent countless hours here at Electrek doing detailed hands-on testing of hundreds of electric bikes. Through thousands of miles of riding, I’ve been fortunate to learn these e-bikes inside and out, top to bottom and front to back. That long-term experience with real-world e-bike testing has helped me find the best electric bicycles on the market for just about any budget.
Below are some of the top e-bikes I’ve hand-tested for every price range, current as of July 2025. Summer is peaking, making this a great chance to enjoy this riding season with a fun and efficient electric bicycle! So check out the awesome e-bikes below, any one of which could become your next electric bike.
This list is divided into several price ranges. We’ll start with the best e-bikes under $1,000, then move on to the under-$2,000 category, under-$3,000 category, etc. The goal is to highlight some of my favorite models in various budget ranges to help you make the right decision based on your needs and budget.
The sub-$1,000 electric bike category is critical for a few reasons.
First, it’s pretty hard to produce a quality e-bike and sell it for under $1k. Most of the options in this price category make too many sacrifices in quality or longevity to earn a spot on this list as one of “the best.”
Second, many newly curious e-bike buyers just aren’t prepared to drop several thousand dollars on a brand-new concept, making this price range critical for many new e-bike shoppers.
Fortunately, we’ve found some excellent options for cheap electric bikes that can still save you some serious dough.
Lectric XP LITE 2.0
The Lectric XP LITE 2.0 was recently updated and is now quite likely the king of bang-for-your-buck electric bikes.
For years, the $999 Lectric XP 3.0 has reigned supreme in the budget electric bike category. That’s still a great bike, and we’ll discuss it next, but the more affordable $799 Lectric XP LITE 2.0 is an even more wallet-friendly electric bike.
That new e-bike offers some great riding at under 800 bucks.
It’s a throttle-enabled Class 2 folding electric bike with 20″ wheels, a max speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) and a motor rated for 300W continuous and 819W peak. It’s not going to be the strongest hill climber, but it does get going quickly on flat and modestly hilly terrain.
And the biggest upgrades include hydraulic disc brakes as well as an optional Gates carbon belt drive system for an extra $100. Riders can also opt for a nearly double-sized battery for an extra $200.
This is the only e-bike in this price range that I know of with a 48V electrical system. All the other budget e-bikes under $800 use a 36V system and thus suffer from weaker power.
There are some things that you give up with this model, such as that the fenders aren’t included free. But for just $799, you’re still getting built-in lights, a hidden battery, large color LCD display and a lightweight folder. Plus it comes in five color options.
There’s a lot of value there!
Lectric XP LITE 2.0 quick specs
- Motor: 300W (819W peak) geared rear hub motor
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Range: Claimed up to 72 km (45 mi) or 130 km (80 mi) with long-range battery)
- Battery: 48V 7.8 Ah (375 Wh)
- Weight: 22 kg (49 lb)
- Price: $799
Lectric XP4
The Lectric XP4 recently launched, replacing the Lectric XP 3.0 which was the previously undisputed best-selling electric bike in the US. The XP4 is expected to quickly take its title, racking up massive sales figures as riders flock to its extreme bang-for-your-buck. Simply put, it’s hard to find any other e-bike that offers this level of value!
The XP4 can get riders up to 28 mph (45 km/h) and now comes in either a 500W or 750W version, with respective battery sizes of 48V 10.4Ah and 48V 17.5Ah. The long-range version’s premium price tag ($1,299 vs the standard range model at $999) is perhaps even higher value than the already impressive base model.
Other upgrades include a new stronger rack design, torque sensor for smoother pedal assist, and improved hardware like the 8-speed transmission, hydraulic disc brakes, updated urban/trail hybrid-style tire tread, and a beautiful new TFT color screen.
The XP4 is hands-down the highest value e-bike I’ve ever tested and it’s quite obvious just how much time and effort went into building such a potent e-bike designed to fit so many different riders and tasks.
It’s hard to find a better combination of low cost and high performance anywhere in the e-bike market right now.
Lectric XP4 quick specs
- Motor: 500W or 750W geared rear hub motor (peaks at ~1,000W and ~1,300W)
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: 45-85 miles (70-135 km) depending on battery choice
- Battery: 48V 10.4Ah (500 Wh), or larger 17.5Ah (840Wh) battery choices available
- Weight: 69-71 lb (31-32 kg)
- Price: $999
Ride1Up Portola
When Ride1Up launched the Portola, it was pretty obvious what the game plan was: fire a shot across Lectric Ebike’s bow with a direct competitor to the Lectric XP line. By all accounts, Ride1Up nailed it with an impressive competitor.
The Ride1Up Portola has a lot more going for it than just the attractive price of $1,095. The bike has great performance with a maximum speed of 28 mph (45 km/h) and great components including hydraulic disc brakes, front suspension, a built-in rear rack, and a 750W motor.
