The photo above of a person lifting their CARBO over their head displays how lightweight a CARBO folding e-bike is but does this represent the entire folding e-bike marketplace?
We enjoy following social media folding e-bike groups. They are filled with great tips and advice, however, a consistent theme keeps surfacing which is a new owner’s amazement at just how heavy their folding e-bike is to lift, move, or carry. They weren’t aware it would be this heavy and now they are considering the purchase of a bike rack, which they completely recognize defeats the purpose of buying a folding bike in the first place.
In fact, we have great empathy for these buyers as we ourselves found it difficult (and cumbersome) to lift our Sondors Fold XS into the back of an SUV.
We have read numerous suggestions for putting your folded e-bike in a 50, 60, or 70-gallon tote bin to transport. The question is even in a tote will you be able to lift it into the back of an SUV or a car trunk?
Our post about lifting up a folded e-bike includes a spot-on video by Citizen Cycle and the challenges faced when trying to transport a folded e-bike.
Should you consider the overall folding e-bike’s weight and whether it would be practical for you to move it around? The simple answer is – yes.
To us, the whole purpose of buying a folding e-bike is primarily for portability.
Wouldn’t it just be nice to lift every folding e-bike above your head?
So what does your possible future folding e-bike weigh? Below is a list of folding e-bikes in each weight class with their overall weight (including battery), motor, and tire size. Folding bike accessories will add to the overall weight, especially a second battery. Obviously, the heaviest folding e-bikes will be those with the largest hub motors, batteries, and thicker frames.
Folding E-Bikes: Lightweight
- CARBO X – 33 lbs, 250W, 20″ x 2″ Tires
- Brompton Electric P Line – 34 lbs, 250W, 16″ x 1.35″ Tires
- AHOOGA Power 36V – 38 lbs, 250W, 20 x 1.5″ Tires
- JUNTO MetroMini – 38 lbs, 350W, 20″ x 2″ Tires
- Dahon Curl Ei4 – 38 lbs, 250W, 16″ x 2.2″ Tires
Folding E-Bikes: Middleweight
- Qualisports Dolphin – 46 lbs, 350W, 20″ x .125″ Tires
- Lectric XP Lite – 46 lbs, 300W, 20″x 2.4″ Tires
- SDREAM UR 500X – 46 lbs, 500W, 20″ x 2.125″ Tires
- Evelo Dash – 50 lbs, 350W Mid-Drive, 20″ x 2.4″ Tires
- Eahora Azarias – 56 lbs, 750W, 20″ x 3″ Tires
- E-Joe EPIK Swan – 56 lbs, 500W, 20″ x 2.125″ Tires
- G-Force T42 – 58 lbs, 500W, 20″ x 4″ Tires
Folding E-Bikes: Heavyweight
- RadExpand 5 – 63 lbs, 750W, 20″ x 4″ Tires
- Engwe Engine Pro – 64 lbs, 750W, 20″ x 4″ Tires
- Lectric XP 2.0 – 63 lbs, 500W, 20″ x 3″ Tires
- SONDORS FOLD XS – 70 lbs, 750W, 20″ x 4″ Tires
- Amp Rides Limited Volt DS – 82 lbs, 750W, 20″ x 4″ Tires
Now that you can see the comparison of folding e-bikes and their corresponding weights should you only focus on the lightest folding e-bikes? No, not at all! BUT, you should be aware of what you are purchasing ahead of time and understand how “portable” your new folding e-bike may or may not be for your lifestyle.
