Can a $550 Walmart Ebike Keep Up With the Lectric XP4? | Concord Urban Fold
What if I told you you can buy a brand new folding electric bike for under $550? I’m not talking about some sketchy Facebook marketplace listing. I’m talking about a bike you can walk into Walmart and buy right now. This is the Concord Urban Fold. It costs a shockingly low $548. But the question is, can a $548 folding ebike be any good? To find out, I’m not just reviewing it. Can this bike make it up on throttle alone? Let’s see. I’m putting it head-to-head against the undisputed king of folding electric bikes, the one and only electric XP4. I’m Ryan from EBike Escape, and I’m on a quest to review every single Walmart electric bike. You can help me do it. Simply like this video, subscribe if you’re new, or if you’re planning to buy an electric bike, we’ll have affiliate links to the Concord and the Electric XP4 down in the description. Your purchase makes content like this possible. Let’s get started. First impressions on the Urban Fold. It certainly looks like an electric bike. It’s surprisingly solid for its price, but get this. It weighs in at just 45 lbs. Has a nice grab handle right here. You get fenders for commuting. Even a rear rack, which is a nice addition on such a cheap electric bike. Now, for the specs that matter, it’s got a 350 W rear hub motor and a 36V 7.8 8 amp hour battery. That gives us a published range of around 20 m. At least they’re not overpromising when it comes to range. This is a smaller battery after all. And the top speed is 20 mph. It’s a true class 2 electric bike. Make sure you stay tuned because we’re going to see just how powerful a 350 W motor is, or I guess isn’t. This is not quite what I was expecting. Let’s talk safety. The electronics on the Urban Fold are certified to UL2849 and the battery is certified to UL2271. The gearing is 11 to 28 teeth in the rear. And in the front is a 48 to front chain ring. This is where we see the savings. The drivetrain is basic but still from Shimano. And hey, seven gears. The shifter is Shimano’s CIS index thumb shifter. There’s a right-hand thumb throttle. And perhaps one of the most simple displays, it’s an LED display, battery bar, mode for pedal assist, low, medium, high. You can turn the lights on, and you can turn the bike off. The brakes are mechanical disc brakes, though you do have motor cut offs paired with 180 mm rotors. The tires are from Chowyang Street Tread, 20x 2.2 in wide. The front light runs off the main battery. No rear light, though. There’s a nice stand for when the bike is folded and a nice wide kickstand, which spoiler alert is better than the one on the electric XP4, which is almost double the cost. Stay tuned, though, for how the XP4 excels in other ways, though. Effortless to hit 28 mph. The handlebars are adjustable. I’m 6 feet tall with a 32 in inseam, almost full leg extension. The handlebars are raised to their highest position. My wife is 5’5 and the total payload capacity is 220 lbs. Since this is a folding bike, let’s see how easy it is to fold. We’ll lower the handlebars. Slide and pull out on this latch. Fold the handlebars down. Fold those pedals. Push in. Flip up. Main folding point here. Lift up. Release. Bring it around. Put the kickstand up. And there we go. This is the bike folded. Nice and compact, reasonably lightweight, going to fit easily in a vehicle or an apartment. Now, the compactness of this bike is great and all, but more importantly, how does it perform? All right, throttle only. You need to be moving for the throttle to engage. I’ll talk more about my thoughts on that in a bit, but here we go. 3 2 1 pedal stroke and throttle only. There we go. 9 14 17 18 and there’s 20 miles an hour. All right, now for the various pedal assist levels. All right, here we go. Pedal assist low. Takes about a full pedal stroke for the cadence sensor to engage. Of course, depending on what gear you’re in. I’m in third gear now, and this is speed limited, which means the motor is going to cut off at a specific speed right around 12 miles per hour in low. All right. And now in medium, let’s go into fifth gear. 14, 15, 16 miles an hour. Looks like that’s going to be the cut off. And still able to put plenty of leg pressure on the pedals. There’s 17. All right, let’s crank this into high from a stop. We’ll hit 20. Remember, class 2 ebike, top speed of 20 miles per hour, whether I’m using the throttle or pedal assist. There’s fifth gear, and there’s 20 mph. So, still have two more gears to go. So, it is geared appropriately for a 20 mph top speed ebike. Now, yes, this has mechanical disc brakes, and that just means it’s a little harder to pull compared to hydraulic. But, can they stop you? I mean, almost certainly was able to lock