There are two battery options available, either a 48V 10.4Ah or a 48V 13.4Ah, and the larger battery only costs an extra $100.
I love the sleek-looking frame and apparently, I’m not alone. Those who are on the hunt for a good-looking folding fat tire e-bike that doesn’t break the bank will likely find this to be one of the more fashionable options.
Ride1Up Portola quick specs
- Motor: 750W geared rear hub motor
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: Claimed up to 72 km (45 mi), but less if you’re heavy on the throttle
- Battery: 48V 10.4 Ah (504 Wh), or larger 48V 13.4 Ah battery available
- Weight: 27.2 kg (60 lb)
- Price: $1,095
Once you bump up above the $1,000 limit, you start to see many more great options for e-bikes in a wide range of categories.
From electric cargo bikes to cruisers and even electric mopeds, there’s something for everyone in this price range.
JackRabbit OG2 micro e-bike
The $1,249 JackRabbit OG2 is in one of these fuzzy areas between e-bikes and other e-rideables. In this case, it straddles the line between an electric bike and an electric scooter.
It more or less feels like an electric bike based on its ride geometry. However, the lack of pedals means that it could also be classified as an electric scooter, albeit a large-wheeled e-scooter.
But with those 20-inch wheels and bicycle seat, the JackRabbit OG2 rides much more like a small folding e-bike than an e-scooter. And its electronics match that of a light e-bike, too.
The 300W motor gets the little runabout up to 20 mph (32 km/h). The small 158 Wh battery only offers around 10 miles (approximately 16 km) of range, but is also conveniently small enough to easily keep a spare battery in a cargo pocket or even a small purse.
The biggest benefit of the JackRabbit is that it is so simple that the lack of frills keeps the weight down to just 25 lb (11.3 kg)! For an e-bike, that’s almost so light that it floats.
The company also released a higher power and larger battery capacity version too, which might be good for riders who want to push harder and go farther. For those that want to see a few more upgrades on this minimalist e-bike, the JackRabbit OG2 and XG might be more your size.
See my full review of the JackRabbit OG2 here.
JackRabbit OG2 quick specs
- Motor: 300W geared rear hub motor
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Range: 20 km (12 mi)
- Bike weight: 11.3 kg (25 lb)
- Brakes: Rear mechanical disc brake
- Price: $1,249
Lectric XPedition 2.0
We called the Lectric XPedition e-cargo bike a runaway success right from the start, and that’s exactly what it turned into. Now with the new Lectric XPedition 2.0 on the road, it’s better than ever.
With heavy-hauling weight capacity, the option for one or two batteries for extra long range, hydraulic disc brakes and torque sensor-based intuitive feeling pedal assist, this e-bike is dragging electric cargo bikes into the future.
The $1,399 Lectric XPedition 2.0 has turned the electric cargo bike market upside down, bringing a heavy-hitting cargo e-bike to market for an ultra-affordable price.
While it’s not the fanciest cargo e-bike on the market (you’ll find those in the $4,000-$6,000 price range further down this article), it’s definitely the best bang for your buck thanks to a combination of high value parts and reasonable pricing.
Lectric XPedition 2.0 quick specs:
- Motor: 750W rear hub motor
- Battery: 48V 14Ah (672 Wh) with the option for a second battery (and higher capacity batteries)
- Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)
- Range: up to 75 miles (120 km)
- Weight: 74 lb (33.5 kg)
- Price: $1,399
Rad Power Bikes RadKick
The RadKick is Rad’s most recently unveiled budget e-bike and is a return to form for the company that got its start as a budget-minded e-bike brand.
The RadKick is designed with minimalism in mind, yet still offers a number of great features. Available in both a 7-speed version ($1,399) and a single-speed belt-drive version ($1,199), the RadKick is great for those that want a fairly lightweight e-bike for a great price.
You give up a bit of power and range compared to Rad’s other models with more battery capacity and higher power motors, but you get a lot of value in return. The bike features a torque sensor for great performing pedal assist, hydraulic brakes for smooth and maintenance-free braking, included rack and fenders, LED lighting, a color LCD display, right-side half-twist throttle, SafeShield potted battery from Rad (UL-compliant and designed to be fireproof), and is compatible with a wide range of Rad accessories.
To be honest, this is the e-bike that I’ve been waiting for Rad to launch.
- Motor: 500W rear hub motor
- Battery: 36V 10Ah (360 Wh)
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)
- Range: Up to 35 miles (56 km)
- Weight: 55 lb (25 kg)
- Price: $1,199 to $1,399
Aventon Soltera.2
The $1,399 Aventon Soltera.2 is the latest version of Aventon’s beautiful city bike that offers some of the best quality fabrication that I’ve seen in this price range – or even in higher price ranges. It is offered in either a single-speed or seven-speed format.
