tds101 

Wow,... I'm trying to stay away from folders, but the call is strong for this city commuter. The pricing is a bit high for a front hub drive, but the overall package is kinda nice.

cat0020

Depending on the distance you're trying to cover per ride/charge,
Single speed, 16" wheels, front hub motor.. half the price of a Dahon:
https://www.citizenbike.com/catalog....&product_id=79

kayakindude

I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the Citizens products. They are a little heavier than the Dahon and the locking mechanisms are different from my other folders, but not in a bad way, just up and down to release. They ride great and at least when we bought them for the beach house were reasonable. My daughters Barcelona is beautiful. I'm sure the electric will similar in quality and ride.

2old

Seems excellent. The only thing that I don't like about some single speeds and IGH's is they have clunky tensioners instead of horizontal dropouts or some less obtrusive method to tension the chain.

tds101 

The dahon supports heavier riders, as it has a 300lb weight limit.
I'm not a fan of citizen bikes personally. I'd rather go with Origami or Zizzo. Both have better build quality, the prices are much more competitive, and BOTH are known for excellent customer service.
Yeah, that chain tensioner is a point of contention for me.

kayakindude

We have 2 Zizzos as well agreed great bikes, I find them comparable to my Mariner and Vybe, I mean honestly they all fall into the lower end folder price points and all get the job done. I've beat the hell out of my Vybe and it keeps on kicking. The Forte is super solid. Via is artful, like the Barcelona. Not sure how much support plays into things, I fix most issues and it depends on how much you rely on shops.

Smaug1

tds101, you live in NYC; what are you doing to get your bike into your apartment or condo now?

Years ago, I had a Dahon Curve D3. It was a fun little bike, but with those tiny wheels it wasn't efficient at all. The wheels were not well-made, either: they were thicker at the seam and the braking was always horribly choppy. I'd think twice about spending that kind of money for an electric folder, and I probably wouldn't settle for < 20" wheels. (my wife had a 20" wheeled Dahon at the time; it was a bit heavier, but folded size was about the same and it cost hundreds less as well as riding better with the bigger wheels)

2old

I wanted to try a folder just for kicks and maybe electrify, so perused Craig's List occasionally until one day a Dahon steel 20" single speed with a coaster brake, probably mid-80's vintage and almost NOS appeared. It's been a fun little runabout, but doubtful for anything serious. It folds down somewhat, but I have a bike rack so that's not a necessary virtue.

tds101 

I actually own a home out on Long Island, so space isn't really the issue. I, unfortunately, don't have a garage, so whatever I own has to be brought inside, and stored in the basement. We had a shed originally, but a lightning strike took out a tree, and my shed went with it. LoL. I just never bothered to get a replacement shed. And even if we do, I'm not keeping my e-toys outside.

Now, I own a fiido l3, and it's "supposed" to be an ebike. It's actually a seated scooter with pedals for hills, and I actually love it. 14" wheels, around 20 mph top speed, great range (it's got a 23ah battery). It kicks the 💩 out of my NIU kqi3 Max electric scooter. The 27.5 wheeled Radmission was a definite better bike, but it didn't suit me. Both of these bikes aren't great for sandy areas, so I've been culling my herd. As far as riding smaller wheeled bikes is concerned, the absolute portability is what I like. And I also owned a dahon curve d3, and I had no issues with it whatsoever. But, as they say, different strokes for different folks. 😁

tcs

Curl Ei4, US retail $2199

Brompton Electric C-line Explore, US retail $3950

tds101 

You DO KNOW that I already know all about the Brompton bikes exorbitant prices, and how the cost doesn't equal the product. I'm referring to the specifications of THIS bike compared to others that are currently available WITH A BATTERY BUILT INTO THE SEAT POST. I didn't ask for a comparison of a Brompton ebike, and I could care less about them. Please don't bring the brand up in my thread, unless I request information on it.

PS: the Brompton isn't a purpose built ebike. It's add ons to make it have a proprietary hub motor/battery system. Apples vs oranges.

Smaug1

A couple questions on the L3, if you don't mind helping:

1. How much does it weigh without the battery? Would it be reasonable to put it in the trunk of a Subaru WRX?
2. ~ 20 mph eh? They state 16 mph.
3. How is the steering; pretty twitchy? I had a similar sized bike (Sailnovo on Amazon) and it was a real crash risk if the rider didn't have both hands on the bar at all times.
4. What kind of mileage are you seeing? They state 80 mph on throttle; seems pretty high, even with 23 Ah.
5. How is is geared for pedaling? Low ratio for low speed and climbing or higher ratio to help at higher speeds only? I'm assuming low, from your comment below. (my Sailnovo was like that too, which I liked)