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Mens Journal
The Best E-Mopeds of 2024, Reviewed and Tested
By Graham Averill,
8 hours ago
Everyone loves a moped. More grown up than a bicycle , but less intimidating than a motorcycle , mopeds fill a gap, offering riders an economical and efficient way to zip around city streets or the countryside. More importantly, mopeds are fun . Who hasn’t pictured themselves tooling around the narrow streets of a European city with a baguette sticking out of their tote bag? And now that electric mopeds have come onto the scene, we have a more responsible alternative to gas-guzzling bikes.
The new category of electric mopeds offers the same ease of electric bikes with the added bonus of looking cool as hell. Many take design cues from classic café racer motorcycles and vintage moped models like Puch Magnum and Motobecane Sebring.
We tested a handful of the top e-mopeds in the category so you can make an informed decision as you look for your own whip. Behold, the best electric mopeds to invest in now.
Engwe M20 combines great styling and awesome tech to make it our best overall e-moped pick.
Adam Bible
What It Is
With most electric mopeds hewing to a black-on-black scheme, Engwe M20 stands out by using a cool matte green for the frame and a café racer-style brown synthetic leather seat. That classic color palette also accentuates two other big style points: the sexy stacked LED headlights and the rakishly angled seat frame. Add to that a full suspension, optional dual 48V 13Ah lithium-ion batteries, and a great price, and you've got one of the best-looking, most-affordable, top-performing electric mopeds on the market.
Why We Like It
You get to select one or two batteries to extend your drive time. When you turn both batteries on, the electric moped automatically uses them simultaneously, prioritizing whichever has the higher voltage. Using both can get you about 44 miles just using the throttle, while in the lowest setting you can get around 150 miles.
To power it, you can use a motorcycle-style throttle on the right handlebar grip, pedal and change gears through the Shimano 7 driveline, or do both. The dual-disc 160mm brakes are responsive and very powerful. Moreover, the clear LCD panel provides all the info you need while on the road, including essentials like speed, battery level, and mode.
Throughout testing, I found myself gravitating toward the M20. It's a blast to ride around town, with plenty of power (1,000 watts max, 750 standard) and a decent gearing range when pedaling. I did find it easy to max out pedaling power when really trying to push speed to the limit, which is about 28 mph.
Engwe did just come out with M20 2.0 , which has a more powerful motor (1,200 max watts), but it only comes in one color with off-white walls on the tires, which isn't as attractive as the older version tested here, in my opinion.
Specs
Motor: 750W
Battery: 48V 13Ah lithium-ion
Torque: 55 N.m
Drivetrain: 7-speed
Range: 44 miles (single battery), 150 miles (dual battery)
Ride 1UP REVV 1 HT is a sleek and quick e-moped that has a lot of accessories you can add.
Graham Averill
What It Is
Ride 1UP REVV 1 HT manages to be striking without being flashy. The matte-black paint job gives it a “ghost bike” vibe, while the geometry and café racer seat harken back to vintage motorcycles. It’s a burly machine, weighing 83 pounds (hard tail) with a max weight capacity of 350 pounds. The seat is almost big enough for my wife to squeeze onto the back behind me. I think if I got pegs for the rear axle, it might work for date nights around town.
Why We Like It
REVV1 has a 750-watt capacity battery with a top-end range of 60 miles and a rear hub Bafang motor; all-in, it has a peak power of 1,300 watts. The smaller battery and heavier weight limit the battery range, but I was surprised with how quickly this bike accelerates, even just using the throttle alone. I even inadvertently popped a wheelie while gunning it off the line. Give it a couple pedal strokes to start out and you can be at the top speed in no time. Unlock the off-road mode, and that top speed will be in the low- to mid-30mph range.
The bike is kitted out with 20-inch wheels with 4-inch tires that are a little more street-centric than the knobby Hooligan shoes. Integrated headlights and a taillight beef up on-road safety, and there’s even a horn. I like the twist throttle, as opposed to the Hooligan’s thumb throttle, but it can get a bit tiresome if you’re gunning it at top speed for long distances. There are a handful of cool accessories you can add to the bike, like a center storage cage and a rear rack if you want more hauling capacity, and there’s even a dedicated spot to carry an extra battery, which would be clutch if you’re planning a multi-day trip.
