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The Fold 1 Plus is Velotric’s latest and most premium folding e-bike—and it poses an intriguing question: Can a bike be both laid-back and powerful?
The short answer: absolutely. While the Fold 1 Plus puts comfort and accessibility front and center, it still packs a punch with a zippy 750W rear hub motor—the maximum allowed for a street-legal e-bike.
Straight out of the box, it’s loaded with smart features and rider-friendly touches: an upright riding position, ultra-low step-through frame, bump-softening front suspension, and a plush saddle for comfort. Its single frame size fits riders from 4’9” to 6’5” while the built-in rear rack can haul up to 120 pounds—enough for an ambitious grocery run, a kid passenger, or maybe your lightest-weight adult friend. But it’s also fast, fun, and capable on a nice mix of terrain. Part commuter, part cruiser, part weekend adventure machine, the Fold 1 Plus comes in at about $1,500—and is ready to roll for just about anyone.
Velotric Fold 1 Plus
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Pros
- Option to switch between torque and cadence sensors
- Speed customization available
- Fully equipped for commuting with fenders, rear rack, 130 lux front light with adjustable angle, and rear brake light with turn signals
- Comfy ride with front suspension and cushy saddle
- Long-range and powerful 750W motor
- Telescoping handlebars
- Simple, company fold with stand to keep from putting weight on delicate components
- USB-C plug for phone charging
- Integrated Apple Find My
- Velotric app connectivity
- Comes in four colors: Mango, Electric Blue (the model tested), Stone Gray, and Pearl White
Cons
- May not fit easily in standard car trunks
- Battery can be a little tricky to slide in and out of the frame
- Folding pedals feel unintuitive at first
- Motor gets noticeably louder on higher mode and assist combos
- Not for subway/train commuters
Specs
- Folded Dimensions: 37.8 inches long x 19.7 inches wide x 33.5 inches high
- Motor: 750W (up to 1,100 W peak) rear hub
- Torque: 75Nm
- Battery Capacity: 624Wh, IPX7 and UL 2271 Certified
- Removable Battery: Yes
- Charger: 48V, 2.0A Fast Charger
- Riding Range: Up to 68 miles (pedal assist), up to 45 miles (throttle only)
- Class: 1, 2, or 3 (adjustable)
- Top Speed: 28 mph (adjustable)
- Drivetrain: Shimano 7‑speed drivetrain
- Throttle: Yes (removable)
- Suspension Travel: Front coil suspension fork, 60 mm travel with lock‑out
- Brake System: Hydraulic disc brakes, 2‑piston calipers with 180 mm rotors
- Tires: Puncture-resistant 20 × 3 inches
- Bike Weight: 63 pounds
- Carrying Weight: 450 pounds total (up to 120 pounds on rear rack)
- Connectivity: Velotric app, Apple Find My
How we tested the Velotric Fold 1 Plus
I’m a short (5’4”) woman who rides bikes for fun and function in a population-dense suburb of Washington, D.C. That means I ride on city streets—sometimes with protected lanes, sometimes without, but always with traffic signs and lights—plus a healthy network of multi-use trails full of parents with strollers, joggers, other cyclists, and, occasionally, a rogue roller skater. Gathering my favorite accessories, I took the Velotric Fold 1 Plus through this gauntlet for errands and just pure joy-riding. In addition, I had two other riders—one 5’6” and one 6’1”—take turns on test rides to gauge their comfort and fun factor.
The design
Velotric is sold in some bike shops and ships directly to customers. Probably not surprisingly, the Fold 1 Plus ships assembled but folded with a considerable amount of zip-ties and foam to prevent damage. But, beyond unpacking and charging the battery, there isn’t much work that has to go into being ready to ride.
The Fold 1 Plus is about comfort: The 20-inch wheels paired with a 15-ish inch standover height accommodate shorter riders and people who don’t love swinging a leg over a traditional triangle frame. Step-thru frames are very beginner-friendly: They’re very easy to hop on and off, whether you’re caught at a light or finishing your ride. This shorter height also makes carrying a load feel more stable because the weight stays low, which can avoid the tippy feeling during turns. (Still slow down and allow for a wider radius under load.)
Velotric’s strength is the thoughtful details. Comfort is clearly a priority, with a plush saddle, upright posture, and front suspension for smoothing bumps. The 130 Lux front light allows its angle to be adjusted so you can point it right where you want. The rear light serves as a brake light, and includes turn signals—though I don’t know if cars on a road look out for that kind of thing.
