Buying your teenager an electric bike? Here’s how to choose the right one
As electric bicycles surge in popularity, many parents are considering them as viable transportation alternatives for their teenagers. From getting to school or practice on their own to riding around with friends, e-bikes are a great way to give teenagers freedom without tossing them the family car keys.
Electric bicycles offer an eco-friendly solution, merging traditional cycling with an added boost. If you’re contemplating buying an e-bike for your teen, here are some crucial tips to guide your purchase.
Consider whether your teen is ready for an e-bike
Far be it for me to parent your kid, but suffice to say that not all teenagers are ready for an electric bike. Heck, anyone whose been on the road lately can probably attest to the fact that not all adults are ready for a car driver’s license.
Consider whether your teenager is responsible enough to make important decisions like where to ride, how fast to travel, and how to ride with friends. If they’ve never taken driver’s education, consider enrolling them in some type of course to learn the rules of the road. There are several new options for e-bike specific road training courses online. Also consider planning out routes to school or other common areas with your teen first to find the best, safest roads and bike lanes for a journey.
Additionally, make sure your teenager is responsible enough to correctly lock their e-bike each time they park, as electric bike theft is rampant in many parts of the country.
Safety first!
Ensure the e-bike has robust safety features. Some budget-level electric bikes skimp on parts like lighting and quality brakes. Look for models equipped with bright LED lights and good reflective materials (many tires now have reflective sidewalls so riders can be quickly seen when a car’s headlights approach from the side). Keep in mind that most direct-to-consumer electric bikes that are ordered online and delivered to your home don’t come with their reflectors installed, as these can break off in shipping. Many people will forget to install the reflectors, but make sure you fish them out of the bottom of the box and put them on the bike. E-bikes are required by law to have reflectors, but they don’t necessarily have to come installed.
Also, check for effective braking systems. Many riders prefer hydraulic disc brakes for their lower maintenance and higher stopper power compared to mechanical disc brakes, though mechanical brakes can be just fine as well. Rim brakes are rarely seen on e-bikes anymore and are usually a sign of a cheap e-bike.
And remember, a helmet should be a non-negotiable accessory. When your kid pays the bills one day, they can make that decision for themselves. For now, it should be a requirement that comes with the responsibility of riding an e-bike.
Which style of e-bike is right?
There are literally hundreds of models of e-bikes available in the US, each with its own features and styles. Consider what your teenager needs most.
If he or she is commuting to school on roads and bike lanes, 2-3″ tires and a basic triangle or step-through frame is plenty.
If off-road riding is on the table, consider the potential of fat tires or more suspension.
If you’ll need to pick your teen up on occasion, a folding bike can be tossed in the trunk on one-way rides. This is great for times you need to meet your teen somewhere to head out together but they had already ridden there on their own. No need to head back for the bike when you can take it with you.
If this all seems like too much to think about, then a safe bet that will work for 95% of riders is a utility or folding e-bike with 20″ x 3″ or 20″ x 4″ tires. Think something like a RadRunner, Lectric XP, or Super73 ZX.
While electric cargo bikes are a great option for carrying lots of stuff, they’re not as ideal for teens due to their larger size that sometimes requires more calculated and careful riding. And on that note, while passenger packages that allow some e-bikes to carry a second rider are very useful tools, keeping one teenager per bike is probably a good idea to reduce distractions. I love riding two-up, but there’s a time and a place.
Don’t get bogged down on figures like range and battery
You might naturally try to get into the weeds when it comes to comparing ranges, but you shouldn’t. And the reason is because most e-bikes these days are pretty darn similar in that regard.
If you really like data and numbers, look for the battery capacity measured in watt-hours (Wh) instead of the company’s claimed range figures. Almost all e-bikes worth considering will have somewhere between 450 to 700 Wh of battery capacity, which is going to result in somewhere around 20-30 miles (29-48 km) of range per charge. There are a few exceptions of nice bikes with tiny little batteries, but for the most part, don’t get bogged down on range comparisons. Just make sure it’s got a battery of roughly 500Wh and your teen should have plenty of battery for getting around most towns. And if they ever find that they’re running low, just tell them to ride slower. Or pedal.
E-bike classifications: Which one is best?
