Best electric bikes under £3,000 2024 – our pick of the best e-bikes under £3k | electric bike reviews, buying advice and news

by Rebecca Bland Dec 22 2023

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Best electric bikes under £3,000 2024 – our pick of the best e-bikes under £3k — Specialized Turbo Vado SL (2).JPG, by Richard Peace

From gravel bikes to cargo bikes to urban bikes - all for under £3k

£3,000 is a fair whack of money, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to the créme de la créme of electric bikes. That being said, you can of course get a lot of value for that kind of money, particularly in the urban and folding categories. In fact several bikes on this list are so good that they’re already in our overall best electric bikes guide.

So what do you get for your £3k? You’ll find both hub and mid-drive offerings at this price point and pretty much every type of bike, including cargo bikes, road bikes and even a few electric mountain bikes.

If £3,000 is a bit of a stretch, we also have separate guides to the best electric bikes under £1,000 and under £2,000. But, do remember that a lot of these bikes can now be bought under various Cycle to Work schemes, so you might be able to save a bit off the marked price and grab yourself a bargain.

Best electric bikes under £3,000

Electric cargo bikes

1. Mycle Cargo – from £2,299 (best cargo e-bike)

Although it’s increased in price ever so slightly since our review, the Mycle Cargo still offers excellent value and importantly – is still under £3,000 even for the 120km range version. It’s a longtail by design and Mycle sells a variety of accessories to make it a great option for carrying kids or other loads up to 215kg.

It’s a big and heavy bike, and you do get Shimano 7-speed gearing with mechanical disc brakes - but the benefit to this is the parts are cheaper to replace. The rear-hub motor provides more than enough power to get up steep hills (up to 12 or 13%) so don’t feel put off by the fact it’s not a mid-drive if you live in a hilly area.

For more detail, read our review of the Mycle Cargo.

Electric folders

2. MiRider One GB3 - £2,495 (best folding e-bike)

The MiRider One GB3 is the latest addition to the Wigan-based brand’s lineup, and comes with several improvements on the original MiRider One. These include a new gearbox, a belt drive, a new display and hydraulic disc brakes to name a few things. What it does retain, however, is the same folding mid-frame design that we loved on its predecessor.

It’s not the lightest folding bike in the world, but the performance is first-rate thanks to the Bafang hub-motor. Our reviewer managed to get 35 hilly miles from one charge of the 252Wh battery, but you'll get more on flatter terrain.

For more detail, read our review of the MiRider One GB3.

3. FLIT M2 – early bird price of £1,999 (best lightweight e-folder)

The FLIT M2 technically isn’t on the market just yet, but we’ve been big fans of the previous generation, FLIT-16, and we’ve also been lucky enough to have a quick go on the new model. The M2 is lighter, more compact and more powerful than the original, and our reviewer thinks it’s sleeker too.

It has hydraulic disc brakes, a single-sided fork and a quiet rear hub motor with torque sensing to get excited about. Also an improvement for the M2 is its climbing ability, which is something single-speed e-bikes don’t often excel at. Customers can order the M2 for a Spring 2024 release at an early bird price of £1,999 before it goes up to the standard price of £2,499.

For more detail, read our first ride view of the FLIT M2 and our longer-term review of the FLIT-16.

Electric trekking and hybrid bikes

4. Neomouv Adonis 2 - £2,360 (best trekking e-bike)

Highly versatile and practical, the Neomouv Adonis 2 comes with a powerful mid-drive motor (providing up to 80Nm of torque), and a price tag that is really rather appealing. It might not be the most attractive bike in history, but its build quality is second to none.

Our reviewer noted the brilliance of the motor on hills, and there was very little noticeable cut-out around the 15.5mph assistance limit. They also managed a range of 40 miles on hilly terrain. So if you can look past the weight of the frame, you’ll find a great value trekking bike on offer.

For more detail, read our review of the Neomouv Adonis 2.

5. Volt Infinity – £2,999 (best mid-drive hybrid e-bike)

The Volt Infinity sits only slightly under our budget of £3,000, but its build quality and spec justify the price. It’s centred around the Shimano STEPS mid-drive system, and is a solid performer. There’s also hub hears and automatic shifting, which can make your ride experience more enjoyable and of course, easier.

It’s a hybrid e-bike by design, with relatively wide tyres and front suspension and there are mudguards, a rear pannier rack, a chainguard and a kickstand for good measure. It’s a heavy bike at 23.6kg, but once you get riding you’ll barely notice it.

For more detail, read our review of the Volt Infinity.

6. Wisper Tailwind Comfort – £2,199 (best hub-drive hybrid)

The Kent-based brand Wisper have been in the e-bike business since 2005 and make both throttle-only and pedal assist versions of most of their bikes - the Tailwind Comfort included. The one we tested was the pedal assist version, which uses a rear hub 250W motor to power you along.

Its' a really well put-together bike and you can choose between 360Wh or 540Wh battery options. The 540Wh option was the one we tested, which costs £2,199 - although it’s currently on offer for slightly less. Our reviewer reckoned you can get about 60+ miles per charge on not too hilly terrain, including some off-road sections.

For more detail, read our review of the Wisper Tailwind Comfort.

