Engwe P20 folding e-bike evaluate: how forgiving are you?

It’s straightforward to make a folding e-bike just like the Engwe P20 look nice on paper. 

First, you value it close to $1,000 and promise a 10-second folding time. Then, you exchange the standard oily chain, derailleur, cassette, and shifter with a belt-driven motor and torque sensor that ought to intuitively ramp up the pedal-assisted energy with out requiring any gears or upkeep. Lastly, you add hydraulic disc brakes to carry all the pieces to a managed cease and wrap all of it up in a nice-looking package deal that may be carried onto a practice or tossed into the trunk of a automotive.

On paper, then, the €1,099 (about $1,190) Engwe P20 ticks all of the containers for an e-bike that just lately went on sale in Europe. Driving it for the final month at my dwelling in Amsterdam, nonetheless, makes it clear that you simply nonetheless get what you pay for.

The P20’s value and have set makes its faults largely forgivable, however they’re faults nonetheless.

My first concern with the P20 is with the tuning of the torque sensor. There’s a noticeable delay within the pedal help delivered by the P20’s “Talengo JKaero” belt drive when coming off the road. Attempting to start out on an incline is even worse, requiring just a few seconds of pretty vital effort from the rider. And because it’s a single-speed bike, you may’t swap gears for reduction.

Maybe this tuning is on objective because the unbranded 250W rear-hub motor is simply able to 42Nm of torque. It wouldn’t be the primary e-bike that shifts the burden to the rider’s quadriceps as a substitute of the motor (and battery) in favor of eking out a bit extra vary per cost. The P20 just isn’t the bike to personal if that you must repeatedly climb hilly terrain, nevertheless it handles average slopes tremendous.

My second concern makes itself recognized after getting the P20 up to the mark. At about 23km/h (14mph), my legs began spinning so rapidly that the saddle started to really feel uncomfortable. That higher restrict is okay should you’re good with rolling alongside at an off-the-cuff tempo however annoying if that you must get anyplace on the P20’s 25km/h (15.5mph) prime velocity, per European limits.

And like practically all mail-order e-bikes, you may unlock the motor for much more velocity if you recognize the trick — which I did for this evaluate. Not surprisingly, I discovered pedaling at US speeds of 20mph (32km/h) to be unimaginable. Luckily, my evaluate mannequin shipped with a throttle lever regardless of being a no-no in a lot of Europe. It was disabled within the software program however will also be unlocked with some Konami code magic. Annoyingly, even the P20’s throttle suffers from a delay.

I pedal alongside at 23km/h, hit the throttle to cease the windmilling and… the motor cuts out, resuming after a second or two as soon as the throttle lastly engages. It does ultimately get the bike as much as 32km/h — and past, should you dare. 

These efficiency quirks can be unforgivable for an e-bike within the $3,000-plus vary that I often evaluate — however the Engwe P20 prices only a third of that. And there are many issues to love right here.

The P20’s hydraulic disc brakes carry these 20 x 1.95-inch tires to a cease rapidly and underneath management. Simply observe that the brakes are unbranded, which may trigger points discovering substitute brake pads when the time comes.

The P20’s geometry additionally rides bigger than its dimension, so the steering doesn’t really feel overly twitchy like some smaller foldable bikes. It’s heavy for a foldable with 20-inch tires, coming in at 18.5kg (41 kilos) or 22kg (55 kilos) when slotting in that detachable (and lockable) 346Wh (36V / 9.6A) battery. However that added heft helps the experience really feel a bit safer on the expense of portability. 

The vary is respectable, although heavy use of the throttle will diminish it significantly. When solely utilizing the motor as a pedal help, I used to be getting about 52km (32 miles) from a full battery when driving in energy ranges two or three (out of three). Not unhealthy. The battery takes over 5 hours to cost.

Engwe calls the P20 a 10-second folder, which is actually formidable — my finest time was about twice that, however you may fare higher with a number of observe. The handlebars and seat can each be dropped with quick-release latches, and even the pedals fold with some effort. The bike then folds in half alongside what looks like a reassuringly robust latch discovered halfway alongside the middle tube.

A magnet helps preserve the entrance and rear wheels hooked up when folded, permitting you to push or pull the unwieldy package deal should you steadiness it on one wheel whereas holding the seat with two arms. It takes some observe and energy to get proper. A tiny built-in steel stand lets the bike relaxation on the bottom within the upright place with out toppling over too simply.

The P20 additionally comes with a number of extras baked into the value, together with built-in fenders, a rear rack, a kickstand, and entrance and tail lamps (with helpful brake gentle), that are all required by most metropolis commuters. It additionally has a flip sign function with devoted buttons on the handlebar. Utilizing them is hard since they don’t make a sound, don’t routinely flip off, and aren’t very seen through the day. You’re higher off utilizing hand alerts, for my part.

There’s no app, the show is tiny however tremendous, and the entire bike can stand up to rain and jets of water whereas driving. You’d assume an IP6 ranking can be customary for all e-bikes meant to be ridden outdoor, nevertheless it’s not assured at this value vary.

What frustrates me concerning the P20 is that it might be a terrific e-bike however as a substitute feels prefer it was developed by a advertising workforce utilizing out there elements picked from a catalog, with out anybody taking the time to optimize the driving expertise. However that’s what you get on the price range finish of the e-bike spectrum. 

For €1,099 / £1,099, the Engwe P20 is an honest selection for anybody who wants a comparatively cheap e-bike as a part of a multimodal commute or is on the lookout for a foldable that rides extra like a conventional bike.

Pictures by Thomas Ricker / The Verge