Electric Cargo Bike Comparison

The e-cargo bikes we’ll be comparing are:

The categories of comparison we’ll cover are:

Base price

Accessorized price

Warranty

Geometry

Motor

Assist Sensor

Brakes

Drivetrain

Conclusions

Conclusions:

For lowest base price the RadWagon is the clear winner, but depending on the intended use it does come with very few accessories for the price. However this is not unusual or uncommon, as demonstrated by the Benno and Tern bike coming with even fewer accessories for a higher price tag.

So if you’re looking for the cheapest e-cargo bike and don’t need any accessories the RadWagon could be a good option for you.

Cargoroo: Because our Cargoroo is fully accessorized from the start it does have a slightly higher base price, if you need a bare bones cargo bike this may not be the one for you.

Conclusions:

This round our Cargoroo comes out ahead of the RadWagon by about $300, making it a not only amazing value but a cost savings against the closest competition. The Benno Boost and Tern GSD are considerably more expensive, we couldn’t find an associated cost for adding a secondary battery to the Boost but it can be expected to be similar to the GSD at $1,000 which would make it the most expensive.

Cargoroo: It was very important for us when we designed the Cargoroo that it would come with all the necessary accessories that a family would need. So the price you see is actually the price you pay without any hidden costs.

**Keeping in mind that these are accessories specifically suited to biking with children, prices for other set ups will vary. Also that we are comparing all bikes with a second battery for an even comparison.

Conclusions:

Warranty length is often a major consideration when buying a big ticket item, especially if it’s electronic, and it should be when you’re buying an electric bike. How long a warranty is speaks to how confident the manufacturer is in their product, the longer it is the more they stand behind it. In the e-bike world currently the longest warranty available is 2 years, so you can be pretty confident in any e-bike that comes with a 2 year warranty. The RadWagon, Boost and GSD all come with a year warranty but the Boost and GSD additionally have 2 years of coverage for their Bosch components. All frames except the RadWagon are covered for 5 years.

Cargoroo: Just like the rest of our e-bikes we offer a 2 year warranty on our Cargoroo. Check out our warranty page for more information.

Conclusions:

Geometry is an important consideration when looking for a longtail e-cargo bike, not all are created equal. Because the intention is to load the rear of the bike, sometimes with hundreds of pounds, and often with live cargo (your children) the geometry of the frame effects the center of gravity. The higher the rear end of the bike the more top heavy it is and the harder it is to handle, the lower the rear end of the bike the lower the center of gravity is and the easier it is to handle. Our Cargoroo has a smaller rear wheel which brings down the height of the rear frame and the center of gravity. The RadWagon, Boost and GSD all have the same size wheels front and rear but all in different sizes, with the RadWagon at 22″ (an unusual size, therefor hard to replace), the Boost at 24″ and the GSD at 20″. The GSD would have the best advantage with the smallest wheels because the cargo will be below the weight of the rider but the smaller front wheel also increases steering instability. The Boost would be at a higher disadvantage due to the larger wheels unless ridden by a taller rider.

Another consideration is getting on and off of the bike. Ours is the only one in this list that offers a true step through frame, making it easy to get on and off even when fully loaded.

Cargoroo: Low center of gravity for easy handling when fully loaded and easy to get on and off.

Conclusions:

The motor is really the star of an e-bike, an e-bike just isn’t one without it. And different applications call for different types of motors, and different types of motors offer different feels while riding. Both the Tern and Benno cargo bikes use a Bosch mid drive, an increasingly popular motor type and brand. Mid drives are best at offering a very integrated feel, the most similar to riding a conventional bike. But they do require the rider to be more savvy at riding as well as put in more physical effort. It is up to the rider to pick and use the most appropriate gear while riding in order for the motor to work efficiently and be able to provide optimal power. This is ideal for very avid cyclists but not so great for non-cyclists looking to get into e-biking. Additionally these mid drive motors offer a lower amount of power then the others on this list, and while they do offer proportionately higher torque it still means you’re left having to put in more effort.

Both the RadWagon 4 and our Cargoroo utilize 500W geared hub motors (with Rad changing from a direct drive hub on their RadWagon 3). We are using Bafang brand motors but Rad is not advertising what brand of motor they are using. Geared hub motors have good low speed torque which offers great acceleration and power for hill climbing, which is of course where you need it most. They also have no drag when the motor is not engaged, which is nice if you want the option of using it as a regular bike, or if you accidentally run out of power.

Cargoroo: For Victoria and Vancouver Island riding our Cargoroo has a lot to offer when it comes to motor power, the geared hub motor was specifically chosen for it’s quality and reliability as well as it’s high torque on hills. And because it’s a hub drive it is very user friendly and easy for anyone of any skill level to ride, no need to be a super cyclist.