Electric urban and city bikes

7. Raleigh Trace - £2,099 (best urban e-bike)

Touted as Raleigh’s lightest e-bike yet, the Trace is a sporty take on an urban do-it-all e-bike. Want something for the coffee run or commute through town? Or something to ride at the weekends that'll take the pressure off a bit with a spot of electric assistance? Raleigh have it nailed here.

There’s plenty of frame mounting for bags, as well as built-in lights, mudguards and a rear rack, all making it an ideal urban utility machine. Using the MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ rear hub motor and a 250Wh internal battery, it’s smooth and takes the sting out of the hills. For just over £2k it’s hard to fault.

For more detail, read our review of the Raleigh Trace.

8. Yamaha Booster Easy - £2,900 (most distinctive e-bike)

One of the most interesting looking e-bikes we’ve ever featured on the site, the Yamaha Booster Easy has substance behind it’s unique frame design. The step-through, moped-esque frame takes inspiration from Yamaha’s history and our reviewer found the Booster Easy to be comfortable and stable when riding.

It comes with a 75Nm mid-drive motor of course, rather than being petrol powered, and this is teamed with a 630Wh battery. It’s a heavy bike at 35kg, so not something you really want to be lugging around without any power, but when the assistance is in force, the weight is barely noticeable.

For more detail, read our review of the Yamaha Booster Easy.

9. Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 EQ - £2,600 (best mid-drive urban bike)

The Turbo Vado SL 4.0 EQ has dropped in price by a whopping £1k since we reviewed it at the start of the year. It’s a sleek, fast commuter bike with a super light motor (hence the SL in the name). The SL motor provides ‘2x you’ worth of assistance - although we suspect that's for the average rider, not someone like Wout van Aert.

This one comes with 35Nm of torque, but it performs excellently on hills and provides the same seamless power delivery we’ve come to expect from Specialized’s own motors. On this model you get a rear rack, mudguards, lights and a kickstand to tempt commuters and urban riders who want a bit of style.

For more detail, read our review of the Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 EQ.

Electric gravel and road bikes

10. Cairn BRAVe - £2,349 (best e-gravel bike)

Is it a gravel bike? Or a rigid mountain bike? While our sister site off.road.cc reviewed the drop bar version in 2021, currently you can only buy (or should we say order) the flat bar version. It still comes with a Shimano Steps E7000 mid-drive motor and Shimano 630Wh battery, as well as the mountain bike inspired geometry, just with different bars.

off.road.cc’s reviewer really liked the battery range and the bike’s technical ability, particularly downhill, which is something some gravel bikes struggle with. But Cairn’s USP is that they build and design their e-bikes to be ridden on British gravel, not Californian dusty compacted roads, so it’s built to handle stuff like the South Downs.

For more detail, read our review of the Cairn BRAVe 1.0 Drop Bar.

11. Ribble Endurance AL e – £2,499 (best e-road bike)

With the popular MAHLE Smartbike Systems X35+ motor and battery, the Ribble Endurance AL e takes an already established road bike frame and adapts it to be a super smooth and lightweight electric road bike. The hub driven motor provides just enough kick to take the edge off without taking over the ride - although it can feel a little weighty when you ride above the assistance limit.

It’s an all around well-balanced e-bike, feeling planted in corners and on descents, and allows you to choose hillier or longer routes with the added assistance in your back pocket. The motor provides 40Nm of torque, so it’s well-equipped for all but the steepest hills. Our sister site road.cc reviewed the Shimano 105 version. It looks like there’s only a Shimano Tiagra option available now – but it’s cheaper than the 105 model.

For more detail, read our review of the Ribble Endurance AL e Enthusiast Shimano 105.

Electric mountain bikes

12. Volt Alpine - £2,299 (best eMTB)

If you can’t stretch your funds to a mid-drive, the Volt Alpine is a solid hub motor alternative to a more gnarly electric mountain bike. It’s a hardtail, but versatile enough to be a decent tourer if you added some racks and bags.

If you wanted a more hardcore commuter, just add some mudguards and lights and it’ll take whatever weather you throw at it. A 504Wh battery means you’ll get decent range out of it - our tester predicted at least 40 miles from one charge, and that was in demanding off-road conditions.

For more detail, read our review of the Volt Alpine.

How to choose the best electric bike under £3,000

Which electric bike is worth buying?

This depends entirely on what you’re looking to buy an electric bike for. Buying an electric mountain bike for a three-mile flat commute by road is overkill, and would likely cost you more than if you bought something more fit for purpose. It also depends what your budget is. This guide is geared towards e-bikes under the £3,000 mark, but if you can stretch that or want to see what else we recommend, give our other e-bike buyer’s guides a scan.

What kind of drive systems are common on electric bikes under £3,000?

Never mind the category of e-bike, you’re probably a little more likely to see hub driven motors at this price, but you will see more and more mid-drive bikes as you approach that £3,000 mark. In the current market, £3,000 is not home to the top-end of e-bikes. Although there are plenty of fantastic value bikes to be bought at this price, they’re not typically range-toppers.

What kind of components can I expect on an e-bike under £3,000?

Hydraulic disc brakes are usually a good bet at this sort of price, across most if not all categories of e-bikes. Aluminium frames will also still reign supreme at this level. Gearing wise, this depends on the type of e-bike, but you’ll start to see some belt driven urban options, and in some cases, things like internal gearboxes, such as on the MiRider GB3.

Explore our other e-bike reviews.

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Best electric bikes under £3,000 2024 – our pick of the best e-bikes under £3k