The Best Electric Cargo Bikes for Families

There are a number of physical, philosophical, environmental, and logistical reasons why it’s better to hop on a bike than it is to drive a car. Cars are expensive. They require maintenance, clog up roadways, and hit family pets. They pollute the air. But somehow, none of this matters when you’ve been trying to leave for the park for the past four hours and still have yet to wrestle pants on your screaming toddler.

If you’re still trying to reconcile your carefree biking days of yore with your current life as a family chauffeur, an electric cargo bike might be a good fit for you. We’ve reviewed ebikes for a few years here at WIRED. I regularly tote kids, groceries, and bags of who knows what around town on some of the best (and worst) electric cargo bikes around. These are our favorites.

Need a smaller vehicle? Be sure to check our roundups of the best electric bicycles and best bike accessories. We also have a guide to understanding the classes of ebikes.

Updated November 2020: We revised some information and added new picks, like the Urban Arrow Family.