One of the best electric bike options out there are hybrid bikes since they bring you so much versatility in one comprehensive package. Usually, they have front suspension to help flatten the road and eliminate road buzz, making everything a bit more comfortable. Thicker, wider tyres also add to comfort and rideability.
Add to this equation a chunky electric bike motor, and you're starting to build a perfect city bike, which will help you bust an office commute and ride the trails with the kids on the weekend. The best hybrid electric bikes aren't as budget as some bikes can be, but the quality of the product and their performance make it well worth the investment.
This versatile range of use is what gives it the name of a hybrid bike; while it wouldn't be an out-and-out mountain bike, it can function and while you might want a bit more as a city bike, again, it more than holds its own.
The best hybrid electric bikes at a glance:
• Best overall hybrid electric bike: Bianchi E-Spillo Classic Altus 8 Ladies Electric Hybrid Bike 2021
• Best lightweight hybrid electric bike: Raleigh Trace 700c 2022 - Electric Hybrid Bike
• Best hybrid electric bike for motor: GT eGrade Current Gravel E-Bike 2022
• Best hybrid electric bike for gears: Ribble Hybrid AL e Fully Loaded Edition
• Best hybrid electric bike for battery: Vitus Mach E Urban E-Bike
• Best all-rounder: Raleigh Motus Grand Tour Lowstep Hub Gear Electric Hybrid Bike
• Best hybrid electric bike for features: Giant FastRoad E+ EX Pro 2021 - Electric Hybrid Bike
• Best groupset: Specialized Turbo Vado SL 4.0 ST EQ Electric Hybrid Bike 2022
So let's take a look at the best electric hybrid bikes. We've split it into two sections – if you want an electric bicycle which will give you a little boost and keep your wheels turning, then a rear hub motor might be for you. We will then look at crank motor eBikes which will give you more torque and power away from traffic lights and uphill but be heavier bikes for it.
The best rear-motor hybrid eBikes
Best overall hybrid electric bike
www.tredz.co.uk
Description
Let us break down the name of this bike, as there seem to be a lot of words for no reason. ‘E-Spillo’ means it's an electric version of the ‘Spillo’ bike, while ‘Classic’ refers to the look and style. ‘Altus’ is the Shimano Groupset which can be found on the bike - it's an 8-speed, so that explains the ‘8’. Finally, ‘Ladies’ is because it’s a lady's bike.
Now we've got that out the way; we can explain that the Altus Groupset is an entry-level groupset tailored more for mountain biking than road riding. However, don't take that to mean this is a mountain bike. It just means the gearing will be more robust and able to handle more complex use.
The rear hub motor will generate 150w and 28Nm of torque while the 418Wh battery is mounted on the rear pannier rack, offering plenty of range and five power-assisted modes.
Pros
- Integrated lights and mudguards front and rear
- Great price
- Good battery life
Cons
- Altus Groupset is a bit low
Best lightweight hybrid electric bike
www.tredz.co.uk
Description
What we have here is a lovely flat handlebar from the well-respected brand Raleigh. The Trace utilises a 6061 aluminium frame with a carbon fork to help eliminate road buzz, and the 700c in the name refers to the width of the wheels.
The Shimano HG200 groupset carried here is generally found toward the lower end of the Shimano family and more in trekking/mountain biking categories. It backs up the bike's ability to be robust and reliable. For an eBike, it's relatively lightweight at 16.5kg, which is partly down to the Ebikemotion X35 rear hub.
Pros
- Well-respected brand
- The discrete rear hub motor is solid and reliable
- Lightweight for an eBike
Cons
- A better groupset would be expected at this price
Best hybrid electric bike for motor
www.chainreactioncycles.com
Description
Does your city route take you down bridleways, canal paths or gravel roads? Then this bike may be your option.
