Category rating — not an assessment of any specific brand
This rating covers a typical, mass-market
sports and leisure product based on publicly available data.
It does not name or assess any specific manufacturer or product.
Individual products may perform better or worse.
Learn about verified ratings →
Below HIP Mark threshold
Score 2.6/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 6.4
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical e-bike looks like today. It's built to last longer than the typical one. If the maker shares their data, the score usually goes up.
Category baseline
2.6 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 6.4 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -2.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for E-Bikes, based only on public data. No maker has sent us
their own data yet. The ceiling score (shown below) is what a product can reach when the maker
shares real evidence. To close the gap, makers apply for a verified rating.
Make this product? You can raise this score.
The starting score for this category is 2.6 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 6.4 HIP.
Our first verified product scored 6.9 and earned the HIP Mark.
Share your product data and we score what you can prove.
Apply for verified assessment
What to Check Before You Buy
- Confirm the battery is available as a spare part from the manufacturer or a licensed third party. Battery replacement is the most expensive e-bike repair; unavailability makes an otherwise functional bike uneconomic to maintain.
- Check the motor standard. Mid-drive motors from established brands have service networks and long parts availability; hub motors vary widely. Confirm parts availability before buying.
- Look for a minimum five-year spare parts commitment. E-bikes are expensive; a five-year parts commitment is the minimum credible signal that the manufacturer expects the product to last.
- Confirm the display and controller are standard replaceable units. A failed display should not write off a functional drivetrain.
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
1.5
Why this score ▸
The product relies heavily on critical materials including lithium, cobalt, and neodymium, all listed on the EU Critical Raw Materials list with high supply concentration risks. The absence of recycled content and the use of multiple high-risk materials result in a critically scarce rating.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
2.5
Why this score ▸
The e-bike relies on rare earth magnets and lithium batteries, materials heavily concentrated in China (high-risk for supply disruption) and the DRC (cobalt), with no due diligence or alternative suppliers documented. The lack of verified audits and single-country dependency for critical components places this product in the critical risk category.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The e-bike is assumed to be glued with no take-back scheme, making practical material separation impossible without specialist equipment. With only an estimated 20% of weight (likely metals) entering recycling streams and no compliance labeling, it falls into the non-recyclable category where less than 20% of materials are practically recovered.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
4.0
Why this score ▸
The product is an e-bike with spare parts available, but the fastener type is assumed to be glued due to missing data, and no service manual is provided. This places it in the 'Difficult to Repair' category where disassembly is destructive and repair is not straightforward for the average user.
Is it made fairly?
SEI · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product is manufactured in China, a moderate-to-high risk jurisdiction for labour and environmental issues, with no submitted third-party audits or certifications. While no specific adverse findings were flagged, the absence of verified evidence such as RBA audits, ISO 14001, or B Corp certification limits the score to the elevated risk baseline.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
6.0
Why this score ▸
The e-bike receives a score of 6.0 based on a stated design life of 8 years, which aligns with the average lifespan band (5-8 years). The 2-year warranty meets the minimum threshold for this tier, though the lack of submitted IP rating, modular design, or spare parts commitment prevents a higher rating.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The product is scored in the Depleting band (-7) because it relies on virgin mined materials with zero recycled content and no take-back scheme. Not Depleting because recycled content >= 50% with verified take-back does not apply, as both are absent. This aligns with the standard for conventional electronics lacking any regenerative certifications or closed-loop programmes.
MSI 20% · SCR 18% · RC 18% · R 13% · SEI 8% · PL 8% · RI 15% = 100%
About the HIP Methodology ▸
Starting scores are low on purpose. We only count what we can confirm from public data,
so most products sit between 2 and 4 out of 10 before a maker shares their own evidence.
That gap between the starting score and what a product could reach is the whole point.
When a maker proves what their product is really made of, the score goes up.
The HIP Mark shows it has been checked.