up the tires. The lighter weight frame certainly works to your benefit. Now, the handling, this, for better or for worse, is a more nimble, perhaps squirly electric bike, depending on what you’re used to thanks to the smaller wheels. And it does have narrow handlebars, so you might not want to let go of them. But it’s going to be great for urban environments, taking sharp turns, no problem turning on a dime. But how does a 350 watt motor do up for hill climb test? Will it fare better than the other Concord electric bike up the same hill? Let’s find out. This is the masterpiece. Half piece of art, half epic mountain bike trail. Can this bike make it up on throttle alone? Let’s see. Here we go. Now, the other Concord, their step through commuter ebike, didn’t make it up this hill, but I think this one might. We’ll see. At 12 miles an hour, cruising up. It’s going to get steeper though up here, so we’ll see. The motor is pretty quiet, partly because it’s just a smaller motor. All right, now we’re really slowing down. 8 miles an hour. Five, four. It’s going to do it. I think it might have something to do with the smaller wheels on this folding ebike. And there we go. We made it. And it shouldn’t be a surprise that while you’re pedaling, this is so much easier. I have a little bit more control. Have my legs helping me up the same part of the hill that the motor struggled the most on throttle alone. But I like to test bikes to failure. So, let’s see how it does up an even steeper hill. All right. Massive hill. Throttle only. We’ll see. We’ll let it get up to speed. And the GoPro makes this hill look so small, but trust me, it’s massive. All right, here we go. It’s starting now. How far can we get before the motor just stops? Six. Four. We are going slow, but we are doing it. This is not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting it to completely fail. And it’s about this steep all the way, but let me show you something. When I start pedaling here, I’m in first gear. All right. And I can pretty easily provide power here. And you can see we are creeping up in speed. So, pedaling goes a long way even with the smaller motor. I am super curious to see what the XP4 does up this hill. That’s going to be a great comparison. This is the electric XP4 and it’s America’s bestselling folding ebike. No one has sold more electric bikes than electric ebikes. Now, there’s two tiers. So, you have the standard motor and battery at $9.99, so about $450 more than the Urban Fold. And then you have the upgraded motor and battery. That comes in at $12.99. So about $750 more than the Urban Fold. And by the way, the key main differences between the standard and upgraded are the motor and battery. So if you’re curious what you get for each and how the motor power differs, be sure to check out our electric XP4 comparison. But on the upgraded electric XP4, that’s what we’re going to be comparing the Urban Fold to. You get a 750 W nominal 1,310 W peak motor, 85 Nm of torque. If you step down to the standard, it’s a 500 W motor with 1,092 ws of peak power, 55 new m of torque. On the upgraded electric XP4, that’s going to be a 48vt 17.5 amp hour battery, 840 W hours, triple the size of the battery on the Urban Fold. And then on the standard XP4, you get a 48vt 10.4 amp hour battery for 499 watt hours. So less than double of the battery that comes on the Urban Fold. You also get two frame options on the electric XP4, a step through or a high step. And yes, bigger batteries and bigger motors are heavier. So the electric XP4 weighs quite a bit more than the Urban Fold, but it does have a 330 lb capacity, 150 lbs on that rear rack. It’s welded into the frame. And if you opt for the upgraded version, there’s a chance Electric’s going to throw in a bunch of accessories. You can see which ones they’re currently offering by checking out the link in the description. One that we got is this suspension seat post. There’s a suspension front fork. Besides the lighting in the front, you get lights in the rear with turn signals, also brake actuated, mounting points for accessories, three bottle cage bosses, a place to mount a lock. Instead of foldable pedals, you get removable pedals, there’s locking ergonomic grips, eight speeds, instead of seven, and Shimano’s nicer trigger shifter. There’s a lefthand thumb throttle, five button control pad, USBC charger port beneath the display, and yes, this bike has an actual display, more levels of pedal assist. It has a walk mode. You can see your current speed and also track all your riding stats. In the advanced settings, there’s just a ton of things you can mess around with here, including changing the classification of this bike, and yes, it will go 28 mph. You can turn on and off things like throttle