Engwe LE20 Review: Can this budget electric cargo bike hang with the big boys?
The Engwe LE20 is an interesting take on the cargo e-bike format. It’s marketed as a budget-friendly utility e-bike that can handle hauling groceries, gear, or even a passenger. At the same time, it looks like a cross between a compact cargo bike and a semi-fat tire hybrid-style bike, with a chunky frame, small wheels, and a long rear rack. But how does it actually perform in the real world? After spending some time riding and testing it, here’s what I found.
For such an interesting low-cost, long-range cargo e-bike, you’ll definitely want to see what it’s like to ride this one.
Check out my video review below for the full experience!
Engwe LE20 Video Review
Engwe LE20 2.0 tech specs
- Motor: 750W geared hub motor in the rear wheel
- Top speed: 45 km/h (28 mph) on pedal assist, 32 km/h (20 mph) on throttle
- Range: Claimed up to 160 km (100 mi) on single battery (or twice that with dual batteries)
- Battery: One or two 48V 19.2Ah (920 Wh) batteries
- Weight: 41.5 kg (91.5 lb)
- Max load: 200 kg (440 lb)
- Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes on 180 mm rotors
- Extras: Long rear rack, beautiful color LED display, integrated head/tail/brake LED lights with turn signals, fender set, kickstand
Power and performance
The Engwe LE20 is powered by a 750W rear hub motor (peaking at 1,300W), and I have to say, it packs more punch than I expected. With 75Nm of torque, acceleration is smooth but strong, especially when using the throttle. On flat terrain, it easily cruises at 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle alone, and with pedal assist, it can reach 28 mph (45 km/h).
One of the things I really liked about the ride was the torque sensor. Many budget e-bikes rely on cheap cadence sensors, and to be fair, Engwe has floated by on cadence sensors in the past. Cadence sensors aren’t bad per se, but the cheaper ones can feel extra laggy and they are often combined with poor controller programming that results in lurching and jumpy acceleration. As a nice change, the LE20’s torque sensor responds quickly to input, giving it a much more natural and intuitive ride feel. It just feels more like you’re riding a bike with strong legs, than that you’re on a jumpy motorbike.
Testing the bike in Florida, I didn’t have much of a chance to do any real hill climbing performance tests, buts with 75 Nm of torque and good power, I have to imagine that it will handle moderate inclines well. For steeper hills though, you’ll usually want to pedal along with hub motor-based electric bikes like these since the motor can’t drop into lower gears like a mid-drive.
Battery for days… and days
The LE20 comes with a 48V 19.2Ah battery, which is quite respectable for a cargo e-bike at this price point. Most cargo e-bikes cost more and have less battery, so Engwe starts strong there. The company claims a 109-mile range, but as with all e-bike range estimates, that’s in the lowest assist setting with ideal conditions. In real-world riding, using a mix of throttle and pedal assist, I would expect the range to be closer to 30-50 miles, which is still solid.
For those who need more range, Engwe offers an optional second battery, which could theoretically double the range. If you’re using this bike for delivery work or long-haul commutes, that second battery might be worth considering.
I tested the dual battery version, and I should point out that unlike most dual battery e-bikes, the Engwe shows the charge level of both batteries on the display. That’s a cool feature and will be important for cases where you might have forgotten to charge one of the batteries. You’ll instantly know it when you see one is nearly full while the other is approaching empty.
The display is also really nice. I’d say it has no businesses being this nice looking on a budget bike, but the colors and layout make it very slick look and easily readable.
Cargo and Utility
The LE20 is certainly designed first and foremost as a cargo e-bike, and while it does have a large rear rack, it’s not quite as robust as traditional long-tail cargo bikes. That said, the 440 lbs (200 kg) payload capacity means it can carry a fair amount, assuming that’s accurate. I always have to wonder a bit, especially when budget companies list the same or higher weight ratings than industry leaders such as Tern, who puts a lot of emphasis on accurate weight ratings. I’m not sure I’d run it with 440 lb of weight on it every day, but perhaps that’s just me being conservative with an admittedly budget-brand electric bike.
