Stiftung Warentest: These are the best e-bikes

The e-bike boom doesn’t seem to want to end. Numerous offers are now flooding the market. Keeping track of things is not that easy. Anyone who finds it difficult to choose between the many e-bike types can choose so-called all-road, crossover or SUV bikes. Stiftung Warentest examined nine of these electric bicycles with prices between 3300 and 5350 euros ( Edition 6/2022 ). All nine SUV pedelecs are equipped with a mid-motor, hydraulic disc brakes, StVZO equipment and fully integrated batteries.

Choosing the right e-bike is not that easy, after all they are not all-rounders. Although seven pedelecs did the test with the overall rating “good”, two other two models are still “satisfactory”.

But the wheels have different priorities – sometimes sportier, sometimes more comfortable. They’re not mountain bikes either. According to the testers, the frames are not designed for jumps. The relatively high weight of all models, which is between 26 and 29 kilograms, speaks against this.

In the following table we show you the top models from the test. You can read what the bikes can do and which manufacturers are less convincing after the table.

E-Bikes: The winners & losers at Stiftung Warentest

The test winner is this KTM Macina Aera 671 LFC ab rund 3.900 Euro . In terms of safety and durability, the high-quality pedelec gets the top rating of “very good”. The handling of the KTM model is also quite simple, the battery is easy to charge, and the settings are self-explanatory. Particularly practical: In the test, it was convincing both on and off the road.

At the Simplon Kagu Bosch CX 275 TR on the second place the pendulum is swinging in the direction of city e-bikes. It is very comfortable and the tires are “great for asphalt” according to the product testers. In addition, the bike, which costs around 4,240 euros, is the only one in the test that is equipped with a belt drive and hub gears – this is extremely low-maintenance.

on the third place rolls that Specialized Turbo Tero 4.0 Step-Through EQ für 4.000 Euro . A “sporty bike that’s good for easy terrain,” was the verdict of the experts.

The Corratec MTC 12S and the Kalkhoff Entice 5.B Advance+ are less convincing. They “only” complete the test with a grade of 3. The first gets a point deduction due to the long battery charging time of more than 8 hours. But the bike also weakened in the pollutant test. Due to the high amount of phthalate plasticizer (DPHP) in the saddle, the bike only scores “fair” in this category. In the Kalkhoff model, too, the laboratory found a large amount of the plasticizer in the saddle, which also resulted in the sub-rating “sufficient”. On the other hand, the battery is just as quickly full again with only 3 hours and 20 minutes as with the test winner from KTM.

The detailed test report is available for a fee read at Stiftung Warentest . We also recommend that you take a look at the large E-bike test overview our colleagues from e-drivers.