I like the add-ons, but what really impressed me about REVV1 is the bike’s heft. The weight and geometry makes it handle less like a bicycle and more like a motorcycle. It’s a solid build that inspired me to lean into turns, and I felt confident pushing it at top speeds and taking it onto gravel roads. You can also opt for the full-suspension model, which would potentially increase the handling and open up even rougher roads.
Super73-S2 x Indian eFTR Hooligan 1.2 is the best looking e-moped you can buy.
Graham Averill
What It Is
Heritage motorcycle manufacturer Indian partnered with e-bike brand Super73 to create eFTR Hooligan 1.2 , a svelte take on an urban e-bike. Super73 brought its electric-power knowhow, and Indian provided the vintage aesthetic. The result is an e-moped that looks as good as it rides.
Hooligan sports a 960-watt battery (with a 2,000-watt peak power) with four levels of pedal assist and throttle power. Indian advertises 75-mile range for the battery with pedal assist, but I don’t know why anyone would pedal one of these e-mopeds. They’re made for throttling and that’s the way we rode them. You can expect to get around 40 miles of juice on a full charge if you live in relatively flat terrain. I rode the bike for a couple of months in my mountainous town and consistently got 30 to 40 miles per battery charge.
The Hooligan weighs 73 pounds with a weight capacity of 325 pounds. It’s one of the lighter bikes we tested, which helps increase the battery range and makes it ideal for smaller riders, but I liked the heft of some of the other bikes I tested better.
Why We Like It
It’s definitely the fastest bike we tested, although not the quickest. Accelerating is a little sluggish, but the top-end speed is downright blazing. After unlocking the off-road mode, I had no issue pushing this bike to 35mph on flat streets. It’s incredibly stylish, and the fact that it’s an Indian will turn heads and act as a conversation starter. While it looks like an off-road bike thanks to the BMX-inspired aesthetic and burly, 4.5-inch tires, it’s definitely made for paved or groomed dirt terrain.
Nitpick: The inverted fork makes for responsive handling, but I wouldn’t take the Hooligan on rough terrain. I had an issue with the seat, which just clips onto the top tube of the bike and kept shaking loose. The battery also shakes inside its housing. It never popped out or disconnected, but the movement created some rattle while on gravel roads and was a little disconcerting, especially compared to the other bikes, which seemed to have more of a robust build.
Ultimately, I think the Hooligan is a fun, stylish option if you’re looking for a zippy way to commute around town. Just don’t let the sporty look of the bike convince you to push its limits on rough terrain.
QuietKat Lynx tackles both the asphalt and the dirt with style and speed.
Adam Bible
What It Is
The most off-road capable of the electric mopeds we tested was QuietKat Lynx . A new offering from the brand that known for making heavy-duty e-bikes that are meant for taking deep into the backcountry to get quickly and quietly to far-flung fishing spots or hunting lands, the Lynx is a more stylish e-moped style that is capable on- or off-road. The Lynx is a big beast—similar to the size of a smaller displacement motorcycle—that uses full suspension and a thick aluminum frame to hold up to almost any terrain you care to throw at it while still looking super cool. It uses a twist-style throttle like a motorcycle that's very responsive and feels great in the hand.
Why We Like It
I found that this top-notch e-machine, which is made in the U.S., to be extremely well made and built from dependable and high-quality components, contrary to some of the other e-mopeds that are flooding the market from overseas. The Lynx uses a 1,000-watt, two-speed hub-driven motor that gives you variable output so, with a little menu manipulation, you can choose between Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, and Unlimited Modes for category-busting performance. The 20 amp hour battery is good for over 60 miles of range and is swappable to keep going on even the most lengthy trips around town or into the outdoors.
The massive suspension is one reason it rides so well off-road, with 203mm KKE front coil shocks and a stout 200x50mm rear coil shock to absorb all but the most gnarly of bumps and obstacles. The seat is another stand out as it's again inspired by custom motorcycles with a classic tan hue and long shape that gives you multiple ways to sit on it, depending on your terrain. A cool, halo front LED headlight with cafe-bike inspired surround and three settings helps keep all roads illuminated whether bombing down back alleys or navigating dark trails.