The long rear rack does offer some nice space for mounting accessories such as a child safety seat, though I like the passenger deck pads that work just as well for kids and adults. Engwe also sells varioius storage cases and other cargo accessories. Mine didn’t come with footrests, but I think the standard package includes them now.
One major inconvenience that I did NOT like about the cargo design is that the side panels are so massive that they cover every bit of exposed frame rail in the back. That means I’ve got nothing to lash to when I want to carry cargo. I did a mail run and had a couple packages that I needed to carry back with me, and ended up having to secure them to the rack by tying off to the derailleur guard, of all places. Obviously that’s not ideal, and I wish Engwe had left us a bit more frame rail to work with.
You can see my jury-rigged rigging in the video review above. It works, but it’s not ideal from a cargo standpoint.
Ride comfort and handling
For a cargo bike, the LE20 rides pretty well, thanks to its front suspension fork and 20×3.0-inch tires. The smaller wheels make it more maneuverable in tight spaces, but they also make bumps slightly more noticeable compared to a larger-wheel cargo bike. I always prefer smaller wheels on cargo bikes though, since I’ll take the lower center of gravity over the better rolling comfort. And the semi-fat design of the 3-inch tires adds back some comfort to the mix. The cast wheels are also a nice addition, even if they are probably a bit more rigid than spoke wheels, but at least they’re maintenance free and look cool, too!
The step-through frame makes getting on and off the bike easy, especially if you’re carrying cargo. The seat is decently comfortable, and the upright riding position feels natural.
However, at 91.5 lbs (41.5 kg), it’s not a lightweight bike by any stretch of the imagination! You definitely feel that weight when maneuvering it around in a garage or parking, and even when riding around at low speeds.
At higher speeds, you generally don’t notice the extra weight, and of course, one of the benefits of an electric motor is that you don’t have the same weight penalty as a traditional bike. But lordy lord help you if you ever want to lift it onto a bike rack or carry it up a flight of stairs.
Brakes and safety features
Braking is handled by 180 mm hydraulic disc brakes, which offer strong stopping power. Given the weight and speed of this bike, hydraulic brakes are a necessity, and I was happy to see that Engwe didn’t cut corners here.
Another major safety feature is lighting, and the LE20 comes with integrated lights that run off the main battery. This isn’t exactly a technological feat, but some e-bikes still use lights with their own separate batteries, so I’m glad to see we at least make use of that massive e-bike battery for the lighting.
The dual-barrel headlights seem plenty bright as a be-seen light, but don’t expect them to solely light up the path on a moonless night with no street lights. For visibility though, I don’t think cars will miss you.
Final thoughts
For just $1,295 for the base model or $1,595 for the dual battery version, this is a great price for a super long range cargo e-bike.
Yes, it’s got some small issues. I’d probably just remove the rear guards to give me access to frame rails in the rear, though I accept that they’re a safety feature and so I’d rather just seem them a bit smaller. And it’s heavy as all get out. But at this price, you’re getting some serious performance and lots of cargo space.
The nice features like a torque sensor and beautiful display add significant value on what should be an otherwise unremarkable bargain-priced electric bike, so this one actually surprised me in a good way.
I’m not saying there aren’t better options out there, and the Lectric XPedition 2.0 for just an extra $100 has a lot going for it (even if the battery isn’t as big). But for $1,295, the Engwe LE20 is definitely compelling as a long-range cargo e-bike.
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Lennox Residential HVAC has launched an extreme cold climate heat pump that warms a house with low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant in temperatures as low as -20F.
It’s called the Dave Lennox Signature® Collection SL22KLV Cold Climate Heat Pump, and Lennox claims its efficiency levels are 150% higher at colder temperatures than standard heat pumps.
In 2022, Lennox was the first company to complete the first phase of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCHP) Technology Challenge, and the SL22KLV is a souped up version of the unit developed for that challenge.
The heat pump, which pairs with a smart thermostat, uses a variable-speed compressor with Electronic Refrigerant Injection (ERI) to adjust the energy usage based on the outside temperature, which helps to lower energy costs. When the temperature drops, the ERI increases heating output efficiently.
