Best cargo e-bike for family
Starting to wonder why electric cargo bikes are so popular? With more and more appearing on roads and cycle paths, these powerful cargo e-bikes do all the heavy lifting for you and make journeys hassle free.
Electric cargo bikes are a greener, more sustainable way of carrying kids and cargo around, so if you’re ready to find the best family electric bike or cargo e-bike for your business, then read on.
Best family electric bike in 2024
The PakYak E+, affectionally known as the ‘school bus’ by some families, is the most powerful cargo e-bike in the Momentum line up. With a load capacity of 440lb/200kg and a range of accessories for the perfect config, it’s designed with all your cargo needs in mind.
Its SyncDrive pro mid-drive motor with 80Nm of torque has a maximum assisted speed of 25kph and provides up to 360% pedal assistance for effortless riding – even on hilly terrain with a full load. With a 500wh battery and an optional 500wh auxiliary battery, which can be stowed in the storage box behind the seat post, the Pakyak E+ offers an unrivalled max range of 120 miles/194km, too.
With cargo onboard, safety and comfort are top priorities. The Pakyak E+ handles just like a regular bike with the heavy-duty lifting of a cargo bike, and its integrated headset offers stability control for front-loaded cargo. Its innovative double kickstand makes loading and unloading super safe and its powerful disc brakes and wide grippy tyres let you ride with confidence.
An extensive range of stylish and practical accessories means your cargo’s always taken care of. Compatible with 2 Yepp seats for smaller kids, and a passenger bar and accessories for bigger passengers, it’s a comfy and fun way to travel. With extra front and rear baskets and bags and panniers, what you carry is all you have to think about!
The PakYak E+ has premium specs and components and is one of the best cargo e bikes out there - you get a LOT of cargo e-bike for £3,999. It’s not the cheapest or most expensive e-bike on the market, but it’s one of the most durable and easiest to ride; plus it comes with a 2-year warranty on all electrical components and a lifetime frame warranty for total peace of mind.
Don’t just take our word for it! Below are just a few of the reviews:
‘A sturdy and dependable way to transport cargo or small humans around town, the Momemtum PakYak E+ electric bike lets you enjoy the bicycle ride instead of the frustrations of car traffic and congestion for those short and medium length trips’, bicycling.com
‘My daughter absolutely loves riding with me on the ebike. It is a lot of fun to ride, and it replaced the gas guzzler for a lot of trips that required me to take my daughter along,’ CycleVolta.com
‘PakYak E+ is the future! The cargo bike’s most striking feature must be the design, which probably made naming the bike relatively easy. Momentum have integrated the motor just as seamlessly, giving the bike a sleek silhouette, and the batteries are also hidden in the frame, unlike other long tails,’ downtown-mag.com
‘Versatile; smooth-handling; very well equipped for the price; fun to ride,’ bikeradar.com
Buy the PakYak E+ electric cargo bike.
Beginner's guide for cargo e-bikes
What are electric cargo bikes?
Electric cargo bikes do what they say on the tin! They make transporting cargo easier thanks to their electric motor. Whether your cargo is your kids, your dog, your work, or even your weekend camping gear, cargo bikes are designed for journeys that require more room and more power.
Cargo bikes are becoming increasingly popular with families and businesses alike, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to get around. Coupled with the fact that they’re a lot of fun, once you’ve experienced a cargo e-bike, you’re unlikely to opt for your car again, unless you really have to!
Broadly speaking, cargo e-bikes come in two different styles: front loaders – aka Long Johns – which carry the cargo between the rider and the front wheel; and midtail or longtail bikes (our PakYak E+ is a longtail), which have an extended rear section where most of the cargo can be carried.
Cargo e bikes can be quite large to accommodate but you’ll be pleased to know that our PakYak E+ is one of the shortest longtail bikes on the market at 1.92m and is slightly lighter than the average at 45kg – making its gross weight limit of 200kg even more impressive!
Are cargo e-bikes cheaper than a car? How much should I budget for?
Like anything, prices vary but for a well-designed, durable cargo e-bike that you’ll be able to clock up the miles on and give you years of dutiful service, the range is £3,500 to £8,500.
All Momentum e-bikes and bikes come with a 2-year warranty on all electrical components and lifetime frame warranty for peace of mind. So, if you look after it with regular servicing and care too, it’s a solid investment.
Compared to buying a car, cargo e-bikes are a fraction of the cost, especially when you compare a new car with a new cargo e-bike – we can’t think of a new car out there for £3,500! Like many big purchases, most of the cost lies in the initial outlay, but unlike a car, you don’t have the added weekly and monthly costs of fuel, parking and road tax. The only crossover is insurance, which we’d always recommend getting.
What should you consider before buying cargo e-bikes?
1) Will it fit all the family?
Cargo e-bikes are increasingly popular with families because they’re designed to carry the whole gang! Young kids can be secured in Yepp child seats on the rear rack of the PakYak E+ and older passengers can enjoy the Passenger Seat Pad/Passenger Bar combo with Foot Rests for a seriously comfy ride too. Pop furry friends up front if they’re under 15kg; or ride on the rear in a basket or a trailer if they’re bigger.
