Engwe E26 review: Testing out a budget-level 1,000W electric bike
I’ve tested several Engwe electric bikes by now, and each time I’ve come away with a solid feeling. The Engwe E26 continues that trend with a fairly priced ($1,199) electric bike that comes with a surprising amount of nice features for the price.
To see what it’s like to throw a leg over this e-bike, check out my review video below. Then keep reading for all of my thoughts!
Engwe E26 video review
Engwe E26 tech specs
- Motor: 1,000W peak-rated geared rear hub motor with 70 Nm of torque
- Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)
- Range: Claimed 86 miles (140 km) on pedal assist, real-world range likely half of that
- Battery: 48V 16Ah (758 Wh)
- Weight: 74 lb (33.5 kg )
- Max load: 330 lb (150 kg)
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes on 180mm rotors
- Extras: 7-speed Shimano drivetrain, large LCD color display, LED headlight and tail light, thumb throttle, mag wheels, suspension seat post, removable battery, rear rack, fenders, kickstand
- Price: $1,199
More than you might expect
The basic design of the Engwe E26 is fairly similar to most other full-size fat tire electric bikes on the market. You’ve got your 26×4″ fat tires, your step-through or step-over frame options, a modest suspension fork, and included fenders with a rear rack.
But the power here is more than you might expect at this price. The 1,000W peak-rated motor provides 70 Nm of torque, which is to say, a lot. And cruising up to 28 mph (45 km/h) is always a welcome feature, especially since I like to ride on the road with cars and usually have nothing more than a thin strip of paint separating me and those 4,000 lb machines. Without a protected bike lane, going faster is actually safer since I can better keep up with the speed of traffic instead of getting passed as frequently.
There’s even a larger battery than you’re probably expecting. The standard for these bikes is usually 48V and 14Ah. Sometimes you’ll see a 15Ah battery. On the Engwe E26 though, you get a 16Ah battery. That’s 768 Wh of capacity, which is another welcome addition – especially at this fairly low price.
You probably won’t get the 80+ miles (130+ km) of range that they so optimistically claim, but you could easily get half of that if you’re putting in some good pedaling on your own. If you’re relying on the throttle for 100% of your power and just riding around like a motorbike, then slightly under 30 miles of range is a good bet.
“Nice to see” components
A lot of what you’ll find on the Engwe E26 is fairly standard. The 7-speed Shimano Tourney derailleur is basic. The rack and fenders, they’re fine but nothing fancy. It’s great to see the included front and rear LED lights, but again, fairly standard.
But in other places, you’ll actually find some great inclusions. For example, the hydraulic disc brakes are always a welcome sight, but they’re rarely found on bikes at this price. Installing them means Engwe is giving a more powerful braking solution that requires less maintenance – which is better for everyone.
The color LCD display is also quite nice, including big and easy-to-read digits and clearly displaying all the pertinent information. And while we’re on the handlebars, check out that bell! I’ve never seen an e-bike bell quite like this. In fact, it’s shaped like an actual bell. I’m talking, Liberty Bell without the crack kind of bell. This big ol’ bell has an equally big ol’ brass thumper and sounds great. I know it’s a small detail here, but I’m a sucker for a nice, well made and loud bicycle bell. Engwe nailed this better than plenty of $5,000 e-bikes out there, and you could buy four of these e-bikes for that price.
A note on “full suspension”
Engwe refers to this as a full-suspension electric bike, which isn’t exactly correct, at least not based on traditional nomenclature. This is a hard-tail e-bike, of which we’ve seen and tested many.
Where they pull that full-suspension moniker from is the inclusion of a suspension seat post.
I see what they’re saying. Basically, you’ve got suspension in the front from the fork and suspension in the rear from the seat. Sure, that’s fine. But the term “full suspension” generally means that the bike isn’t a hard-tail, which is to say that the rear wheel also has suspension. In this case, the Engwe E26 doesn’t have rear-wheel suspension. That makes it a hardtail, not a full-suspension e-bike.
