It wasn’t so long ago that we gave side-eye to any e-bike that carried a retail price of less than $1000. What we saw again and again were e-bikes that looked like the manufacturer had taken every shortcut possible to deliver an e-bike-looking machine, without actually providing a quality e-bike. That ended with Lectric introducing the XP three years ago. The XP Lite is less than nine months old and it was the first e-bike with a retail price of less than $1000 (not on sale) that we believed was trustworthy.
Lectric is now back with the XP Lite 2.0 and it improves on the first as Lectric always does. The most obvious change is that it now comes in four colors, including a stylish lavender haze. But that’s just cosmetic. Within the Lectric XP Lite 2, there are some definite upgrades relative to the original XP (which was introduced just last fall).
The two biggest changes are an upgrade to the motor and an upgrade to the brakes. The motor is now quieter and more efficient, which results in more range that it offered before, plus notably quieter operation. The brakes were upgraded from mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors to hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm calipers.
Lectric also offers two options with the XP Lite 2.0. Buyers can upgrade the drivetrain with a Gates carbon belt or with a long-range battery that will nearly double range.
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My Experience Riding the Lectric XP Lite 2.0 E-Bike
The Lectric XP Lite 2.0 feels very sporty and peppy out on the road. Part of that is due to its sub-50-lb. weight. That makes it a bit more nimble and easier to handle. With just one gear, the XP Lite 2.0 definitely has a sweet spot for pedaling, which for most people is probably between 10 and 16 mph. At 17-18 mph, I began to get some ghost pedaling simply because I couldn’t pedal fast enough to keep up with the power the motor was putting out.
I did a speed test to see how long it took me to get up to 20 mph on just the throttle and it took about 13 seconds from a standstill. While I tend to prefer thumb throttles, with a twist throttle you can modulate your speed more easily.
I found that I could reach 20 mph when pedaling in PAS 2, but when using the throttle, the XP Lite 2 was slow to hit top speed. By bumping up the PAS level to 5, it accelerated much more quickly, hitting 20 mph seconds sooner. An alternative is to simply pedal slowly in PAS 5 and the XP Lite 2.0 will respond to the pedal movement by telling the motor to move you along at 20 mph.
There are a lot of folding e-bikes that don’t feel particularly confidence-inspiring because the frame simply isn’t stiff enough. The Lectric XP Lite 2.0 doesn’t suffer from that; it has a very solid feel. There’s nothing on this e-bike that feels “cheap.” When people ask what’s the least-expensive e-bike that is good, this one is going to be way up there.
I should mention that I’m 5 feet 11 and I don’t get full leg extension when the seatpost is at max height. If you’re someone who needs full leg extension (you should have some bend at the knee with proper saddle height), and not having it would drive you nuts, be aware of this limitation.
This is a really fun e-bike to zip around on.
Range
Estimated Range: 45 mi.
Real World Range Test Results: 37.2 mi. in PAS 1, 19.6 mi. in PAS 5
Some manufacturers do a fine job of providing estimates for the range that buyers can hope to achieve one their e-bike. What constitutes a good estimate, though, really comes down to how similar their testing is to someone’s real-world riding conditions. A 20-lb. difference in rider weight can make a substantial difference in range.
Lectric estimates that buyers should be able to ride as much as 45 mi. per charge. Our colleagues at Electric Bike Report performed both a max PAS and min PAS range test on the Lectric XP Lite 2.0. Their tester weighed 180 lbs., and he covered 37.2 mi. in PAS 1 and 19.6 mi. in PAS 5, which better reflects how most of us ride. Worth noting is that compared to the previous edition of the Lectric XP Lite, the XP Lite 2.0 covered nearly 2 mi. more (35.4 mi., previously) in PAS 1. Increased efficiency isn’t something we always see, and this is a welcome bonus.
Granted, 19.6 mi. isn’t a lot of range, but it is important to ask yourself a question: How many miles are you likely to ride in a day? Twenty miles will cover a work commute and stops at a store and school for many of us. But here’s another way to consider the question: Riding 19.6 mi. is more than an hour of riding at PAS 5 (average speed is always a bit below 20 mph due to stops, starts and turns). Do you think you’ll ride more than a half hour in the morning and again in the evening?