However, the gearing comes from a little-known brand Microshift and is mixed with Shimano's Mt200 hydraulic disc brakes. The super efficient and reliable MAHLE Ebikemotion rear hub motor is the swansong of the bike, providing that little bit extra for riding loose gravel, steep inclines and just buzzing about the city.
Pros
- Strong motor
- Integrated battery
- Tubeless-ready tyres
Cons
- Not a very well-known brand
- Not a very well-known groupset
Best hybrid electric bike for gears
www.ribblecycles.co.uk
Description
This clean, cool inner-city bike will handle a bit of soft-roading with mudguards and a beautiful pannier rack already mounted on the rear. The 6061 aluminium frame rolls on Mavic Allroad alloy wheels with hydraulic disc brakes, attached with an SRAM NX 1x11 Groupset. The decision for a single cog on the crank comes from a wide range of gears on the cassette.
You can turn on the battery and motor at a touch of a button, which offers three levels of assistance from the rear hub Ebikemotion motor. The flat handlebars add comfort and stability with matching grippers and saddle to complete the look.
Pros
- Looks so good
- Well-respected brand
- Easy shift gears
Cons
- Seat is a bit small
The best crank motor Hybrid eBikes
Now we come to the crank motors; we may now start to see a variation in who supplies and makes the motors on each bike. This type of motor can be more expensive, but it's also more powerful, reliable and robust. The main difference is that the motor has much more torque; these bikes have much bigger battery packs. The bigger battery is heavier, but the apparent payoff is much further in range.
Best hybrid electric bike for battery
www.chainreactioncycles.com
Description
Utilising the Shimano STEPS motor on an aluminium 6061 frame gives you strength from a powerful motor and rigidity in the frame to deal with the extra power. The motor will let you select from three modes; ECO, normal or High, depending on how much assistance you want.
Vitus uses a Sunrace M90 11-34t 9-speed cassette to keep costs down. There are Shimano hydraulic disc brakes for great stopping power. Carbon forks help to reduce road buzz, and the kink in the top tube helps reduce the step-over; if you were to have a child seat mounted to the back, this would be particularly helpful.
Pros
- Reliable strong motor
- 504Wh battery
- Relatively lightweight for an eBike – 17.2kg in a medium
Cons
- Groupset could be more robust
Best all-rounder
www.tredz.co.uk
Description
This low-step Raleigh Motus gives you plenty to shout about, pre-installed mudguards and integrated lights, with a pannier rack to help you carry everything you need. Add to that hydraulic disc brakes.
Now, let's talk about the impressive BOSCH Active Line motor with a HUGE 500Wh battery pack. Raleigh claims this battery pack is suitable for up to 100 miles, depending on how you use it, which we assume is in the lowest power mode possible. Considering the bike weighs 28.5kg in a small size, we can't imagine how much you'll be in the lower modes and how close you'll get to 100 miles. However, you likely won't need to as this will have all the range you'll need for hoping about town.
Pros
- Big battery
- Impressive motor
- Plenty of spec as standard
Cons
- Heavy, very heavy
Best hybrid electric bike for features
www.tredz.co.uk
Description
Giant utilises its own SyncDrive Pro motor – which is powered by Yamaha - which will give you a boost of up to 250 watts, located in the bottom bracket of the aluminium frame. The 500Wh battery pack is integrated into the bike's down tube, and you can even carry a range-extending EnergyPak plus, which will give you an additional 250Wh battery life.
Elsewhere, we find hydraulic Shimano disc brakes, entry-level Tiagra 10-Speed cassette, integrated mudguards, lights, and a pannier rack that give you everything you need to attack the city and the trails on the weekend.
Pros
- Large battery life that can be extended
- Powerful motor
- Integrated mudguards, lights and pannier rack
Cons
- Groupset is so-so
Best hybrid electric bike for groupset
www.evanscycles.com
Description
You get a few nice extras with this bike. The Turbo Vado SL 4.0 ST EQ has integrated Leyzne lights which are super bright and very well-rated. Alongside this, you get DRYTECH mudguards to keep road spray to a minimum. 38mm tyres not only make things a bit comfier but help out a lot in the winter, too; add to that a kickstand, which is such a nice little feature to have, and this is a very well-stacked bike.