The app allows you to access lots of cool features like the ability to lock and monitor the QuietKat from anywhere, and you can track your rides with the GPS connectivity. New features are also in the works and will be able to be easily updated over Bluetooth.
SWFT Z.X is a basic e-moped that will still get you around town in a quickness.
Adam Bible
What It Is
For those who want a smaller, more tossable, and bare bones e-moped, the SWFT Z.X will fit the bill. It's light—weighing in at only 55 pounds, which is svelte for a e-moped—and eschews most of the features that other e-machines use like front and rear shocks, and brake lights, along with thicker and more elaborate frames.
Why We Like It
The 500-watt motor’s top speed holds steady at 20 mph, which is fast enough for me to whiz past 10-speedsters in the bike lane or weave through stop-and-go traffic. The 46.8V 10.2Ah battery can eke out about 53 miles with intermittent pedaling. However, once the charge on the LED control drop to two bars, max speed drops to around 14 mph. You get three pedal assist modes you can access on the LCD screen, and your extra power from the brushless hub motor using the handlebar-mounted throttle.
The SWFT website recommends Z.X for any rider taller than 5'2", but I found it not quite ideal for dudes like me who are over 6'0" because the seat can’t be adjusted upward to maximize efficient pedaling. That means a reliance on the throttle, which decreases range. The e-moped could also benefit from blinkers and a horn for increased safety for tooling around cities or towns. Such basics might not be needed when tooling around the ’burbs, but you become aware of their absence when trying to race the other working stiffs home in heavy traffic.
Pedego Moto is a large e-moped that packs lots of cool technology into a frame big enough for two.
Adam Bible
What It Is
The Pedego Moto is not the sleekest or lightest e-moped from our testing (though it does look pretty handsome), nor is it the fastest. But is the burliest of the bunch and its long, sturdy frame is perfect for hauling friends or loved ones around your town, along with a load of essentials like groceries or other errand-related stuff (if you add on their cargo accessories). It also packs a lot of cool tech features into the package that are accessible by the color LCD screen. And the Moto has that air of quality that you rarely get with e-machines that are designed and made overseas—it's designed in California and uses many high-quality components that make it feel, rightly so, like a high-end, well-built e-moped.
Why We Like It
If you have a family, or need a cargo hauler that's not a massive e-machine, Moto should be your pick. The top speed is governed to 20 mph, like most that ship in a Class 1 configuration, but can be bumped up the the Class 3 high mark of 28 mph (if you know who to ask). The strong hub electric motor puts out 750 watts and can take you about 75 miles on the 48V 19.2Ah battery, mated to a wide, 10-speed range on the SRAM GX drivetrain.
The suspension is plush, which, along with the long wheelbase (53 inches), gives it a great ride—I felt like it was on rails when scooting around town. Two coil over shocks in the rear with 45mm of travel soak up most big bumps, along with the 140mm travel inverted front shocks that have easily adjustable rebound and compression knobs on the tops of each fork.
The cockpit it is especially nice with the bright color LCD display that lets you switch the three modes quickly and also up torque or turn on cruise control. It also lets you track performance with a power meter and graph, along with distance. It did take me a bit to figure out how to work the screen's buttons on the first go as some of the symbols aren't clear or seem to indicate other functions (one button has the classic "power on" symbol but doesn't do that). But a few reads of the quick start guide and I was all good.
The long, bench-style seat is firm and comfy, and is a great length for someone large like me to stretch out while cruising, but is also sized to fit two adults. The BMX-style handlebars are also comfortable and the grips feel premium. A bright LED headlight puts out 100 lumens on low and 170 on high.
First, we should talk about the difference between a moped and a scooter. Traditionally, both were gas-powered vehicles built for short range travel in urban landscapes. It’s easy to confuse the two categories of bike, but the main distinguishing feature is mopeds have pedals and scooters do not. Scooters typically have a step-through design, while mopeds look like a motorcycle on a diet. The classic Vespa is a scooter. The vintage Motobecane is a moped.
