Price: $1,499
Weight: 63 pounds
Rider height range: 4’9” to 6’5”
Folded dimensions: 38 x 19 x 33"
Assist levels: 5
Max advertised range: 68 miles
Max assist speed: 28mph
Motor: 750 watts, 1,100 watts peak, 75Nm torque
Battery: 48V, 13 Ah, IPX7, UL 2271 certified
Drivetrain: Shimano 7-speed
Max payload: 450 pounds
Fork travel: 60mm
Tire size: 20 x 3"
I just bought a van. Yep, I’m a van-lifer now, which is why bikes like Velotric’s Fold 1 Plus suddenly appeal to me a whole lot more.
They fold up to fit in the back of the van, and when unfolded, they offer an easy method to get around town or camp without moving the van.
There are many folding bikes like this out there, so Velotric is entering a crowded market with the Fold 1 Plus. But they already have lots of experience, built on the Fold 1 model that precedes the Fold 1 Plus.
And largely, Velotric has done an exemplary job building a super-useful, fun, fast and convenient bike equally at home among the van-life community and daily city commuters. Here's why I rate it as potentially one of the best electric bikes on the market right now.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding ebike review: Price and availability
The Fold 1 Plus costs $1,499 and is available for purchase from April 10, 2025. More details will be available after that date.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding ebike review: Design and features
Velotric touts several differences between the Fold 1 Plus and its competition. High on that list is commitment to safety, with UL certifications and waterproofing that ensure the highest standards of safety and durability for riders.
As such, the battery is IPX7 waterproof-rated, and the entire bike is IPX6 rated. That means the Fold 1 Plus can handle nasty weather and exposure to moisture without risking damage to the battery and electrical components. Whip out the pressure sprayer to wash off the Fold 1 Plus; it’s designed to withstand it.
The Fold 1 Plus is also UL2271 and UL2849 certified. That means the bike meets safety standards outlined by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), a global science safety company that develops standards for a wide range of products.
UL2271 certifies that the Fold 1 Plus meets battery standards, and UL2849 meets the standards for electrical systems, including fire safety certification. Not all ebikes have these certifications, and Velotric is wise to tout them.
All that is packed into a deep step-thru frame that makes it easy to mount and dismount, regardless of rider height. The handlebars are also adjustable, as is the seatpost. Up front, Velotric includes a 60mm suspension fork for bump absorption, which complements the compliance of the 20x3-inch tires.
Other integrations include front and rear lights, a rear rack that can carry up to 120 pounds, and a USB-C phone charger port. Notably, the rear light includes turn signals that you can operate from the control buttons mounted on the handlebars. The rear light also indicates when you’re braking.
Another cool feature I haven’t yet seen on competitor bikes is the integration of Apple’s Find My. That means you can pair the Fold 1 Plus to your iPhone’s Find My app, and it will track where your bike is at any given time.
Adding to the nifty features I haven’t seen with competitors, Velotric has included what it calls SensorSwap Technology, which allows you to switch between torque and cadence modes.
In other words, the motor assist will respond to the amount of power you’re pushing into the pedals when you’re in torque mode, whereas in cadence mode, the motor will change the amount of assist based on your pedaling cadence.
It’s the best of both worlds, allowing you to truly tailor how you ride this bike.
Out of the box, the Fold 1 Plus is set up to max out its assist at 20mph. You can change this setting to a max of 28mph. There’s also a walk mode, which gives you a low-speed assist when walking the bike. If you don’t want to pedal while riding, there’s a trigger-style throttle mounted on the handlebar.
With all that speed, Velotric wisely specs hydraulic disc brakes to slow you down when needed. The company also says the Fold 1 Plus is built for rugged terrain — presumably that means riding off-road — so strong, modulated stopping power matters here.
The Fold 1 Plus lives up to its name by folding down for storage. There are a few release levers located throughout the bike, notably at the bottom of the frame and handlebars. Releasing these levers allows you to fold down the handlebars and fold the bike in half for storage in the back of the van, RV, or closet.
The rear hub motor mates with a 48V battery to provide the assist power, and you’ll get all the current settings displayed clearly on the full-color screen mounted to your handlebars.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding ebike review: Battery life
The battery mounts on the seat tube, just inboard from the rear wheel. It’s a 48V, 13Ah battery with an IPX7 waterproof rating. It’s also UL2271-certified. It’s removable, making it easier to charge, though you can also just leave it on the bike while charging.
Velotric says you can expect a 68-mile maximum range while using the pedal-assist settings, and a 45-mile maximum range if you’re using just the throttle. Of course, you can always pedal the bike with the motor completely off, too.
