igogomi Alps red 7 speed version:

I've got a regular Brompton and was interested in the electric Brompton when they came out however the high cost (over $3k) and minimal features put me off.

So far (2 weeks), I've found the Alps to be a good, affordable alternative to an electric Brompton.

It weighs the same as the electric Brompton ~38lbs and the Alps seems to be a quality product. The Alps ride is smoother and much more comfortable than my non-electric Brompton. I suspect this is due to the Alps longer wheel base along with the 16" CST branded 52-305 (~40psi) ballon tires versus the Brompton's 16" 35-349 (~100psi) tires (The CST tires won't fit on a Brompton as the rims are a different size).

My Alps arrived in good shape minus a slightly bent front brake rotor due to an overabundance of packing material on the folded handlebars pressing on the front brake rotor during shipping. This was easily corrected with a brake rotor truing tool and some minor brake adjustments.

The rear brake is a low maintenance Nexus roller drum brake which seems to work well in this application.

The Alps folds in a similar way to the Brompton however the front wheel is parked on the opposite side, leaving the chainring and chain exposed.

The folded Alps is a bit unsteady on it's rollers as the front motor adds extra weight, so it's prone to tipping on that side - I believe the Electric Brompton may also have this issue. Also, the Alps is slightly larger folded and the handlebar does not have a latch to secure it in it's folded position; the Brompton has a handlebar latch.

The Alps battery is hidden in the top tube and the tube must be folded open to access the battery for charging. A nice improvement would be to add an external charge port to eliminate the need to fold for charging. The Brompton's battery rides in a bag on the front luggage clip. The Alps has no luggage clip however it appears to have the mounting holes to add a Brompton luggage clip.

The Alps has torque sensing pedal assist which is a much more natural experience than the jolts you get from a cadence sensor type. There's also a throttle. The display is basic with only speed, trip and odometer readings in kph by default. You must manually switch to mph every startup. Another small inconvenience; the trip does not read in tenths of miles. There's also an optional front light that's powered from the main battery.

I've ridden both the non-electric & electric Brompton and I can't get over how much better the Alps floats over the bumps and gives a superior riding experience.

The seller has been very helpful and responsive with questions.

So far, my only concern is long term support with a niche product, however...

You can always pay ~2.5x more for an electric Brompton with less features (6 vs 7 speed, rim vs disc brakes, no digital display or throttle, harsh ride) and get a longer warranty with access to their support network.

It's nice to have affordable choices.