electric bike

noun

variants or e-bike

ˈē-ˌbīk 

or electric bicycle

plural electric bikes or e-bikes or electric bicycles

: a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that may be activated in order to assist with or replace pedaling

Just like any bike, electric bikes come with a ton of different technical specs that you may or may not care about.

—Adrienne So

For many years, e-bikes carried the stigma of being vehicles for lazy pedalers and seniors. The bikes draw power from a battery and motor to make pedaling significantly easier. You can also accelerate with the press of a button, transforming cycling from a strenuous exercise into a joy ride.

—Brian X. Chen

Examples of electric bike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Guests can explore Buffalo Bayou Park’s trails on complimentary eco-friendly electric bikes. —Pat Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2024

Many electric bikes and scooters sold in the US in recent years may contain batteries that have not been approved by consumer safety labs. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024

The 75-year-old Democrat from bike-friendly Portland, Oregon, is introducing a new bill that aims to re-shore domestic bike manufacturing by stealing it back from China while also helping protect electric bikes from high tariffs that could put them out of reach for many Americans. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 6 June 2024

Five Citi Bike riders died last year in total, four on electric bikes. —Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above