Personally, I am not a great expert on e-bikes, having tried very few models, but the ENGWE P20 is different from what I have personally seen around and reviewed by "colleagues". This bike is extremely compact and performing, with a weight of only 18,5 kg which may not seem light at first glance but which allows it to be moved easily also thanks to the possibility of folding the bike on itself. It arrives at home semi-assembled, wasting more time cutting the cable ties and removing the protections than assembling it completely but on this aspect I have made a dedicated guide where I also explained How to proceed with speed unlocking, so let's focus on the review.
ENGWE P20 20 inch Folding Electric Bike 250W Torque Sensor Motor E-Bike 36V 9.6Ah Battery Hydraulic Disc Brakes Electric Bicycle
ENGWE P20 Ace Edition, which is the version I tested, stands out for its graphics inspired by the 2024 Olympics in honor of athletes and encouraging participation in sports and physical activity, offers an aluminum frame, 20-inch wheels, hydraulic disc brakes front and rear. We do not find a gearbox but the transmission stands out and makes this eBike special, as instead of the classic chain a carbon belt has been used bringing the benefit of less weight, greater silence and I also add less maintenance and ease of intervention in the event of a breakdown, so compared to a traditional chain you do not have to carry out any maintenance such as oiling it. The bike is suitable for practically everyone, supporting a driver's weight of up to 120 kg.
There is no shortage of front light, rear stop light and even two direction indicators, perfectly integrated into the body on the wheel supports. Like every eBike, everything comes to life by means of a battery, in this case integrated into the frame, as a continuation of the seat tube. However, I mentioned before the possibility of folding the bike and to do so, simply unlock the lock perfectly integrated with the frame, in the center of the main tube. You can fold the handlebars on themselves and lower the saddle, but also fold the pedals. To make this bike even more compact and stable when closed, there are two magnetic supports positioned on both wheels, so that when you fold the bike the two surfaces will be magnetically attracted. The operation takes about 10 seconds.
But Engwe has taken care of every detail, inserting an additional support that extends to under the crown and that allows the bicycle to be placed on the ground when closed: by grabbing it in the center, just under the saddle, it can be moved easily. In total, the weight of this vehicle is only 18,5 kilograms, well distributed and offering the possibility of easily lifting the bike, for example to load it into the trunk of the car, or to take it home and park it under the desk, counting on an occupied space of only 0,3 m³
On the handlebars we find a small “analog” horn and then a small on-board computer with a screen, on which you can view basic information such as the level of pedal assistance, speed, kilometers traveled and battery charge. Next to the computer there are two buttons to turn the directional arrows on/off. By the way, when you press them, no sound will be emitted nor will an indication appear on the display, as instead happens when turning on the lights, so you will have to remember to turn them off. As for the lights, they can be turned on or off by holding down the upper lever button located under the display, while the lower one, if held down, allows you to enter the manual assistance mode, that is, the bike will assist you with a speed of up to 6 km/h when pushing by hand, for example on steep roads. You can also rest your backpack or other items on the convenient rear rack that supports up to 15 kg.
The front light is perfectly integrated into the frame tubing, as are the directional arrows and the brake lights, giving the Engwe P20 clean and attractive lines at the same time. The light beam of the front light is quite powerful and is “cut” thus avoiding dazzling those coming in front of us. Unfortunately, however, since it is not anchored to the wheel but to the frame, when we turn with the wheel the light beam will be late in arriving with respect to the wheel and I would also add that not having the possibility of adjustment, when we find a lot of free road in front of us, we risk illuminating the road closer to the bike than in the distance. It is good that the brake lights work even with the lights off and that they are activated with both the right and left brake lever, which can also be pressed individually.
Near the right handlebar there is a lever that, at first glance, looks like a classic accelerator and in fact it is, but if you do not unlock the speed as indicated in the guide, this will be inactive and will only serve to activate the electric motor up to the maximum speed of 5 kilometers per hour, therefore it is used to accompany the bicycle when you are on foot and you are pushing it if you do not want to use the mode indicated above. If instead you proceed to unlock it, this will always work, regardless of the level of assisted pedaling inserted, except if you are at level 0: in this case the accelerator will be inactive. You can however detach it directly by acting on the wiring within reach of the handlebars.
The handlebar is height adjustable and there are also indications printed on the stem to immediately have the correct size to apply, but it can also be adjusted in inclination. You can of course adjust the height of the saddle, for heights from 150 cm to 190 cm but, at least in my case, the tubular band that should have kept the saddle stable slipped inside the sliding tube and so I had to fall back on the old but reliable insulating tape to create thickness. In reality, reading online this thing has happened to many, but apart from that the comfort of the saddle is top notch, something not to be underestimated considering the total absence of suspension.
There is also no gearbox, the lack of which is felt only if you have to start uphill, but otherwise the 42N.m torque sensor supported by the 250W motor does its job very well, accompanying the muscular pedaling with 3 different levels of intensity. Engwe P20 is also very quiet, thanks also to the absence of the chain. The 20-inch puncture-proof tires also contribute to driving comfort even on rough roads or on cobblestones and do not get stuck in the tram tracks. I continue to talk about driving comfort, despite the absence of suspension, but the construction is so well made that you do not feel vibrations on the handlebars or on the rear, except on our butt, but nothing to worry about. You will not even have to fear the rain, as P20 is IPX6 certified and then you can also have fun on roads that are not exactly urban, doing a bit of off-roading. The progression of the assisted pedaling is uniform and soft, the engine does not jerk and if you really push at speed, no fear because the two hydraulic disc brakes are perfect, even too perfect, stopping the bike cleanly in a very short time and in complete safety.
We do not have a real anti-theft device, but we can set a code on the small display to deactivate the “smart” functions, but we can remove the battery with a simple click. By the way, we are talking about a 36V – 9,6A Samsung battery that according to the brand provides up to 100 km of autonomy. In reality, at least in my case and weight, I managed to get a real 50 km but personally I had a lot of fun using the accelerator, so I can say that with a totally legal use the autonomy is very close to the 100 km declared by the brand. To fully recharge the battery it takes about 5 hours.
Engwe P20 is virtually maintenance-free. There is no gear change exposed to the risk of breakage, there is no chain that needs to be greased and wears out as well as making a mess during transport. It offers an excellent compromise between rideability, comfort and transportability. Complete with everything you need, such as arrows, lights and brakes, hydraulic disc brakes and specifications compliant with the law but above all a hot price. Only 949 euros on the official website by redeeming a coupon provided by the brand or you can win it for 770 euros on AliExpress including shipping from the French warehouse. It is convenient to fold and load into the car or onto public transport. In short, Engwe P20 should be purchased by anyone looking for a foldable, lightweight electric bicycle to move around the city or have fun off-road, but without overdoing it.
