Introduction
Electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular as people look for alternative methods of transportation that are eco-friendly and economical. If you own an electric bike, you’ll need to find a way to transport it when you’re not riding it. Bike racks are an option for the job, but there are a few things you need to know before you purchase one.
There are a few different types of bike racks for electric bikes, and each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. The most popular option is a hitch-mounted rack, which can be attached to the rear of your car (sedans, Vans, trucks, and SUVs). These racks are typically very sturdy and can accommodate multiple bikes.
Another option is a trunk-mounted rack, which is less expensive and easier to install than a hitch-mounted rack. However, trunk-mounted bike racks are not as sturdy and can damage your car’s paint job.
Lastly, there are roof-mounted racks, which are the most expensive but also the most versatile. Roof-mounted bike racks can transport multiple bikes without blocking your car’s tail lights. However, they are difficult to install and remove, and these racks can damage your car’s roof. Most cyclists do not use roof-mounted bike racks to carry their electric bikes because these e-bikes are heavier. For safety reasons, you better use hitch-mounted bike carriers to deliver e-bikes between favorite cycling playgrounds.
When choosing a bike rack for your electric bike, consider your budget, compatibility, and how often you use it.
Quick-Pick List of 6 Bike Racks For Electric Bikes
| Image | Name | Weight | lock | Style | Brand | Loading Capacity | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Yakima OnRamp | 57 Pounds | YES – Bike Locks | Hitch-Mounted | Yakima | Two Bikes/ up to 66 lbs each | Check Price |
 | Thule EasyFold XT | 45 Pounds | YES – Bike Locks & Hitch locks | Hitch-Mounted | Thule | Two Bikes/ up to 65 lbs each | Check Price |
 | Kuat NV 2.0 | 62.1 Pounds | YES – Bike Locks & Hitch Locks | Hitch-Mounted | Kuat | Two Bikes/60 lbs each/can use the add-on to carry 4 bikes | Check Price |
 | Hollywood Racks Bike Carrier | 56 Pounds | YES – Bike Locks & Hitch Locks | Hitch-Mounted | Hollywood | Two Bikes/up to 80 lbs each | Check Price |
 | Saris Door County Hitch Rack | ‎75.8 pounds | YES – Bike Locks & Hitch Locks | Hitch-Mounted | Saris Door County | Two Bikes/60 lbs each | Check Price |
 | Yakima Stage Two Hitch-mounted bike carrier | 80 Pounds | YES – Bike Locks & Hitch Locks | Hitch-Mounted | Yakima | Two Bikes/70 lbs each | Check Price |
The Different Types Of Car Bike Racks For Electric Bikes
There are several different types of car bike racks that accommodate different-wheel-sized electric bikes. Each type of these rack provides unique benefits, so you must understand the differences before making a purchase. Hitch-mounted racks are the most popular option for electric bikes. They usually come with a frame that connects to the receiver head on the back of your car and can hold multiple e-bikes. These racks are easy to use and provide a secure way to transport your electric bike. However, they are hard to install and remove and can block your car’s tail lights. Trunk-mounted racks are another option for electric bikes. These racks are relatively inexpensive and easy to install, but they may not provide sufficient support for larger electric bikes. Thus, we do not recommend utilizing trunk bike racks for e-bikes. In addition, the tightening straps can cause damage to your car’s paint job. Finally, roof-mounted racks are the most expensive option, but they have better flexibility and stability. These roof-mounted racks can mount on the roof of your car, leaving your trunk and tailgate free to store other items. However, the installation process can be challenging, and they can reduce the car’s fuel efficiency and cause wind noise. Additionally, electric bikes are heavier than conventional bicycles, so they are hard to lift and load above the car roof.
How To Choose The Right One For You
Choosing the right type of car bike rack for your electric bike can be a daunting task. It’s necessary to consider your needs and budget when making your selection. If you want to haul multiple e-bikes, a hitch-mounted rack is generally the best choice. These racks are sturdy, easy to use, and compatible with most electric bikes.
The Benefits Of Electric Bike Racks
Having the right car bike rack for your electric bike can make your life much easier. Not only will it provide you with a secure and convenient way to transport your bike, but it will also help to protect it from the elements. Additionally, it can keep your car interior clean and free from dirt and debris that can accumulate from riding an electric bike. Bike racks make it easier to carry your bike where you need to go. If you’re planning a camping trip or a vacation, you won’t have to worry about transporting your bike with you. You can attach it to the rack and go. Finally, having a car bike rack also makes it easy to store your bike when you’re not riding it. You won’t have to worry about finding a safe place to keep it or someone stealing it. It will be securely attached to your car, so you can rest easy knowing that your electric bike is safe and secure. You can also purchase more chain locks to increase security when it is necessary.
How To Use An Electric Bike Rack
It is simple to use a bike rack for your e-bikes, but you better be well-prepared before operating a bike rack. First, you need to lift the e-bike onto the bike racks. Once you have done that, you can use straps or locks to secure the e-bikes to the bike racks. You must accurately mount the bike racks to your car without any potential risks, and you can always test the results by manually shaking the rack frame from different directions. It will prevent your e-bikes from shifting or falling off while your car is in motion.
