Take a Quick Peek at the Best Electric Folding Bike Before Continuing
- Strong 1500W Motor
- Long lasting 14.5 Ah battery
- Strong body low gravity center
- Fast - up to 30 mph
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall - ECOTRIC 26" Fat Bike Electric Bicycle 500W
- Runner-Up - Addmotor MOTAN Electric Bicycles Mountain Fat Tire 26" 750W
- Best Presence - BRIGHT GG ebike with Removable 36V Battery
- Best Folding Wallke Folding Electric Bicycle 48V Fat Tire
- Best Stability - Wallke Folding Aluminum Electric Bike 48V 10.4ah Fat Tire
- Fat Tires Electric Bikes FAQ
- How long do fat bike tires last?
- Are fat bikes hard to ride?
- Does fat tire electric bikes leech more power from the battery than regular electric bikes?
- Conclusions
Best Overall - ECOTRIC 26" Fat Bike Electric Bicycle 500W
The ECOTRIC 26″ Fat Tire Bike for Men is our top rated fat tire electric bike because it stands out as a quality e-bike that looks as if it will take whatever you throw at it in style.
The first thing of note is its solid build – it feels and looks as if it will handle a hard ride in the countryside.
With the fat tires, the bike as a whole enables you to make an entrance – people notice you wherever you go and for those who like to arrive in style, this is just the machine.
The fat tires on the ECOTRIC big wheel electric bike give you a feeling of safety too.
Car drivers who may be blind to other bikes on the road will notice your 4” wheels as sure as they would a motorcycle thanks to their sheer size.
Though it is built for everything from soft sand to snow, the tires are not too knobbly for road use and should take a good few years between changing if mainly used on hard surfaces.
To add to your sense of confidence the solid appearance will make you feel as if you could walk away from a collision with a truck.
The controller has five power settings, allowing you to move up and down speeds as you need using your thumb on a button. Its large LCD display shows speed and battery life as well other essential parameters.
The half twist throttle enables you to accelerate as you need, using your pedals if you want to conserve battery.
Its stated top speed is 20mph but this can be modified to a top speed of 30mph should you wish to. Remember that on electric bikes, more speed = less range so if you need to go a long way, throttle back.
With a typical range of 20-25 miles you should be able to get where you want to go around the city.
The 36V battery can be charged in just six hours too, allowing you to perhaps cycle to work and leave the fat tire electric bike’s battery on charge there before returning home with a full charge.
Overall this is our top rated electric fat tire mountain bike as it looks, feels and does the business.
You will arrive in style and comfort at your destination, and with its fat tires will take a good blast in the woods too should you want.
Specifications
- BODY POSITION: Upright
- SUGGESTED USE: MTB, Snow, Beach, Urban
- ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS: 500W, limited to 20mph
Bicycle Details
- TOTAL WEIGHT: 58lbs
- FRAME MATERIAL: Aluminum
- FRAME SIZES: Suitable for men 5’6”-6’8”
- GEARING DETAILS: Shimano External 7 speed
- CRANKS: Snow Bike Pro Crank
- HANDLEBAR: Black handlebar
- BRAKE DETAILS: Front and rear Disc
- SADDLE: Large and wide
- WHEEL SIZES: 26”x4.0” Fat Tire
Runner-Up - Addmotor MOTAN Electric Bicycles Mountain Fat Tire 26" 750W
With its bright orange rims, the Addmotor MOTAN Electric Bicycles Mountain Fat Tire 26 Inch with 750W motor is sure to stand out in the crowd.
Its comfortable seating position allows you to get where you need without breaking a sweat.
The high quality, 6061 aluminum alloy frame is stiff enough to take hard off-road riding in all weathers.
The fat tires on this electric bike mean that riding in snow is possible, allowing you to leave your car behind when the weather turns.
Its 12 inch seat post can be adjusted to allow for people of different heights between 5’1” and 6’5” to ride it.
The Addmotor Motan Fat Tire electric bike has a 48V, 11.6Ah battery that the company claims will give you 40-55 miles per charge.
This could mean that you can do a commute and charge it when at home every evening – or just visit your friends at the far side of town.
The controller has two settings – throttle and pedal assist – that can mean you can extend the range of your day’s riding by switching from throttle only to the motor giving you a push as you pedal.
The display also shows a number of parameters including battery strength, speed and range on that setting.
Urban users will love the USB charger on the controller, allowing you to keep your mobile devices ready for your next stop on your journey.
Though the electric fat tire bike can be used on snow, sand and thick mud it is an urban cruiser at heart, designed to have a presence on the road (so car drivers see you) but also for a comfortable ride.
For a better weight distribution the battery is on the downtube, giving a similar weight-feel to that or a traditional bike.