Read the full methodology →
Consumer Summary
This e-bike has a HIP Score of 2.6 out of 10, indicating significant challenges in its environmental impact and material usage. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, which means the product relies entirely on newly mined resources with no recycled content, placing it in a depleting category. Overall, the design and material choices suggest a product that is difficult to repair or recycle at the end of its life.
What This Means For You
When shopping for an e-bike, look for models that explicitly state they use recycled materials and offer a clear plan for recycling or taking back the product at the end of its life. Prioritize brands that design their bikes for easy repair with standard screws rather than glue, as this extends the product's usable life. Choosing a bike with a higher proportion of recycled content helps reduce the demand for new mining and supports a more circular economy.
Data Transparency
This is a category rating based on publicly available data. The following data fields were not submitted by a manufacturer and have been estimated conservatively using open reference data and the category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation):
material_percentagesrecycled_content_pctcountry_of_primary_extractionprimary_sourcing_countriestier1_supplier_countdue_diligence_standardalternative_supplier_existsdisassembly_typerecyclable_streams_pctrecycling_label_complianttakeback_schemedesign_for_disassemblyfastener_typespare_parts_years_committedservice_manual_publicifixit_scoreecodesign_in_scopemanufacturing_countriesenvironmental_certificationsthird_party_certificationrba_audit_completedmodern_slavery_statementilo_compliance_claimedip_ratingmodular_designsoftware_support_yearsprimary_material_originregenerative_certificationsclosed_loop_programmeend_of_life_programmematerial_origin_certifiedregenerative_practices
A verified rating uses manufacturer-submitted data and produces a more accurate, product-specific score.
Material Watch Points
- Lithium — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- Cobalt — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- Neodymium — EU Critical Raw Materials list
- China — High concentration of global rare earth supply
- Rare earths and lithium-ion batteries — high concentration in China
- Cobalt — potential DRC sourcing, OECD risk category 7
- No due-diligence programme documented
- No alternative supplier documented
How this score was calculated
The HIP Score is a weighted average of seven dimensions measuring material
resilience, supply chain integrity, and end-of-life characteristics.
| Code |
Dimension |
Weight |
Score |
| MSI |
Material Scarcity Index |
0.20 |
1.5 / 10 |
| SCR |
Supply Chain Risk |
0.18 |
2.5 / 10 |
| RC |
Recyclability and Circularity |
0.18 |
2.0 / 10 |
| R |
Repairability |
0.13 |
4.0 / 10 |
| SEI |
Social and Environmental Impact |
0.08 |
3.5 / 10 |
| PL |
Product Longevity |
0.08 |
6.0 / 10 |
| RI |
Regenerative Index |
0.15 |
-7.0 (raw) |
Regenerative Index note: RI scores on a unique scale of -10 to +10.
Before weighting, the raw score is normalised: RI normalised = (RI raw + 10) / 2.
This product's RI band is Depleting.
Weighted HIP Score: 2.6 / 10
· Methodology v1.5
Base weights shown. Some product types use category-specific weight profiles —
see full methodology for details.
Read the full methodology →
Data Sources
This rating draws on the following public sources:
USGS Mineral Resources Program (public domain) · EU Critical Raw Materials List 2023 (CC BY 4.0) · World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation)
All sources are public domain or published under open data licences.
Full source list →
About this rating:
HIP scores are based on public data at the date shown.
They show how well a product holds up over time — not a promise about safety or future supply.
Resourcehip is not liable for choices made based on these ratings.
Scope:
This is a category rating for E-Bikes and does not assess any specific brand or manufacturer.
Individual products may perform better or worse than this baseline.
Produced under Resourcehip Scoring Methodology 1.5 (CC BY-NC 4.0).
AI disclosure:
An AI model scored this rating on our own hardware — no data was sent to the cloud.
A human reviewer checked and approved it before it went live.
Model: qwen3.5:35b.
AI transparency notice →
Not financial or investment advice.
Ratings are for consumer information only.
Dispute this rating · Our methodology · All ratings
Assessed: 2026-06-17 · Next review: 2027-04-26 · Methodology 1.5
