Brompton is bringing its Electric G folding e-bike to American riders, starting at $4,950. The premium bike features 20-inch wheels and improved handling compared to traditional 16-inch Bromptons, targeting urban commuters who need a bike that folds compact enough for trains and cars while delivering serious performance on varied terrain.
Brompton just made American commuters an offer they might not be able to refuse. The British company's Electric G folding e-bike, which earned rave reviews in Europe, is now available stateside starting at $4,950. While that's a hefty price tag, it represents something genuinely different in the folding bike space - a machine that doesn't force riders to choose between portability and performance.
The Electric G breaks the traditional folding bike mold by scaling up to 20-inch wheels from Brompton's signature 16-inch setup. That might seem like a small change, but anyone who's ridden both sizes knows the difference is dramatic. The larger wheels smooth out road imperfections and eliminate the twitchy handling that makes smaller folders feel like toys on anything beyond smooth pavement.
"The Electric G lived up to Brompton's claim that it's 'the most versatile e-bike in the world,'" according to Thomas Ricker's review for The Verge. The bike manages to fold small enough for train compartments and car trunks while delivering the kind of ride quality that makes longer distances comfortable.
For the US market, Brompton made some key adjustments. The American version tops out at 20mph from its 250W rear-hub motor, matching local e-bike regulations. More importantly, the company relocated the control module from the battery top to the handlebars - a change that addresses one of the few ergonomic complaints about the European model.
The timing couldn't be better for multimodal transportation advocates. Urban planners are increasingly recognizing folding e-bikes as a solution to the "last mile" problem - getting people from transit hubs to their final destinations without requiring parking spaces or theft concerns. The Electric G's ability to handle everything from bike lanes to gravel paths makes it particularly appealing for cities with mixed infrastructure.
But let's address the elephant in the room: $4,950 is serious money for a bike. That puts the Electric G in competition with premium e-bikes from companies like Specialized and Trek, though none offer the same folding capability. The price reflects Brompton's hand-built manufacturing in London and the engineering challenge of creating a folder that doesn't sacrifice ride quality.