The tires are designed to grip loose surfaces comfortably but will not wear too much from road use thanks to their road oriented grip.
One of the drawbacks is that it comes only partly assembled in the box, which is why we have not listed this as the top rated fat tire electric bike.
Once you have put it together however the Addmotor MOTAN fat tire electric bike looks and does the business of getting you about while making you and your friends smile at the sight of it.
This is a great bike to ride – with its square tubing it looks different to other bikes, and that added to its bright orange wheels makes the Addmotor 750W fat tire electric bike a machine to show off on.
Specifications
- BODY POSITION: N/A
- SUGGESTED USE: Urban, commuting, MTB
- ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS: 750W limited to 23 mph
- WARRANTY: N/A
Bicycle Details
- TOTAL WEIGHT: 90lbs
- BATTERY WEIGHT: 17lbs
- FRAME MATERIAL: 6061 Aluminum alloy
- FOLDED MEASUREMENTS: N/A
- GEARING DETAILS: Shimano Acera M360 7 speed
- PEDALS: Aluminum Black
- HANDLEBAR: Black Aluminum handlebar
- BRAKE DETAILS: Tektro MD-M300 disc brakes on 180mm front and rear rotors
- SADDLE: Addmotor Comfort Seat
- SEAT POST LENGTH: 12”
- TIRE BRAND: KENDA TPI Fat Tire
- WHEEL SIZES: 26” X 4.0”
Best Presence - BRIGHT GG ebike with Removable 36V Battery
With a realistic range of 15-20 miles, the Bright GG fat tire e-bike with removable 36V battery will get you about in comfort and style.
Its 4” tyres give you a presence on the road, while being able to float over soft surfaces like sand, mud and even deep snow.
The treads are designed to take the road well, and will last many years of good use.
For the rough stuff the high carbon steel frame and forks will take a real pounding as you speed around the countryside.
The fat tire electric bike is good in urban environments too – it has the range to get you a good distance across town and can be fully charged overnight.
For wet weather riding you can count on the high quality disc brake at the rear, which alongside the front V brake will bring you to a quick stop even from a good speed.
The bright LED front and rear lights are wired into the battery so you can see and be seen in daytime and nighttime conditions – perfect for a commute where you may get home after nightfall.
For a fat tire electric bike, the range isn’t wonderful, with 15-20 miles possible in real world conditions. NAKTO, the makers, say that the Bright GG ebike has a range of 4-55 miles with its removable 36V battery.
This is on pedal-assist mode where you will be sharing the effort of getting about with the battery as opposed to using the twist grip throttle.
The LCD controller screen shows you how much juice is left in the battery, the speed you are going, and how far you have traveled on your journey.
It also shows you the mode the fat tire e-bike is in, so you have an idea as to just how much further you can go on a typical trip.
This fat tire e-bike has the presence you need on the road and will get you where you want to go – perhaps not on the biggest trip unless you use pedal assist!
Specifications
- BODY POSITION: N/A
- SUGGESTED USE: Neighborhood, Urban, Commuting, MTB, Snow, Sand
- ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS: 500W motor max speed 30mph
- WARRANTY:N/A
Bicycle Details
- TOTAL WEIGHT: 25KG
- BATTERY WEIGHT: N/A
- FRAME MATERIAL: High carbon steel
- FRAME SIZES: N/A
- GEOMETRY MEASUREMENTS: 12″ Seat Tube Length, 20″ Reach, 30″ Stand Over Height, 36″ Minimum Saddle Height, 75″ Length, Minimum Seat Height from Pedal 24″ Maximum Seat Height from Pedal 36.”
- GEARING DETAILS: Shimano 6 Speed
- CRANKS: N/A
- PEDALS: N/A
- STEM: N/A
- HANDLEBAR: ANTI-SLIP
- BRAKE DETAILS: V BRAKE FRONT, DISC BRAKE REAR
- SADDLE: SOFT
- SEAT POST LENGTH: 12”
- RIMS:N/A
- TIRE BRAND: N/A
- WHEEL SIZES: 26” X 4”
- TIRE DETAILS: N/A
Best Folding Wallke Folding Electric Bicycle 48V Fat Tire
The Wallke Folding Fat Tire electric bicycle stands out as it can be folded away.
If you live in a smaller home or want to take the bike traveling then this means that it can fit in a smaller space than a standard electric fat bike.
Even though a folding fat tire e-bike this doesn’t mean it won’t handle some of the rough stuff as you ride – the fat tires are designed to get you through the mud, over snow and through sand as you feel or need!
The hydraulic disc brakes on the front and rear will stop you quickly in all conditions.