After reading through the above sections, you get a general idea about choosing and using bike racks for your e-bikes. We start to give some recommendations for your future cycling vacations.
Notice: When transporting e-bikes on car bike racks, you better take the batteries off to make the e-bikes lighter and keep the batteries in good condition.
Detail of 6 Popular Bike Racks For Electric Bikes ( E-bikes)
We compared at least 33 popular car bike racks of different types and then picked out these five outstanding options for your consideration. We hope this article can help you to find the most suitable bike racks for your electric bikes.
Yakima OnRamp E-bike Hitch Bike Rack
The Yakima OnRamp E-bike bike rack is a great way to transport your e-bike. It features a sturdy design that can accommodate up to two e-bikes with a built-in security system to keep your bikes safe during transport. It is easy to assemble and remove, but you must have a compatible receiver head on your vehicle.
You can load up to two bikes on the rack, and each should be less than 66 pounds because the loading limit of the bike rack is 160 lbs. You cannot overload the bike racks because overloading can damage your properties. Yakima OnRamp weighs 57 pounds, and you can do the installation alone. It is not only for E-bikes but also works for other categories of bicycles: mountain, road, hybrid, women, BMX, and kids bikes. However, you should ensure the bike wheelbase distance (the distance between the centers of two wheels on a bicycle) is under 50 inches; otherwise, you cannot put the bike on the platform. OnRamp bike racks are compatible with bike tires in dimensions: 29 x 3.25 inches (without extra accessories) or up to 27.5 x 4.5 inches (with a FatStrap Kit).
Yakima offers locks on the OnRamp bike rack to lock bikes and the connection with the car hitch receiver, so your properties stay safe without getting stolen by thieves. You can always add extra locks on the bike rack to provide better security when you are away from your vehicle.
When loading bikes on the Yakima OnRamp bike rack, you can use integrated ramps to roll the bike onto the platform without wasting energy on lifting bikes. The integrated ramps make the loading jobs super easy to handle for everyone. On the other hand, when you want to use the trunk or the hatchback, you can tilt the Yakima OnRamp bike rack away for better accessibility to the trunk space. These two premium designs make the Yakima OnRamp bike rack unique and famous among outdoor enthusiasts, so you should put it on your consideration list.
When two bikes are in position on the trays, you can adjust the distance between them to avoid interference while they are in motion. If you temporarily do not use the bike rack, you can fold the rack up to save space at the rear of your vehicle.
By the way, Yakima OnRamp bike racks are compatible with both 1.5 or 2 inches hitch receivers.
Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack
It is the second option we pick for transporting your E-bikes between locations. EasyFold XT is a product from the Thule brand, and it is made of aluminum and plastic, which makes it ultra-light in weight, about 45 pounds. Thule EasyFold XT bike racks are perfect for carrying electric and heavy mountain bikes.
If your vehicle has 1.25 or 2 inches hitch receivers, you can use the Thule EasyFold XT hitch-mounted bike carrier without a worry. You may need to purchase receiver adapters to make your existing receiver compatible with EasyFold XT if the size is not matching.
Hitch Pin Hole Depth: must be 1.5 inches for using EasyFold XT.
You do not need a tool for the installation, but you better invite someone else to join the process for better accuracy and results. When encountering problems during the installation, you can contact customer service for suggestions and tips. Thule offers a limited lifetime warranty on its merchandise, so you can find perfect solutions from experts for free by dialing Thule.
Thule EasyFold XT is a foldable bike rack, which makes it unique and easy to store; otherwise, it has a handle to grab. When keeping it in the garage, it does not occupy much space; as a result, it is better than most hitch-mounted bike carriers. A folded EasyFold XT bike rack has wheels at the bottom, and you can pull it to move.
It also has a tilting feature, which allows people to access the trunk or hatchback when the bike rack is connected. You can use integrated locks (bike locks and a hitch receiver lock) to ensure the safety of your bikes and the entire bike rack. It is a good idea to add more chain locks on the bikes to make thieves stay away.
Thule allows users to load up to two bikes (130 lbs) on the EasyFold XT, so each must be less than 65 lbs. If your electric bikes have fat wheels or longer wheelbases, you can purchase a Thule Fat Bike Wheel Strap Kit for compatibility.
What we like about it: There are a lot of things to like about the Thule EasyFold XT. First, it’s one of the easy-to-use bike racks on the market. It’s also extremely well-built and can accommodate a wide variety of bikes. Additionally, the EasyFold XT is very easy to store thanks to its fold-down design.
Overall, the Thule EasyFold XT is a great option for anyone looking for a high-quality, easy-to-use hitch-mounted bike rack. You can find it on Ebay or on Amazon.
Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Racks
Kuat NV is another good pick that you can use to carry electric bikes at the back of your cars: Vans, SUVs, sedans, and trucks. It can hold up to 2 bikes, and each should be up to 60 pounds. Kuat NV bike racks can work with bicycles: wheelbases up to 48 inches and tires up to 4.8 inches. The adjustable front cradle system can lock on wheels up to 4.8 inches, so bikes with larger wheels are not fit with the Kaut NV rack.
