This page contains affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we choose.
Fast lane
Our picks in 30 seconds
The same rule, limited to the 26 bikes at $1,500 or less: the cheapest that meets each condition.
#1Cheapest e-bike in our check
C1C2
Lectric XP Lite2
The lowest price among the 60 in-stock e-bikes we read. Battery 375 Wh, up to 45 mi advertised, Class 1 / 2.
- Class
- Class 1 / 2
- Advertised range
- up to 45 mi
- Motor
- 300 W, 28 Nm
- Weight
- 48 lb [calc]
- Weight limit
- 275 lb (rider and cargo)
- store shows a compare-at price of $888
- The Lectric XP Lite is also certified to UL 2849
$749 $888price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
#2Cheapest that can be set to Class 3
C1C2C3
Ride1Up Portola 02
Pedal assist to 28 mph where your state allows it: "Class 1-3 electric bike, with 28mph pedal assist and 20mph throttle". Battery: not published. Price is the Lite build with the 10Ah battery.
- Class
- Class 1 / 2 / 3
- Advertised range
- up to 45 mi
- Motor
- 750 W, 90 Nm
- Weight
- 61 lb
- Weight limit
- 342 lb (store does not say if the bike is included)
- store shows a compare-at price of $895
- Certified ANSI/CAN/UL 2849
- watt-hours not printed by the store
- the store does not say if its weight limit includes the bike
$795 $895price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
#3Cheapest with 700 Wh or more (published)
C1C2C3
Lectric XP4 750
The store prints 840 Wh. Advertised range up to 85 mi; conditions: Range can vary due to weight load, terrain, weather and other conditions.
- Class
- Class 1 / 2 / 3
- Advertised range
- up to 85 mi
- Motor
- 750 W, 85 Nm
- Weight
- 71 lb [calc]
- Weight limit
- 330 lb (rider and cargo)
- store shows a compare-at price of $1,831
- The XP4 is also certified to UL 2849
$1,299 $1,831price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
#4Cheapest with a 400 lb limit or more
C1C2C3
Velotric Fold 1 Plus
Published limit 450 lb (store does not say if the bike is included). Bike weight 63 lb.
- Class
- Class 1 / 2 / 3
- Advertised range
- up to 68 mi
- Motor
- 750 W, 75 Nm
- Weight
- 63 lb
- Weight limit
- 450 lb (store does not say if the bike is included)
- store shows a compare-at price of $1,499
- UL 2849
- the store does not say if its weight limit includes the bike
$1,199 $1,499price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
Prices shown by the five brand stores on November 7, 2026 (Black Friday prices included). We have not tested any of these bikes: we compare the published product pages. The commission never decides a pick. How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
Watt Mile is paid through affiliate links: if you buy through a link to a brand store, we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. No program has accepted the site yet, and the commission never decides a pick. How we choose.
$1,500 is where the five brands we read overlap the most: 26 of their 60 in-stock e-bikes sit at or under it. Below are all of them, cheapest first, with the figures that actually differ between them: how big the battery is, how the brand measured its range, which classes the bike can be set to, and how much weight it is rated for.