The SL22KLV has efficiency ratings of up to 21.10 for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2 (SEER2), 13.2 for Energy Efficiency Ratio 2 (EER2), and 10.50 for Heating Seasonal Performance Factor 2 (HSPF2). It also features a precision-balanced, direct-drive fan and sound-dampening system for ultra-quiet operation as low as 58 decibels.
The heating capacity is between 21,600 Btuh and 60,000 Btuh, and the cooling capacity is between 22,000 Btuh and 56,000 Btuh.
Lennox’s new extreme cold heat pump uses the low global warming potential R-454B refrigerant, reducing environmental impact without compromising performance. It’s also eligible for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, a federal IRA tax credit for homeowners (and it’s still in place). There may also be other local utility and state incentives for installing a heat pump, so it’s definitely worth checking. It’s now available for order through local Lennox dealers.
Read more: Seriously good cold-climate heat pumps are headed to the US market
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EV startup Lucid Motors (LCID) released its fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday, beating estimates with big expectations for 2025. Lucid said it expects to produce about 20,000 EVs this year with the output of its first electric SUV, the Gravity, ramping up.
Q4 2024 earnings preview
After four straight record quarters, Lucid delivered 10,241 vehicles last year. That’s up 70% from the roughly 6,000 EVs Lucid delivered in 2023.
In the final three months of 2024, the company delivered 3,099 vehicles alone, nearly 80% more than the year prior. Lucid also hit its production target for the year with 9,029 EVs built at its Casa Grande, Arizona manufacturing plant.
After launching its first electric SUV, the Gravity, in December, the EV maker expects output to pick up this year.
The higher volume helped Lucid generate $200 million in revenue in the third quarter, but its net loss also widened to $992.5 million compared to $630.9 million in Q3 2023.
Like most, Lucid has introduced significant discounts and incentives with up to $15,000 in savings on select Air models.
| Q4 2022 | Q1 2023 | Q2 2023 | Q3 2023 | Full-year 2023 | Q4 2023 | Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 | Full-year 2024 | |
| Lucid EV deliveries by quarter | 1,932 | 1,406 | 1,404 | 1,457 | 6,001 | 1,734 | 1,967 | 2,394 | 2,781 | 3,099 | 10,241 |
Wall St is estimating Lucid will post Q4 revenue of $214 million, up from $157.2 million in Q4 2023, with an eps loss of 0.25.
Lucid aims to double EV production in 2025
Lucid reported Q4 revenue of $234.5 million, up nearly 50% from the prior year and beating Wall St estimates. For the full year, the company generated $807.8 million, up from $595.2 million in 2023.
- Lucid Q4 2024 revenue: $234.5 million vs $214 million expected
- Lucid Q4 2024 EPS: (-$0.22) vs (-$0.25) expected
The company also improved gross margins by 72pts to (-89%). Despite the higher output, Lucid’s operating loss narrowed to $732.95 million in Q4, down from $736.87 million a year prior.
Lucid ended the quarter with about $6.13 billion in liquidity, which the EV maker said will be sufficient into the second half of 2026 when it plans to launch its midsize platform.
CEO Peter Rawlinson said earlier this month that the midsize platform is “finally when we compete directly with Tesla.” The first two models are expected to be an electric SUV and sedan starting at around $50,000, aimed at Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y.
Interim CFO Gagan Dhingra said, “We made substantial progress in improving our gross margins, managing our operating expenses while balancing strategic growth investments, and strengthening our balance sheet with the support of the Public Investment Fund (PIF).”
Lucid expects to produce around 20,000 vehicles in 2025, more than double the just over 9,000 EVs it built last year.
The company said it will “continue to prudently manage and adjust production to meet sales and delivery needs” this year.
Lucid’s upbeat guidance comes after Rivian (RIVN) announced during its Q4 earnings last week that it expected slightly fewer deliveries this year. Rivian said the lower guidance was due to “external factors,” including changes in government policies and regulations.
The company also announced several management changes. COO Mark Winterhoff will serve as interim CEO, while Peter Rawlinson will become a Strategic Technical Advisor on the board. Meanwhile, Taoufiq Boussaid has been appointed CFO.