The cockpit feels a little cluttered, with several wires, the throttle and controls on the left, a central 3.5-inch display with a USB-C charging port, and the usual brake levers and shifter. But that full color display unlocks a significant amount of customization options, including swapping between torque and cadence sensors (more on that later), setting speed limits, and switching between Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bike. What does that mean? The different classes refer to the legal limits of top speeds using pedal assist and throttle. For example, a Class 1 bike legally can’t go faster than 20 miles per hour, while Class 3 can get assist up to 28 miles per hour. However, say you want to share this bike with a kid or a senior who you don’t want to go that fast—you could customize the setting to a speed as low as 12 miles per hour.
The e-bike also pairs with Velotric’s app using a pretty easy QR code to set things up. The hardest part for me is always choosing a name, so I’ll offer you Fold Rush or Bend It Like Bikem. The app is another way to access those custom settings, as well as ride tracking and recording. You can also connect the Fold 1 Plus with Apple Find My.
But let’s get to the main feature: the fold. It’s pretty straightforward. Fold the pedals (they press inward, which feels a little backward), then flip two latches—one on the frame, one on the handlebar. The handlebar’s hinge is at an angle, so follow that, not the direction the handlebars are pointing. That’s it. As a shorter rider, I could manage it solo, but lifting the 63 pounds into my Honda Fit’s trunk would’ve been easier with two people. Velotric includes two nice touches many makers miss: an included velcro strap to keep the folded bike closed and a small welded-on stand that takes the weight instead of letting the bike rest on its frame or other delicate parts.
When folded, it measures 37.8 inches long, 19.7 inches wide, and 33.5 inches tall—about 40% smaller than the average folder, according to Velotric. In practice, that still means it’s best suited for larger hatchback-style vehicles like SUVs, minivans, or RVs. If you drive a sedan, you’ll want to measure your trunk before assuming it’ll fit. This is the kind of folding e-bike that can save you hundreds on a hitch and rack for car transport, but if you’re hoping to haul it onto a subway or train, it’s still on the bulky side.
One quibble: The battery slides snugly into the frame behind the seat post, which can be a challenge. Sliding the battery in requires lining up rails about halfway down the rest, which is both hard to see and hard to feel. Sliding out is easy, but short riders may need to raise the seat post for clearance.
The ride
So far, I’ve gone over a lot of practical, useful stuff, but this bike is deceptively fun with a surprisingly long range. All those mentions of comfort? You’ll want them because you’ll want to ride the Fold 1 Plus as long as the battery lets you.
Velotric claims the Fold 1 Plus can go up to 68 miles on a single charge, and, honestly, that doesn’t feel like a stretch. I set it to the top Boost mode and highest pedal assist level and brought my eight-pound dog Charli along for the ride in her basket. This mode and assist combo coaxed a noticeable whir from the normally whisper-quiet motor, but we easily hit and kept a speed in the low 20s with basically no effort even though I was pedaling. We cruised through city blocks to hit some rolling creekside hills for about 26 miles before the battery dropped to one yellow bar. That 750W motor did most of the work: I wasn’t even winded. Still, we called it quits for the day, but when I powered it back up later, two green bars appeared. I’m guessing I could’ve squeezed another five to 10 miles out of it before completely draining the battery.
At lower assist settings, 68 miles seems well within reach, which is impressive for any e-bike, folding or not. However, you’ll feel the weight of the 63-pound frame more in Eco (the most battery-sipping mode) and pedal assist level one. You’ll be working when going up a hill.
One of Velotric’s stand-out features is offering flexibility where most e-bikes don’t: you can toggle between torque and cadence sensors. If you like a snappy, quick-launch ride, cadence might be your jam. Just be aware it drains the battery faster. I prefer torque for its natural, responsive feel—ideal for my stop-and-go rides and obstacle-dodging. The short wheelbase and low center of gravity made it nimble, whether avoiding potholes or weaving through joggers. The range plus front-suspension fork and three-inch tires that take the sting out of bumps, making the Velotric Fold 1 Plus an excellent option for just meandering and exploring. You might not want to take on the full fire road experience you could tackle with a full-size fat tire e-bike, but some dirt should be just fine. The other riders, who are typically more gravel grinders, felt perfectly comfortable taking some of the single-track side quests that occasionally run parallel to our rail-to-trail network.
So, who should buy the Velotric Fold 1 Plus?
The Fold 1 Plus proves an e-bike can be both laid-back and powerful. With its easy step-through design, compact fold, and customizable ride settings, it’s just as happy cruising to the farmers market as it is powering through a weekend adventure. It’s a smart pick for anyone who needs to store a bike in tight quarters, skip the cost of a hitch and rack, or share an e-bike among riders of different sizes. Laid-back when you want it, powerful when you need it—and ready to roll wherever you take it.