The bike rolls on narrow tires for that efficient city ride, while still packing in a 500W motor.
The battery is a bit smaller at 36V and 10Ah, but the bike makes up for a smaller battery by being able to integrate it into the frame in a sleek and attractive package.
The beautiful color display also adds to the bike’s charm, as do the powerful headlight and frame-integrated tail light. There’s even an awesome companion app that lets your phone track your bike’s important stats. Basically, you’re getting a lot for $1,199 here!
Check out my in-depth Aventon Soltera.2 review here.
Aventon Soltera.2 quick specs:
- Motor: 500W peak-rated rear hub motor
- Battery: 36V 10Ah (360 Wh)
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h)
- Range: 20-63 miles (32-101 km)
- Weight: 46 lb (21 kg)
- Price: $1,199
Ride1Up Roadster V3
Ride1Up has proven itself as a high-value electric bike brand, focusing largely on efficient and speedy commuter e-bikes. While the company has many models in the $1,000 to $2,000 range, the $1,295 Ride1Up Roadster V3 is one of the best bang-for-your-buck options in the lightweight category.
This 500W-rated e-bike offers Class 3 performance, meaning you can hit speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h), or a still impressive 20 mph (32 km/h) if using the throttle. But sticking to pedal-assist means you get to enjoy that quality torque sensor for smoother pedaling. The bike even comes with an option for either a belt drive or a 10-speed Shimano transmission, and three frame sizes to choose from.
The V3’s design was updated with many new features, including a now-removable battery for even more convenient charging both on and off the bike. And with a sub-40 lb weight, it’s hard to beat this one on a pound for pound basis!
Ride1Up Roadster V3 quick specs:
- Motor: 500W rear hub motor
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: 32-64 km (20-40 mi) throttle vs. pedal assist
- Battery: 36V 10Ah (360 Wh) with genuine LG cells and UL certified
- Weight: 17.6 kg (39 lb)
- Price: $1,295
Check out my full review of the Ride1Up Roadster V3 here:
Lectric XPeak
Lectric Ebikes recently expanded into larger territory with the launch of the new Lectric XPeak. It’s the company’s first e-bike with a larger than 20″ wheel size, bringing some chunky 26×4.0″ tires into the company’s inventory.
The XPeak takes the form of a typical adventure-style fat tire electric bike. It features a hardtail design with a suspension fork, high volume tires, hydraulic disc brakes and a relatively large battery that is certified by the Swiss testing agency SGS to meet UL 2849 standards.
The bike is also tested to higher standards for ruggedness of the frame and fork than most e-bikes in this price range, meaning it’s likely going to last longer too. As far as fat tire adventure-style e-bikes go, there’s no better bang for your buck than the Lectric XPeak.
Lectric XPeak quick specs:
Ride1Up Turris
The Ride1Up Turris is Ride1Up’s touring-style electric bike, meaning it is built for a bit of everything from asphalt and bike lanes to narrow nature trails and gravel roads. Plus, at its current crazy-good sale price of US $1,195, this is an unimaginable steal!
The raised bars, suspension fork, and comfortable seat make it a pleasure to ride for the longer distances that many people cover on touring-style rides. The high-performance 750W hub motor and 28 mph (45 km/h) top speed make it a blast for quick errand running and fun commutes.
High-quality parts like hydraulic disc brakes complete the package, and the included fenders add even more value, especially when the bike is used as an on-road commuter.
At just $1,195, the Ride1Up Turris is priced way below fair market value, which makes this an absolute steal of a deal.
Ride1Up Cafe Cruiser quick specs:
- Motor: 750W rear geared hub motor
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: 50-80 km (30-50 mi)
- Battery: 48V 14Ah (672 Wh)
- Weight: 29 kg (65 lb)
- Price: $1,195
Rad Power Bikes RadRunner
The RadRunner from Rad Power Bikes has been an industry favorite ever since it was first announced back in 2019. The company is actually on the RadRunner 2 now, but the update only made minor changes since the original was already so well-designed.
The bike uses a step-through moped-style frame to create a short utility bike or mini cargo e-bike. It’s quick up to the 20 mph top speed and offers a ton of uses. When outfitted with the Passenger Package, it has a seat and footpegs that let you carry kids or adults on the back, turning this into a multi-passenger e-bike.
The high-capacity battery and powerful motor also make for sprightly acceleration and longer than average rides, so you’ll have enough power to ride all day.
The RadRunner is truly one of those do-anything e-bikes because it has so many uses. The same bike can be used for fun recreational riding, city commuting, trail riding, or grocery shopping. There’s something for everyone.