and pedal assist. You can change the throttle output, zero start settings, and here’s one of my favorite ones, the standard torque multiplier or an increased torque multiplier. This bike also rides completely differently because it has a torque sensor which measures your pedal input and then amplifies it. More of a natural riding experience. But don’t worry, you can still get a decent amount of power out of this bike. There’s wider 20 by3 inch wide tires and they’re a mixed terrain tread, so more capable off-road. You get a Shimano Altus derailer, much better than the one that comes on the Urban Fold. And instead of mechanical disc brakes, you get hydraulic disc brakes. And yes, the levers are just much easier to pull. The XP4 is also more adjustable if you’re on the taller end. As a 6′ tall rider, I can still get full leg extension. And I can adjust the handlebars as well. So, if I want them higher up, I can do that. And yes, the electric XP4, of course, folds, though it’s heavier and a little bit more bulky compared to the Urban Fold. One area where electric could certainly learn or I guess just copy from the Urban Fold is this kickstand. It’s thin and sinks into soft ground. So, it’s certainly not as stable. Here we go. 3 2 1 Throttle only. Instant power and a lot of it. 14 18 There’s 20. So, there’s the difference between a 350 watt motor with a 36volt system and a 48vt motor with 1,300 watts of peak power. And of course, this is a class 3 electric bike. I have it in turbo and I need to shift up here the highest gear and I mean effortless to hit 28 miles per hour in turbo with the torque multiplier turned up. So, that is a significant difference when you’re talking about motor power. All right. And here we have the masterpiece throttle only. We’ll see what the minimum speed is here. Still climbing in speed. All right, we did hit 20. It’s barely flinching. 16 per second. 14. There we go. Extremely impressive. Let’s see what it does up our huge hill. Let’s go and see what the XP4 can do. Getting up to 20. This hill is so steep. 20 mph. Let’s see what the minimum speed is. There’s 17, 16, 15, 14. What’s amazing is how quiet this motor is for how powerful it is. 14 miles an hour up this huge hill. 13 and back up to 14. We made it up this hill. So much faster and at a much higher minimum speed effortless from this motor. And so should you buy the Concord Urban Fold Walmart’s $548 electric bike or should you buy the $9.99 or $1299 electric XP4? Well, it kind of depends. I was actually really impressed with the Concord Urban Fold, of course, for the price. Now, sure, it has a cadence sensor, but it’s still capable of getting you up to 20 mph. The brakes being mechanical still stopped me just fine. They’re also really easy to adjust at home if you need to. The display is basic, and with the three pedal assist levels, of course, it’s not the most natural riding experience. The MotorP Power for Flat Ground, I think, is just fine for a lot of people, especially if you’re planning to pedal a little bit. This is a bike that’s going to be great for someone who’s new to electric bikes and, of course, doesn’t want to spend a lot. Of course, the drivetrain is super basic, but I was able to shift gears just fine. One of the limitations, though, is the height range on the Urban Fold. As a taller rider, you might not feel as comfortable as you might on a bike that’s made for taller riders. You still have a throttle, though. Yes, you need to be rolling for it to work. I hope Walmart changes that. Perhaps one of the biggest things with the Urban Fold is it’s lightweight. Yes, thanks to the smaller motor and battery, but this is going to be easy for a lot of people to handle. Maybe if you’re unsure of yourself, it’s a lighter weight electric bike. A lot of people are willing to give up battery and motor power for a bike to be lower weight. They can put it in their vehicle. They can go on adventures. Which leads me to my next thing, battery capacity. They are not exaggerating. 20 mi is probably all you’re going to get on this bike. So, great for urban environments, people that just want to cruise around a little bit. But yes, you will certainly be charging that battery up frequently. Which brings up the question of customer support. Now, Walmart itself doesn’t really have a ebike specific customer support team. I don’t think that would be a surprise to you if you’re a Walmart shopper. Now, Concord is Walmart’s brand, but they’re not obviously the company that makes this electric bike. In my previous video, I called their customer support and they were willing to help me out. I called on a Sunday, which was surprising. And from what they told me, it sounds like they’re trying to get things like extra batteries. I think you