Small wheel compact cargo e-bikes

[Dewey]

Small wheel compact cargo e-bike designs:

Some have 20" or 24" wheels front and back (note the Juiced ODK model is no longer in production):

Tern GSD

Tern HSD

Tern Cargo Node folder with Bafang mid-drive DIY conversion

Bike Friday Haul-a-day mid-drive (hub motor option available)
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Blix Packa

RadRunner
single speed geared for pedalling between 10-15mph with a throttle for getting going or cruising between 15-20mph.

Xtracycle RFA

Yamaha PAS Babby un (Japanese import)

GreenBike cargo bike

Eunorau max-cargo bike

Others use a Cycle truck or bakfiets inspired bike or trike design with a larger 24" or 26" wheel on the rear, and 20" wheels on the front:

Cero One

Omnium Cargo

Urban Arrow Shorty
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Douze Up 400 (France)
Can split in two halves and is available with longer 600 or 800 front cargo deck and Brose mid-drive motor

The Argo kit pulls off a similar trick to the Douze Up for less cost, but there is an attachment piece that has to be bolted to the bottom bracket of the donor bike that cannot have anything under it which means it can't be attached to most ebikes with a mid-drive motor, another thread discusses some of the ebike options and Argo now also offer an electric assist option with a front wheel hub motor.

Nihola Family Strong Cargo version

 

[J.R.]

I really like these bikes. I have no need or desire to own one, but the engineering that went into their design appeals to me. I hope some catch on in North America.

 

[rannyv]

Small wheels usually makes for a smaller footprint which in my mind is a good thing. Parking / moving / storing a full sized cargo bike is no easy thing. Just make sure 20" you're OK with any 20" wheeled choice as small wheels plus stiff aluminum frame can make for a jarring ride.

Has anyone tried the Benno Boost or Wallerang Tjugo? I tried the latter and it was pretty good. It was just a test ride, but it didn't feel extremely harsh. The small wheels made it feel nimble which to me is a good thing, but for someone not comfortable with bike handling, the quick reflexes (of the bike) might be off putting.

I'd love to hear thoughts on the Benno. Did it feel big or heavy? Was it harsh riding?

 

[Bruce Arnold]

There is something about these bikes that makes me wish I needed one.

 

[Sally Fitzgerald]

Those look pretty nice. For me personally, I would to get myself a new folding e-bike, one that's super light. I would choose a brushless Bafang motor and a carbon fibre frame, that would be something I would buy for sure.

 

[indianajo]

20" wheels may make sense in Europe which had glass smooth pavement when I was there. Even the fire roads in the hunting preserves of Bavaria, and the tractor roads from town to fields, had smoother pavement than the typical street in my town. (I was in W. Ger. in the US Army in 1982).
In the US, I bought a 26" wheel cargo bike from yubabikes.com. Ride is okay on 2" tires without short life gas charged cylinder suspension. I'm putting a hub motor on it now that the wind is picking up in the fall. I skipped my trip to the summer camp this weekend, 8 mph to 15 mph head wind like today adds 30-40% to the manual pedaling time.

 

[rannyv]

I'll take a hill over head wind any day. At least you the hill will likely be over in a finite time. Wind is relentless.