Recumbent E-Bikes

Tadpole trike · delta trike · two-wheel recumbent · velomobile

A recumbent e-bike seats the rider in a reclined chair with the feet forward, which spares the wrists, neck, back and seat contact points of an upright bike. It follows the same Class 1 to 3 rules as any e-bike in the US, and the motor matters most on climbs, where recumbents are slowest.

Seat
Reclined, feet forward
Legal class
E-bike, Class 1 to 3
Usual drive
Mid-drive or rear hub
Layout
Tadpole, delta or two-wheel
Builders
Small specialists
US safety standard
UL 2849

What a recumbent e-bike is

A Reclined Seat Instead of a Saddle

A recumbent puts the rider's weight on a seat with a backrest rather than on a saddle, hands and feet. Riders with back, neck, wrist or saddle pain use them, and their low frontal area makes them fast on the flat.

Recumbents are slow climbers because the rider cannot stand on the pedals. An electric motor removes that weakness, and most recumbents sold today are electric or ready for a motor.

Small specialist builders make most of them: HP Velotechnik in Kriftel, Germany; ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering) in Falmouth, UK, employee-owned since 2022; and Catrike in Orlando, Florida.

Variants

Four Kinds of Recumbent E-Bike

Recumbent e-bike variants
VariantDefining traitSuitsExamples
Tadpole trikeTwo wheels in front, one behind, low seatStable touring and everyday ridingHP Velotechnik Scorpion, ICE Adventure, Catrike Expedition
Delta trikeOne wheel in front, two behind, higher seatEasy mountingSemi-recumbent trikes such as the Addmotor Triketan
Two-wheel recumbentLong or short wheelbase, two wheelsSpeed and touringSpecialist builders
VelomobileFully enclosed body on a trike chassisAll-weather commuting and speedSpecialist builders

Drive and equipment

Mid-Drives and Rear Hubs Adapted to the Chassis

Recumbent builders fit standard e-bike drives to their own chassis. Mid-drives from Shimano and Bosch, such as the Bosch Active Line Plus on the Catrike Expedition, mount at the front boom; rear hub motors such as Neodrives fit HP Velotechnik models without changing the long chain line.

Speed pedelec versions exist: HP Velotechnik sells an S-Pedelec version of the Scorpion. See Drive Systems.

Rules and standards

E-Bike Rules Apply; Speed Versions Are Mopeds in the EU

In the US a recumbent e-bike or trike under 750 W is a Class 1, 2 or 3 e-bike under state law. Low recumbents are harder for drivers to see, so most riders add a flag and lights.

In the EU a recumbent pedelec is held to 250 W and 25 km/h under EN 15194. An S-Pedelec version that assists to 45 km/h is an L1e-B moped and needs type approval, a plate and insurance. See e-bike laws by state.

Representative brands

Three Recumbent E-Bike Makers

One representative model per brand. The hero chart shows each brand's lineup figure from the EbikesX brand dataset; brands with no recorded figure are left off the chart.

Representative recumbent e-bike brands
BrandModelVariantLegal classDriveCountry
HP VelotechnikScorpion fs 26 S-PedelecTadpole trikeClass 3Shimano mid-driveGermany
ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering)AdventureTadpole trikeClass 1Shimano mid-driveUK
CatrikeExpedition eCATTadpole trikeClass 1Bosch mid-driveUSA

Core brands with recumbent models

Core recumbent brands
BrandCountryDriveBattery (Wh)Representative model
CatrikeUnited StatesBosch (Active Line Plus), mid400Expedition eCAT
HP VelotechnikGermanyrear hub636Scorpion fs 26 S-Pedelec
ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering)United KingdomShimano, mid400, 500Adventure

Every brand on file is in the brand directory.

Record

Sources

Brand data
EbikesX brand dataset, brands_2026 and type_page_brands, checked Q4 2026
Standards
EN 15194; Regulation (EU) No 168/2013; UL 2849
Last verified
Q4 2026