Verdict: Engwe P1
Our editorial rating is based on product testing.
- a great design in multiple color options
- falls into a category where you won’t have to pay PZP
- a decent range at a maximum speed of 25 km/h
- the option to increase speed and to mount a throttle controller on the handlebars
- a rear bag for the rack and a front basket included in the package
- the front suspension fork only dampens minor bumps
- squeaking when folding and unfolding the bike
With changing legislation regarding e-scooters and bicycles, many concerns are also coming up—especially around restrictions and PZP payments. That’s why we decided to test one of the bikes that meets the requirements so you don’t have to pay any PZP. It’s a mostly city-oriented foldable e-bike, Engwe P1.
The bike complies with the legislation and comes with an EPAC label that contains all the necessary information in case of an unexpected inspection by state authorities. In this review, we’ll describe the individual components in detail, go through its riding characteristics, and also test the range on a single charge.
Where to buy the Engwe P1?
The “fold-up” from ENGWE is available in the EU warehouse of Geekbuying. Delivery is free and will take 3 to 12 business days. You won’t face any extra fees, and the package will be delivered by courier right to your doorstep. Don’t forget to use the discount coupon below.
With the e-bike, you also get a 7-liter waterproof bag for the rear rack, a front basket, and a phone holder. Geekbuying will also add a gift basket to your order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ENGWE brand free of charge, which includes practical extras, such as a safety vest, a cap, a 10-liter shopping bag, and a keychain. Birthday gifts are shipped separately from the Chinese warehouse, so delivery will take a bit longer.
Engwe P1
TIPExpress delivery from a European warehouse without customs duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you express from a local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 2–10 days and is handled by a courier. When delivered, you don’t pay any extra fees—no customs duty or VAT.
TIPExpress delivery from a European warehouse without customs duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you express from a local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 2–10 days and is handled by a courier. When delivered, you don’t pay any extra fees—no customs duty or VAT.
Technical specifications
| Model | Engwe P1 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions when unfolded | 1630 x 630 x 1220 mm |
Dimensions when folded | 95 x 85 x 45 cm |
| Frame size | 20" |
| Weight | 25 kg |
| Recommended rider height | 150 – 190 cm |
| Max load capacity | 120 kg |
| Max speed | 25 km/h (32 km/h after unlocking) |
| Range | 100 km in assisted mode / 47 km with pure electric drive |
| Assistance levels | 5 levels – 20 / 35 / 55 / 75 / 99 % |
| Water resistance | IPX4 |
| Brakes | disc mechanical |
| Suspension | front suspension fork |
| Motor power | 250 W |
| Battery | 36 V / 13 Ah / 468 Wh |
| Charging | 4 – 6 hours |
| Tires | 20" x 2.3" |
A rich and high-quality package
The Engwe P1 electric bike arrived with us in a fairly large box, where it’s packed with the front wheel detached, the handlebars detached, and some components missing.
The entire frame, including the wheels and handlebars, is protected with foam padding. These are secured with zip ties to perfectly protect the bike from damage during transport. Of course, there’s also reinforced padding around the front and rear wheel so the bike doesn’t move inside the box.
The manufacturer impressed us with a lot of accessories and a few bonuses that you usually don’t see in the standard package. You’ll find, for example, a smartphone holder, a rear-rack bag, or even a foldable basket in front of the handlebars. Included as well is the tool needed for assembly, a charger, and a manual.
From the factory, the bike arrives without a throttle controller and works only in assisted mode. However, Engwe includes the throttle controller separately, with the ability to unlock speed and enable a purely electric drive without pedaling.
Bicycle assembly
As we already mentioned, the Engwe P1 ships in a box with the front wheel and handlebars detached. You can mount these parts quite quickly, but it still takes some time to remove all the protective packing materials.
We started by attaching the main vertical seatpost, which is height-adjustable. We then mounted the handlebars to it using two screws and an Allen key. Here the manufacturer chose to secure the handlebars using only two screws, instead of four as used to be common on other models.
Next, we attached the front wheel. The axle is packed separately in a box with the accessories. After that, we mounted the kickstand onto the frame so you can prop the bike up.
