E-bikes flatten hills, shrink distances and take the ‘sport’ out of transport. Here are 10 of the best options for the journey to work.

E-bikes now account for nearly one in 10 bike sales in the UK. This is a long way behind Germany and Belgium, where e-bike sales have overtaken those of conventional bikes, but it shows where things are headed. People are increasingly buying e-bikes for everyday journeys.

Prices for good-quality e-bikes start at around £1,500, before Cyclescheme savings. Cheaper ones do exist but e-bikes are such a cost-effective way to travel that you’ll save more money with a dearer e-bike you use daily than a cheap one you use occasionally. Investing in a good quality e-bike also buys you a safe and reliable battery that won’t start smoking when left to charge – unlike those anonymous e-bikes at too-good-to-be-true prices that you sometimes see in fire brigade footage.

Whatever kind of e-bike you prefer, if you’re going to use it in the UK anywhere but private land it must meet a few requirements: the motor must cease to provide assistance when travelling faster than 25km/h (15.5mph); the motor’s maximum sustained power assistance can’t be higher than 250 Watts; and it must have pedals that can propel it. Not all e-bikes sold in the UK meet these rules. The 10 below all do, and are all great buys in their own way.

Estarli e28.8 Hybrid £1,625

Entry-level e-bikes sometimes look like a massive battery and a bunch of electronics have been strapped to a cheap hybrid. Not here. You need a second glance at Estarli’s e28.8 to confirm it’s an e-bike at all. The 375Wh battery is hidden in the down tube (and is non-removable so the bike needs to be parked by a socket for recharging); the 250W, 50Nm rear hub motor is hidden by the 8-speed Shimano Alivio cassette; cables are routed through the frame; and the display is integrated into the stem. It comes with hardwired lights; mudguards are an extra £25, while a rear rack is £35. At 17.5kg it’s lightweight for an e-bike at this price. It’s also available with a dropped top tube for easier mounting/dismounting. Range: 37-56 miles.

MiRider 24 £1,995

MiRider’s first e-bike was a small-wheeled folder. This one has bigger, 24-inch wheels and it only partly folds (pedals, handlebar, seatpost) for easier storage in a hallway or campervan. It has a single gear, which simple is and durable but limits performance on the steepest climbs. Elsewhere the 250W rear hub motor makes a tremendous difference: you have five power levels, plus a throttle to give you a boost when accelerating away from the lights or starting on a hill. The MiRider 24 is a comfortable bike with an upright riding position that will fit a wide range of riders, thanks to its low-step frame and telescopic seatpost. It comes with hardwired lights, mudguards and a kickstand, and front and rear racks are available. Nominal range from the 378Wh battery is 65 miles, but 40 is more realistic.

Raleigh Trace £2,099

The Raleigh Trace is a similar sort of e-bike to the Estarli above: a lightweight (16.5kg) hybrid with neatly-integrated electronics. It’s powered by the well-regarded Mahle X35 rear hub motor and a 250Wh battery hidden (and fixed) in the down tube, so again you’ll need to park it by a socket to recharge. The controller is a minimalist button on the top tube. Maximum assisted range is about 50 miles but there’s minimal drag from the Mahle hub with the motor turned off so you can pedal home easily if you run out of juice. It comes with a 1x9 Shimano Alivio drivetrain, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes and key commuting extras: mudguards, rear rack and hardwired lights. The 40mm WTB tyres will be fine on better-quality tracks as well as tarmac.

Mycle Cargo £2,499

The Mycle Cargo is a budget alternative to the Tern GSD; at the time of writing, it was reduced to £1,999. Despite its price it’s a capable e-cargo bike that could replace a car for everyday journeys, easily carrying a couple of children, an adult passenger or a huge amount of luggage. Its rear rack is rated to 125kg! The rear hub motor has plenty of torque (65Nm) so hills aren’t a problem, and if you want more range you can add a second battery (+£500). The wheels are small (20in), which gives any loads carried a lower centre of gravity, and they have shock-absorbing 3in-wide tyres. It comes with hydraulic disc brakes, mudguards, integral rear rack, kickstand and hardwired lighting – and there’s a huge range of optional accessories. Weight: 33kg. Range: 37 miles (74 with second battery).

Ribble Hybrid Al E - Fully Loaded Edition £2,699

Another ‘stealth’ e-bike like the Raleigh and Estarli, this Ribble looks and rides like a conventional hybrid – apart from the assistance provided by its Mahle X35 rear hub motor. This is paired with a 250Wh battery concealed (and fixed) in the down tube to give a range of around 50 miles – or more if you save the higher levels of assistance for when you really need them. Note that while the Fully Loaded Edition does come with mudguards and a rear rack, it isn’t supplied with lights. The specification is otherwise good. The wide-range SRAM NX1 drivetrain is a cut above what you’ll find on cheaper e-bikes, the hydraulic disc brakes are reliable in all conditions, and the Mavic Allroad wheels and 35mm Schwalbe Marathon tyres are tough without being heavy. Total weight is about 15.5kg. At the time of writing, it was reduced to £1,799.