Power (Motor & Battery)
When an e-bike maker such as Lectric sets out to produce a sub-$1000 e-bike, they have a number of opportunities to reduce the cost of producing that e-bike. One of the best ways to reduce the ultimate cost of the e-bike is to shrink the motor power and the battery’s capacity. That’s precisely what Lectric did with the XP Lite 2.0.
With the cadence sensor, you have to pedal roughly a half pedal stroke (from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock) before the motor kicks in. Acceleration is good; it definitely has some zip.
Most of the e-bikes we review in the sub-$1500 slice of the market come equipped with a motor that delivers more than 300W and a battery with more than 375Wh of capacity. On paper, that’s not as impressive as a 750W motor and a 672Wh battery. But compared to such a setup, the XP Lite 2.0 weighs less, which will be attractive to anyone who might balk at trying to manage a 70-lb. e-bike. Also as weight goes down, a battery’s capacity can accomplish more. That’s why getting 45 mi. of (estimated) range out of a 375Wh battery is no small achievement.
In an effort to provide more natural acceleration and application of power, Lectric introduced the PWR system, which is meant to adjust its power output in response to how hard the rider is pedaling. Put another way, it is meant to simulate the effect of a torque sensor, but in our experience, it does not provide power in the same way that a torque sensor does. At the higher PAS levels (3, 4 and 5) the motor accelerates the rider up to 20 mph and stays there.
Ghost pedaling is definitely a feature of this e-bike. When we set the PAS level to its maximum setting, 5, we really didn’t have to do anything more than simply keep the pedals turning to accelerate up to 20 mph and stick to a pace near its top assist speed.
People who want to be able to enjoy their surroundings in nature and not have the songs of birds overpowered by the sound of the motor will appreciate the new, quieter motor found in the XP Lite 2.0.
Components
With a single-speed drivetrain, riders won’t have to worry about shifting, but with only one gear, that means that you’re pedaling slowly on the hills and spinning your legs like a windmill to hit 20 mph. The 52t x 16t gear has a sweet spot between 11 and 16 mph where it is easiest to pedal, but that means starting will require a bit more effort and reaching top speed means a certain amount of ghost pedaling.
One of the big changes from the previous Lectric XP Lite to the XP Lite 2.0 was a brake upgrade, from mechanical disc brakes to hydraulic disc brakes, as well as changing from 160mm rotors to 180mm rotors. Our colleagues at Electric Bike Report found that the stopping distance for the XP Lite 2 was two feet shorter than with the original XP Lite.
Adjusting the rider position is easy to do thanks to the quick-release seat clamp, adjustable handlebar mast and BMX-style handlebar. While the XP Lite 2.0 will fit a fairly broad range of rider heights, people near the margins of their sizing range may find that it’s not an especially comfortable fit, though the ability to slide the saddle forward or backward on the rails and roll the handlebar toward or away from the rider will help extend its sizing range.
A final note on sizing: Taller riders will find the XP Lite 2.0 poses a challenge to setting proper saddle height. Our colleagues at Electric Bike Report found that they couldn’t quite set the proper saddle height for their 5 feet 11 tester.
Screen / User Interface / App
Lectric has introduced a new display for the XP Lite 2.0. This new display is color and is large enough to be easy to read. Riders can see current speed, PAS level, voltage, range, elapsed time, trip distance and odometer in a glance and riders can scroll through other data points, including average speed. Another interesting data point it offers is the real time power output of the motor in watts. This is a bit small and is likely to be hard to read for anyone who needs reading glasses, but it’s an interesting tidbit to check out.
We aren’t fans of displaying battery capacity as a series of bars; we would prefer to see battery life expressed as a percentage of total capacity. Granted, you’ll see that number go up or down in response to riding easier or more difficult terrain, which may be confusing to some riders, but we find it to be preferable to a less-detailed readout. That minor complaint aside, we have to say that we definitely prefer this display’s ten bars to some that only have four.
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Model Options
Lectric offers XP Lite 2.0 buyers two different options, aside from the broad range of accessories. More on those in a bit. For anyone who finds 45 mi. to be less than what they need, it can be ordered with a 672Wh battery for an additional $200. With the larger battery, Lectric estimates riders will see almost double the range of the 350Wh battery that comes standard. They suggest riders may achieve 80 mi. on a single charge.