The 240W 35Nm motor is made by Specialized and is a lightweight motor to help keep bike weight down. With a 320Wh battery integrated into the downtube, there is an option to purchase a range extender which would give you up to 120 miles of range. The Deore Shimano groupset is a mid-level trekking gearing system that is strong, robust, and able to cope with the added pressure of an electric motor.
Pros
- Extra bright front and rear lights
- Step-through frame makes getting on and off easy
- Strong groupset
Cons
- Limited colour choices
Frequently Asked Questions
There can be a lot of myths when it comes to eBikes, so let's look at the most frequently asked questions.
What is a hybrid electric bike?
Let's break it down into two sections; a hybrid bike is designed to do two things, city riding and handling a bit of soft roading. While not an out-and-out off-roader, it'll be capable of getting over gravel or wooded paths. Their tyres are usually slightly wider, giving more comfort, and their position is generally more upright for comfort on the bike.
An electric bike is a bike which has an electric motor and batteries. So, a hybrid electric is like a hybrid bike with an electric motor.
Is a hybrid electric bike right for me?
Again break it down into two parts. Is it a hybrid bike for you? Will you be doing different types of riding around a city and down canal paths? Then probably yes, will it be suitable for a weekend raid on the roads? No. So if you want a comfy bike capable of riding on varying terrains and carrying lots, get a hybrid.
Is an eBike for you? They're great at helping you carry extra weight, getting you about town and buzzing you up a hill. They're also excellent for getting you back on a bike after injury or illness and can be all you need to give you a little independence.
Batteries and motors
To ensure you get something right, you'll need to pick between two different motors - hub or crank.
Hub motors, which are mounted in the rear hub and help the wheel to rotate, are often for lighter use of an eBike.
Crank motors help the pedals turn. Having a motor house in the cranks is generally heavier, but they give you more assistance when riding, and you feel their effects much more than a hub motor.
Batteries will either be mounted in the frame or an external battery which can be taken off the bike and charged. There are many different types of batteries, and we'll go through that in the product descriptions, and we recognise how good they are by using Watt-hours.
Torque and Watt-hour (Wh)
The torque on an eBike is very similar to a car; the higher the torque a motor can produce, the more weight it can shift. It's not uncommon to find pedal-assist engines that can produce up to 80Nm of torque, and this is plenty to get you off the mark and up the hills.
The difference between a Watt and a Watt-hour (Wh) is that a Watt is a power unit, and Wh is a unit of energy. So, Watt-hours measure the amount of energy for a specific period and Watts measure rates of power at the moment in time. So if you have a 250Wh battery, it will give you 250 watts of power for one hour.
Use this as a rough guide, though, as when you're in the most assisting mode (which usually gives you 250 watts of power), the run time depends on how hard you're working, the steepness of inclines, the amount of weight the bike is carrying and environmental factors, like temperature and wind.
What's the difference between an electric bike and a hybrid?
If you take the electric motor away from a hybrid electric bike, you have just a hybrid bike. It's important to note that to make these bikes go, you still have to pedal – there is no twist-and-go motor. The more you put into the pedals, the less the motor works; the more the motor works, the less you do.
What happens if an electric bike runs out of charge?
You end up having to pedal without the assistance of the motor. For some, this can be fine – if the bike is light and you're on reasonably flat ground. However, if the bike is already heavy and you're going uphill, this could become more of a problem.
Electric hybrid or conversion kit?
We would always say go for the bike, which has been purpose-built to do what it does. Conversion kits are fine, but they're still close to £1,000 for a decent one. Then you have to have it installed, and if your bike frame doesn't take the motor, it could be a very costly way to do it.
Our advice would be to go for the eBike over the conversion kit if you can.