Mooncool’s new fat tire electric trike hopes to shake things up

The TK1 folding electric trike from e-bike brand Mooncool is yet another new entrant into the quickly growing segment of full-size electric trikes.

Following several years behind the last big boom in the e-bike market, electric trikes have seen major growth as more riders opt for three-wheeled electric bicycles.

Popular among seniors, electric trikes have become increasingly sought after by parents with younger kids as a stable e-bike that doesn’t require balancing at stops (just don’t take a turn at high speed!). The inclusion of front and rear racks also makes them great for cargo duty, especially when riders don’t want to balance that heavy cargo with their feet.

The Mooncool TK1 features modest performance compared to today’s broad field of fast and high-power e-bikes, yet it certainly sounds punchier than many of the more muted e-trikes on the market.

A 500W continuous-rated electric motor offers 750W of peak power, propelling the bike up to 16 mph (25 km/h) of top speed. The motor, which is actually a 55 Nm hub motor mounted in a jackshaft configuration popularized by the Lectric XP Trike, allows the trike to drive a rear wheel instead of the common front-wheel motors found in many trikes. Among several advantages of wheel drive is that riders won’t have the same tire spinning issues in lower traction scenarios that can plague front wheel drive e-trikes.

Powering that mid-mounted motor is a 48V and 15Ah removable battery offering 720 Wh of capacity. According to the company, that translates into a range of 35 to 60 miles (56 to 96 km) per charge. Real world range largely depends on whether riders are using the more efficient pedal assist or relying purely on throttle power, which means riding without any pedaling.

The Mooncool TK1 rides on 20″ wheels and features 3.0″ wide tires, offering a compromise between standard and fat tires.

The 90 lb (41 kg) e-trike can support up to 350 lb (159 kg) of load. It also arrives “95% pre-assembled” to make it easier for owners to get riding right away.

The 6061 aluminum frame doesn’t feature any rear suspension, but it does include a spring suspension fork in the front with manual lockout.

Hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors are included, and they feature a parking brake to prevent the bike from rolling away when parked on inclines—something that most e-bikes don’t have to worry about because they use a kickstand when parking.

Available in five colors of orange, white, black, teal, and pink, the TK1 is currently on sale for US$1,599. We haven’t ridden one yet, but we’re looking forward to getting one in to test it out soon.

Electrek’s Take

The folding feature here is nice, but I doubt many people actually fold these trikes up very often. If you did need to carry it by car or SUV, it may get you just small enough of a footprint to do it, but I think it’s not a main selling point here.

That being said, the best-selling electric trike in the country, the Lectric XP Trike, is also a folder, so maybe there’s something to this whole folding trike thing.

In fact, I think it’s fair to say that this looks and feels a lot like the XP Trike. I reviewed that trike nearly a year ago to the day, and I still think it’s the e-trike to beat in the low-cost market.

But it’s nice to see that Mooncool adds front suspension, lets us go a tad bit faster, and also provides many more colors. I’m always partial to bright bike colors, partly for the fun but also for the added safety that comes with increased visibility, and that orange trike speaks to me!

I’ll be excited to test this one out and see if it can compare well to the XP Trike. I doubt Mooncool can match Lectric’s impressive service team, but until I can get a factory-orange XP Trike, I’ll be keeping one eye on this one!