Price: the spread sets your starting point
The listing data behind these pages covers a wide band. Entry prices sit at €175.38 to €5,999, and prices reach €599.99 to €14,000. Those two figures are the honest starting point for any budget conversation, because a reader at the lower end and a reader at the upper end are shopping for different machines. Each figure is a single price for a bike, so compare whole prices rather than looking for a monthly equivalent.
Power varies on the same scale. The motor output recorded across this data runs 250 to 2,600, so a light commuter at the quiet end of that span and a load carrier at the other end feel nothing alike. Fix your budget and your carrying needs before you read a single brand page, then use the [Electric bikes]( /brands/best/e-bikes/) page to see which names sit where inside that band.
Assist class and motor placement
Two of the three brands sit in the same regulatory family. KALKHOFF lists the EU 25 assist class, and Tern lists EU 25. HK BEIRUI TRADE CO. lists us class 2, a different class, and that single label decides where and how fast the bike may be ridden without a licence of any kind.
Placement and supplier shape the handling. KALKHOFF pairs bosch with a mid motor, and Tern pairs bosch with a mid motor. Same supplier, same mounting point, so the difference in ride feel between those two comes down to frame geometry, battery and settings rather than the drive unit alone.
Batteries, range and what you carry
Battery capacity is the easiest figure to compare and the easiest to misread. Tern lists a maximum of 1,600, and HK BEIRUI TRADE CO. lists 1,800. No comparable maximum is listed for KALKHOFF, so a like-for-like battery comparison here runs between the other two.
Range figures are claims rather than measurements, and the gap between brands is wide. Tern claims 288 of range, while HK BEIRUI TRADE CO. claims 129. Read both as ceiling numbers published by the makers, not as results you should plan a commute around.
Payload settles the frame choice for anyone carrying children, pets or shopping. Tern lists a maximum payload of 210 alongside a lightest listed weight of 22.8, which gives you both the ceiling and the floor. Tern also lists hydraulic disc brakes and belt drive as an option, while HK BEIRUI TRADE CO. lists hydraulic disc and confirms a folding format. Check the Tern and [HK BEIRUI TRADE CO.]( /brands/hk-beirui-trade-co-limited/review/) reviews for the model detail behind those figures.
Which type of bike you actually need
The type list is the quickest way to narrow the field. KALKHOFF builds city, hybrid and step through, a spread that includes step-through frames for riders who want an easy mount and emtb for rough surfaces. Tern builds cargo, commuter and folding, aimed at load carrying and compact storage. HK BEIRUI TRADE CO. lists commuter, folding and fat tire, which adds fat-tire formats to the commuter and folding options.
There is overlap here, so read the type list before the price list. A rider who wants a step-through city bike and a rider who wants a folder are shopping in different corners of the same market, and the price band alone will not tell you which corner you have landed in.
Where you buy it and who fixes it
The buying route decides what you can check before paying. KALKHOFF sells through both routes, while Tern sells through dealer shops, so a Tern buyer will usually see the finished bike on a floor and a KALKHOFF buyer may meet it only on delivery. Test the assist modes and the brakes before money changes hands wherever that is possible.
Repairs matter more on a bike with a motor. Both brands rely on a partner service network, and Tern on a partner network, so servicing runs through partners rather than company branches. KALKHOFF backs that setup with email, phone and help centre support routes, which is where a buyer should start when a fault is not a workshop job.
Warranty, money back and company age
Warranty length is where the two long-established names meet. KALKHOFF lists 10 years of frame cover, and Tern lists 10 years, so this is one of the few criteria on which you have little reason to separate them.
Look at the terms around that cover. KALKHOFF offers a money back window of 14 days and lists finance as available, which is a real difference for anyone who wants a way back out of the purchase. Founded in 1919 and run by Kalkhoff Werke GmbH from DE, it sells into a single market, DE. HK BEIRUI TRADE CO. is registered in HK and also lists finance as available.
Certification is worth a look if you plan to carry loads. Tern lists ul 2849 certification on its cargo range, which is a checked standard rather than a marketing phrase, and the KALKHOFF review covers the model names behind the drive figures quoted above.
Open questions before you commit
Parts of the comparison stay open after the numbers are read. Listed figures say nothing about how a battery holds up over a few winters, what real range looks like with a full load, or how quickly a partner workshop turns a repair around. Those answers arrive only after months of riding, not from a spec sheet.
Use the Electric bikes page to see how the brands rank against each other, then read the brand reviews for the detail behind each figure. Comparing price, assist class, battery, payload, service route and warranty in that order keeps the decision on evidence rather than on the loudest badge.