The market for electric bicycles has exploded over the last ten years, thanks to the increased popularity of electric vehicles, lower operating costs, and more affordable materials for battery packs. If you buy an entry-level model from a reputable manufacturer, you should expect to pay between $800 and $1500 for a good electric bike.
In the United States alone, there are about 10,000 different bicycle models available from hundreds of manufacturers.
With so many companies making electric bikes and Chinese brands getting a bad rap for manufacturing low-quality products, finding out which brand is the right fit for your profile and budget might become a challenging task. So, to narrow things down, we've put together a list of the best electric brands in the USA.
Each electric bike company in the table below is known for delivering high-quality products. Some have even been mentioned multiple times by reputable names in the industry.
Brand Name | Company Headquarters | Where Are Their Bikes Made | Models | Cost Range |
---|---|---|---|---|
San Diego, California | Designed in the USA and built in China | $1200 - $2300 | ||
Seattle, Washington | Designed in the USA and built in China | All their e-bikes cost under $2000 | ||
Ontario, California | Aventon bicycles are manufactured in their China plant | All their e-bikes cost under $2000. Their cheapest e-bike costs $1299. | ||
San Diego, California | Designed in the USA and built in China | $1500 - $3000 | ||
Phoenix, Arizona | Their bikes are manufactured in China | $800 - $1800 | ||
Newport Beach, California | They source most of their components from companies abroad but produce their bikes in the US | |||
Fountain Valley, California | Built in Taiwan or Vietnam | $1900 - $4500 | ||
Torrance California | Designed in the USA and built in China | $1300 - $1400 | ||
Waterloo, Wisconsin | Trek bikes are manufactured in the Netherlands, Taiwan, Germany, and China | $3000 - $15000 |
What Electric Bikes Are Made in the US
Most American-owned electric bike brands create the initial designs for their products in the US. These e-bike companies hire local talent to sort of create prototypes for new models and then send the designs to bike-making factories in Asia for mass production.
Electric Bike Co. is the only different brand in this regard. They source their bikes’ components from different companies located around the world and then build the final product in their California factory.
This is how they're able to offer riders a variety of custom features on their bikes. Just below this paragraph is a Youtube video that documents the entire process of how an electric bike is built at Electric Bike Co. Watch it to get a full understanding of how their bikes are built and why they are so different from other e-bike brands in the US.
Is Pedego Made in USA
Pedego electric bikes are not made in the US. The e-bike company manufactures its bikes in Vietnam and Taiwan. They used to make their bikes in China a while ago but had to shut off that supply chain because of tariffs.
Are Rad Power Bikes Made in America
Rad Power Bikes is another e-bike brand that designs their products locally and builds them abroad. The company's main goal is to manufacture high-quality, budget-friendly electric bikes for the local populace.
This is why they build their e-bikes in China where manufacturing costs are lower.
Are Lectric Ebikes Made in the USA
Lectric e-bikes are not built in the US. Like most other e-bike brands, Lectric sources their bikes from China. The e-bike brand has been outsourcing their products from China since their inception in 2018.
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Where Are Trek Bikes Manufactured
Trek used to build all their bikes in their Waterloo factory. In fact, they still do. However, the company is gradually moving all its manufacturing operations abroad .
Currently, the brand makes about 10,000 bicycles every year in its Waterloo facility; down about 40,000 from 2013. Now, most of their production is done in China, Taiwan, Cambodia, and a few other countries.
Even the bike's they claim to “build” in the US are mostly just assembled there.
Where Are Specialized Bikes Made
Specialized designs their bikes in Morgan Hill, California, but manufactures them through a bike-making company in Taiwan; Merida Bikes. One would think that Specialized builds their bikes from scratch in the US since they charge top dollar for their products, however, that is not the case.
Best American Made Electric Bikes
#1. Roadster V2 Form a USA Brand (Ride1Up)
Electric bikes are generally characterized by weighty frames, noisy motors, and — in most cases — frame-mounted electronic components. But what if I told you there's an electric bike whose frame weighs under 35 lbs and isn't completely covered in electronics?
The Ride1Up Roadster is an affordable lightweight e-bike that's designed to look like a regular road bike. This electric bike weighs 33 lbs (15 kg) and has both its battery and controller integrated into its compact frame.
Even its motor — a 350W geared hub-motor — is so small you might mistake it for a regular cogset (when viewed from the side). The bike comes with a 36V 7Ah battery, rim brakes (160mm mechanical disc brakes on the gravel version), a single-speed drivetrain, 700C tires, etc.
Pros
Cons
#2. Radexpand 5 Form a USA Brand (Rad Power Bikes)
If the Roadster isn't compact enough for you, you might want to check the Radexpand out. This 750-Watt electric bike folds in half, making it a much more compact solution to bicycles with regular frames.
The Radexpand 5 measures up to 41” in length and 29” in height when folded; almost half its dimensions when fully extended. It comes with a 48V 14Ah (672Wh) lithium-ion battery that guarantees up to 45 miles of range on a full charge.
Unlike the Ride1Up Roadster, it comes equipped with a rear rack (max weight capacity: 55 lbs), front and rear lights, and a pair of full-length fenders. It's not perfect though as the new generation doesn't come with front or rear suspension.
Other notable features on the bike include; 4” wide tires, 180mm mechanical disc brakes, a 7-speed drivetrain, a rear-mounted kickstand, etc.
Pros
Cons
#3. Lectric XP 2.0 Form a USA Brand (Lectric)
The Lectric XP 2.0 is another foldable e-bike that might interest riders looking for portable battery-powered bicycles made by brands in the USA. This e-bike comes with a 500W brushless geared hub-motor that can reportedly put out up to 850 Watts of power at peak performance.
The bike's 460.8Wh battery (a smaller pack compared to the Radexpand’s) integrates into its frame and can be removed by folding the bike in half. It also weighs considerably less, 64 lbs, than the Radexpand and can support 10% more weight (330 lbs) than the latter.
The bike also comes with 160mm mechanical disc brakes, which are more efficient than the pivot brakes on the Ride1up Roadster. It is also the only electric bike on this list with suspension.
Lectric ships the XP 2.0 to customers fully assembled. All that's left for riders to do is to unfold the bike, fasten the clamps that hinge its foldable joints together, and pump the tires.