Most states in the US use the three-class system for e-bikes. Class 1 e-bikes can hit 20 mph (32 km/h) and only engage the electric motor when the pedals are turning. Class 2 e-bikes are the same except that they can have a hand throttle like a motorbike that activates the motor without any pedaling necessary. Class 3 e-bikes are like Class 1 e-bikes but are allowed to hit speeds up to 28 mph (45 km/h). Class 3 e-bikes generally aren’t allowed to have throttles. All three classes limit motor power to 750W (one horsepower). As a side note, there are many e-bikes that blur the line between Class 2 and 3, as they have throttles but the throttle cuts out at 20 mph, meaning the rider has to pedal to push further up to 28 mph. While this doesn’t fit most strict interpretations of the rules, they seem to slip by in many areas as fulfilling the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law.
All three of these e-bikes are generally allowed on all public roads and bike lanes where bicycles are allowed, though many trails and off-road areas will limit to Class 1 e-bikes only.
Your teenager will almost certainly want a Class 2 e-bike or one of the gray-area hybrids between Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes. Basically, they will want a throttle because their friends’ e-bikes will have a throttle. Throttles are great for getting rolling at the bottom of a hill or just helping return home after a long day when you’re tired and don’t feel like pedaling. But consider that a Class 1 or true Class 3 e-bike might be more appropriate for your teenager as it will require some level of effort on their part and prevent them from treating the e-bike like a small format motorcycle.
I say this as someone who predominately rides throttle-controlled e-bikes and prefers to have a throttle, but I still know there’s a time and a place for pedaling. And when you’re a healthy young kid who might benefit from not being able to zoom down a sidewalk at top speed, not having a throttle might just be a good thing sometimes.
One thing to consider though is that in the US it is much harder to find pure Class 1 e-bikes, in part because they simply don’t sell as well. But many – if not most – Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes can be limited to Class 1 performance in their settings. If you think your kid might just change the settings back to “fun” mode, you can usually just unplug the throttle also. Check with the vendor of the e-bike to see if their throttles can be unplugged and removed, if that’s something you’d like control over. Just know that your kid is going to be annoyed. But hey, a Class 1 e-bike is a lot better than a Class 0 e-bike, kiddo!
Test ride, if you can
There are lots of gifts that make great surprises. Electric bikes, much like puppies, are not one of them. There are so many different styles of e-bikes out there that it is much better to test the bike out first to make sure it feels right. Try and put your teenager on an e-bike to ensure he or she is comfortable with the size and handling.
This used to be more difficult, but many e-bike companies have expanded their dealer network and put their models in hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores. If you can, take your teen to test them out.
Another option is to borrow an e-bike from a friend or have them test out some of their buddies’ electric bikes.
Going in blind used to be the norm when most electric bikes were ordered sight unseen, but these days you can often find a way to test them out first.
Consider a reasonable budget for a teen’s e-bike
I’m not saying don’t get your teenager a nice e-bike, but consider that depending on how old they are, they might only have it for a year or two before heading off to college. It’s also likely going to be treated somewhat rougher than the way you’d probably handle it. And they’re probably going to be parking all over town, increasing the risk of theft.
For that reason, a teenager’s first e-bike probably shouldn’t be an ultra-premium electric bike. That doesn’t mean cheap out either though. Below $500-$600, you’re usually (but not always) looking at low-quality parts, cheap batteries, and poor construction. There are plenty of good e-bikes in the $1,000 to $1,500 range, and lots of better options under $2,500. If you move up to $3,000-$4,000, you get into some really high-quality stuff, and if you can swing that much on your teen’s e-bike then that’s great. But for many people, $1,000-$2,000 is the sweet spot for a good bang-for-your-buck e-bike that will balance safety and quality with cost.
We’ve got a great breakdown of the best electric bikes in every price range, if you want more guidance on specific models and prices.
Don’t be afraid of reviews
There’s never been a time in history when online reviews were less helpful than right now. What was originally a helpful tool has turned into a manipulated system of spite and revenge. Look no further than online e-bike communities like those on Reddit or Facebook, where you can type in any e-bike company name followed by “nightmare” and find some horror story about something going wrong or some bad customer service experience.
I basically live rent-free in these communities for several hours a day, and I constantly see new horror stories followed by a bunch of replies from people saying they’ve only had an amazing experience with that company. Who do you believe? Is Company XYZ the best or the worst? Many of these reviews are true. Some are from spiteful customers who didn’t get the answer they wanted from a company. Many others are from bots. Some are paid for by the company’s competitors. It’s a clusterduck of unhelpfulness. Well, unless there are several pictures of people’s bikes breaking in half. That’s pretty solid, so to speak.
So try this as an alternative. Instead of being scared off by reviews, look for companies that maintain large US workforces and customer support teams. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but companies like Aventon, Lectric eBikes, Rad Power Bikes, Ride1Up, Super73, and others may all sell Asian-built electric bikes, but they are US-based companies with local support teams. They all surely have horror stories online about “bad service” but also have tens of thousands of happy customers who rely on that local support. Ultimately, put more emphasis on warranty and support options.
