Guides · Buying guide
How to choose an electric trike: seven questions, in the right order
By Linda Garrett · · 6 min read01Where will it live?
Start here, because it removes half the market in two minutes. Take a tape measure to three things: the narrowest door or gate on the way in, the spot where the trike will sleep, and the outlet where it will charge.
Trikes are wide. The Lectric XP Trike2 is 30 inches across, the Emojo Caddy Pro 31, the Addmotor Grandtan about 32, the Greattan L 36.6. Many interior doors leave an opening of 32 inches or less. If the route includes steps, weight decides: the trikes that publish one run from 77 to 158 lb, and nobody carries that.
If space is tight, look at the eight that fold. Folding shortens the trike (the Lectric becomes 36.5 by 38 by 26 inches) so it fits a closet or an RV bay. It doesn't make it light. See the folding ranking for weights and folded sizes.
02How high can you lift your foot?
The step-over height is the number that decides whether you'll ride the trike every day or look at it. It's the height of the frame where you cross it. In our comparison it runs from 13 inches (Mokwheel Granite) to 18 (Emojo Caddy Pro, MaxFoot MF-30).
Try it at home. Stack books to 13 inches, then to 18, and step over each pile a few times, wearing what you'd ride in. The difference is bigger than five inches sounds.
Three brands don't publish the figure for the trike we read (Viribus for the FC1, sixthreezero for the Rickshaw, Pedego). In that case ask, or try the trike at a dealer. Check the rider height range as well: the Addmotor Citytri fits 5'1" to 5'9", the Emojo Caddy Pro goes up to 6'10".
03How does it stop, and how does it corner?
Three parts, in this order of importance.
A parking brake. It holds the trike still while you climb on and while you load it. Without one, a trike on the slightest slope rolls away from you.
A rear differential. In a turn, the outside wheel travels further than the inside one. A differential lets them turn at different speeds. Without it the trike resists turning and the inside wheel scrubs. Lectric, Mokwheel, Addmotor (Citytri, Grandtan), Viribus (FC1), Emojo, MaxFoot and EVELO state one.
Hydraulic disc brakes. They need less force at the lever than cable brakes, which matters with a heavy trike and tired hands. Eight of the fifteen trikes have them.
A trike that has all three is built by people who thought about how trikes are actually ridden. That's why these parts make up 20% of our score, as much as price.
04How much will it carry?
Add your weight, your clothes and bag, and the heaviest load you'll put in the baskets. Compare that with two figures: the total payload, and the rider limit if the brand gives one.
They aren't always the same. Lectric's 415 lb payload includes a 330 lb rider limit. Addmotor writes 350 + 100 lb for the Grandtan: 350 for you, 100 for cargo. The Citytri's 360 lb total hides a 280 lb rider limit. Keep 30 to 50 lb in hand: a trike near its limit climbs slowly and wears its brakes and spokes faster.
For riders over 300 lb, we keep a separate list: electric trikes for heavy adults.
05How far do you really ride?
Be honest, then double it for comfort. Ignore the range in miles for a moment and look at the battery in watt-hours (volts times amp-hours). Miles are each brand's best case, often measured on the lowest assist level. Watt-hours are the same unit for everybody.
The fifteen trikes here carry from 313 Wh (Liberty Trike) to 1,008 Wh (sixthreezero Rickshaw). As a working rule, plan on half the stated range if you use the throttle, carry cargo or have hills. A 624 Wh trike that claims 50 miles is a comfortable 25-mile trike. For errands of 3 to 5 miles, that's a week between charges.
Bigger isn't free. A 960 Wh battery adds weight and several hours of charging. If your rides are short, put the money into brakes or a longer warranty instead.
Video: "500W or 750W? Lectric XP Trike 2 - This Lectric Ebike Gives You Choices", The Ride with Lance on YouTube. Not made by us; chosen because it shows the trike or the topic clearly.
06Which motor, which sensor, how many gears?
Now the engine room, and it's simpler than the spec sheets make it look.
Watts. 500 W is enough for most riders on gentle terrain; 750 W helps with hills and heavy loads. The 350 W of the Viribus TG1 is for flat ground.
Where the motor sits. A rear motor pushes from where your weight is and grips better on a climb. A front-hub motor (sixthreezero EZ Transit, Liberty Trike) pulls, which is fine on dry pavement. A mid-drive (EVELO Compass) works through the gears and climbs best of all.
The sensor. A cadence sensor switches the motor on when the pedals turn. A torque sensor measures how hard you push and matches it, so starts are smoother. The Lectric XP Trike2 750, the Addmotor Grandtan and Greattan L have one.
Gears. A single-speed trike (both Lectrics, the Liberty) is simple and leans on the motor. Seven gears let you help on a hill and pedal comfortably at any speed.
Top speed. Lower is easier. 12 to 15 mph suits most trike riding; look for a cap you can set.
07Who assembles it, and who fixes it?
The last question, and the one people regret skipping. Assembly first: Lectric ships its trikes assembled and folded. Viribus says the FC1 arrives 95% built, sixthreezero 90%, Addmotor and MaxFoot 85%. The Viribus TG1 arrives 35 to 40% built, which is a morning's work or a bike shop's fee.
Then cover. Warranties in our comparison run from 1 year (Lectric, Viribus, sixthreezero, Liberty Trike) through 2 (Mokwheel, Addmotor) and 3 (Emojo) to 4 (EVELO) and 5 (Pedego). Ask what the battery gets; it's often less than the frame.
Then the way out. Emojo gives a 30-day trial, Viribus 30-day returns, EVELO and Liberty Trike 21 days, Mokwheel 15, and sixthreezero shows a "30 Day Test Ride". Lectric's, Addmotor's, MaxFoot's and Pedego's product pages state no window. Whatever the brand, ask who pays to ship 90 lb back.
And service: Pedego and Emojo have dealers. For the online-only brands, call a bike shop near you before you order and ask one question: "Will you work on an electric trike I bought online?"
08Putting it together
If you answered "hallway", "low", "pavement" and "a few miles", you're looking at a folding low-step trike: the Lectric XP Trike2 750 (9.6/10), or the Mokwheel Granite (9.5/10) with hills.
If you answered "garage", "rough roads" and "long rides", it's a fat tire trike with a big battery: the Addmotor Grandtan M-340 (9.2/10).
If the answer to question 7 was "I want a shop", go and sit on a Pedego or an Emojo. And if the budget is the first answer, read our list under $1,500. The table below puts our four most balanced picks side by side.
09The trikes in this guide, side by side
| Trike | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | 750 W (1,310 W peak) | 500 W (860 W peak) | 750 W | 750 W |
| Battery | 48 V 17.5 Ah (840 Wh) | 48 V 15 Ah (720 Wh) | 48 V 20 Ah (960 Wh) | 48 V 20 Ah (960 Wh) |
| Top speed | 17 mph | 20 mph | 20 mph | 20 mph |
| Payload | 415 lb | 350 lb | 360 lb | 450 lb |
| Stand-over height | 13.5 in | 13 in | 13.8 in | 17.5 in |
| Brakes | Hydraulic disc | Hydraulic disc | Disc | Disc |
| Folds | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Warranty | 1-year | 2-year | 2-year | 2-year |
| Where to buy | Check price at Lectric | Check price at Mokwheel | Check price at Addmotor | Check price at Addmotor |
✓ marks the best figure of the row. Prices checked November 13, 2026 on each brand's own US store.
This guide helps you buy; it isn't medical or legal advice. Rules for electric bicycles change from state to state and city to city, and only your doctor knows whether riding suits your health: check both before you buy.