Lucid’s stock climbed over 8% after beating fourth quarter estimates and raising EV output guidance for 2025. Check back for updates from Lucid’s earnings call. We will post updates from the call below.
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Mercedes will use the designation “with EQ technology” rather than naming its EVs with separate “EQ” model names, to focus on treating them more like normal models – in what this author considers an overdue move.
For many years now, Mercedes has added “EQ” to the model name of its electric models, as in the Mercedes EQS, EQE and so on. It’s meant to stand for “electric intelligence,” a play on the concept of “IQ.”
The convention started with Mercedes’ EQ concept cars, first named as such in 2016 (special mention here for the awesome EQA hot hatch concept, which ended up turning into an SUV… sigh).
Since then, Mercedes has carried it over into all of its electric models, treating “EQ” as a separate sub-brand or a model line on its own, to distinguish it from the company’s staid fossil-powered offerings.
But that has led to some confusion among buyers. With models named EQA, EQB, EQC, EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, EQS SUV, EQV, and EQT, it starts to look like alphabet soup.
Mercedes noticed this confusion and commented on it back in 2023, when it first announced its plan to drop EQ branding from its model names.
Mercedes buyers are used to the convention of naming vehicles with lettering based on body style and numbers based on engine displacement. But for the EV line, all vehicles share the letters “EQ,” which could lead customers to think that there is some similarity between them, and engine displacement doesn’t really make any sense to apply to an EV. So there is room for confusion there.
Instead, Mercedes now says it will follow the convention it established with the release of the electric G-Class, which it officially calls “G580 with EQ technology.” That “with EQ technology” portion will stick and be carried through other Mercedes EVs, like the upcoming electric CLA. Plug-in hybrids will use “with EQ hybrid technology” as their designation.
Mercedes is treating this as somewhat of a compromise between dropping “EQ” entirely and still maintaining continuity with its past electric models. In this way, there is still a way to tell that a model is electric, but they will be treated more like “normal” models within the model range, instead of as a separate sub-brand.
Alongside these changes, Mercedes has also signaled a return to more “traditional” designs for its EVs, such as a fake grille for the 2025 EQS and perhaps less streamlined exterior shapes for upcoming EVs.
Electrek’s Take
It’s a bit of a mouthful, especially on the first available model with such naming, the G580 with EQ Technology – but we expect that people will start calling it “the electric G-Class” or “G-Class EQ” (perhaps a similar treatment to how people use AMG) or thereabouts, and that as other models gain the same designation, they will get the same colloquial treatment until it eventually feels normal. (Although, we still don’t know what the “580” means in that name).
And, I have long thought that automakers should do something like this, and treat electric models as normal models rather than some foreign thing.
We’ve seen a lot of odd naming conventions from automakers as they try to figure out what to call their EVs – like Audi, which originally introduced the E-tron as a singular concept model and later ended up using it as a designation for anything with an electric motor, or BMW, which started a separate “Projekt i” sub-brand in the early days (with actually interesting designs for once), then killed it off, then brought back the “i” to make more conventional-looking vehicles.
My theory is that by treating models as something foreign, something different, you create an internal conflict within the organization, confusion among customers, and all-in-all make the EVs seem less like a “normal” choice that a buyer could make. It almost feels like you’d have to go to a separate dealership, talk to a separate specialist, in order to find an EV. It adds another layer of friction which could push customers away.
But EVs don’t need to be different and weird, especially here in 2025 where just about everyone at this point has seen them, taken rides in them, has a friend who has one, or something of the sort. And if the entire auto industry is going to electrify – which, I think it bears repeating, is happening and is inevitable, no matter who tries to stop it – at some point we need to drop this idea that EVs are “something else” and recognize that they’re just cars.
So, why not call EVs something normal? Every gas car gets its own name – Tucson, Elantra, Camry, Palisade – so why can’t EVs just be normal too? Let’s get more Taycans, more Dolphins, more Leafs.
And, this is one step along the way towards that for Mercedes, and that’s a good thing. Other automakers should consider the same.
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