The high speed drivetrain will get you over those hills even if you are taking it easy with the battery.
Range shouldn’t be a problem either with Wallke claiming 40-45 miles at 17mph, and around 30 at a higher speed.
You also have a choice of pedal-assist that will give you even more range in return for sweating a little instead of using the throttle!
This makes the electric fat tire mountain bike a good machine for rides to work or to see friends who may be further across town.
The battery sits inside the frame, with you pushing it in when the fat bike is folded.
This adds security for what is one of the most expensive components on the machine.
People will also pause before realising that you are actually riding an electric fat bike as opposed to a traditional one.
The full colour display shows you all the parameters you need for a typical ride – range, distance and speed as well as the power setting you are in.
Though it has things like pneumatic forks and hydraulic brakes, the downside is that these are at the cheaper end of the spectrum.
That said you’ll really enjoy riding the Wallke folding fat e-bike if this is your first fatty!
The choice of a silver or bright orange colour scheme will make you noticed by car drivers and friends alike – this is definitely a street cruiser if that’s what you want in a machine.
You will find the machine one of the top electric fat bikes on the market today. It is comfortable to ride and has the components to go on road and track alike in style.
Specifications
- BODY POSITION: N/A
- SUGGESTED USE: Neighborhood, Urban, Commuting, MTB
- ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS: 750W
- WARRANTY: CONTROLLER AND CHARGER 6 MONTHS, BATTERY AND MOTOR 10 MONTHS
Bicycle Details
- TOTAL WEIGHT: 53lbs
- BATTERY WEIGHT: N/A
- FRAME MATERIAL: ALUMIMUM ALLOY
- FRAME SIZES: N/A
- GEOMETRY MEASUREMENTS: N/A
- FOLDED MEASUREMENTS: N/A
- GEARING DETAILS: 8 SPEED
- CRANKS: N/A
- PEDALS: ALUMINUM FOLDING
- STEM: N/A
- HANDLEBAR: ALUMINUM ALLOY
- BRAKE DETAILS: HYDRAULIC DISC
- SADDLE: SILICONE
- SEAT POST LENGTH:
- RIMS: N/A
- TIRE BRAND: CST
- WHEEL SIZES: 26” X 4.0
- TIRE DETAILS: N/A
Best Stability - Wallke Folding Aluminum Electric Bike 48V 10.4ah Fat Tire
Capable of riding on rough ground or road, with its mag wheels the Wallke folding aluminium electric fat bike is a machine that will stand out from the crowd.
Three settings on the LCD backlit controller give you the option of fully electric, pedal assist or riding without the motor pushing you along.
The controller on the electric fat bike also shows other parameters like speed, distance traveled and how much battery is left.
For getting about town and to work, the range is pretty much all you need. It can do 30-35 miles at a moderate speed (17mph) while at higher speeds it won’t get you so far.
Many of the components on the Wallke folding electric bike are just what you need for mountain biking – hydraulic disc brakes on the front and rear will stop you quickly even in the wettest conditions, while the Shimano 7-speed drivetrain should get you up even the toughest hills with a bit of pedal assist!
As an electric fat bike the tires will grip and cruise over even the gnarliest terrain, from snow to sand and even thick mud!
The battery sits neatly in the frame, keeping people guessing as to whether it is an electric fat bike.
Being locked in the frame is good for security.
For getting around town you will find a neat cellphone holder and a USB charger so you can keep your mobile devices topped up as you go.
As a folding fat bike you can store it in small places such as your SUV trunk, or if you only have a small space to keep your bike at home.
The Wallke folding aluminium electric fat bike is a little heavy, but this is more than compensated with by its 750W motor.
With its great components and looks, this is one of the better fat tire electric bikes on the market, though at the heavier end of the spectrum we have ranked this #5 on our list of fat tire electric bikes.
Specifications
- BODY POSITION: N/A
- SUGGESTED USE: Neighborhood, Urban, Commuting, MTB
- ELECTRIC BIKE CLASS: 750W
- WARRANTY: BATTERY AND MOTOR 10 MONTHS, CHARGER AND CONTROLLER 6 MONTHS
Bicycle Details
- TOTAL WEIGHT: N/A
- BATTERY WEIGHT: N/A
- FRAME MATERIAL: 6061 ALUMINUM ALLOY
- FRAME SIZES: N/A
- GEOMETRY MEASUREMENTS: N/A
- FOLDED MEASUREMENTS: N/A
- GEARING DETAILS: SHIMANO 7 SPEED
- CRANKS: N/A
- PEDALS: FOLDING ALUMINUM
- STEM: N/A
- HANDLEBAR: ALUMINUM
- BRAKE DETAILS: HYDRAULIC DISC FRONT AND REAR
- SADDLE: N/A
- SEAT POST LENGTH: N/A
- RIMS: ALUMINUM ALLOY MAG WHEELS
- TIRE BRAND: CST
- WHEEL SIZES: 26”
- TIRE DETAILS: 4”
Fat Tires Electric Bikes FAQ
Are fat bikes good?
