Quick Answer: The Priority Current Plus ($3,299) is the best Priority electric bike for most riders — a 500W mid-drive motor rated at 140Nm of torque (higher than every other mid-drive reviewed on this site), a 720Wh removable battery good for 20-75 miles, and a maintenance-free Gates Carbon belt. Riders who want hands-free shifting should look at the Skyline Smart.Shift ($3,999, 12-speed auto-shifting Pinion gearbox), the budget pick is the Glide ($1,799), and the beach-cruiser option is the E-Coast ($1,999). Priority also backs its bikes with an unusually strong reputation: 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot from 8,475 reviews.
Priority Bicycles built its reputation on maintenance-free, belt-drive bikes long before it added e-bikes to the lineup, and that focus still shows — every current model except the entry-level Glide uses a Gates Carbon belt instead of a chain. We ranked its four-model US lineup on motor, battery, and independently verified pricing, and checked its reputation data against the more mixed records typical of this category.
Priority Bicycles in 2026, by the numbers
- 140Nm of torque on the Current Plus’s 500W mid-drive motor — per Priority’s own product page, that’s higher than every other mid-drive this site has reviewed, including the Specialized Turbo Levo 4’s 101Nm and the Trek Allant+ 8S’s 85Nm.
- 4.8 out of 5 stars from 8,475 Trustpilot reviews, with 92% rated 5 stars and under 1% at 1 star — an unusually clean record for a DTC e-bike brand, where 3.3-4-star averages with a heavier 1-star tail are more typical.
- 750W and 90Nm on the Skyline’s motor, paired with a 12-speed Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox offering a 600% gear range and semi-automatic electronic shifting — no manual derailleur to adjust.
- The E-Coast’s throttle is capped at 20 mph and can’t be reprogrammed, even when the bike itself is set to Class 3 pedal-assist speeds up to 28 mph — a real nuance buyers should know before assuming “Class 3-capable” means throttle access to 28 mph on every model.
- Founded in New York in 2012-2014 by Dave Weiner, per company and press records — Priority is a long-running DTC brand, not a recent entrant, with a 5-year frame/fork warranty across its lineup.
Best Priority electric bikes at a glance
| Model | Best for | Motor | Battery / range | Drive | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Plus | Best overall / highest torque | 500W mid-drive, 140Nm | 720Wh / 20-75 mi claimed | Gates belt, 5-spd or CVT hub | $3,299 |
| Skyline Smart.Shift | Best premium / auto-shift | 750W mid-drive, 90Nm | 720Wh / 20-60+ mi claimed | Gates belt, 12-spd Pinion | $3,999 |
| Glide | Best budget | 350W front hub | 374Wh / 20-60 mi claimed | Chain, Shimano Nexus 3-spd | $1,799 |
| E-Coast | Best beach cruiser | 500W rear hub | 576Wh / 20-60 mi claimed | Gates belt, single-speed | $1,999 |
Prices are current listings on prioritybicycles.com; range figures are manufacturer claims and vary with rider weight, terrain, and assist level.
1. Priority Current Plus — Best Overall / Highest Torque
Priority Current Plus
- 500W mid-drive motor with a torque-sensing 140Nm rating — the highest torque figure of any mid-drive motor reviewed on this site — paired with a 720Wh UL-certified removable battery rated for 20-75 miles depending on assist level and throttle use.
- Maintenance-free Gates Carbon Drive CDX belt with a choice of Shimano Inter-5 internal hub or an Enviolo continuously variable (CVT) hub — no chain, no derailleur to adjust.
- Ships as Class 2 (throttle included, 20 mph) but is adjustable to Class 3 pedal-assist up to 28 mph; hydraulic disc brakes with an automatic motor cut-off, and a 55-56.5 lb weight depending on hub choice.
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See how the Current Plus’s 140Nm rating compares with other high-torque options in our best mid-drive electric bike guide.
