Can you get a decent electric trike without spending two thousand dollars? Yes. Four of the fifteen we compare cost $1,500 or less on November 13, 2026, and two cost under $1,000. This ranking puts price at 45% of the order, so a cheap trike with good brakes beats a dearer one with a bigger battery.
The Viribus FC1 comes first: $999 for a 750 W rear motor, 706 Wh, hydraulic brakes, a parking brake and a differential. You pay in pounds, 129 of them, and with a 1-year warranty from a younger brand. The Lectric XP Trike2 at $1,499 is the safer buy if you can stretch: lighter, assembled, capped at 14 mph, and described by Lectric as the best-selling electric trike in America.
At $699, the Viribus TG1 is the cheapest trike we rank. It's fine for flat, short trips, and it arrives 35 to 40% assembled, so add a bike shop's fee if you aren't handy. What does a low price cost you, in general? Battery first, then brakes (cable instead of hydraulic), then the differential, then the warranty. Our advice: give up range before you give up brakes.
Every trike keeps its overall score from the public formula. For this page we re-order the same eligible trikes with the "Budget" weights: price 45%, stability and brakes 20%, battery energy in watt-hours 10%, stand-over height 5%, and the rest for the other 4 criteria. The full table is on the methodology page.
Head-to-heads between trikes of this list: Lectric XP Trike2 vs sixthreezero EZ Transit, Lectric XP Trike2 vs Viribus FC1, Viribus FC1 vs Viribus TG1, Viribus TG1 vs sixthreezero EZ Transit.
Other rankings: best electric trike overall, electric tricycle for seniors, folding electric trike, fat tire electric trike, electric trike for heavy adults.
Speed, range and payload are each brand's own figures. Rules for electric bikes and trikes vary by state and city: check yours before you ride, and wear a helmet. This page isn't medical or legal advice.