Then came the saddle: first we had to insert the metal rod, and only afterwards place the saddle in position and tighten it with the quick-release clamp. The penultimate step was assembling the pedals, which are, by the way, foldable. And finally, we attached the front metal fender together with the light.
As you can see, there are several assembly steps and you can’t just take the bike out of the box. The tools are available, though, and everything is more or less intuitive, so even a less experienced person can handle the setup.
Design and build quality
At first glance, the Engwe P1 looks like a classic city folding bike. Basically, it is—but let’s take a closer look at what it offers and why this bike should convince you to buy it.
The first positive for us is the design. It really turned out well. The bike looks simple, modern, and is sold in several color variants – black, white, and gray.
The frame is made from an aluminum alloy and looks high-quality at first sight. After a few rides, though, we have to admit that despite the good build quality, it squeaks in a few places. This is caused by the folding design, which has multiple joints and hinges where friction and play can develop.
Otherwise, the bike has the typical folding design with a hinge in the middle of the frame tube. There you’ll find the latch and the removable battery. It’s also equipped with fenders and a rear cargo rack.
Handlebars and display
The handlebars are 65 cm wide, and on the left side you’ll find a display with control buttons and the front brake lever together with an integrated bell.
On the right side, there’s the rear brake lever and Shimano shifting. However, it’s only a very basic, low-cost shifting system—something you don’t really see on modern bikes these days. It has 7 gears, but an easier gear would be helpful.
The display isn’t anything new—we’ve seen it on other models as well. It shows the current speed, riding mode, distance traveled, and a few status information indicators. Unfortunately, it displays the battery capacity only with a symbol; it’s missing the current voltage.
At first glance, the display looks good and modern, but in the sun it’s very hard to read. It features three buttons – power on / power off and the “+” and “-“ buttons.
The option to unlock speed and control the throttle
Despite the official certification for the category up to 25 km/h, the manufacturer also offers a speed-unlock option up to 35 km/h via so-called P-settings. To access these settings, press and hold the plus and minus buttons at the bottom of the display.
The maximum speed limit is hidden under the P3 option. But that’s not all. Engwe also includes a manual throttle controller, the so-called half-twisted throttle. It’s like a partial motor throttle—half a throttle, because it only twists half of the grip.
After replacing the original grip with the electric one with the throttle controller, you also need to activate it. Do it by simultaneously pressing the right brake, twisting the throttle to the maximum position, and then turning on the display using the button on it. Once powered on, hold the brake and the throttle for about 10 seconds, and the controller will activate. You deactivate it using the same procedure.
After these steps, you no longer need to use the pedals—you can ride just by adding power via the twist grip. This mode also ignores the riding modes 1 to 5 and drives at maximum speed at all times.
Power and riding modes
The Engwe P1 comes with a standard 250 W electric motor mounted in the rear wheel. As mentioned above, it provides a maximum speed of 25 km/h with the option to unlock up to 35 km/h.
When it comes to riding modes, there are six available. The first one is without electric assist, and the other five help with the electric motor at speeds of 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 km/h.
It’s a classic Chinese e-bike, so all you have to do is spin the pedals freely and the bike will gradually accelerate up to the maximum speed of the selected mode. In the highest mode, once you reach 25 km/h, it’s basically impossible to pedal differently than just coasting.
The bike has 7 gears, but even the hardest gear isn’t enough to help the bike manually go beyond 25 km/h. At that speed you’d be pedaling very fast, which makes no sense. A heavier gear would be useful for faster riding, or a multi-tooth chainring upfront.
Height adjustment and comfort while riding
We can adjust the handlebar height in the range of 104 – 116 cm from the ground, and the seat as well in the range of 75 – 90 cm. The distance from the start of the seat to the handlebars is 55 cm.
Our editor is 185 cm tall, and we have to admit that for this height the bike is a bit small. What we would need most of all is a longer seat post so you can set it higher. Even at the highest position, our knees were bent too much, so the overall riding stance wasn’t ideal.