Though originally developed for riding the Alaskan winter wilderness, fat bikes have caught on for a wide range of reasons.
Firstly they are capable of going almost anywhere that a normal tired e-bike won’t.
Developed for floating over soft snow, people rapidly realised that they can handle soft mud, loose dirt and dry sand with just as much ease.
That means fat tire e-bikes are capable of all weather riding. You can ride on soft mud and snow when you’d otherwise be indoors, extending your riding season the year through.
On these substrates traditional tires will sink up to your derailleurs and potentially trash the machine.
You will find that you learn more advanced techniques to riding an e-MTB too.
Pulling away up a wet slope requires controlled power and having better grip will mean less wheel spin.
Descending a steep muddy slope?
You’re far more likely to stay upright, even on a narrow track.
The next and most important factor is that fat bike riding is fun!
As long as you don’t want to break speed records (they have much greater rolling resistance than traditional sized bikes) and just want to get there in comfort you will find that these machines are unstoppable tanks.
Fat bikes are still a novelty though they are becoming increasingly popular these days.
If you’re the sort of rider who likes to be noticed, then ride into town on it to do your shopping/visit friends. Or turn up to a riding club. Ride it anywhere and people will comment on your cool machine!
How long do fat bike tires last?
Fat tires are low pressure, high volume.
They can be ridden at lower pressures than traditional tires.
How long fat tires last is all dependent on how much pressure is in the tire and what substrate you ride it on. Long-term fat bike riders have ridden regularly on road for many years and only then replaced them.
If you mostly ride on the soft stuff – beaches, snow and mud – the tires will last a lot longer than if you ride on road.
On softer surfaces riders tend to go for a lower pressure – 12-15 PSI – to expose more of the tread to the substrate.
This can add to wear and tear at some level but is still easier going on the tires than road where you will need a higher pressure of between 20-25 PSI for less rolling resistance.
A regular MTB wheel by comparison is very soft at 25 PSI and can take 40 PSI.
If you are a mixed-surface rider and don’t want to constantly pump the tires up and let them down according to your riding, then a compromise is necessary.
18-22 PSI would be good for that on your fat tire electric bike.
You will however expose more of the treads to the hard surface and you will get higher wear.
Are fat bikes hard to ride?
No. Thanks to their wide tires they are easier to balance at lower speeds.
If you have a long distance ride in mind and are not in a hurry to get there you will find that fatties are comfortable and easy to manoeuvre at lower speeds.
They are forgiving on hard terrain, again at lower speeds.
This means that the noob to fat e-bike riding is going to handle terrain that they would never enjoy on a traditional tire.
There is a flip-side to this: they are not for high speed riding.
Thanks to the high rolling resistance (see next question) they require more effort to go at lower speeds than harder, narrower tires. This means that you will never get higher top speeds than other machines.
A final drawback is the weight.
Fatties are heavier.
The wheels are wider and require more metal, and the frames and forks are bigger and bulkier too.
This is why you should look for a lighter frame material where possible as this will impact on the overall weight of the machine.
That said, all e-bikes carry an extra 15lbs or more of extra weight in the battery, motor and electronics so what’s an extra 2-3lbs of added frame, forks and rims in the scheme of things?
Does fat tire electric bikes leech more power from the battery than regular electric bikes?
Yes. This comes from extra rolling resistance and added weight. Let’s first look at relative rolling resistance.
A Dutch website compared 4” fat tires to 2.2” MTB tires. Both were tested at 18mph – a high cruising speed for a fatty!
At this speed, the rolling resistance was 30-45 Watts on a fat tire, as against 15-25W for a 2.2” tire and 10-15W on a road bike tire.
This does mean more power per mile and lower overall range.
When you add in the extra frame and wheel weight you will find that there is less power in the battery per mile for a fatty than a standard MTB.
That said, you don’t want a fat e-bike to break speed records.
You want a fat bike to cross plowed fields, sandy beaches, snow and ice.
You aren’t in it for riding around in a rush but for the rush of riding it where no one else can go!
Conclusions
So there you have it – a cruise through the best fat tired electric bikes.
We hope we have made it easier for you to choose the machine, covering five of the best fat bikes on the market for an affordable price.
One of the things that fat bike riders always say is that fatties are ‘addictive’ and that after their slimmer cousins, fat bike owners never look back.
Choose the right one and you’ll not regret it!