2. Priority Skyline Smart.Shift — Best Premium / Auto-Shift
Priority Skyline Smart.Shift
- 750W torque-sensing mid-drive motor (90Nm, 1,056W peak) paired with a Pinion Smart.Shift C1.12i gearbox — 12 speeds and a 600% gear range with semi-automatic electronic shifting, so there's no manual derailleur to time or adjust.
- 720Wh removable battery rated for 20-60+ miles; five pedal-assist levels plus a throttle, a suspension fork, and a Gates Carbon belt for the same near-zero chain maintenance as the rest of the lineup.
- Assists to 28 mph via pedal assist (Class 3), with integrated lighting and a rear rack built into the fender — the most feature-complete model in the current lineup.
Compare automatic shifting against a manual derailleur setup in our hub motor vs mid-drive ebike explainer.
3. Priority Glide — Best Budget
Priority Glide
- 350W front hub motor with a 374Wh removable down-tube battery rated for 20-60 miles — the only model in the lineup with a front-hub rather than rear-hub or mid-drive motor, and the only one without a belt.
- Shimano Nexus 3-speed internal rear hub and a traditional chain — still low-maintenance compared to a derailleur, but a step down from the belt-drive models above.
- Class 2 (pedal-assist or throttle to 20 mph), and the lightest model in the current lineup at 49 lbs.
For more entry-priced options, see our best electric bike under $2000 guide.
4. Priority E-Coast — Best Beach Cruiser
Priority E-Coast
- 500W rear hub motor with dual control (pedal assist plus twist throttle) and a 576Wh UL 2271-certified battery integrated into the rear rack, rated for 20-60 miles. Priority markets it as the only electric belt-drive beach cruiser on the market.
- Single-speed Gates Carbon belt, 3.0-inch tires for float on sand and loose terrain, and a 300-lb combined rider-plus-cargo weight limit.
- Ships Class 2 and can be reprogrammed for Class 3 pedal-assist speeds up to 28 mph, but the twist throttle itself stays capped at 20 mph and isn't reprogrammable — a real limit worth knowing rather than assuming full throttle access at the higher class.
If sand and boardwalk riding is the priority, also see our best fat tire electric bike guide for wider-tire alternatives.
How to choose a Priority electric bike
- Match the motor type to your terrain. The Current Plus and Skyline are true mid-drives with far more climbing torque (140Nm and 90Nm) than the Glide’s 350W front hub or the E-Coast’s 500W rear hub — pick a mid-drive if hills are a real part of your route.
- Decide if automatic shifting is worth the premium. The Skyline’s Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox removes manual shifting entirely, but it costs $700 more than the Current Plus and doesn’t add torque or range over it.
- Check the Class 3 fine print before you buy. Every current Priority model ships Class 2; only pedal-assist speed unlocks to 28 mph on the Current Plus, Skyline, and E-Coast — the E-Coast’s throttle specifically stays capped at 20 mph even after reprogramming.
- Weigh belt drive against the Glide’s chain. Three of four current models use a Gates Carbon belt for near-zero maintenance; only the budget Glide uses a traditional chain with a 3-speed internal hub, a real tradeoff for its lower price.
- The brand’s reputation data is unusually clean. An 8,475-review, 4.8-star Trustpilot average with under 1% 1-star reviews is a stronger record than most DTC e-bike brands covered on this site — still confirm current stock and shipping timelines before you order, since availability can shift.
The bottom line
The Priority Current Plus ($3,299) is the best Priority electric bike for most riders — a 140Nm mid-drive motor (the highest torque figure on this site) and a 720Wh battery on a maintenance-free Gates Carbon belt. Riders who want hands-free shifting should look at the Skyline Smart.Shift ($3,999), the budget pick is the Glide ($1,799), and the beach-cruiser option is the E-Coast ($1,999) — just note its throttle stays capped at 20 mph even in Class 3 mode. Priority also backs the lineup with one of the strongest reputation records of any brand covered here. See how it compares to other brands in our best electric bike brands guide, or start from the top with our flagship best electric bike rankings.