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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The new and improved Hyundai IONIQ 5, or the hot-selling Chevy Equinox EV? Which electric SUV makes the smarter lease? Here’s the rundown.
Over 607,000 electric vehicles were sold in the US in the first half of 2025, thanks to some big discounts. Many automakers are currently offering generous savings, as Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is set to end federal EV incentives at the end of September.
According to Cox Automotive’s latest EV Market Monitor report, EV incentives reached a record of nearly $8,500 in June, or about 15% off the average transaction price (ATP).
That’s more than double the incentives offered on gas-powered vehicles. Seven electric vehicles had an ATP below $40,000, including the Chevy Equinox EV. The Equinox EV was the top-selling EV in the price range.
Starting at just $34,995, GM calls it “America’s most affordable 315+ range EV.” The electric Equinox has already propelled Chevy to become the number two EV brand in the US behind Tesla.
Through the first half of the year, the Chevy Equinox EV accounted for nearly a third of GM’s electric vehicle sales. And it could have sold even more. A dealer in California reached out to Electrek, claiming they had to wait over a month to receive Equinox EV models. It’s now on track to be among the top three selling EVs in the US.
Which EV to lease: Chevy Equinox EV or Hyundai IONIQ 5
With leases starting at just $289 per month, it’s no wonder the electric SUV is flying off the lot. The offer is for 24 months with $3,909 due at signing.
Alternatively, you can opt for 0% APR financing for 60 months, which Chevy is offering on all 2025 electric vehicle models.
| 2025 Chevy Equinox EV trim | Starting Price | EPA-estimated Range | Monthly lease Price (July 2025) |
| LT FWD | $34,995 | 319 miles | $289 |
| LT AWD | $40,295 | 307 miles | $351 |
| RS FWD | $45,790 | 319 miles | $416 |
| RS AWD | $49,090 | 307 miles | $453 |
The base 2025 Chevy Equinox EV LT starts at $34,995 with up to 319 miles of range. The interior boasts up to 57.2 cu ft of space and a 17.7″ infotainment screen.
How does it compare to the IONIQ 5? Hyundai has upgraded its best-selling electric SUV with major improvements, including increased range (now up to 318 miles), a revamped interior and exterior, and a built-in NACS port to access Tesla Superchargers.
After cutting lease prices again this month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is currently listed at just $179 per month.
However, that’s for the base SE mode, which has an EPA-estimated driving range of 245 miles. The longer-range IONIQ 5 SE RWD, with 318 miles range, can still be leased for just $199 per month right now. Both offers are for 24 months with $3,999 due at signing.
| 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Trim | EV Powertrain | Driving Range (miles) | Starting Price* | Monthly lease price July 2025 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range | 168-horsepower rear motor | 245 | $42,500 | $179 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $46,550 | $199 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $49,500 | $209 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $54,200 | $309 |
| IONIQ 5 SE Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $50,050 | $249 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $53,000 | $259 |
| IONIQ 5 XRT Dual Motor AWD | 320 horsepower dual motor | 259 | $55,400 | $359 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 269 | $58,100 | $299 |
Hyundai is also throwing in a complimentary ChargePoint Level 2 home charger with the purchase or lease of a new 2025 IONIQ 5. All IONIQ 5 trims are listed with 1.99% APR financing for up to 60 months.
The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 offers up to 59.3 cu ft of cargo space with a dual 12.3″ driver display and infotainment system setup.
Both the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Chevy Equinox EV are hard to pass up right now, with lease prices expected to be as low as they will ever be.
Looking to snag the savings while they last? You can use our links below to find offers on the Chevy Equinox EV and Hyundai IONIQ 5 near you.
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Volkswagen’s ID.3 just got a gold star from the folks at ADAC, Europe’s largest automobile club. After four years of pushing the all-electric hatchback to its limits in a long-term endurance test, the VW ID.3’s battery still held 91% of its original capacity – a big win for EV durability.
Engineers at ADAC’s Test and Technology Centre in Landsberg am Lech, Germany, put the ID.3 Pro S through its paces, clocking over 160,000 kilometers (roughly 99,400 miles). That’s the full length of VW’s battery warranty – eight years or 160,000 km – and the car came out swinging.
The ID.3 Pro S is equipped with a 77 kWh net-capacity battery. Volkswagen guarantees that its ID. models will keep at least 70% of their original net battery capacity by the end of the warranty period. After the test, the ID.3 beat that benchmark by a long shot.
The ADAC didn’t baby this car, either. Over 40% of the charging was done using DC fast chargers, and the vehicle was frequently left at 100% charge between test drives, sometimes for days at a time. (That’s a no-no for battery longevity, but it’s precisely why this test matters.)
Engineers kept a close eye on the ID.3’s battery health between drives. They also regularly updated the vehicle software, including installing Volkswagen’s EV Route Planner, which calculates optimal charging stops using real-time traffic and charge level data. One major update even bumped up the charging rate to 170 kW.
The software upgrades didn’t just improve charging – they helped boost efficiency too, especially over short distances and during chilly winter temps (0–5C/32–41F).
Beyond battery life, the VW ID.3 also scored high marks for build quality. Even after all those kilometers, ADAC said the chassis, suspension, steering, and body were still in solid shape – no significant wear or issues.
ADAC’s big piece of advice is to keep your software up to date. That made a noticeable difference in range and driving experience over the four-year test.
Martin Sander, a Volkswagen board of management member responsible for sales, marketing and after sales, says the results show its ID. line (including the US-made ID.4s) is built to last. “A high battery capacity of over 90% after 160,000 kilometers confirms our ID. models are also very attractive as used cars and continue to meet the requirements of our customers.”
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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 Tesla announcing new Model 3 and Model Y variants, the robotaxi expansion wars, big Lucid news, 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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