e-bike

/ˈiː.baɪk/

noun

A bicycle assisted by, or powered by, an electric motor.

Similar
e-cyclee-bicycleelectric bikeelectronic bicycleelectronic bike

Meanings

noune-bike (plural e-bikes)

plural e-bikes · alternative ebike

  1. informalA bicycle assisted by, or powered by, an electric motor.

    Another important difference: e-bikes can legally travel in the bike lane; scooters and mopeds cannot.

    2010, David L. Kurtz, Contemporary Marketing 2011, page 377
    5 more examples

    The e-bikes glide past slow, one of the kids turning his bike around. He's tall, with his black hair slicked back with grease, shining in the glow of the other bikes' lights. In the sockets of his eyes she can see only mirrors. Artificial Sonys. The kid's ironed.

    1993 January 31, Ridley McIntyre, “STORY: GHOSTDANCER (2)”, in rec.games.frp.misc (Usenet), retrieved 19 Mar 2019, message-ID <0!w3=jd@rpi.edu>

    ELECTRIC BIKES ("E-BIKES") Because e-bike speeds and power are more similar to human-powered bicycles than to motorcycles, I believe their users will need bicycle-style traffic-skills education (Effective Electric Cycling?). I also believe e-bikes, with strict power or acceleration limits, should be allowed to use bike lanes -- think about it.

    1993 November 13, John Ciccarelli, “Motorcycles, bicycles, "e-bikes"”, in rec.bicycles.soc (Usenet), retrieved 19 Mar 2019, message-ID <2c1n2d$j6o@agate.berkeley.edu>

    There seems to be a lot of interest emerging about "E-Bikes." I'm not sure of the appropriate place to discuss them. I've seen things on the EV mailing list, and on several .bicycles. groups. Perhaps there is some interest on the hpv mailing list as well--I have't subscribed for a while. Is it worth starting a mailing list or newsgroup for them?

    1993 November 13, Charlie Sullivan, “Re: Motorcycles, bicycles, "e-bikes"”, in rec.bicycles.soc (Usenet), retrieved 19 Mar 2019, message-ID <2c1n2d$j6o@agate.berkeley.edu>

    I've been working on Ebike for 2 years. Read about several attempts around world and US. First patent in 1895. Mine weighs 85 lbs and does help uphill. Working on testing. I decided to build only because I wanted a "poor person's" ZEV. Weight will go down with technology over time. No hurry. Lots of stuff to do, learn. No EV is commercially viable in US except trike in Florida. Happy to talk with those interested.

    1994 September 1, Cycle0path, “Re: Electric Bicycle (again)”, in rec.bicycles.misc (Usenet), retrieved 19 Mar 2019, message-ID <343obu$l3t@search01.news.aol.com>

    E-bike info? Anyone have any info on an electric add-on motor for bikes built by a company called "ZAP" ?

    1996 November 11, dhammel, “E-bike info?”, in rec.bicycles.misc (Usenet), retrieved 19 Mar 2019, message-ID <19961111183300.NAA04270@ladder01.news.aol.com>

    Synonyms: e-cycle, e-bicycle, electric bike

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA bicycle assisted by, or powered by, an electric motor.

More synonyms by meaning

nouna bicycle that is built with a motor, the bicycle can be powered by the motor or pedalling of the cyclist

Similar
electronic bicycleelectronic bike

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 電雞 /电鸡
  • 電雞 /电鸡bicycle powered by an electric motor
Chinese Mandarin 電動自行車 /电动自行车, 電瓶車 /电瓶车
  • 電動自行車 /电动自行车 (diàndòng zìxíngchē)bicycle powered by an electric motor
  • 電瓶車 /电瓶车 (diànpíngchē)bicycle powered by an electric motor
Czech elektrokolo
  • elektrokolobicycle powered by an electric motor
Dutch elektrische fiets, e-bike
  • elektrische fietsbicycle powered by an electric motor
  • e-bikebicycle powered by an electric motor
Finnish sähköpyörä, sähköpolkupyörä
  • sähköpyöräbicycle powered by an electric motor
  • sähköpolkupyöräbicycle powered by an electric motor
French vélo à assistance électrique, vélo électrique
  • vélo à assistance électriquebicycle powered by an electric motor
  • vélo électriquebicycle powered by an electric motor
German E-Bike, Elektrofahrrad
  • E-Bikebicycle powered by an electric motor
  • Elektrofahrradbicycle powered by an electric motor
Indonesian sepeda listrik
  • sepeda listrikbicycle powered by an electric motor
Japanese 電動アシスト自転車
  • 電動アシスト自転車 (dendō ashisuto jitensha)bicycle powered by an electric motor
Korean 전동 어시스트 자전거
  • 전동 어시스트 자전거 (jeondong eosiseuteu jajeon'geo)bicycle powered by an electric motor
Malay basikal elektrik
  • basikal elektrikbicycle powered by an electric motor
Polish rower elektryczny, e-rower
  • rower elektrycznybicycle powered by an electric motor
  • e-rowerbicycle powered by an electric motor
Portuguese bicicleta elétrica
  • bicicleta elétricabicycle powered by an electric motor
Russian электровелосипе́д
  • электровелосипе́д (elektrovelosipéd)bicycle powered by an electric motor
Swedish elcykel
  • elcykelbicycle powered by an electric motor
Ukrainian електровелосипед, пауербайк
  • електровелосипед (elektrovelosyped)bicycle powered by an electric motor
  • пауербайк (pauerbajk)bicycle powered by an electric motor
Cite this entry
APA

e-bike. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/e-bike

MLA

“e-bike.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/e-bike. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “e-bike,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/e-bike.

Source: e-bike on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.