If I had only one kid, I would have bought this bike. Tern HSD for $4,299 : This is the Tern model that's between the GSD and the Quick Haul smaller than the GSD but with the folding fork and carbon belt drive.However, the price has risen significantly since then. R&M Load for $9,599 : We loved the Load ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends) when we tried it several years ago.However, it looks unbalanced next to the new Quick Haul. You can buy the bike fully loaded from Cero, or customize your own carriers to its bolt system rather than buying only proprietary peripherals. Cero One for $3,799 : The standout feature on the Cero One ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the customizable cargo system.This is the bike you get if you have space and money for only one bike that won't be out of place commuting to work as well as picking up groceries at the farmer's market on Saturday mornings. It's also less than 6 feet long-shorter than the average road bike. The riding position is much sportier than the sit-up position on the GSD and HSD. I took my 40-pound 5-year-old to and from school every day on this bike for two weeks, and both of us loved how much faster and more maneuverable it is. However, in all of the important ways, it feels like a Tern-small but still a surprisingly powerful and capable cargo ebike. Also, the front fork doesn't fold, which makes it a little more difficult to transport and store. For example, instead of a carbon belt drive, it has a standard chain drivetrain on a derailleur (still powered by a Bosch Performance Sport motor!), which requires only slightly more maintenance than a belt drive. Their latest Quick Haul forges a good compromise between reliability, utility, and cost. Tern Bicycles makes some of our favorite electric bikes, including the GSD S00 ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends) that I bought for myself. If space is a concern, I recommend Tern's Quick Haul. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. This includes unlimited access to and our print magazine (if you'd like). Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). Updated June 2022: We took out an older pick, added a slide of honorable mentions, and added the Tern Quick Haul.

Need a smaller vehicle? Check out our roundups of the best electric bicycles and best bike accessories. Once you have a bike, check out our guide to family biking with kids. I regularly tote kids, groceries, and bags of who knows what around town on some of the best (and worst) electric cargo bikes around. We've reviewed ebikes for a few years here at WIRED. Mine has transformed my life, turning my dull, daily errand running into a multitasking combination of joyride and workout.

If you're trying to reconcile your carefree biking days of yore with your current life as a family chauffeur, I highly recommend getting an electric cargo bike. And yet, somehow, it's easy to ignore all this when you're late to work and have yet to wrestle pants onto your screaming toddler. There are a number of physical, philosophical, environmental, and logistical reasons why it’s better to hop on a bike than it is to drive a car.

Rad electric bike 2018