I rode the Fold 1 Plus for about eight miles on my first ride. I mostly used the highest assist setting, with the max assist speed set at 20mph. I was heavy on the throttle, too.
By the end of that ride, I had used one bar out of five of battery life. Presumably, that would put me at an average range of about 40 miles. That’s certainly less than the maximum advertised range of 68 miles, but that’s a maximum, not an average. I can envision getting the full 68 miles or close to it using lower assist levels and less throttle.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding ebike review: performance
The bike rides more confidently than I had expected from a small-wheeled folding bike. The 3-inch-wide tires help with that, of course. Run those at a lower tire pressure and you’ll get heaps of grip, not to mention comfort, as the rubber will end up eating up a lot of road vibration and bump impact.
In my mind, the front suspension is largely superfluous. It offers 60mm of additional suspension, which is nice on bigger hits like potholes, but because the tires are so wide, the front suspension probably isn’t necessary. It would be easy enough to get rid of it without sacrificing the ride quality, and you’d ditch some weight (and cost).
The bike rides wonderfully, even with the assist turned completely off. I scraped the pedals going around corners a few times because they’re set fairly low, which is, in turn, because the step-thru design dips low to help shorter riders mount and dismount easily. It’s a fair trade-off.
The motor is very powerful. In the highest assist setting, I could start from a dead stop on a steep hill with no problem, either pedaling in an easy gear or simply using the throttle exclusively. Riding up sustained hills was a breeze, too.
The highest assist setting often felt like overkill. In most situations, the level-2 assist (out of five levels) was more than enough for comfortably riding around town on rolling terrain. If you’re doing long stretches of riding, you may want to bump up to the 28mph max, in which case the top assist level will get you up to speed more quickly.
The Fold 1 Plus has a slightly pedal-forward design, which means you’re pedaling in front of your hips rather than over them. That’s common on cruiser bikes, and less common on more performance-oriented bikes.
Is that good or bad? It comes down to preference, but generally, you’ll get less pedaling power from your pedal stroke this way. Of course, with all that assist power, you probably won’t need it anyway.
I mostly kept the bike set to the torque sensor setting. This is best for folks who want to push the pedals and feel they’re doing some of the work. If you prefer to exercise, this is the setting you should stick with.
The cadence setting works wonderfully too, and this is the best setting for riders who want the assist to kick in when they need it most, rather than when they’re pushing the pedals the hardest. If you’re new to riding ebikes, I’d go with the cadence sensor position.
In keeping with that style choice, the big, wide seat is also quite comfortable and ideal for an upright riding position. While this bike may be able to handle “rugged” use as Velotric contends, it’s really at home on the pavement, in the hands of riders who want a comfortable, upright riding position while commuting. I wouldn’t mountain bike on this thing, but it would be fine on tame dirt roads.
Folding the bike is pretty simple, and Velotric includes a hook-and-loop strap to help keep it closed when folded. That makes things a lot easier when hoisting it up into the back of the van.
But, at 63 pounds, it’s not exactly light, and pretty cumbersome lifting it even in the folded position. That tends to be the case with just about any of these folding, fat-tired ebikes, so Velotric isn’t better or worse than the competition here.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding ebike review: Accessories
Velotric’s website offers a ton of accessories across its range of bicycles. As of writing this, the Fold 1 Plus has not yet been added to the website, so we’ll have to wait and see what accessories are specific to this bike. In the meantime, there are plenty of non-specific accessories to choose from, like phone mounts, baskets, pumps, bags, bells and more.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding ebike review: Competition
One of my favorite folding ebikes that ticks most of the boxes that the Fold 1 Plus does is the Ride1Up Portola. It’s $500 less expensive than the Fold 1 Plus and offers a similar ride quality, form factor and powerful assist.
The Portola doesn’t offer the ability to change between the torque and cadence sensor. Nor does it offer nifty features like the Apple Find My integration. While both are excellent bikes, the Fold 1 Plus justifies the extra money with those features.
But if those features don’t matter to you, the Portola offers much of the same benefits at a lower price.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus folding ebike review: Verdict
The Fold 1 Plus integrates features I haven’t seen in other bikes in this category, like Apple’s Find My and the ability to change between torque and cadence sensors. As such, it’s a versatile bike beyond just its ability to fold up and toss in the back of the van.
More importantly, it’s fun to ride and quite comfortable. It feels stoutly built, and Velotric has done the hard and unglamorous work of getting it UL-certified. That’s a huge benefit, even if it’s not something you’ll feel while riding.
So, among folding ebikes, the Fold 1 Plus ranks among the best. If you’re after a versatile folding bike you can store in the back of the van or RV, or if you just want to get across town quickly, you’ll do very well with the Fold 1 Plus.