Because this is a single-speed e-bike—eliminating the shifter, derailleur and multi-geared freewheel saves both weight and money—Lectric offers riders the opportunity to order the XP Lite 2 with a Gates belt, rather than a chain. What this does is eliminate the need for chain lube—ever—as well as preventing black marks on clothing caused by a dirty chain. This option runs an additional $100. We think the upgrade is worth it, but we recognize that most buyers of the XP Lite 2.0 will be doing all they can to save money, not go for fancy extras, even if they are worth the money.
Lectric offers a broad range of accessories including fenders, racks, baskets and more, which are compatible with the XP Lite 2.0.
Is The Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Worth Buying?
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Yes.
That’s the short answer. The more complicated answer is that some buyers with particular needs would do well to consider some more expensive e-bikes, such as the Lectric XP 3.0. Anyone on an ultra-tight budget, will find the XP Lite 2.0 to be a terrific way to fulfill their needs.
If you like your machines simple, like one-button simple, the XP Lite 2.0 may appeal to you because of its single-speed drivetrain; there’s no shifting gears, which will be great in flatter cities. Riders who live in especially hilly communities—think San Francisco or Seattle—will want to consider an e-bike with multiple gears to help on the hills.
Let’s suppose you’ve been looking at one of those $500-$600 e-bikes that we sometimes see in the big box stores. Here are questions to ask yourself when comparing those e-bikes to the XP Lite 2.0: Does that other e-bike offer UL certification to both UL 2271 (lithium-ion batteries) and UL 2849 (the entire electronics system in an e-bike)? The Lectric XP Lite 2.0 delivers that, giving you a level of reassurance that your home or workplace are as well-protected as possible.
Also, if that bargain e-bike has gears, then that means another component suffered. Adding a multi-speed freewheel, rear derailleur, shifter and cable plus housing increases the cost of any e-bike. As some smart person said, no lunch is free.
The Lectric XP Lite 2.0 is small enough that you may not need to fold it up for storage. However, if you do, it folds up in just a few steps. There are only two latches to release and the frame design includes a handle to pick it up, plus there’s a strut beneath the bottom bracket for it to rest on so that you don’t have to lay it on its side after folding, allowing it to have the slimmest possible footprint when stored.
Pros
- One of the best-quality e-bikes available for less than $1000; very few offer UL certification in this price range. Lectric has proven itself a leader in this regard.
- The XP Lite 2.0 received a big upgrade with its brakes. Lectric upgraded from mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors to hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors.
- Lectric offers two options: Buyers can upgrade from a chain to a carbon Gates belt or replace the standard battery with a long-range battery that nearly doubles the e-bike’s range.
- The 20 x 2.4-in., low-profile tread tires offer a smoother ride and lower rolling resistance, which helped increase this e-bike’s efficiency.
- More colors to choose from; though the version with the Gates belt only comes in black, the standard version comes in blue, lavender, white or sandstone.
- New BMX-style riser bar offers more adjustability for rider comfort than the previous handlebar.
Cons
- Someday, we hope they will eliminate the need to ride with the key inserted in the lock.
- With just one gear, climbing can be a challenge and above 16 mph ghost pedaling becomes an issue.
- The battery fit inside the frame isn’t as snug as possible, so it generated some noise on rough roads and when we hit bumps.
Some buyers may be disappointed that the XP Lite 2.0 doesn’t come with a suspension fork. In this case, we don’t think that’s a ding against this e-bike. The steel fork lends a more precise feel in handling and makes this e-bike easier to handle.
The Lectric XP Lite 2.0 is a noticeable upgrade from its predecessor and that it hasn’t increased in price is a serious win for both Lectric and customers. There aren’t many e-bikes that go for less than $1000 that we believe in, and even fewer get an enthusiastic thumbs up from us, but the XP Lite 2.0 would get three thumbs up if we had an extra hand.
In our view, the XP Lite 2.0 is a great example of what happens when you strip away everything that is nonessential in an effort to create a more affordable e-bike. And because safety is essential, the XP Lite 2.0 rivals any other e-bike on the market from a safety standpoint because it has been certified to both UL 2271 (battery) and UL 2849 (full system).
It’s easy to make a cheap product by cutting corners. It’s not easy to produce something of value that balances cost against quality, but that’s precisely what Lectric has done with the XP Lite 2.0.
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