There's no such thing as the perfect electric bike, but if you asked me what my perfect ebike would be like, the M-E1 from the Massachusetts company Montague Bikes comes close.
This folding bike with a step-through frame is the most comfortable folding ebike I've ridden. I'm 6', 4", so it's rare that I get to ride a folding frame that feels stable. (Given my height, it's also the rare folding bike that doesn't make me look clownish.) That's all thanks to the 28-inch wheels on this full-size frame—atypically large dimensions for the folding category.
The M-E1 is not very powerful, but I like how the quiet Shimano mid-drive motor supplies just enough pedal assistance to make me feel like I'm getting some exercise in as I turn the cranks. It also helps that the bike is outfitted with high-quality components like Shimano brakes and Schwalbe tires. Best of all, the folding mechanism is dead simple and lets the bike pack down into a narrow size, taking up very little room in my tiny New York City apartment. What's not to love?
It's hard not to feel impressed when you hop on the M-E1's saddle. There's no part of it that feels rickety, unlike some other folding bikes I’ve tested. The aluminum frame is durable, and the whole thing feels sturdy. It's attractive too, but not so much that I'd call it stylish like the Specialized Turbo Como SL; the blue and matte black color scheme resembles something you'd see used in an urban bike-sharing program.
There's an integrated rear rack, front and rear lights come built in, the tires have reflective stripes on the sides, wide mudguards hover over the wheels, and an easy-to-remove 11.6-Ah (36 volts) Shimano battery is mounted toward the bottom of the seat tube. Plug the chunky charger in and it usually only takes around three hours to fill up the cell. One thing that might be awkward—the power button is on the battery, so you'll need to reach down near the pedals to turn the bike on. It would’ve been a little easier to access if it was on the handlebars.
Below the right handlebar is a tiny display that indicates battery life, speed, distance traveled, and other ride data. I prefer this compared to much larger screens that can be distracting (or ebikes that require a phone app). You do need to tap an even tinier button on the bottom of this screen to cycle through the screens that display the data though. That's tricky during rides, so I usually left it on the speedometer setting.