Tern
Quick Haul D8
Parents and city commuters who want a Bosch mid-drive cargo bike with dealer support and a small footprint for apartment storage.
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Strengths
- Bosch Active Line Plus mid-drive with torque sensor delivers smooth, natural assist.
- EFBE-certified frame to 330 lb gross vehicle weight with UL 2849 system certification.
- Vertical-park design and compact 67.9-inch length fit elevators, hallways, and tight storage.
- Modular accessory ecosystem supports kid seats, panniers, and dog crates without compromise.
- Sold and serviced through local Tern dealers with a 10-year frame warranty.
Weaknesses
- No throttle (Class 1 only) — pedaling is required at all times.
- 50 Nm torque is the lowest in the Bosch lineup and noticeably weaker on steep hills under load.
- 220 lb max rider weight is tight for larger riders even though total GVW is 330 lb.
- $2,999 is roughly 50% more than direct-to-consumer rivals at similar payload class.
Specs
- Top Speed Mph
- 20
- Classification
- Class 1
- Range Miles
- 50
- Motor Watts
- 250
- Motor Torque Nm
- 50
- Battery Wh
- 400
- Weight Lbs
- 50
- Max Payload Lbs
- 220
- Max Rider Weight Lbs
- 264
- Cargo Capacity Lbs
- 110
- Throttle
- No
- Pedal Assist
- Yes
- Pedal Assist Levels
- 4
- Motor Type
- mid-drive (Bosch Active Line Plus)
- Brakes
- Shimano hydraulic disc
- Tires
- Schwalbe Big Apple 20 x 2.15 in, puncture protection
- Safety Certification
- UL 2849 (Bosch system)
The Quick Haul D8 is what you buy when you want a cargo ebike that’s been engineered like a bike, not a moped. Tern’s reputation is built on frame engineering (EFBE-certified to 330 lb GVW) and Bosch’s reputation is built on mid-drive smoothness. Together they make the entry-level compact cargo bike that the rest of the industry chases.
The cost is $2,999 — meaningfully more than the $1,999 RadRunner 3 Plus and similar direct-to-consumer cargo bikes. What that buys is the Bosch torque-sensor mid-drive (natural power delivery, no surge-y on/off), the dealer-supported warranty (10-year frame), and the vertical-park design that fits in an apartment elevator or under a fire escape.
The trade-offs are real. No throttle. The lowest-torque Bosch motor (50 Nm) struggles loaded on steep hills. The 264 lb max rider weight is tight for larger riders. If you want a workhorse for hauling 80+ lbs of kids and groceries up a hill every day, the Quick Haul P9 Sport at $3,399 (Bosch Performance Sport, 65 Nm, Class 3 / 28 mph) is the step up. If you only need it for short flat-ground runs and you live somewhere you can lock the bike outside, the D8 is the better-engineered version of the same idea as the RadRunner.
Sources
Every claim in this guide that isn't first-person experience is traceable to one of the sources below. URLs verified at publication; some may rot — let us know if so.
- Quick Haul D8 product page — Tern BicyclesFull spec sheet, price, weight, and payload.
- Quick Haul platform overview — Tern BicyclesEFBE testing, UL certification, and frame design.