There’s even an upgraded version known as the RadRunner Plus, which adds suspension, a seven-speed transmission, a more detailed display, and the passenger package, though the RadRunner Plus costs a bit more at $1,899.
Check out my complete review of the RadRunner 2 here.
RadRunner 2 quick specs:
- Motor: 750W rear geared hub motor
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Range: 45-72 km (25-45 mi) depending on user input
- Battery: 48V 14Ah (672 Wh)
- Weight: 29.5 kg (65 lb)
- Price: $1,399
Electric Bike Company Model Y
Electric Bike Company is one of the only e-bike manufacturers that actually builds its electric bikes in the US from the ground up.
They start with bare frames and perform the entire build locally with highly trained e-bike technicians. That also allows them to offer more customization options than any other e-bike company out there.
The $1,949 Model Y is a step-through cruiser e-bike with a hidden battery in the front basket. It offers fast speeds up to 28 mph and high-quality parts like hydraulic disc brakes and top-end hardware. The color screen and leather accents on the seat and bar ends add to the classy look too!
The real treat though is getting to select the custom paint on every surface of the bike, plus your own rim colors, trim colors, and tire options. It’s incredibly customizable to the point where you’re virtually guaranteed to be able to create a truly one-of-a-kind electric bike if you wish.
Check out my full review of the Electric Bike Company Model Y here.
Electric Bike Company Model Y quick specs:
- Motor: 1,000W peak rear geared hub motor
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: Up to 80 km (50 mi) with moderate pedaling
- Battery: 48V with either 9Ah (432 Wh) or 18Ah (864 Wh) options
- Weight: 26 kg (58 lb)
- Price: $1,949
Velotric Discover 2
Velotric has a number of interesting e-bikes in its lineup, and I’m enjoying testing several of the company’s new models. But one of my favorites so far—thanks to its excellent on-road abilities—has got to be the Velotric Discover 2.
The e-bike isn’t just powerful or surprisingly smooth pedaling, it’s also quite safe. The punchy hydraulic disc brakes offer quick and controlled stops while the UL-certified battery and e-bike systems offer safe operations, removing the worry of dangerous thermal events.
For just $1,899 at its current sale price, riders are getting 15 pedal assist settings, a torque sensor, IPX7 waterproof rating on the battery (meaning the battery can be submerged in water), and robust strength testing that goes above and beyond typical ISO testing for e-bikes. This is an excellent bike for both commuting and pleasure rides, making it a great all-around option!
Check out my full review of the Velotric Discover 2 here.
Velotric Discover 2 quick specs:
- Motor: 1,100W peak rear geared hub motor
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: Up to 120 km (75 mi) on pedal assist
- Battery: 48V 14.7Ah (705.6 Wh) frame-integrated, removable
- Weight: 28.5 kg (63 lb)
- Price: $1,899
Velotric Packer electric cargo bike
There are a lot of electric cargo bikes on the market, but the Velotric Packer has recently become one of my go-to recommendations for several reasons. It’s fairly priced, has loads of cargo accessories, includes a UL-certified battery, comes in some eye-catching colors, and works well for transporting my three nieces and nephews around with me.
At its sale price of $1,699, this is definitely an electric cargo bike to have on your short list for it’s slick-looking design and great functionality.
Check out my full review of the Velotric Packer here.
- Motor: 750W (1,200W peak) rear-geared hub motor
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) or 25 mph (40 km/h) when unlocked
- Range: Up to 52 miles (84 km)
- Battery: 48V 15Ah (692 Wh)
- Weight: 75 lb (34 kg)
- Price: $1,699
By the time you surpass the $2,000 mark, you’re starting to get into serious e-bikes with serious performance or build quality.
If you’re spending this much, you’ll want to ensure you’re buying from a reputable company with top-notch products and service.
Ride1Up TrailRush
The Ride1Up TraiRush is the first actually quite good electric mountain bike that comes in at a budget price. It gives you a real German-made Brose motor, which offers good power matched with whisper-quiet performance. You get a dropper seat post and Maxxis Minion tires, Tektro Orion quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and a 120mm Rockshox Judy Silver TK Air Fork
The first time I took a ride on the Ride1Up TrailRush, I couldn’t believe just how good the bike felt, especially from a company known for its wide array of commuter and street-oriented electric bikes. But Ride1Up was founded by cyclists at heart, and so they know what it means to build a good bike, regardless of category. At $2,095, this is a steal for just great parts.
Lectric One
The Lectric ONE is something of an enigma in the e-bike market. To put it into perspective, it’d be hard to buy the gearbox alone on this bike for under $2,000, and yet that’s nearly the price tag of the entire bike! For just $2,399, you’re getting an e-bike with components normally found on $10,000+ bikes.