Brompton Electric C Line Urban with Roller Frame – 4 Speed £3,205

Brompton Electric models add a front hub motor, 300Wh battery and sensor to the tried-and-tested Brompton design. All of them can be folded into a compact rectangle measuring 64.5 x 58.5cm x 27cm. The battery is cleverly concealed in the front bag (a larger bag is available) and makes an electrical connection when you clip it in place. When folded you’ll hold the battery bag (approx 3kg) in your other hand, making the Brompton Electric easier to lift onto the train. Various specifications of Brompton Electric are available. This one is ideal for commuting, with four gears, a Roller Frame that keeps the folded bike stable, plus essential accessories such as lights and mudguards. The battery has a USB port so you can keep your phone charge, too. Weight: 15.6kg (inc battery). Range: 20-45 miles.

Cube Nuroad Hybrid C:62 Race FE 400X £3,799

Mid-motors are more efficient than hub motors because the motor utilises the bike’s gearing. They also tend to offer higher torque levels. The flip side is that such e-bikes are usually heavier. This Cube isn’t. It uses Bosch’s new lightweight SX drive system as well as a carbon fibre frame and weighs just 15.7kg, including the mudguards, rear rack, kickstand and hardwired lights it’s equipped with. The real strength of its 55Nm motor isn’t so much the efficiency – although it will comfortably cover 50 miles with its 400Wh, frame-fitted battery – but its seamless integration with your own pedalling efforts. The power is subtle and responsive. As you’d expect at this price, the gears and hydraulic brakes are good quality Shimano GRX units. Although set up for commuting, this is nominally a gravel bike and will be fine on smoother off-road tracks.

GoCycle G4i £3,999

The Gocycle doesn’t fold as small as the Brompton but it’ll nevertheless fit in a train’s end-of-carriage luggage rack. It offers a better ride. Much of that is due to the fact it has larger (20in versus 16in) wheels shod with wider tyres, making potholes and road irregularities less alarming. Like the Brompton Electric it uses a front hub motor powered by a 300Wh battery; range is about same. Where it differs more is as a bike. The frameset employs a monoblade carbon fork and single-sided rear wheel attachment – handy if you puncture as the tyre can be removed in situ. The chain runs inside the bike’s suspension-equipped rear swingarm, keeping you and the bike clean. Hydraulic disc brakes provide excellent stopping for a folding bike, while the gearing is a 3-speed hub. Mudguards and lights now come as standard; a front pannier is available (£150).

Specialized Turbo Vado 5.0 £4,000

Some electric mountain bikes are designed specifically for mountain biking. Specialized’s Turbo Vado 5.0 is more like an SUV: it will tackle off-road tracks, even trail centre green and perhaps blue routes, but its main role is rufty-tufty transport. To that end it comes with lightly-treaded tyres and the usual commuting equipment: mudguards, rear rack, kickstand and hardwired lights. There’s also an anti-theft lock to disable the motor when you’re away from the bike. It will climb any hill with any load, thanks to its high-torque (90Nm) mid-motor. Range is good, too, as its removable battery is huge: 710Wh. While the Turbo Vado 5.0 has an 80mm-travel suspension fork and a suspension seatpost, these are better at providing comfort on bumpy bridleways and potholed roads than control on more technical singletrack. Range: 75 miles. Weight: approx 23kg.

Tern GSD S10 £4,700

Tern’s GSD (‘Get Stuff Done’) was one of the first compact e-cargo bikes. Easy to live with and store, taking up less space than a conventional bike because it has 20-inch wheels and partly folds, the GSD will nevertheless carry two kids, an adult passenger, or heavy cargo. It’s more expensive than the Mycle Cargo it likely inspired as it uses a more efficient Bosch Cargo Line mid-motor with 85Nm torque (as with the Mycle, a range-extending second battery is an option). The bicycle components are higher specification, too: 1x10 Shimano Deore is a wider-range, more dependable drivetrain, while the four-piston Magura hydraulic brakes would stop a motorbike. The GSD comes with a sturdy stand, guards, lights and a wheel lock, and the rear rack is an integral part of the frame. Various bags, racks and passenger accessories are available; the Storm Shield canopy to protect child passengers from the elements is fantastic. Range: 26-53 miles (60-121 with second battery).