Car EBike Racks

You can put an ebike on some car bike racks, but it’s crucial to ensure the car bike rack is able to handle the weight of your ebike. Remember that ebikes are much heavier than normal bicycles, and most car bike racks are not designed to carry the weight of an ebike, much less multiple ebikes. In addition to the car bike rack’s carrying capacity, always check your vehicle's hitch tongue weight to make sure it can carry both the weight of your ebike(s) and the rack.

Hitch-mounted tray racks (also known as platform racks) are the best choice for an ebike car rack. These racks are designed to handle the significantly higher weight of ebikes. They feature trays or platforms that hold the bike's wheels, low to the ground. This makes loading much easier, as you typically only need to lift the ebike a short distance. Because tray racks secure the ebike by the wheels (not the frame), they also accommodate all frame designs, such as the step-through frames common on many ebikes. While they do require your vehicle to have a trailer hitch receiver, their stability, weight capacity, and ease of use make them the best choice to safely carry an ebike.

To transport ebikes, a hitch-mounted tray rack is your best option. For transporting normal bicycles, some cyclists use roof tracks or trunk normal bicycles, but neither of these are good options for ebikes. Most ebikes weigh at least 50 to 60 lbs or more, so lifting them up onto a roof rack is extremely difficult and dangerous. Trunk racks are lower to the ground but aren’t built to handle the heavy weight of ebikes.

As we’ve discussed above, you want a hitch-mounted tray rack to carry an ebike on your car. The main things you should check before buying an ebike car rack are 1) the rack’s carrying capacity, 2) the hitch receiver on your car, and 3) its tongue weight capacity.

Finally, double-check this information with your ebike’s weight, tire size, and wheelbase, to confirm the rack can fit your ebike. Our Endeavor Tray Rack, for example, can accommodate ebikes with 20 to 29” wheels, up to 5” wide tires, and two bikes weighing up to 80 lbs per bike. NOTE: If your ebike is heavier than your car ebike rack can carry, removing the battery might put you within the acceptable weight capacity.

Yes, you’ll need a hitch receiver to install an ebike rack on your car. There are many options for car bike racks, such as roof racks and trunk-mounted racks, but for ebikes, a hitch-mounted rack is highly recommended because ebikes are much heavier than traditional pedal bicycles (See “Why are roof racks and trunk racks not good for ebikes?” above).

No, not all car ebike racks fit all cars. The type of rack you can use depends on your car. Your car ebike rack will depend on the hitch installed on your car. Car hitches come in five classes—Class I, Class II, Class III, Class IV, and Class V—based on the “tongue weight” they can handle and their maximum towing capacity. As hitch class increases, the diameter of the hitch receiver increases. Class I and II hitches, for example, have a 1¼ ” receiver. Class III and IV hitches have a 2” receiver.

Before you purchase a car ebike rack, install a hitch receiver on your car based on your vehicle’s maximum tongue weight. Then, find a car bike rack that is compatible with your hitch class. (NOTE: Our Endeavor Tray Rack is compatible with 2” Class III hitches only.)

Some ebike racks can only hold one bike, but others, including our Endeavor, are designed to carry two ebikes. The most critical factors are the rack's per-bike weight capacity (the Endeavor supports up to 80 lbs per bike) and its total weight capacity. You must ensure the combined weight of all ebikes do not exceed the rack's total limit, and that the weight of the bikes plus the rack itself does not exceed your vehicle's hitch tongue weight limit.

It depends on your rack. Some brands sell fixed bike racks that don’t allow for easy trunk access, but our Endeavor Tray Rack offers rapid access to your car’s trunk. Simply press down on the foot pedal to tilt the rack away for trunk access or to fold the rack up for storage when it’s not in use. Accessing the trunk of your car only takes a few seconds!

No, it’s not illegal to have an ebike rack on your car. What is illegal, however, is having anything on your car—a bike rack or otherwise—that obstructs the view of your license plate. Ensure your license plate is still visible when your ebikes are installed on your rack. If you want to be extra safe, consider using a license plate relocator or extender to ensure your plate is still visible.

No, it’s not necessary to remove your ebike’s battery before mounting it on a car bike rack. However, it’s a smart idea! Removing the battery will significantly reduce the weight you need to lift (batteries often weigh 6-10 lbs), lower the bike's center of gravity for better stability during transport, and also protect your expensive battery from prolonged road vibrations, potential weather exposure, and theft risk.

Absolutely. The best ebike tray/platform racks, like our Endeavor, are designed with versatility in mind. This rack features adjustable wheel trays and sufficiently long wheel straps to securely accommodate all retrospec ebikes, and any ebike with tires up to 5” wide. This means this rack can even hold electric fat tire bikes!

Installing your ebike car rack is simple, and should only take a half-hour or so. See the Assembly Instructions for a step-by-step guide and info on how to use your ebike rack once it’s installed.

Any hitch-mounted rack will extend the overall length of your vehicle, so be extra cautious when parking or backing up. While tray racks position bikes lower than hanging racks, they may still partially obscure your view through the rear window. The added weight is usually well within the vehicle's design limits if you respect hitch capacity, so handling impact is minimal, but just be mindful of the added length.

Possibly, yes. Hitch-mounted racks, especially when loaded with bikes, often sit within the field of view of backup cameras and the detection zone of parking sensors located on or near the bumper. The extent of interference varies depending on your vehicle. Be prepared for potential alerts or obscured views, and always manually check your surroundings when reversing!

Some people leave their bikes on their car bike rack overnight, but this isn’t a great idea unless your car is parked in a garage or other safe, enclosed space. Car bike racks are designed for secure transport, not secure long-term storage. In addition to rain, sun, and other environmental hazards, you’re exposing your bike to the possibility of theft, which is particularly risky with expensive ebikes! If you park your car outside, don’t forget to remove your ebike(s) from your rack. At the very least, secure your bike with a high-quality bike lock to prevent grab-and-go thefts.

It’s unlikely that a thief would steal your entire bike rack. But if you want to be fully guarded against theft, you can replace the hitch receiver pin on your rack with a “locking pin,” which requires a key to remove.