If we rode exclusively in the electric mode with manual throttle control on the handlebars, it wouldn’t be such a big deal here. But when you’re pedaling, it’s worse.
As for suspension, you only get a front suspension fork. It’s completely ordinary and basic, but it dampens most common bumps well. However, at higher speeds and when hitting larger potholes in the road or on the sidewalk, it easily reaches its limit, causing a knocking sound.
Disc brakes and lighting
The Engwe P1 comes with disc brakes, but they’re just standard cable brakes, not hydraulic. Their effectiveness isn’t bad—at speeds of 25 km/h they’re good enough—but they’re nothing special. Plus, they squeak.
We especially appreciate the rear light, which is mounted under the rack above the rear wheel. It’s beautifully wide, shines strongly, and you can clearly see it even during the day. The front light is also good. It has a sufficient spread and works without issues even when riding in total darkness, but we would’ve liked it to be a bit brighter.
Battery, range, and charging
The Engwe P1 was equipped with a 36 V / 13 Ah / 468 Wh battery that, according to the manufacturer, should be enough for up to 100 km in assisted mode, though likely at the lowest setting, or 47 km with a purely electric drive.
We naturally verified the range, since manufacturer data is measured under ideal conditions and in low modes. Our editor weighs 75 kg and rode in Košice and the surrounding area.
Our first test was carried out in the maximum assisted mode with the number 5 at a speed of 25 km/h. We were pedaling almost the whole time mostly at top speed, so even though it was assisted mode, it’s hard to call it any real assistance. We only got help on two short, steep hills and during take-offs.
We measured the range using a smartphone and the Strava app. Overall, according to the app, we covered 44.33 km. The display on the bike showed 48.2 km. We ended the ride when the last of the five battery segments had been lit for quite a while, so our estimate is that we still had capacity under 10%.
Before the second test, we increased the maximum speed and installed a throttle controller on the handlebars. During this measurement, we therefore didn’t assist with the pedals at all and rode only using manual throttle control, starting from zero. We took the same route and covered 30.5 km, which is almost 14 km less than in assisted mode at the maximum speed of 25 km/h.
Charging takes about 6 hours, and the battery is, of course, removable. You can charge it on the bike or outside of it. The downside is the key lock on the underside of the frame, where the cables also run through.
Folding and accessories
Right from the start, it looks like a city folding bike, so it’s likely to be bought mainly by people who will fold it often—whether for storage or carrying.
This process is quite simple. Just unfasten the lever at the frame hinge and fold the bike down. Then the handlebars fold too. In this state, the bike’s dimensions are only 95 x 85 x 45 cm. It’s a shame the bike doesn’t click into place when folded so you can keep it in position while carrying it. It’s easy for the folded bike to unfold while you’re transporting it.
As we mentioned in the introduction, we also received a pair of bags with the bike. One for the rear rack and the other for the front, as a sort of replacement for a classic basket. With these bags, the bike doesn’t look particularly attractive, but they’re clearly practical and will also come in handy for a smaller purchase.
Engwe P1: Final assessment
The electric folding bike Engwe P1 is an excellent companion especially for city riding. It offers 250 W of power, a maximum speed of 25 km/h, and EPAC certification with a label on the frame—thanks to which this bike isn’t subject to new regulations and you won’t have to pay PZP.
We really like the great rear light, and the many accessories such as the bag for the rear rack and the front basket. We were also pleasantly surprised by the range: at a speed of 25 km/h, we covered 44 km.
The manufacturer also offers the option to increase the maximum speed and includes a manual throttle controller for the handlebars, so you can use the bike like a moped—but expect a shorter range.
Engwe P1
TIPExpress delivery from a European warehouse without customs duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you express from a local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 2–10 days and is handled by a courier. When delivered, you don’t pay any extra fees—no customs duty or VAT.
TIPExpress delivery from a European warehouse without customs duty and VAT.
This product will be delivered to you express from a local warehouse in Europe. Delivery from EU warehouses usually takes 2–10 days and is handled by a courier. When delivered, you don’t pay any extra fees—no customs duty or VAT.
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