The Best eBikes Under $1,500 [2024 Edition]

Why We Picked It:

Rad Power is has some pretty amazing eBikes, and the RadRunner 2 is one of them. Labelled by Rad themselves as The Jack of All Trades, this little eBike (its wheelbase is only 45 inches) is what you could generously call a "Junior Utility Bike."

Despite its small size, it does pack a wallop, with a 750W rear hub motor and a meaty 68 Nm of torque. You get 5 PAS levels, and to keep things simple, it is a single speed with no derailleur. That is perfectly fine, however, as the RadRunner 2 is not designed to be the fastest, or the most efficient, or the best commuter. What it is designed to do is get you around comfortably, with a huge payload capacity of 300 lbs, 50 of those alone on the cargo rack.

You also get a built in headlight and tail light, both LED, so it's even viable as a night bike, or for those that might use it to do early morning deliveries, a capable morning bike. Whatever you do use it for, this little tractor will for sure get it done, and if you do want to use it as a commuter, there is an optional Commuter Package that adds a hard-side case between the seat upright and the front bar, to carry your gear, your cell phone, and it even has a cupholder for the morning coffee!

Why We Picked It:

KBO is one of those companies that follows what we here at webBikeWorld call "The Kawasaki Effect." Jam a two wheeled mode of transportation full of features, then put on the market at a ridiculous price well below what many would think it's worth. The Breeze is the perfect example of this in the commuter eBike market.

A 500W nominal, 750W peak rear hub motor with a 48V 768 Wh battery providing the juice. 5 PAS levels with a Shimano Altus (aka the industry standard for good reason) 7-speed derailleur for gearing. You get full brand Tektro Aries 180mm disc brakes front and back, and to top it all off, the expected range is 55 miles.

The Breeze is, frankly, aimed at the newcomer to the eBike world. Most entry-level eBikes don't come with full cargo racks, fenders, headlight, tail light, or even a water bottle holder. Guess what KBO kitted this bike out with? Yep, all of those. That's also not mentioning the amazingly plush and comfortable saddle so you won't have a sore tailbone when you do pull into the bike racks at work. This is a bike that should be selling in the mid-market with all of its features, but KBO made it entry level, and at $1,500, it is an absolute steal.

Why We Picked It:

Bafang 750W hub motor, 60 Nm peak torque, 48V 720 Wh battery, 30+ miles range, class 3 eBike. All of that, for $1,295. If you need further convincing...

The 700 Series is available as either a step over or step through style, equipped with a headlight and integrated LED tail light, a full rear rack that can handle 50 lbs of cargo, and has semi-fat tires and full front fork suspension. A Shimano Acera RD-M3000 8-speed derailleur handles the gearing, and to help with pedaling, instead of the normal 5, it features 9 PAS levels. It is also an extremely comfortable commuter and city explorer thanks to its supportive, well padded saddle and the "Goldilocks" level of front suspension. It's communicative and will take the lumps and bumps, but it doesn't feel like a wet marshmallow.

To just sweeten the deal, you also get a thumb throttle if you want to give your legs a rest. If you're looking for what might rightly be called a bargain, then the Ride1Up 700 Series really needs to be on your shortlist.

Why We Picked It:

Aventon makes a whole slew of different eBikes, from eMTB hillclimber and pathfinder bikes, to models like the Soltera.2. This is a bike that is not really aimed at a commuter per se, but it is aimed at the urban rider that wants a little pep to their pedaling. It is ultra-light at 46 lbs including battery, and has been designed in a way that makes it look like your average, non-electric road and pathway bike.

Yet, there is an electric heart, one that beats with 350W with a 36V 346 Wh battery mounted so flush to the lower bar that it looks like a 2-tone paint job. A Shimano 7-speed derailleur takes care of the gearing, and you get 5 PAS levels. It is Class 2, so it will assist up to 20 MPH.

What the Soltera.2 does very well is be about as nimble as an eBike can be. It's the kind of bike you can place precisely where you want it at any point, be it passing walkers on pathways, ducking between two buildings with a narrow alley, or keeping up with the flow in the bike lane and needing to weave around a slower rider. It's not what you would call a speed demon of a bike, but it is what you would call a laser scalpel to get around the urban jungle.

Why We Picked It:

The Lectric XP Lite is an eBike that is ver true to its name. It is light on weight, at just 46 lbs with its 48V 374 Wh battery. It is light on the wallet, as it costs $946 MSRP, but can often be found for $800 or less, even from Lectric themselves. The only downside is that it is light on features to get to the sub-$1,000 price point, but it is still a very capable eBike with everything you need.

The XP Lite features a 300W nominal power rear hub motor that can peak to 720W when needed for a short amount of time. It has 5 PAS levels. It is a single speed drive, removing the complexity of a derailleur to keep the price down. It will also get between 15 to 40 miles, depending on PAS level and throttle usage.

It also folds down to a very compact size, barely 2 square feet, making it easy to stash under your desk at work to plug in for charging. If you do want to have more features, you can purchase fenders, a cargo rack, and the like. However, if all you just want is an eBike with no gadgets or gizmos and act as an eBike, you really can't go wrong with the Lectric XP Lite.

Why We Picked It:

The Himiway Cruiser is one of the few bikes for commuting that we recommend that has full 4 inch wide fat tires, and we'll get to the reason we recommend it in a moment, but it also has perhaps the best value proposition in having a full Bafang 750W rear hub motor. Bafang are the gold standard in the eBike motor world, so to have one installed and still be under $1,500 is a bargain in and of itself.

The base reason we recommend the Cruiser with its fat tires for commuting is that not every city out there has bike lanes, or even a paved path to your work. In those places, you might need to ride across a park, or take some twisty, bumpy bike path to get to the places that do have bike lanes. Having a fat tire eBike makes tackling all of the little nuisances of the city much easier.

With a 48V 840Wh battery, expect 35 to 60 miles per charge, which is more than enough for many for getting to work and back. You also get a Shimano 7-speed derailleur, 180mm disc brakes, a coil-suspension front fork, headlight and tail light, half twist throttle, fenders, and a rear cargo rack, all as standard!

Why We Picked It:

The Denago City Model 1 is a no-frills, barebones, entry-level bike that is generously equipped with the important bits. You have a 500W rear hub motor with a 50 Nm peak torque rating, a 48V 652 Wh battery that will still get you 40 or more miles of range on a single charge, and it ranks as a class 3 eBike, with a top speed of 28 MPH.

At $999, it's also very, very affordable, but there have been some sacrifices made to get it to that price point. As it comes in the box, you get just the bike. No fenders, no cargo rack, not even a headlight or tail light. These are available as optional extras when you order your bike, but even with them added, it will still only tip the scales at about $1,200.

The City Model 1 does absolutely everything a commuter bike should. It has a gutsy-as-hell motor, enough range for the daily commute, is Class 3 (for under $1,000?!?!), and you do get a thumb throttle and 5 PAS levels of assist with the standard package.

Denago does make the Commute Model of eBikes, but they are priced at $2,000 and beyond, by the City Model 1 is still everything you need, and nothing more, if all you will be doing is in-city commuting and occasional riding.