By Phill Tromans
Want to go further but spend less energy? Thanks to electric bikes, it’s easier than ever to travel a long way without breaking a sweat. But the best long-range ebikes take that a step further. Many steps further, in fact – so many steps that, well, it’s best to ride rather than walk. Here are the bikes we consider the best we’ve ridden that have an official range of 50 miles or more before you need to plug them in to recharge.
Jump to:
- ADO Air 20
- Ampere Deluxe 700C Step Through
- Beameo Buddy
- Beameo Ray Hybrid
- Emu Evo Crossbar
- Emu Evo Step Through
- Engwe M20
- Engwe X26
- Tenways CGO600 Pro
ADO Air 20, £1,279.99
Folding | Weight: 16-18kg | Range: 100km / 62 miles | Road legal
Read the full ADO Air 20 review
The ADO Air 20 is one of our favourite folding e-bikes, with a remarkable blend of features and an affordable cost. With its battery integrated into the seatpost, it looks sleek but don’t be fooled – there’s a stonking 62 claimed miles of electric assistance stored within, and you can easily remove the battery for charging or security.
The 250W motor combines with a torque sensor for instant and quick acceleration and there are five power mode assists to give you extra oomph when you need it, or back off to extend the range. In our tests, the ADO Air 20 was a brilliant choice for urban commuting but it’s also comfortable enough for longer rides, too, and perfect for a leisurely trip out into the country.
Ampere Deluxe 700C Step Through, £1,499.99
Step-through bike | Weight: 22kg | Range: 88km / 55 miles | Road legal
Ampere Deluxe 700c: Full specs
If hoiking a leg over a crossbar feels too energetic or not quite elegant enough, perhaps the Ampere Deluxe might appeal? This is a step-through bike, which as the name suggests, means you just step through the frame to perch on the saddle – great news for the inflexible or those wearing a skirt or tight trousers (it’s one of our recommended ebikes for women).
It has an integrated battery and an extra-torquey 65Nm from its 250W electric motor for effortless acceleration, as well as a range of up to 55 miles per charge if you go for the 14Ah model (the 10Ah will manage 40 miles). On top of that, the specification includes a Suntour suspension fork for extra comfort, a rack and mudguards for added practicality. All for less than £1700. We did, however, find it a bit tricky to carry as there’s no integral handle.
Ampere Deluxe 700c: Full specs
Beameo Buddy, £1,725.00
Folding | Weight: 22kg | Range: 100km / 62 miles | Road legal
Designed primarily as a commuter bike, the Buddy is one of a range of bikes from UK-based Beameo, and while it’s a hefty weight, its folding ability makes it at least relatively portable. That means you can pack it into the car and head into the countryside, where it promises a considerable battery range of up to 62 miles.
It’s decent value too, at just over £1700, especially considering its mid-drive motor, which is rare at this price point, but gives a really great sense of riding control and connectedness. The 20-inch wheels ensure it’s comfortable over a variety of terrain.
All that, and it comes with a five-year warranty on the frame and motor, and 12 months on the battery and other components, with a team in Wales to handle any issues – no need for the drama of international correspondence should you need to get in touch.
Beameo Ray Hybrid, £1,429.99
Cruiser | Weight: 28kg | Range: 120km / 75 miles | Road legal
Read the full Beameo Ray review
The Beameo Ray Hybrid e-bike offers a blend of retro style and practical functionality. Its robust 614Wh battery supports up to a whopping 75 miles of power assistance, making it ideal for urban commutes or countryside explorations. The bike's quirky frame design, reminiscent of 1970s cruiser bikes, houses 700C wheels and a 250W motor in the rear hub. Despite its weight of 28kg, it delivers a comfortable and easy ride with features like mudguards, a light, a kickstand, and a rear rack all included as standard. The Beameo Ray is a charming option for those seeking a straightforward and effective e-bike experience. We found it a comfy and practical ride, with lots of battery power and a strong motor.
Emu Evo Crossbar, £1,149.99
Classic | Weight: 18.5kg | Range: Up to 80km / 50 miles | Road legal
A lightweight in this category of e-bike, the Emu Evo Crossbar weighs in at just 18.5kg, yet still promises a battery range of up to 50 miles. OK, that’s at the low end of the bikes in this article, and you’ll only get that from the pricier version with the 10.4Ah, 374Wh battery, but that’s the price you pay for its featherweight bulk.
Speaking of price, it’s under £1,150, which is pretty impressive considering it features Shimano gears and hydraulic disc brakes. Accessories like lights, mudguards and a kickstand are included as standard, too, which makes its low weight all the more impressive. You’ll be thankful when you have to lug it up a kerb or a set of steps.
Emu Evo Step Through, £1,149.99
Step-through | Weight: 18.5kg | Range: Up to 80km / 50 miles | Road legal
Emu Evo Step Through: Full specs
If the above Evo Crossbar sounds great but you don’t want the hassle of throwing your leg over the top tube, then good news! It’s also available in this step-through version for exactly the same price. Just about everything else about the Evo Step Through is the same too, from the 50-mile range (when specced with the top-spec 10.4Ah/374Wh battery) to the light 18.5kg weight. And just like its sister bike, it comes with mudguards, brakes, lights and puncture-resistant tyres as standard, and can be charged from flat in less than four hours.
Emu Evo Step Through: Full specs
Engwe M20, £1,349.99
Cruiser | Weight: 35kg | Range: Up to 150km / 93 miles
Read the full Engwe M20 review
E-bike looks don’t get much funkier than those of the Engwe M20, which has styling that would be more at home on a cafe racer motorbike than a regular pushbike. Indeed, its power output is more akin to a motorbike too, with a 1000W motor that will rocket you around, although we should note that it’s not road legal so we have only tried it out on private land.
Still, if you have a stretch of private land large enough, the version of the M20 fitted with two batteries will take you a massive 93 miles before you need to recharge. That’s particularly impressive, given the bike weighs a stonking 34kg. Luckily, the batteries are removable when you need to plug them in.
Engwe X26, £2,299.99
Folding | Weight: 41kg | Range: Up to 100km / 62 miles
Could this be the mother of all folding bikes? The Engwe X26 is fully kitted out, with a massive 1200W motor, triple suspension system and hydraulic brakes. Combined with its folding frame, that makes it a take-anywhere, go-anywhere machine (as long as your destination is on private land as, again, it’s too powerful to be road-legal). It’s double-battery setup gives you a combined 29Ah for a range of 62 miles, and it’ll reach 31mph if you push it hard enough. It is rather weighty at 41kg, which i definitely a struggle. You might need help lugging it into a car or up stairs, but its folding frame means it’s at least compact to stash away when you’re done.
Tenways CGO600 Pro, £1,799.00
Classic | Weight: 16kg | Range: Up to 100km / 62 miles | Road legal
Read the full Tenways CGO600 review
A faff-free e-bike with a range north of 60 miles for less than £1,800? Tenways has you covered with the CGO700 Pro.
This achingly stylish e-bike has a maintenance-free carbon belt drive and a bright headlight built into the frame. We found its torque sensor gives it a really natural-feeling ride, and its 250W motor ensures it’s perfectly road legal.
On the face of it, it’s set up as a great commuter bike – and it is – but its large battery gives it a claimed range of up to 62 miles on a charge, which suddenly opens up far longer jaunts. We found it really light, too, at just 16kg, which makes getting it on and off a train a breeze. That’s a heck of a lot of boxes ticked. While we found it very responsive in our tests, note that it is single geared.