Conclusions:

Determining which method(s) of obtaining the electric assist is better is quite personal, everyone has different needs and preferences. There are two ways to tell a motor to engage, with pedal assist (PAS) or a throttle. PAS has two main types, either cadence or torque. A cadence type PAS sensor, found here on the RadWagon, is often found on cheaper e-bikes as it is a more rudimentary type and less complex to produce. Cadence pedal assist sensors sense that the pedals are rotating and relay that to the controller, which supplies power based on the level of assistance selected, usually to a certain speed. This type of sensor has a delayed response when starting up and shutting down as it relies on magnets to sense if the pedals are moving. Torque sensors, used by our Cargoroo and Bosch motors, are a more sophisticated technology that sense how hard the rider is pedaling and supplying power based on that. The harder you pedal the more power the motor puts out, torque sensors are also very quick to respond to any change in pressure, giving a smooth, high-end and intuitive application of power. A mid drive motor and hub drive motor both using a torque sensor have a very similar riding feel. Throttles are very straightforward and work exactly as you would anticipate, only available on our Cargoroo and the RadWagon. Our Cargoroo offers a left hand thumb throttle (due to the shifter positioning) and the RadWagon has a right hand twist throttle, while neither the Benno or Tern bikes offer one because of the mid drive motors. Throttles are very handy for supplying a boost of power when you need it, particularly from a stop and going up hill, however while it is possible to strictly use only the throttle it is not recommended, especially on a fully loaded cargo bike, because it puts a lot more strain on the motor and will reduce it’s longevity.

Cargoroo: Offers both a torque sensor and throttle option, making for a smooth, intuitive ride with an extra boost when you need it.

Conclusions:

Good brakes are a very important safety feature of any bike, but especially a heavy electric cargo bike carrying your kids. The hydraulic brakes are the clear winners in this round, providing more stopping power to less hand power. Hydraulic brakes are also self adjusting which means they require significantly less maintenance then their mechanical counter parts. The Benno and Tern get brownie points for using higher end brand names like Shimano and Magura (which should be expected with the price tag) but in terms of day to day use and longevity there is little difference between them and Tektro other then a higher price tag if they need repair. All of the competitors here are using 180mm rotors front and rear for their brake set up, but we’ve taken it a step further with our Cargoroo and used 203mm rotors on the front for even better braking power.

Cargoroo: Will offer great stopping power with the large rotors, with ease thanks to the hydraulic brakes. Tektro is a quality brand even if not an extremely well known name.

Conclusions:

What makes one drivetrain superior over another is fairly subjective, depending on what is important to you and what kind of terrain you ride over. Here we see that the Benno and Tern bikes are geared very low to allow for more torque for hill climbing, paired to 10 speeds with a nice wide gear range. This gearing will not allow for riding at higher speeds on the flat but will be great for steeper and more prolonged hill climbing. The Benno and Tern are also using higher end shifters and derailleurs, all of which are very important for these bikes because of the drive system they use. Because the motor drives the chain on the Benno and Tern they are in the highest need of a higher end drivetrain, a mid drive motor is really only as good as the drivetrain it is paired with. Our Cargoroo and the RadWagon however are hub drives and a high end drivetrain is less necessary. You can see by the ratios that both are geared higher for higher pedaling speed versus hill climbing, which can be an issue if you run out of power, but with our Cargoroo and the dual batteries the likely-hood of that happening is quite slim. The lowest scorer here would have to be the RadWagon for the low end components used, for DNP being an obscure and low quality brand and for the awkward to use thumb shifter which makes shifting clunky and difficult.

Cargoroo: Geared well for higher speeds, not very low gearing because of the unlikely hood of running out of battery power, Shimano name brand parts and a trigger shifter for easy shifting.

RTG Cargoroo:

We did a lot of research as we were developing our Cargoroo as well as drawing from our experience. And we think we did a pretty good job of designing a cargo bike that ticked all the boxes. As compared to the other cargo e-bikes on this list our Cargoroo offers a tremendous value for money, and it’s the first and only e-cargo bike available to come fully loaded with all the accessories you need, and the only one to come standard with two integrated batteries. We’ve considered all the important features a family e-cargo bike needs, lots of power especially on hills, reliable and strong braking, stability and ease of handling, easy to get on and off and of course a family friendly price tag. The Cargoroo isn’t the perfect e-cargo bike for everyone, is there really such a thing as one size fits all? But we feel that as it compares to the competition it’s a really solid choice for close to everyone, and we hope you’ll think so too.

RadPower RadWagon:

The RadWagons defining feature is it’s low price tag, especially if you aren’t in need of a secondary battery or accessories. Of course with a lower price tag some sacrifices are made and cheaper components are used. However it is still decently spec-ed for the price tag. The 2020 version has made some good improvements to make it a better option, changing to a geared hub motor, and reducing the wheel size to improve the geometry. But it still lacks very important components like hydraulic brakes, uses low end components and is expensive to accessorize. If you’re looking for an entry level e-cargo bike and only adding a few accessories this could be a good option for you. EDIT 2022: There have been reports of a recall regarding exploding tires (which are an unusual size and hard to get elsewhere) with no clear fix offered.

Benno Boost E 10D CX:

The Boost has the largest tires out of the competition at 24″, making it a better choice over the others for a taller rider but less ideal from a center of gravity perspective, particularly for shorter riders. Like the Tern it comes equipped with higher end Shimano and Bosch components, but is to be expected for the price tag. One bonus to the Benno is that it does have a range of other accessories available for it that may suite your needs, however those accessories aren’t cheap.

Tern GSD S10:

Tern’s GSD S10 is the most unique on this list. Having a smaller footprint then all the others and also a folding handlebar make the GSD a great option for those in need of a cargo bike with space restrictions. Like the Benno, it offers high end parts and components which is to be expected for the price tag. It is also the only other bike on the list that can be purchased standard with a secondary battery. The GSD is a good option for avid cyclists looking for something similar to a regular cycling experience and in need of higher torque for hill climbing, especially in a smaller package.