The Lectric One was unveiled as a lightweight commuter e-bike designed with an ultra high-end drivetrain based around the Pinion C1.6i auto-shifting gearbox. Paired with a Gates carbon belt drive and a true 750W-rated Stealth M24 motor (with 1,300 peak watts!), the Lectric ONE hits class 3 speeds in style with some extra premium components.
Lectric ONE quick specs:
- Motor: 750W rear hub motor (1.3 kW peak)
- Battery: 48V 10.4 or 14Ah (500Wh or 672 Wh)
- Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)
- Range: up to 75 miles (120 km)
- Weight: 55 lb (25 kg)
- Price: $2,399
Ride1Up Prodigy V2 mid-drive e-bike
The $2,295 Ride1Up Prodigy V2 has brought new meaning to the phrase “low-cost mid-drive electric bike”, updating an already impressive e-bike with a new next-gen setup.
This e-bike sports a high-end German-manufactured Brose mid-drive motor and can hit speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h), yet is price similarly to much cheaper hub motor-based electric bikes.
It’s a perfect commuter e-bike for someone who wants high-quality parts like that German mid-drive motor with 90Nm of torque, hydraulic disc brakes, bright LED lights, included fenders, rear rack, and a very comfortable saddle. Plus there’s a choice between a nice 9-speed chain drive transmission or a fancier Gates Carbon Drive belt setup with an Enviolo continuously variable transmission.
This e-bike is easily worth another $500 more than the price tag, if not more. In fact, you’ll find many of these same components on e-bikes with $3,000-$4,000 price tags all over the place. So if you’re looking for a higher quality e-bike that doesn’t cost as much as a fancy bike shop e-bike, this is the one to consider.
Ride1Up Prodigy quick specs:
- Motor: Brose TF Sprinter mid-drive
- Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)
- Range: 30-50 miles (50-80 km)
- Battery: 36V 14Ah (504Wh)
- Weight: 58 lb (26 kg)
- Price: $2,395
Priority Current Plus
I love the $3,299 Priority Current electric bike so much that it has become one of my daily riders. It’s the one I grab when I’m doing city riding and I know I want to be pedaling.
While the original version was already a great bike, the new Current Plus adds some key improvements, such as an included throttle and a nearly 50% larger capacity battery for more range. The throttle is great in a pinch, but the bike is also just so much fun to pedal thanks to a torque sensor-based pedal assist that provides natural feeling assistance up to a fast 28 mph top speed.
The internally geared rear hub combined with a Gates belt drive system and powerful hydraulic disc brakes make this a very nice e-bike for the price. Plus that mid-drive motor offers tons of torque (140 Nm!) for climbing hills or accelerating quickly.
I’m also a fan of the built-in lights and included fenders, not to mention the punchy hydraulic disc brakes and Goodyear tires.
Mid-drive electric bikes aren’t cheap, but the price is definitely a fair one for this e-bike.
Priority Current Plus quick specs:
- Motor: 500W mid-drive motor with torque sensor
- Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h) or 20 mph (32 km/h) user-selectable
- Range: 40-75 miles (64-120 km)
- Battery: 720 Wh frame-integrated battery
- Weight: 24 kg (53 lb)
- Price: $3,299
Ride1Up CF Racer1
I’m not normally a carbon fiber, drop bar, race bike kind of guy. But then again, that’s usually because those types of bikes are way out of my price range… until now.
The Ride1Up CF Racer1 brings carbon fiber road e-bikes to the common man, offering both a traditional road bike and a gravel bike edition.
At under 29 lb (13 kg), these e-bikes are some of the lightest around. I picked one up with my index finger and was shocked at how easily it left the ground.
To get there, that meant a relatively low-power motor and a smaller battery were required. But for the folks that ride these types of bikes, a big motor and heavy battery probably aren’t on their wishlist anyway. Instead, a simple extra boost, as if you’ve always got a tailwind, helps augment your own pedaling.
For just $2,295, there’s no better deal out there for a budget-friendly carbon fiber road e-bike.
Ride1Up CF Racer1 quick specs
- Motor: 250W 42 Nm torque
- Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h) on pedal assist
- Range: 16-40 miles (26-64 km)
- Battery: 252 Wh frame-integrated battery
- Weight: 12.9 kg (28.6 lb)
- Price: $2,295
Ride1Up REVV1 FS
This full-suspension electric moped-style e-bike is a masterclass in high performance electric bike design. Sure, it’s an obvious SUPER73 imitation, but it’s a really well done imitation.
It handles well, it’s got great rubber between you and the road, the suspension gives a comfortable ride, and it’s got plenty of extra power.
Despite the 750W label, the e-bike can be unlocked to make use of nearly 1,500W of peak power. I was able to reach a top speed of 37 mph (59.5 km/h) during my testing (not on public streets!).