The 26 bikes at $1,500 or less
| E-bike | Price (store) | Class settings | Battery | Advertised range | Weight | Weight limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectric XP Lite2 folding | $749 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 | 375 Wh | up to 45 mi | 48 lb [calc] | 275 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Ride1Up Portola 02 folding | $795 from Ride1Up | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | not published | up to 45 mi | 61 lb | 342 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Lectric XP Lite3 folding | $799 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 | 374 Wh | up to 45 mi | 49 lb [calc] | 275 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Lectric XP Lite2 Long-Range folding | $899 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 | 672 Wh | up to 80 mi | 49 lb [calc] | 275 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Lectric XP Lite3 Long-Range folding | $999 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 | 672 Wh | up to 80 mi | 49 lb [calc] | 275 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Lectric XP4 (500W) folding | $999 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 500 Wh | up to 50 mi | 69 lb [calc] | 330 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Lectric XPress Lite commuter | $1,099 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 374 Wh | up to 45 mi | 51.6 lb [calc] | 275 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Aventon Soltera 2.5 lightweight | $1,199 Aventon | Class 2 | 345.6 Wh | up to 46 mi | 46 lb | 300 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding | $1,199 Velotric | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 608 Wh | up to 68 mi | 63 lb | 450 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Ride1Up Prodigy v2 ECO commuter | $1,295 Ride1Up | Class 3 | 504 Wh | up to 50 mi | 58 lb | 300 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Ride1Up Roadster v3 lightweight | $1,295 from Ride1Up | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 360 Wh | up to 40 mi | 40 lb | 300 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Lectric XP4 750 folding | $1,299 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 840 Wh | up to 85 mi | 71 lb [calc] | 330 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Lectric XPeak2 Step-Thru fat tire | $1,299 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 720 Wh | up to 60 mi | 75 lb [calc] | 330 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Velotric Fold 1 folding | $1,299 Velotric | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 608 Wh | up to 55 mi | 63 lb | 440 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Ride1Up Vorsa commuter | $1,345 from Ride1Up | Class 1 / 2 / 3 (ships as Class 2) | not published | up to 60 mi | 65 lb | 440 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Lectric XPeak2 High-Step fat tire | $1,399 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 720 Wh | up to 60 mi | 75 lb [calc] | 330 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Lectric XPedition2 (one battery) cargo | $1,399 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 624 Wh | up to 60 mi | 74 lb [calc] | 450 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Lectric XPress2 Commuter commuter | $1,399 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 672 Wh | up to 60 mi | 66 lb [calc] | 330 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Velotric Summit 1 hybrid | $1,399 Velotric | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 705.6 Wh | up to 70 mi | 62 lb | 440 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Velotric T1 ST Plus road | $1,399 Velotric | Class 1 / 3 | 352.8 Wh | up to 70 mi | 39 lb | 330 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Velotric Tempo lightweight | $1,449 Velotric | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 374 Wh | up to 60 mi | 39 lb | 330 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Aventon Soltera 3 ADV lightweight | $1,499 Aventon | Class 1 | 366.8 Wh | up to 70 mi | 37 lb | 300 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Himiway C3 Cargo cargo | $1,499 Himiway | not published | 960 Wh | up to 80 mi | 80 lb | 440 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Himiway D5 (Zebra) fat tire | $1,499 Himiway | not published | 960 Wh | up to 80 mi | 79 lb | 400 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
| Lectric XP Trike2 trike | $1,499 Lectric eBikes | Class 1 / 2 | 624 Wh | up to 50 mi | 86 lb [calc] | 415 lb (rider and cargo) |
| Velotric Discover 2 commuter | $1,499 Velotric | Class 1 / 2 / 3 | 705.6 Wh | up to 75 mi | 63 lb | 440 lb (store does not say if the bike is included) |
What you give up under $1,500
- Battery size. The cheapest bikes carry the smallest packs: 374 to 375 Wh on the Lectric XP Lite2 and XP Lite3 and the XPress Lite, against 600 to 960 Wh higher up the list. The Long-Range versions of the XP Lite2 and XP Lite3 cost $150 and $200 more than the standard ones, for 672 Wh instead of 375 and 374 Wh [calc from the prices above].
- Class 3. The Lectric XP Lite models are Class 1 or 2 only (20 mph). Many others can be set to Class 3, if your state allows it: check with e-bike laws by state.
- Weight limit. 275 lb on the Lectric XP Lite and XPress Lite, against 400 lb and more on several cargo and fat-tire bikes in this price band. Run your own numbers in the weight limit checker.
What a mile costs on any of them: e-bike cost per mile. Above $1,500: the full comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best e-bike under $1,500?
There is no single answer from published numbers, so we pick by need with a written rule: the cheapest bike that meets each condition. On November 7, 2026 that gave the Lectric XP Lite2 for the lowest price, the Ride1Up Portola 02 for a Class 3 setting, the Lectric XP4 750 for a published battery of 700 Wh or more, and the Velotric Fold 1 Plus for a published limit of 400 lb or more.
Can you get a big battery under $1,500?
Yes. Under $1,500 the largest published batteries in our check are the Himiway C3 Cargo and D5 (Zebra), 960 Wh each at $1,499, then the Lectric XP4 750 (840 Wh, $1,299). Himiway gives no conditions for its range figures on those pages.
Are Black Friday prices included?
Yes: the prices are the ones the stores showed on November 7, 2026, during Black Friday sales on several of them. We will read them again after the sales.