If you have more than two e-bikes, you can use an add-on part to make the Kaut NV bike rack to transport four bikes at once. The add-on parts can hold bikes that are less than 40 lbs each, and you should consider using a dedicated 2-inch (not 1.25-inch with 2-inch adapter) hitch receiver to work with the Kaut NV rack with add-on parts.
Kaut NV works with 1.25 or 2-inch receivers, but a 1.25-inch receiver head is not for a Kaut NV rack with the Add-on parts.
You can fold the rack back to about 35 degrees to access the trunk or tailgate. It works with most types of bikes.
What we like about it: There are a lot of things to like about the Kuat NV 2.0 Bike Racks. For starters, they’re easy to install and use. They also have a sleek, modern design that looks great on any car. And they’re highly functional, able to securely hold two bikes of any size.
We also appreciate that the NV 2.0 is made from high-quality materials and is built to last. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the design of this bike rack, and it shows. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line bike rack, the Kuat NV 2.0 is a great option.
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider Bike Rack
It is another good gear that you can use to deliver electric bikes from A to B at the back of your cars: sedans, SUVs, trucks, or Vans. This option is much cheaper than the other picks, so it is a perfect selection for a tight budget. It works on 2-inch hitch receivers.
Hollywood Racks are not bad for heavy-duty jobs, and it is possible to maximum load two e-bikes on a Hollywood Racks bike carrier. According to Hollywood Racks, the Sport Rider bike racks can load up to 160 pounds; additionally, each bike should be less than 80 lbs. Before getting bike racks for your cycling vacations, you should know the weight of your bikes and check if the targeted carriers are suitable for carrying your bikes.
Hollywood Racks offers advanced lockable frame clamps to tighten bikes on the platform and provides a hitch-tightening feature to prevent swaying during transportation. If the wobbling issues still exist, you can refer to a post for more solutions and methods. Using more cable locks is always a good option for adding extra security to bike racks.
Sport Rider bike racks are suitable for bike wheels less than or equal to 5 inches, so check before buying one. You can fold the Sport Rider bike carrier for storing, and when the racks are not in use, you can fold them up to save space behind the hatchback or trunk. When you want to load or unload the hatchback, you can tilt down the entire rack frame to create free space for better accessibility.
What do you think about this sturdy, waterproof, durable bike carrier? You can leave a comment below with your opinions.
What we like about it: We like the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider Bike Rack because it is a simple, effective way to transport your bike. It’s easy to install and use, and it’s affordably priced. The rack is also lightweight and easy to store when not in use.
The Sport Rider can accommodate two bikes, and it has a padded frame that protects your bike from scratches and scuffs. The rack also comes with a security strap to keep your bikes in place during transport.
Overall, we think the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider is a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable and easy-to-use bike rack.
Saris Door County Hitch Bike Carrier
It is another high-quality bike rack that works with a 2-inch receiver head, so you must ensure your car has a compatible hitch receiver to use the Saris bike carrier.
Can you find 7-pin electric connection wire plugs on your vehicle? Saris bike racks need to connect to the 7-pin electric connections on your car to enable the lifting feature, brake, and turning lights. It is unique compared to other options on this list.
After connecting the electric wires, you can push buttons to lift or down the trays for easy loading and unloading. Otherwise, you also can tilt the entire rack (with/without bikes) down about 30 degrees to make the hatchback accessible.
After folding up the rack, it has four wheels at the bottom for easy carrying. You can push it on the ground to where you want to store it. For better durability and maintenance, you can use a protective cover to stop the cumulation of natural elements during the time when it is not in use.
After testing the lifting feature, it automatically lifts the bikes about 10.5 inches after pushing a button; however, when using the downward button, the trays do not get lower enough for wheeling up the bikes.
We cannot love its price because it is over a thousand. It is too much for the unique automatic lifting system. If it can last very long, it may be worth it.
Yakima Stage Two Premium Tray Hitch Bike Carrier
It is another good pick for cyclists who wish to transport their e-bikes on the roads. Yakima Stage Two can hold up to two e-bikes, and each bike must be less than 70 lbs. The required wheelbase distance must be less than 52 inches, and bikes have 20 – 29 inches of wheels (up to 3.25 inches wide) that can load onto the rack.
Stage Two works with these types of bicycles: mountain, road, women, kid, or fat bikes. If you have fat bikes, you must purchase a Fatbike Accessory to make Yakima Stage Two compatible with the fat wheels. The tilting feature changes the angle of the bike rack and offers easy accessibility to the trunk or hatchback for users.
What we like about it: The Yakima Stage Two is a great hitch carrier for those looking for a premium product. It is made with high-quality materials and is built to last. It is also easy to assemble and install, and it comes with all the necessary hardware. The only downside is that it is a bit pricey, but for the quality, it is worth the investment.
Last Words
After digging on the Internet and local markets, we cannot find a specific electric bike rack; however, the above bike carriers are compatible with most electric bikes in different wheel sizes. We do not believe you can find The Best Bike Rack because there are no such things. Best means the most suitable for your conditions.
You can use this list to compare these car bike racks to find the most appropriate options.
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