The uniquely-named Quercus is an exciting electric utility bike with some serious range.
And with an affordable asking price and dual-battery capabilities, it could be a great fit for riders looking for an e-bike that can go 100+ miles between charges.
The Quercus’ extended range is impressive, but it comes with plenty of other awesome features too, including a 750W rear hub motor, a torque sensor, a 450 lb payload capacity, and a built-in rear rack.
Rattan is also known for giving away gifts with purchase, including free helmets and front baskets, which is never a bad thing.
The only real downsides are that the Quercus only comes in 2 colors (not the sleekest ones either) and the fact that it’s quite heavy.
Otherwise, I could see this being a great choice for folks looking for an affordable utility e-bike.
That said, this is a competitive price range with plenty of great e-bikes to choose from, so before you decide, you really need to do your homework.
But I’m here to help.
In this review, I’ll go over everything the Quercus has to offer, but I’ll also compare it to some of the other top utility bikes in its price range.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not this is the right e-bike for your needs.
With dual-battery compatibility and plenty of great features, Rattan’s Quercus comes with a lot of perks for such an affordable utility bike.
Quick Stats
| Motor | 750W rear hub |
| Top Speed | 30 mph |
| Battery | 960Wh (x1 or 2) |
| Range | 50 - 100+ |
| Weight Limit | 450 lb |
| Weight | 82 lb |
Rattan’s Quercus Utility E-Bike
Rattan is a budget-friendlier e-bike brand and even though they only offer a handful or so of bikes to choose from, their lineup does cover all the major categories.
The Quercus we’re here to talk about now is their take on a utility e-bike, meaning it’s designed for running errands and hauling cargo.
FYI, ‘Quercus’ is Latin for ‘oak tree’ and I’d bet dollars to donuts that they chose this name as an indicator of how heavy-duty and solid this bike is…
Rattan also offers affordable all-terrain bikes, as well as a very budget-friendly folding bike (the LF-750 Pro).
We’ll go into more detail below, but Rattan loads their e-bikes up with a surprising amount of higher-tech features for the price range.
Most notably are the torque sensors, which are often found on more expensive models, but again, more on that in a minute.
Anyway, let’s go ahead and start this review off with a rundown on the performance specs.
Pros
- 750W (1200W peak) rear hub motor
- 960Wh battery
- Option to add second battery
- 50 – 100+ mile range
- 30+ mph top speed
- Torque sensor
- Heavy-duty frame
- 450 lb payload capacity
- 8-speed shifter
- Hydraulic disc brakes
- Front suspension fork
- Integrated rear rack
- Color LCD console
- 5 levels of PAS
- Thumb throttle
- 20″ x 4″ tires
- Front/rear lighting
- Turn signals
- Great price
Cons
- Heavy bike
- No passenger kit
Motor
The Quercus comes with a 750W, rear hub motor that can reach a top speed of 30 mph+.
With a 750W nominal rating, this is about as strong a rear hub motor as you’re going to see on any e-bike, but especially one in this price range.
In terms of speed, the Quercus easily qualifies as a Class III e-bike, (top speed of 28 mph+), so you might want to check your local laws and regulations to make sure it’s street legal in your area.
I say that because Class III e-bikes aren’t legal everywhere, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The watt rating and top speed here are impressive, but I also want to point out that the Quercus’ motor has a torque output rating of 80Nm (Newton-meters).
Torque refers to the rotational power of the motor and seeing higher torque ratings indicates superior acceleration and hill-climbing capabilities.
At 80Nm of torque, the Quercus is stronger than your average e-bike that lands more in the 50 – 70Nm range.
So, considering the power and torque this bike’s motor has, hills shouldn’t be an issue.
But again, you have to be careful with those top speeds, especially if you’re riding somewhere that frowns upon Class III e-bikes.
Luckily, you can always use a lower pedal assist level (PAS) when necessary to keep those speeds down.
Overall, the Quercus scores highly with its powerful motor and fast top speeds.
Battery
The Quercus comes standard with a single, 960Wh (48V, 20Ah) battery, but you can also add an additional 960Wh battery if you want to at additional charge.