There are even some companies that make their e-bikes locally and offer super-long warranties, such as Electric Bike Company, though we don’t have time here to wade into the locally “built” vs. “assembled” argument.
The point is, research a company’s record but also consider their warranty, their local customer support, and other issues beyond just a few nightmarish reviews online, since all companies have them.
In conclusion, buying an e-bike for your teenager can be an empowering decision, fostering independence and environmental responsibility. It’s a great opportunity to teach accountability, timeliness, and personal responsibility to your teen while also freeing up your own schedule instead of being the family chauffeur.
Hopefully by following these tips, parents like you can ensure that you’re making a sound investment for your teen’s mobility needs while also keeping them safe and protected.
Good luck!
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The Honda Ruckus has earned cult status thanks to its minimalist styling, exposed frame, and seemingly endless customizability. The scooter, also known in international markets as the Honda Zoomer, has spent years being seen as a blank canvas for scooter tuners, urban commuters, and anyone who just wanted something simple, small, and kind of weird to zip around town. A few years ago, Honda finally answered the call for an updated version by announcing and producing the “Zoomer e:”, which was an electric version of the Honda Ruckus. So where is it?
When Honda launched the all-electric version of the Ruckus, the Zoomer e:, back in 2023, many fans hoped it was only a matter of time before we saw it quietly glide onto U.S. streets.
But two years later, there’s still no sign of a stateside release, and no indication that Honda plans to change that anytime soon.
The Zoomer e: was first introduced in China in early 2023 alongside two other retro-inspired electrics: the Cub e: and Dax e:.
The Zoomer e: keeps the stripped-down, industrial look of the classic gas-powered Ruckus, but swaps the 49cc engine for a 400W rear hub motor and a 48V 24Ah battery (around 1.15 kWh).
It was originally given a top speed of a mere 25 km/h (15.5 mph) to keep it street legal as an electric bicycle in its first market of China, where it also came with functional but stubby pedals so riders could pretend it was actually pedalable.
The first version of the electric scooter claimed a range of up to 80–90 km (50–56 miles) from its removable lithium-ion battery, depending on conditions.
We’ve since seen the performance bumped up to 40 km/h (25 mph) top speeds when the scooter was introduced into the Philippines market, where the local L1B classification allowed for higher speeds. It’s fairly obvious that the performance can be software-tweaked by Honda depending on the market, though likely to a limit. To achieve speeds much higher than 25 mph, a motor and controller swap may be required, though neither would be complicated.
In other words, the electric Ruckus’ debut revealed an ultra-lightweight, street-legal runabout designed for countries with expansive low-speed e-bike laws. But in the U.S., these types of quasi-e-bikes that are actually scooters are few and far between. The same performance can be had from a $1,000 electric bicycle, and in fact, Class 3 e-bikes in the US can go nearly twice as fast as the original electric Ruckus.
So Honda obviously hasn’t been in a rush to bring its low-spec version of the bike to the US market, where it would be a slower and heavier competitor to the wide range of cheap imported electric bicycles. However, its iconic design and cultural legacy have kept enthusiasm up for riders who have managed to privately import their own models. One Redditor appears to have imported two Honda Zoomer e: models in parts to assemble in the US, while someone else posted a YouTube video of his completely assembled Honda Dax e: model that was launched along the Zoomer e:.
Despite clear consumer interest and a growing market for low-speed electric vehicles, as well as Honda’s own proven interest in growing its electric scooter market, the company hasn’t made any moves to release the Zoomer e: in the US. That’s not surprising since America still lacks a robust electric scooter culture (or even a gasoline scooter culture, for that matter), and anything motorcycle-shaped that doesn’t hit 30+ mph tends to get passed over by mainstream buyers.
But perhaps that could change one day. Technically, bringing the Zoomer e: to the US wouldn’t be a monumental task for Honda. The U.S. is a self-certify country, meaning Honda could design a version that meets federal vehicle safety standards, beef up the motor and controller for higher speeds, and sell it as either a Class 2/3 e-bike, or perhaps more appropriately, as a low-speed motorcycle with a top speed in the 35-45 mph range (55-70 km/h).
With the rise of micromobility, electrification, and growing frustration with car-centric cities, now might actually be the perfect time for a reborn electric Ruckus to hit US roads. But until Honda decides to take that step, American riders will have to keep dreaming – or start importing.
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BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
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If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
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