just have to contact Phoenix Bicycles if you need replacement parts. So, it appears that support is there, though it might not be US-based. Now, let’s talk about the electric XP4. I know what some of you are thinking. I’ve been reading the comments on our other Walmart videos. Why are you comparing two ebikes at two very different price points? Well, in my opinion, it’s actually more interesting to see what you get when you pay a little bit more rather than comparing two cheap folding ebikes because they’re going to be pretty similar. And I actually like the fact that this is a Walmart ebike rather than a no-name brand that I’ve never even heard of. I mean, at least they picked up the phone when I called them for support. Now, for sure, bigger motor, bigger battery, hill climbing is not an issue on this electric bike. Our hill climb test demonstrated that, and most people are just unlikely to have range anxiety, especially if you go with the upgraded battery on the electric XP4. The riding experience is far and above what you get with a cadence sensor electric bike. A lot of people that have tried a cadence sensor electric bike and a torque sensor electric bike prefer the torque sensor, especially on the electric models because they give you a little bit more power more easily. If you live in an RV or travel a lot, you’re certainly going to appreciate the suspension, the wider tires. They give you a little bit more confidence on the road. a little bit more of a dualpurpose rather than more of a singlepurpose paved path electric bike. The hydraulic disc brakes are unquestionably better. The drivetrain is significantly better. You can hit 28 mph on this folding ebike. The display, of course, allows for some customization. It’s even removable if you ever need to replace it. There’s tons of electric owners out there, so there’s a thriving community. There’s tons of accessories for the XP4. We’ve done our own accessory video if you want to check that out. Fit-wise, this bike is better suited to those who, yes, can handle an electric bike that weighs more, but also as a taller rider, this is going to feel much better, but a little bit less easy to handle. Thanks to the thin kickstand, this one’s going to fall over easier. It also has a higher max payload capacity. This bike is also just built for heavier riders and to take more cargo. And finally, I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t talk about Electric’s customer support. It’s all US-based. They are well known in the industry for having great customer support. Yes, they’re direct to consumer brand, but they also work with bike shops across the United States in case you have issues and need help. But don’t take my word for it. Check out the Facebook group. You’re going to find far and away that electric goes above and beyond for your customers. So, if that means something to you, remember, if you plan to buy either of these electric bikes, help me review every Walmart ebike. Just use our link down in the description before you buy. Like this video, subscribe to the channel. Let me know in the comment section. Do you like the affordability of the Urban Fold? Should we continue to review $550 electric bikes? Or do you think it’s worth stepping up to the electric XP4? Thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you in the next one.
Affiliate Links 👇
Walmart’s Concord Urban Fold: https://walmrt.us/473k4cx
Lectric XP4: https://lectricebikes.sjv.io/gOrR42
Is a $548 folding ebike from Walmart actually worth buying, or are you better off spending more on the best-selling Lectric XP4? In this video, I test the Concord Urban Fold to see if this lightweight, budget-friendly folder can handle real-world riding—including a massive hill climb test.
We compare the Concord Urban Fold directly against the Lectric XP4 to show you exactly what you get (and what you give up) at these two different price points. From motor power and battery range to braking and folding portability, we break it all down to help you decide which folding ebike is right for you.
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00:00 Intro
01:03 First Impressions, Weight, and What’s In The Box?
01:22 Motor Power, Battery, & Range (Real World)
01:55 Safety & UL Certification
02:02 Drivetrain (Cassette, Chainring, Derailleur)
02:14 Cockpit (Shifters, Throttle, Display)
02:31 Brakes, Tires, Lighting
03:05 Frame and Folded Demonstration
03:54 Throttle Only Speed Test
04:19 Pedal Assist Levels Test
05:20 Braking Test (Mechanical Discs)
05:38 Handling & Maneuverability
06:03 Hill Climb Test: Concord Urban Fold
08:14 Lectric XP4 Comparison (Specs & Features)
11:13 Torque Sensor vs. Cadence Sensor
12:15 Lectric XP4 Speed & Hill Test
14:07 Final Verdict: Which Should You Buy?
