THE GUIDE
An electric cargo bike, or cargo e-bike, is the family e-bike that replaces the second car. It takes the kids to school, the groceries home and the dog to the beach, and the motor does the hard work on the hills. We're an Australian-owned company and we make four of them, each for a different kind of family.
This guide compares the different styles, so you can work out which shape suits you before you pick a bike.
Kids ride up front where you can see and hear them, in a box big enough for school bags, groceries and the dog as well. It's the classic Dutch bakfiets shape, built as a cargo trike that stands up on its own while you load, and it's the one to pick if you're carrying two to four kids at once. Ours is the Tribe Original.
Tribe Original · Best for: 2-4 kids, dogs, heaps of stuff
It has an extended rear rack instead of a box, so it parks, corners and rides like a normal bicycle. It's a good fit for one or two kids, and for anyone who's short on storage space. Ours is the Tribe Evamos Longtail.
Tribe Evamos Longtail · Best for: 1-2 kids, rides like a normal bike
Also called a rickshaw or pedicab, it's a three-wheeler with a bench seat up front, built to carry adults comfortably. It's steady at any speed, which is why trishaws are the go-to for older passengers and anyone with limited mobility. Ours is the Ricky Rickshaw.
Ricky Rickshaw · Best for: accessibility + joyrides
An electric delivery trike with a lockable cargo box, for businesses that want to move goods without a van, like couriers, cafes and tradies. Ours is the Triberoo.
Triberoo · Best for: delivery + lockable cargo
Prefer the full tour? Meet the bikes properly or let us help you choose.
Most cargo bikes sold here are European brands with a local distributor. We're an Australian company run by parents who ride these bikes every day, with a workshop in Morisset, NSW you can visit, spare parts on the shelf, and a phone number a real person answers. Read our story or browse real rides from the Tribe.
Want the whole market in one place first? We keep a sourced, dated comparison of every cargo bike sold in Australia, including the ones we don't sell.
Book a test ride →Yes. Cargo e-bike, electric cargo bike, e-cargo bike and cargo ebike all describe the same thing: a bike built to carry kids or cargo, with a motor that helps while you pedal. The names vary, but what really separates one bike from another is the style (front-box, longtail or trishaw) and the drive, which is what this guide covers.
No. A 250W pedal-assist electric cargo bike is treated as a bicycle under Australian road rules, so you don't need a licence, registration or CTP. You pedal, the motor helps, and assistance cuts out at 25km/h.
Two-wheelers like a longtail ride the way you already know how to ride, and they're narrower through gates and bike paths. Three-wheelers stand up on their own, which makes loading kids or passengers easier and slow-speed riding steadier. It really comes down to where you ride and who you're carrying.
The front-box Tribe Original is set up for two to four kids, and the Tribe Evamos Longtail carries one or two on the back. Both take child seats for younger riders.
Yes, and it's the best way to decide. Book a test ride at our workshop in Morisset, NSW, between Sydney and Newcastle, and bring the kids so you can try it with the load you'll really be carrying.
Yes. Tribe Bikes has designed electric cargo bikes for Australian families since 2020 and still does: four bikes in the current range, delivered across Australia with a 24-month warranty. Steve and Nick, who started it, ride them with their own kids.
We deliver door-to-door. Every bike page gives an instant delivery quote for your postcode before you order.
Dealers, test rides, servicing and delivery, city by city.