Which legal e-bike fits your commute?

Why the battery figure comes from the makers

Range depends on the rider, the hills and the weather, and each maker tests its own way, so we set the makers’ claims against each other. Most give only an “up to” figure, a best case: across the 20 bikes we list, those imply 5.8 Wh per km. Only 3 makers also publish a worst case, and those imply 12.5 Wh per km. The matcher plans on the worse figure, because head-winds, hills, a heavy load and stop-start traffic are what a commute looks like.

Giant is one of the makers that publishes both: the Explore E+ 3’s 625 Wh battery is rated for 50 km in extreme conditions and 180 km in ideal ones. (Giant Australia, checked 3 October 2026)

Load limits vary more than you’d think

Makers publish a maximum load in two ways: some count only rider and cargo, others include the bike. A “125 kg” limit that includes a 27 kg bike leaves under 100 kg for you and your bag. The matcher subtracts the bike’s weight where the limit is a total.

The least rider-and-cargo capacity we found is the NCM Aspen’s, at 96 kg once the bike is taken off its published limit. (NCM, checked 3 October 2026)

The most is the Ampd Bros ACE-X, with 180 kg for rider and cargo. (Ampd Bros, checked 3 October 2026)

Hills: torque and where the motor sits

On a steep climb, what matters is the motor’s torque and whether it drives the pedals (a mid-drive, which can use the bike’s gears) or the wheel hub. All legal motors are rated at 250 W or less, so the difference between bikes on a hill is torque and gearing, not watts. On steep routes the matcher looks for at least 60 Nm, the median of the 16 bikes we list that publish a torque figure, or a mid-drive.

Frame size

Where a maker publishes rider heights for each frame size, the matcher picks your size and says so. Several makers publish only frame measurements, without saying which rider each suits; for those the size shows as “not published” rather than a guess. A shop test ride settles it.