Even so, it is nice to see the included seat post suspension, which does make a difference when riding off-road or hitting potholes. Just don’t go into this bike expecting true rear suspension.
Sum it up for me
The basic takeaway here is that the Engwe E26 gives you a lot of bike for your money. It feels well made, has plenty of power and battery capacity, is only moderately heavy (for a fat tire e-bike) at 74 pounds, and comes from a company that’s been around for several years.
I’m a big fan of several of the features like the suspension seat post, gorgeous bike bell, and the punchy hydraulic disc brakes. I even like that pretty turquoise color, though the yellow colorway option also has me intrigued. And then there’s plain old black for folks that don’t want to get exciting with their color choices.
At $1,199, this is a steal of a deal in my opinion. The bike works well, is fast and powerful, and won’t leave an unfairly sized hole in your wallet. That’s a score, in my opinion!
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First Solar just cut the ribbon on a huge new factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and it dwarfs the New Orleans Superdome. The company’s $1.1 billion, fully vertically integrated facility spans 2.4 million square feet, or about 11 times the size of the stadium’s main arena.
The factory began production quietly in July, a few months ahead of schedule, and employs more than 700 people. First Solar expects that number to hit 826 by the end of the year. Once it’s fully online, the site will add 3.5 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. That brings the company’s total US footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, when its newly announced South Carolina plant is anticipated to come online.
The Louisiana plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules using US-made materials — glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel from Mississippi, which is fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
The new factory leans heavily on AI, from computer vision that spots defects on the line to deep learning tools that help technicians make real‑time adjustments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says the investment is already a win for the region, bringing in “hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses.” A new economic impact analysis from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette projects that the factory will boost Iberia Parish’s GDP by 4.4% in its first full year at capacity. The average manufacturing compensation package comes in at around $90,000, more than triple the parish’s per capita income.
First Solar CEO Mark Widmar framed the new facility as a major step for US clean energy manufacturing: “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
This site joins what’s already the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere: three factories in Ohio, one in Alabama, and R&D centers in Ohio and California. Just last week, First Solar announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore more Series 6 module work. By the end of 2026, the company expects to directly employ more than 5,500 people across the US.
Read more: First Solar pours $330M into a new South Carolina solar factory
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No, it’s not the new Bolt. GM’s design team previewed a new high-riding “sporty Chevrolet EV” that should be brought to life.
Is Chevy launching a new sporty EV?
This is the all-electric vehicle Chevy should sell in the US. General Motors’ design team released a series of sketches previewing a sporty new Chevy EV.
Although it kinda looks like the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV as a higher-sitting compact crossover SUV, the design offers a fresh take on what it should have looked like.
The new Bolt is essentially a modernized version of the outgoing EUV model with a similar compact crossover silhouette. Nissan adopted a similar style with the new 2026 LEAF as buyers continue shifting from smaller sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and SUVs.
Will we see the sporty Chevy EV in real life? It’s not likely. For one, the “exploration sketch” is by GM China Advanced designer Charles Huang.
GM Design posted the sketches on its global social media page, but the caption read “Sporty Chevrolet EV for the China Market.”
It’s too bad. The Bolt could use a sporty sibling like an SS variant. Chevy introduced the Blazer EV SS (check out our review) for the 2026 model year, its fastest “SS” model yet. Packing up to 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Chevy Blazer SS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds when using Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.
Will the Bolt be next? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And if GM does bring the sporty Chevy EV to life, it will likely only be sold in China. Like all the fun cars these days.
What do you think of the design? Would you buy one of these in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
While deliveries of the 2027 Bolt are set to begin in early 2026, Chevy is offering some sweet deals on its current EV lineup, including up to $4,000 off in Customer Cash and 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Ready to test drive one? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership near you.
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Environment
Podcast: Electricity is the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more
In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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