The idea of having 1,920Wh of battery capacity is kind of mind-blowing and according to Rattan, most riders will be able to get 100+ miles per charge with both batteries installed.
But even if you don’t go the double battery route, you’re still looking at 50 – 80 miles per charge, depending on how you ride.
In order to get these higher mileages, you’ll have to be riding on flat terrain and using a PAS level 1, but still, these are impressive ranges.
FYI, comparing the watt-hours (Wh) is a great way to compare batteries when looking at different e-bikes.
Generally speaking, seeing higher Wh ratings means the battery has a larger capacity and should last longer between charges.
The fact that the Quercus uses a torque sensor (as opposed to a cadence sensor) also helps it run more efficiently.
Unlike a cadence sensor, which simply turns the motor on anytime you start pedaling, a torque sensor provides motor output to match how hard you’re pedaling.
This means you get smoother assistance from the motor, but it also helps conserve battery power when you aren’t pedaling as hard.
And even with a single battery, the Quercus comes with a larger battery than most.
For the sake of comparison, Rad’s RadRunner 3 Plus (which I currently have and can attest to its awesomeness) comes with a 672Wh battery, which is more the norm for these utility bikes.
Oh, Rattan also hooks you up when it comes to the charger too.
Most brands provide a standard 2 amp charger that’ll fully charge your battery in 7-8 hours, but Rattan includes a 4.5 amp fast charger that’ll charge these huge batteries in only 4-5 hours.
Overall, there’s nothing to complain about when it comes to the Quercus’ range – regardless if you opt for 1 or 2x batteries, you’ll still have more battery capacity than what most e-bikes can offer.
Frame
This e-bike scores highly in both the motor and battery departments, but let’s take a step back and check out the bike itself.
With a name that means oak tree, one would expect a pretty robust frame… well, that expectation would be accurate.
The Quercus comes with a really heavy-duty frame.
In fact, with an assembled weight of 82 lb (add another 11 lb if you connect the second battery), the Quercus is one of the heavier utility bikes out there.
For the sake of comparison, the RadRunner 3 Plus mentioned earlier weighs in at just under 76 lb, and it’s pretty heavy itself.
Although Aventon’s Abound is just about as heavy, weighing in at around 81 lb.
Regardless, I wouldn’t want to be hauling the Quercus up and down steps or trying to hoist it into a vehicle on a regular basis.
All this extra heavy-dutiness does have its perks though – the robust frame allows the Quercus to hold a max payload of 450 lb safely.
This is as high as any weight capacity I’ve personally seen on any e-bike and it’s a good 100 lb higher than what a lot of other quality bikes can handle.
This quality allows the Quercus to safely handle riders of all sizes, but it also allows it to haul serious loads without risk of topping over its limit.
In terms of size, with a wheelbase of roughly 44″, the Quercus is quite average, so you don’t have to worry about it being unruly to handle.
And according to Rattan, most users between 5’3″ – 6’5″ should be able to find a comfortable riding position, allowing folks of most heights the ability to use this bike.
Overall, the Quercus is a heavy-duty e-bike that comes with a really high weight capacity, but its extra bulk will make it harder to manage when not riding.
Warranty
Rattan offers the following warranty on their Quercus Utility E-Bike:
- 1 year all-inclusive
Rattan covers all the parts, motor, brakes, battery, etc for 1 year from the time of purchase.
This may sound a little short, but it’s actually pretty standard for e-bikes, especially in this price range.
Brands like Ride1Up, Rad Power Bikes, and Juiced Bikes all offer 1 year guarantees, so this is to be expected.
That said, there are some brands, like Electric Bike Company and Aventon, that do offer longer motor/battery warranties, but for this price range, a year is industry norm.
Features
The Rattan Quercus comes with the following included features:
Color LCD console- Rattan includes a brightly-lit, colorful display that makes it easy to see all your riding stats, including your PAS level and speed. It also comes with a USB charging port, in case you want to charge your phone while riding.
Torque sensor- I mentioned the torque sensor already, but it’s a great feature so I figured I’d mention it again. With a torque sensor, the motor assistance will vary depending on how hard you pedal, making for a more natural ride that saves battery power.