But the bike ships in Class 2 mode with a 750W limit and 20 mph (32 km/h) maximum speed, meaning you’ll have to contact the company to request an unlock for the bike to be used above Class 2 speeds and power levels.
All in all, the $2,395 Ride1Up REVV1 FS is an amazing e-bike for anyone who wants a moped-style ride with full-suspension, high quality 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes and a design that rides almost like a motorcycle, yet in a bike form factor.
Check out my complete Ride1Up REVV1 FS review here.
Ride1Up REVV1 quick specs:
- Motor: Bafang 750W continuous rear hub motor
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) out of the box, 37 mph (59.5 km/h) when unlocked
- Range: 30-60 miles (48-96 km)
- Battery: 52V 20Ah (1,040 Wh)
- Weight: 93 lb (42 kg)
- Price: $2,395
Tern Quick Haul
The Tern Quick Haul is an electric cargo bike from the famed cargo e-bike company Tern. It holds the distinction of being the most affordable model in Tern’s lineup.
That says a lot, because Tern is known for its high quality e-bikes that are built to be ridden every day for real world errands, carpool duty and more. These e-bikes are meant to replace cars, and they do just that for many riders. With a huge list of accessories, you can outfit a Quick Haul for just about any job.
The Tern Quick Haul features a mid-drive Bosch motor, hydraulic disc brakes, Tern’s vertical parking rack, and a relatively lightweight but high utility design that is meant to carry just about anything in your life.
We had the chance to test a pair of Quick Hauls at Eurobike in Frankfurt last year, which you can learn more about here.
Motor: Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive motor
Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) with pedal assist (no throttle)
Range: Up to 60 miles (96 km), less when riding in highest power
Battery: 400Wh, removable/lockable
Weight: 50 lb (22.8 kg)
Price: $2,999
Ariel Rider X-Class
When it comes to fast, powerful electric mopeds on a budget, it’s hard to compete with the $2,399 Ariel Rider X-Class. This is the e-bike I usually recommend when someone simply wants the most power and speed for the least amount of money.
The impressive performance comes from a powerful 1,000W motor that actually puts out closer to 2,000W of peak power. It can be limited to 20 mph if you’d like, but I got it up to 36 mph in unlimited mode.
The bike rolls on 20″ moto-style wheels and comes with nice parts including hydraulic disc brakes, a bench seat, dual suspension, and a big moto-style headlight.
You can see my full review of the Ariel Rider 52V X-Class here.
- Motor: 1,000W (2,000W peak) rear hub motor
- Top speed: 36 mph (58 km/h), but can be limited to Class 2 speeds
- Range: Up to 75 miles (120 km), less when riding at top speed
- Battery: 52V 18Ah (936 Wh), removable/lockable
- Weight: 80 lb (36 kg)
- Price: $2,399
Xtracycle Hopper electric cargo bike
The Xtracycle Hopper is something of a Goldilocks cargo bike, in my opinion. It’s not as a big as a traditional long tail cargo bike, but it’s still big enough to carry multiple kids or a week’s worth of groceries.
It’s also not as pricey as the expensive $5-7k bike shop cargo e-bikes, yet it’s much higher quality than the typical direct-to-consumer cargo e-bikes.
I’ve tested it for all sorts of cargo jobs and even put my friends and family on it to take their kids to school and let me know how it works for them. Everyone has come away impressed with the ride feel, which seems much more like a traditional bike than a bulky cargo bike.
For the money, the Xtracycle Hopper offers incredibly value and much higher quality construction than you’d get with entry-level brands.
Check out my full Xtracycle Hopper review here.
RadRover 6 Plus quick specs:
- Motor: 750W geared rear hub motor
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: 32-80 km (20-50 mi) depending on throttle or pedal assist
- Battery: 48V 15Ah (720 Wh)
- Weight: 38.5 kg (85 lb)
- Price: $2,999
Above $3.5k, you’re entering some seriously dedicated e-bike territory.
These e-bikes either feature top-shelf components like drivetrain and brake parts, or pack in so much power that they couldn’t possibly be priced any lower.
Either way, you’re not in Kansas anymore. You’re heading down the e-bike rabbit hole.
Tern HSD
Tern is renowned for building high-quality electric bikes that double down on utility features. The newly updated Tern HSD is the company’s more affordable utility e-bike, offering many features you’ll find on its higher end GSD but at a price that more riders can stomach.
The HSD uses small 20″ wheels and includes a folding stem, making it nice and compact. But taking it one step further, Tern outfitted it with its innovative rack that lets you park the bike on its tail, meaning it takes up barely more space than a coat rack in the corner of a room.
The bike’s Bosch mid-drive and high capacity batteries provide a high-end e-bike drive, and they are matched with a variety of performance drivetrain options that you can select from, depending on how high you want to spec the bike.