It’s not just designed with passengers’ comfort in mind, thanks to the PakYak’s adjustable seat post and step-thru design, the standover height suits a wide range, from 5’2”-6’2”/160-190cm. So, if you have a shorty and a tall person combo in your family, the PakYak E+ can easily be ridden by both of you.
2) What do you want to carry?
What you really need to know here is ‘what is the bike’s max load’? And most importantly, will it carry what you need to transport?
There’s some terminology to understand when weighing up (see what we did there) cargo e-bikes' loading capacity.
Max Gross Weight is the weight of the rider, the bike, any accessories (front or rear racks etc), plus the cargo weight it can hold. For example, the max gross weight of the PakYak is 200kg and the Pakyak itself weighs 45kg, leaving 155kg for the rider, accessories and cargo.
This remaining weight allowance is known as the Payload (what it can carry in total, which is the Max Gross Weight – the weight of the bike). The PakYak’s Payload is 200kg minus 45kg = 155kg (max gross weight – bike’s weight).
Remember, accessories add weight, so if you’re pimping your ride with a Passenger Bar or Rear Rack, take that weight into account when doing your sums. Thanks to the PakYak E’s powerful SyncDrive Pro mid-drive motor, cruising around at 200kg feels totally effortless.
3) How far do you want to travel?
In cargo e-bike terms this equates to a bike’s range. The bigger the range, the further it can go. E-bikes can still be ridden under pedal power alone past these ranges but cargo e-bikes are heavier than regular bikes, so an e-bike's range is a determining factor when choosing a cargo e-bike. Can it cover the distance you need, whether that’s a roundtrip school drop off, or an office commute?
An e-bike's range is also dependent on a few external factors, including weather conditions and terrain, all of which can mean the motor has to work harder to achieve the speed you want and therefore use more of the battery, which reduces your range. To optimise your e-bike's range and its battery, you can ride in auto assist or a low assist level.
The PakYak E+ boasts a range of 60 miles (about 97kms) and this can be doubled if you need to with the Auxiliary Battery, which can be stashed beneath the seat post in a handy lockable storage box.
When you think about range, it’s also worth noting the battery’s recharge time, that’s how long it takes to charge the battery back up after you’ve used it. The PakYak E+’s EnergyPak 500Wh battery is powered by a Giant EnergyPak 6A smart charger, which can charge up to 60% in just 1:25h; and a full charge in only 4 hours.
4) How fast is it?
Our PakYak E+ cargo e bike is a Class 3 e-bike, which means it can have a top speed of 25kph in the UK and 28mph in the US. You can pedal above those speeds but you won’t get any assist from the motor.
The average UK commute is 24km (about 15 miles), which would take under an hour to ride at 25kph; the average London commute is a fraction of that at just 9.5km (about 6 miles), which would take about 25 minutes.
So not only would you beat rush hour traffic and not have to join hordes of other commuters, but you’d also clock up some healthy miles, too.
What are the most crucial factors when choosing your first electric cargo bike?
1) Battery
This will determine how far you can ride – your range. As important as the battery itself is its charger and recharge time. You might have a battery that lasts a thousand miles (there isn’t one!) but if it takes a month to recharge it’s useless to you!
The PakYak E+’s EnergyPak 500Wh battery provides 500 watt hours, which roughly equates to a range of 60 miles. It uses lightning-fast recharge technology in the form of the EnergyPak 6A smart charger, which means it can charge up to 60% in just over an hour.
If you need to cover more than 60 miles in one journey, then you can enjoy the PakYak E+’s 500wh Auxiliary Battery, which will double the range to 120 miles. Just stow it securely in the lockable box beneath the seat post.
2) Motor
You want a powerful motor on an e-bike, especially a cargo e-bike. The PakYak E+’s Yamaha SyncDrive Pro mid-drive motor with 80Nm of torque delivers up to 360% assistance. Combined with the PedalPlus 6-Sensor technology, you can enjoy powerful, natural-feeling pedal assistance on every journey.
It’s important to choose a mid-drive motor rather than a hub motor for a cargo e-bike as it can produce more torque, which heavier cargo e-bikes need.
3) Safety
Before you buy your cargo e-bike or family electric bike, check out the insurance and lock options. It’s a big bike so it needs a big lock; often your insurer will recommend a lock. Make sure the lock arrives before your bike, so you’re never caught short!
A lockbox – like the one behind the seat post on the PakYak E+ - is a handy feature. Stash small valuable items for easy access, or even your aux battery if you have one.
These tips on how to keep your e-bike safe are worth a look, too.
4) Kickstand.
Choosing a bike with easy and super-safe loading/unloading options for passengers and cargo is a must. The PakYak E+’s double kickstand offers a stable base wherever you park.
5) Accessories.
Who doesn’t enjoy a chance to accessorise?! A range of accessories can really level up the versatility of a cargo e-bike. It can help to enhance its config options and uses in no time. From racks to passenger options, the PakYak E+’s stylish and extensive range of accessories has you covered.
If you’re ready to buy an electric cargo bike, then check out the PakYak E+ electric cargo bike now.