5 levels of PAS- and with 5 levels of PAS, you can control how much max output the motor gives you, allowing you to work as hard as you want to during your rides.
Thumb throttle- but sometimes you don’t want to pedal at all and that’s ok. With the included thumb throttle, you can get max motor output anytime you need it.
8-speed shifter- the Quercus comes with an 8-speed shifter, giving you nice control over your pedaling performance.
Front suspension- the suspension fork will add to the comfort level when traveling over rough or bumpier terrain.
Hydraulic disc brakes- it also comes with nice braking power, thanks to the hydraulic disc brakes.
20″ x 4″ tires- this bike comes with fat tires, allowing it to handle off roading when the need arises. But at only 20″ high, it’ll be easier to access than a bike with higher tires. Having 20″ tires also helps keep the center of gravity lower, making the Quercus easier to handle when hauling heavier loads.
Front/rear lights- the built-in headlight and brake light add an extra layer of safety when riding in town or at night time.
Turn signals- and with included turn signals, you’ll be able to let other traffic know what you’re doing to help prevent accidents.
Integrated rear rack- the Quercus comes with a built-in rear rack that includes a wooden overlay for added ruggedness.
Fenders- finally, this e-bike comes with included front/rear fenders to help keep you clean while riding.
Comps
Ok, so that about does it for all the goodies the Rattan comes with, but before we wrap things up here, I want offer a quick comparison to some of the other top utility e-bikes in this price range.
Speaking of which, as I’m writing this, Rattan has the Quercus listed for $1,749 and they’re offering a free gift with purchase (front basket, frame bag, or helmet).
I’m not sure how long this deal will last, but it’s a pretty sweet deal.
Anyway, let’s take a look at some other great utility bikes.
The first one that comes to mind is Rad’s RadRunner 3 Plus, which is usually listed a little higher at around $2,300.
This e-bike comes with a 750W rear hub motor, a 672Wh battery, a 350 lb payload, a 7-speed shifter, and a lot of the same features found on the Quercus.
The RadRunner 3 Plus is a little lighter, but it doesn’t come with turn signals and I would say its console isn’t quite as sophisticated.
It also uses a cadence sensor instead of a torque sensor.
But it’s a hell of a good ride.
Aventon’s Abound is another top competitor and it’s usually priced somewhere around $1800, give or take.
The Abound comes with a 750W rear hub motor, a 720Wh battery, a torque sensor, a 7-speed shifter, and a very versatile rear rack system.
The Abound only has a top speed of 20 mph, so it’s a Class II bike, and its tires are only 2.4″ thick, so they aren’t as capable when it comes to going off-road.
But again, a great utility bike for the price.
Finally, I want to mention Juiced Bikes’ Scorpion X2.
The X2 is a moped-inspired e-bike that’s selling for around $1,500 at the time of writing this.
This bike comes with a 1000W rear hub motor, an 811.2Wh battery (~55 mile range), a 7-speed shifter, and a dual suspension for a comfy ride.
It also comes with
The X2 has a lot going for it, but at 106lb, it’s really heavy.
And again, it uses a cadence sensor.
Final Thoughts
Alright, that’s about all I got when it comes to the Quercus.
Looking at what this e-bike has to offer and after checking out what some of the other top utility bikes in this price range come with, I’d say the Quercus holds its own very well with the competition.
It actually surpasses most of ’em with the features it comes with and it surpasses them all with regards to its range possibilities.
The option of going all in with a second battery is great, but honestly, the single battery option offers more range than a lot of us will ever need.
The performance specs are great of course, but it’s the little extras that surprise me most here.
The torque sensor, turn signals, sophisticated console… there’s not much to complain about here.
One thing I noticed, and correct me if I’m wrong here, but at the time of writing this, it doesn’t look like Rattan offers a passenger kit for this bike.
If one was brave enough, they could try sitting on the wooden rear rack itself, but it would still be nice to have the option to throw a seat back there for hauling around kids or loved ones.
A small offense at best, but something to think about.
Overall though, I think Rattan has a winner here.
If you’re looking for an affordable electric utility bike with some serious battery capacity, I think the Quercus is a great choice.