Whether you’re ferrying around kids or buying a week’s worth of groceries, the HSD is a solid option.
Check out my detailed first ride experience on the Tern HSD here.
Tern HSD quick specs:
- Motor: Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph) with electric assist
- Range: 42-110 km (26-69 mi) depending on pedal input
- Battery: Bosch PowerPack 400 Wh
- Weight: 25.4 kg (55.9 lb)
- Price: $4,299
CSC FT1000MD
The CSC FT1000MD sounds like a motorcycle name because it comes from a company with motorcycle heritage. CSC Ebikes was born out of CSC Motorcycles, a company with several decades of two-wheeler experience.
The FT1000MD is the company’s highest power option. The fat tire e-bike comes with a 1,000+ watt motor known as the Bafang M620 Ultra. It’s the most powerful and highest torque e-bike mid-drive motor on the retail market. CSC paired it with a big battery, quality suspension, hydraulic brakes, built-in lighting, and more to create a high performance and high-quality adventure e-bike.
I was able to hit speeds of around 34 mph with the motor in unlocked format, though you can limit it to 20 or 28 mph to fit into class 2 and class 3 designations.
Check out my full review of this incredibly powerful e-bike here.
CSC FT1000MD quick specs:
- Motor: 1,000W continuous Bafang M620 mid-drive
- Top speed: 54 km/h (34 mph) when unlocked
- Battery: 48V 16Ah (768Wh) with Samsung 35E cells
- Frame: 6061 aluminum
- Suspension: Front suspension fork with preload and damping adjustment, plus lockout
- Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors
- Weight: 34 kg (75 lb)
- Price: $3,299 or save $200 with discount code ELECTREK
Ariel Rider Grizzly
When it comes to all-wheel-drive electric bikes, the $3,299 Ariel Rider Grizzly is one of my favorites.
This incredible e-bike is really more of a small electric motorcycle. It uses two high-power motors – one in each wheel – to offer speeds in the mid-30s and acceleration that will get you there in the blink of an eye.
Full suspension and hydraulic disc brakes make this an e-bike that handles well at any speed, and the bright red paint job looks as aggressive as the e-bike feels. It even comes with footpegs pre-installed so you can carry a passenger with you.
Plus it’s got double batteries to feed those two power-hungry motors, so you’ll be able to ride this e-bike pretty darn far too, as long as you aren’t too demanding from the throttle.
Check out my full in-depth review of the epic Ariel Rider Grizzly e-bike here.
Ariel Rider Grizzly quick specs:
- Motors: Dual 1,000W continuous hub motors (1,850W peak or 3.7 kW combined)
- Top speed: 36 mph (58 km/h) when unlocked, but can be limited to Class 2 speeds
- Range: Up to 75 miles (120 km), less when riding at top speed
- Battery: 52V 35Ah (1,820 Wh) between two removable/lockable batteries
- Weight: 105 lb (47.6 kg)
- Price: $3,299
Specialized Turbo Como SL
For more of a cruiser/city e-bike experience, the $4,800 Specialized Turbo Como SL is a great option. This e-bike offers a much more upright ride for a fun, relaxed vibe.
The e-bike features a high-quality mid-drive motor, hydraulic disc brakes, Gates carbon belt drive, and an eight-speed internally geared hub. Those are a lot of nice parts!
And don’t forget the slim fenders, front basket, and cruiser bars that all look super elegant, complimenting the nice lines of the Turbo Como SL.
This may not be a low-cost e-bike, but it definitely offers a ride that makes it worth it.
See my full review of the Specialized Turbo Como SL here.
Specialized Turbo Como SL quick specs:
- Motor: Custom Specialized SL1.1 mid-drive motor
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph)
- Range: Up to 100 km (62 mi), or 50% more with range extender
- Battery: Downtube-integrated 320 Wh battery
- Weight: 20.5 kg (45 lb.)
- Price: $4,800
You just couldn’t stop, could you? I showed you plenty of awesome e-bikes that didn’t cost most of a paycheck. But you just haaaaaaad to keep going.
Fine, here they are. These are some of the most expensive e-bikes out there that we’ve tested and that I’d actually recommend someone buying, if you can pony up the cash.
GoCycle G4i+
When it comes to ultra-premium folding electric bikes, there’s only one name that comes to my mind: GoCycle. These are the most impressive folding e-bikes I’ve ever seen. And they better be – they were designed by a former McLaren engineer.
Between the carbon fiber work, single-sided wheels, high-tech tires, trippy LED dot display, innovative rear suspension, and completely enclosed drivetrain, there’s a lot of high-end stuff going on here.
The speed will vary from 15-20 mph depending on which country you buy the bike in, but the performance is only part of the equation. The quick folding and light, compact design of the e-bike is the real winner here.