An e-moped follows the same principles of their vintage predecessors, pedals and all, but instead of a two-stroke engine with a pedal start, they have lithium-ion batteries and rear hub motors. Technically, these whips are Class II e-bikes, in the same category as the cruiser-looking thing your retired neighbor uses to get to and from the farmer’s market on Saturdays. But obviously, they look quite different, taking an aesthetic page from vintage mopeds or and classic café cruiser style motorcycles. In other words, they look totally badass, but offer similar performance and ease-of-use as popular e-bikes.
Personally, I have only fond memories of my experiences with mopeds. My best friend got a moped when we were in the 8 th grade. I don’t remember the manufacturer, but it looked like a bubble on wheels. We didn’t have anywhere to go, so we spent our time trying to push the limits of the speedometer on the steepest hill in our neighborhood. We got that baby up to 42 mph.
Later, in my 20s, I once rode out of the jungle on the back of a moped in the Dominican Republic . I had been hiking and lost for hours before stumbling onto a one-lane road where I waved down the first help I saw. It was a teenager on a moped. I paid him $10 to take me to the nearest town.
What to Look For in an Electric Moped
All of the moped-style e-bikes we tested were built to handle paved and gravel roads. These machines can handle versatile terrain, and are comfortable on dirt roads, but they’re not trail bikes, so don’t expect them to perform well on singletrack or at your favorite dirt jump park. The Lynx is the one exception as it robust enough and has enough suspension travel to tackle semi-serious terrain that a small gas dirt bike could handle.
Suspension
Motorcycles have both front and rear suspension, which obviously evens out the road chatter beneath the rider, but dual suspension also helps keep the bike’s tires in contact with the ground. That constant traction is important for safe handling. Some of the e-mopeds we tested were only equipped with front suspension. At the relatively low speeds that these machines travel (20mph is the speed limit for class II e-bikes), the lack of rear suspension wasn’t an issue, but a few of brands on this list offer the option for dual suspension versions of their bikes.
Battery Range
You can spend a lot of time comparing the watt capacity and peak power output of different e-moped batteries, but ultimately you want to know how far the bike will go on a single charge. The bikes we tested offer a single charge range of 40 to 75 miles, but it’s important to understand that the high-end range of all of these bikes is calculated using pedal assist. If you only use the throttle like I do, that projected mileage can drop significantly. Peak power output is another key feature to consider, as it helps determine how fast the bike will accelerate and the top speed in off-road mode.
Easy Upgrade?
All of these bikes are shipped pre-programmed to operate as Class II e-bikes, with a top throttle speed of 20mph. A couple of the bikes we tested had the ability to switch between Class I, Class II, and Class III e-bikes, which impacts the speed they deliver and the legality of the machines on different terrain. For instance, some trail systems allow class I e-bikes, while Class III e-bikes might not be allowed on greenways depending on where you live. Switching the bike to Class III also unlocks higher throttle speeds (28mph+).
A Note About Sizing
The majority of these e-mopeds only come in one size. The long, banana-style seats create some adjustment—if you’re tall you can scoot back on the seat, if you’re short you can scoot up on the seat—but super tall or short people might find the ride uncomfortable. I’m 6’3” and the bikes were noticeably small on me. If I had to pedal these machines, it would’ve have been difficult, but I almost exclusively used the throttle, so it wasn’t too much of an issue. Also, the bikes are heavy, some of them pushing 90 pounds, and the majority of hitch bike racks built to accommodate e-bikes have a max weight of 65 pounds per tray, which means you’ll need a dedicated motorcycle hitch rack, or a truck, to transport these machines.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our two-person team has almost 40 years of combined bike testing experience; we’ve been studying the e-moped trend carefully, dissecting similar bikes from more than a dozen different makers. We then picked the top four bikes from trusted manufacturers to test out personally. We rode these bikes on a variety of terrain, from the city streets of Raleigh to the gravel roads of Pisgah National Forest, pushing them up mountains, on bar crawls and through rutted washboard roads to find out how each would perform under real life conditions.
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