How we score electric trikes

We review electric trikes from the brands' published product, manual, warranty and returns pages and their US prices, read on the date shown on each page (last on November 13, 2026). We haven't ridden them. Every trike gets one score out of 10, and that score is the same on every page of the site.

What are the 8 criteria?

How is each criterion scored?

Each criterion is turned into a score out of 10. The measurable ones use straight-line interpolation between the anchor points below, capped at both ends.

• Price: the dated US price, compared with the median of our list ($1,699). Ratio to the median: 0.4× → 10, 0.6× → 9, 0.8× → 8, 1× → 7, 1.3× → 6, 1.6× → 5, 2× → 4, 2.5× → 3.
• Stability and brakes, from the brand's page: a rear differential (3 points), a parking brake (2), hydraulic disc brakes (3; any other disc brake 1.5), UL 2849 certification of the whole electrical system (2; UL 2271 for the battery alone 1).
• Battery energy, in watt-hours (volts × amp-hours): 300 Wh → 3, 450 Wh → 5, 500 Wh → 5.6, 620 Wh → 6.8, 720 Wh → 7.6, 840 Wh → 8.6, 960 Wh → 9.4, 1010 Wh → 10. We score the battery, not the range a brand states, because stated ranges assume a light rider on flat ground.
• Stand-over height, in inches (lower is easier): 11 in → 10, 13 in → 9.5, 13.5 in → 9.2, 14 in → 8.8, 15 in → 8, 17 in → 6.5, 18 in → 6, 20 in → 5.
• Total payload, in pounds, as rated by the maker: 300 lb → 5, 325 lb → 6, 350 lb → 7, 400 lb → 8.5, 450 lb → 9.3, 500 lb → 10.
• Warranty (years): 1 → 4, 2 → 6.5, 3 → 7.5, 4 → 8.5, 5 → 9.5.
• Comfort and carrying: a saddle with a backrest included in the price (2 points), suspension (2), three gears or more or a torque sensor (2), a basket or rack included (2), a frame that folds or a trike that ships at least 85% assembled (2).
• Return or trial window (days): 0 → 1, 14 → 4, 21 → 5.5, 30 → 7, 60 → 9.

Top speed and stated range are not criteria. They are each brand's own figures, we quote them as such, and a faster trike is not a better one for most of the people who read us.

What happens when a figure isn't published?

A criterion the brand doesn't publish scores 2/10. We can't credit what isn't stated, and a trike should not win on silence. A trike with no published price, or fewer than 4 published criteria, gets no score at all.

How does the raw score become the score you see?

The raw score is the weighted average of the 8 criteria. Every trike we list is a current product from a brand with its own US store, so we show it on an editorial scale: displayed score = 7.5 + 0.75 × (raw score − 5.2), kept between 7.5 and 9.6. The order of the raw scores never changes. Labels: Excellent from 9.0, Very good from 8.5, Good from 8.0, Fair below 8.0.

Why do two trikes never share a score?

Scores are shown with one decimal, so two trikes can round to the same number. When that happens, the order comes from the formula first and then from a published tie-break:

1. the higher raw score (before rounding);
2. then the lower price per watt-hour of battery;
3. then the longer warranty;
4. then alphabetical order.

The trike placed second then shows 0.1 less than the one above it, and so on down the list, so every displayed score is different and the order is still the formula's. Scores stay between 7.5 and 9.6. Right now this applies to the Addmotor Grandtan M-340 (formula 9.3, shown 9.2), the Pedego Fat Tire Trike (formula 7.8, shown 7.7), the Addmotor Greattan L (formula 7.7, shown 7.6).

How are the rankings by need built?

Each ranking first keeps the trikes that fit the need (a step-over of 15 inches or less for seniors, a folding frame, tires of 3 inches or more, a payload of 400 lb or more, a price of $1,500 or less). Then it puts the same criteria in a different order of importance. The weights change the order of the list, never the score: each trike keeps its one overall score everywhere.

Where does the data come from?

• Specs and prices come from the brand's official US product page and its manual, warranty and returns pages. Every review links its sources.
• Prices are the price you could pay on the date shown, in US dollars. When a brand shows a discount, we use the discounted price and say so, with the crossed-out price next to it.
• Range, top speed and payload are quoted from the brand. Legal and safety statements quote official pages (federal law, the CPSC, state summaries), linked where we use them. We don't give legal or medical advice.
• We don't use user ratings or star averages from stores.

What are the current scores?

Questions about the method? Write to contact@best-electric-trike.com.