Check out my full review of the GoCycle G4i+ here.
GoCycle G4i+ quick specs:
- Motor: 500W front hub motor
- Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) in the US
- Range: up to 50 miles (80 km)
- Battery: 36V 10.4Ah (375 Wh)
- Weight: 37.2 lb (16.9 kg)
- Price: $6,999
FREY EX Pro electric mountain bike
The FREY EX Pro is a high-end electric mountain bike with crazy high power. It uses the same motor as the CSC FT1000MD we featured above (the Bafang M620 mid-drive), but cranks up the current to provide closer to 1,500W of power.
It’s enough to destroy chains if you aren’t careful. We know. Several of us here at Electrek have done it.
The FREY EX Pro not only features high-end parts like a RockShox Lyric fork and Magura MT5e hydraulic brakes, but it even comes with dual batteries so you can ride farther and stay on the trails longer.
I’ve personally taken this e-bike back UP a downhill mountain bike course – that’s how powerful it is.
It may be expensive, but it saves you several thousand dollars compared to many European electric mountain bikes with similar components but a fraction of the power in the FREY.
See my full review of the FREY EX Pro here.
- Motor: 1 kW continuous, 1.5 kW peak-rated Bafang Ultra mid-drive motor
- Top speed (tested): 59 km/h (36 mph)
- Battery: Dual 48V 14Ah packs (1,344 Wh total)
- Range: Varies considerably by ride style/terrain, but 30-100 km (20-60 miles) is the ballpark
- Weight: 34 kg (75 lb)
- Price: $5,580
Tern GSD
The Tern GSD improves upon the Tern HSD with even more capability and even nicer components. There are multiple versions that can take you up to nearly $10k, but even the lower-tier versions are not “low tier,” if you know what I mean.
Parts like automatically engaging electric locks, 10-speed Shimano Deore transmissions, Magura MT5e quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes, and more set these e-bikes apart from the rest of the pack.
If you’re getting a Tern GSD, you’re getting a fully qualified car replacement. There are many people that use these instead of buying a second car. When you look at it like that, the price suddenly seems pretty reasonable.
Check out our full review of the Tern GSD here.
- Motor: Bosch Cargo Line mid-drive
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph) with electric assist
- Range: 42-85 km (26-53 mi) depending on pedal input
- Battery: Bosch PowerPack 400 Wh
- Weight: 33.6 kg (74 lb)
- Price: $5,399
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While the Trump Administration walks back emissions standards and pretends science isn’t real, New York Governor Kathy Hochul is announcing plans to improve the quality of life for her constituents by investing over $21 million in support of zero-emission mobility and transportation solutions across New York State.
New York’s newly announced Clean Mobility Program will provide funding for scalable, community-led demonstration projects highlighting micro mobility, ride sharing, and community-managed “on-demand shared transportation” options.
The Governor’s office believes these solutions could help lower air pollution in the state while offering residents affordable connections to services, jobs, and transit. Objectively needed wins, in other words – and even more needed in traditionally underserved communities.
Governor Hochul gets it
“Even as the federal government walks away from clean air and energy standards, New York continues to invest in modern, flexible and efficient electric transportation options that improve air quality and expand affordable consumer choices,” explains Governor Hochul. “Our priority is linking communities, including areas that have been historically marginalized, with resources that provide residents with a variety of flexible transportation options that allow them to conduct their daily business uninterrupted.”
The program is the latest of the state’s recent EV funding initiatives, and the official release (on the New York State website) announced more details about The Clean Mobility Program:
The Clean Mobility program offers up to $21.6 million for projects across New York State and will award up to $3 million per project, with priority given to projects in disadvantaged communities, as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group.
Additionally, up to $8 million is set aside to fund demonstration projects located in specific areas of the state, including those served by the upstate investor-owned utilities. This includes a total of up to $5 million for micro mobility projects in the Central Hudson, National Grid, New York State Electric & Gas, and Rochester Electric & Gas region and up to $3 million for any type of eligible demonstration projects located in the Bronx.
Proposals for demonstration projects must include a completed planning document that includes community engagement, site identification and operations, project partner identification, technical feasibility assessment, and a policy and regulatory feasibility assessment. Any e-bikes or e-scooters deployed in these projects must meet industry and state safety standards to be eligible.
Proposals are due on September 25, 2025 by 3:00 PM EST. For more information on this funding opportunity please visit the NYSERDA’s website.
Electrek’s Take
Times Square banned cars in 2009 and New York City implemented congestion pricing earlier this year, angering exactly the right people in exactly the right way for exactly the right reasons. In both cases, the plans worked, the problems were solved for, and the lives of the people of New York improved. Governor Hochul’s latest plan is sure to be the latest in an ever-growing line of green success stories.
SOURCE | IMAGES: New York State.
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