ENGWE is best known for chunky folding fat tire e-bikes and budget-friendly commuter models, but the company is now taking a decidedly more refined turn with the launch of its new ENGWE Zip compact folding e-bike.
It’s got a lot of interesting angles, but the most eyebrow-raising might just be the USB-C charging battery that powers the bike, allowing riders to charge it with a standard laptop charger.
The new ENGWE Zip is designed around portability first and foremost, with the company emphasizing its compact folded size, lightweight build, and rapid 3-second folding mechanism. At just 16.9 kg (37 lb) without the battery or closer to 19 kg (42 lb) with the battery installed, the Zip is dramatically lighter than many of the heavy folding e-bikes that have flooded the market in recent years.
That lightweight design appears to be the main selling point here. ENGWE says the bike folds down to roughly “20-inch luggage size” dimensions, making it easier to carry into apartments, onto elevators, onto trains, or stash under a desk at work.
The Zip appears to be designed for the European market and thus features more EU-standard performance figures. It uses a 250W rear hub motor with 40 Nm of torque paired with a torque sensor, helping deliver a smoother and more natural-feeling pedal assist experience than the cadence sensors commonly found on low-cost folders. The bike is limited to 25 km/h (15.5 mph), which is another sign that it is clearly targeted at the European market.
