Dual Motor vs Single Motor eTrike: How Much Better Is It Up Hills?

Why We Took Two Trikes to the Same Hill

Spec sheets are useful, but they only tell you so much. A number like 750 watts or 1500 watts looks impressive on paper, and yet most people shopping for an electric trike have no real sense of what that difference feels like when the road tilts up. Is a second motor a nice extra, or is it the thing that decides whether you enjoy your rides or dread certain streets in your neighborhood?

To answer that, Dustin, who has spent about 20 years in the bike and e-bike business, took two versions of the same trike to the same hill on the same day and rode both of them up it. Same rider, same route, same throttle-first approach, then pedaling added in. No lab, no dyno, just a real climb on a real street with traffic going by.

The two trikes were the single motor and dual motor versions of the sixthreezero Simple Glide, a fat tire electric trike built around a relaxed, upright riding position. Because both share the same frame concept and the same general feel, the comparison comes down mostly to what the motors and batteries can do. That makes it a fairly clean way to see what you actually gain by doubling up.

What follows is a full walk-through of that test: the setup, the speeds on the climb, a battery that gave out at exactly the wrong moment, and what the results mean if you are trying to decide between the two. If you live somewhere flat, some of this may confirm that a single motor is all you need. If you live somewhere with real hills, it might change how you shop.

Start with the single motor version. It runs one 750 watt motor mounted at the rear and a single 15 amp hour battery. It has the same comfortable, sit-up-and-cruise geometry the Simple Glide is known for, fat tires for cushion and grip, a twist throttle, and a seven speed drivetrain. The version Dustin rode in this test had mechanical disc brakes, though there is also a single motor version available with hydraulic brakes.

The dual motor version keeps that 750 watt rear motor and adds a second 750 watt hub motor in the front wheel, for a combined peak of 1500 watts. It also doubles the battery setup, carrying two 15 amp hour packs for a total of 30 amp hours. On top of that, it adds rear suspension, a rear basket, and hydraulic disc brakes. It also has three riding modes: eco, normal, and power.

Both trikes share a lot. Each has a twist throttle, so you can ride without pedaling at all if you want. Each has seven gears for when you do pedal. On flat ground with throttle only, both top out at around 20 mph. And both normally come with a reverse function, which matters more than people think on a three-wheeler that you cannot just pick up and turn around. (The dual motor unit in the video was a sample without reverse, but the production version has it.) If reverse is high on your list, it is worth browsing the electric trikes with reverse gear to see what else offers it.

So the headline difference is simple to state: one motor and one battery versus two motors and two batteries, plus a few comfort and braking upgrades on the dual. The question the test set out to answer is how much that headline difference matters once you are pointed uphill.

Before getting to the ride, it helps to be clear about what extra motor power does and does not do. On flat ground, a second motor does not automatically make a trike faster at the top end when you are on throttle alone. Both of these trikes are limited to roughly 20 mph on throttle, so on a level street they will end up at a similar cruising speed.

Where extra power shows up is in how the trike behaves under load. Pulling away from a stop, climbing a grade, carrying a heavier rider, hauling groceries in the basket, riding into a headwind: these are all situations where a motor has to work harder to maintain speed. A single 750 watt motor can handle a lot of that, but it reaches its limit sooner. Add a second motor and the load gets split between two wheels, so neither motor is straining as hard and the trike holds speed better.

There is also a traction angle. With a rear motor alone, all the drive comes from the back. With a front hub added, you are pushing from the front and the rear at the same time. On a fat tire trike that already has plenty of grip, this tends to show up as a more planted, eager feel when you open the throttle, especially from a standstill or on loose surfaces.

The tradeoff is that two motors working hard pull more energy than one. That is part of why the dual motor Simple Glide carries two batteries. More power on tap is only useful if there is enough stored energy to feed it, and the doubled battery capacity is what keeps the dual motor from being a short-range novelty.

With that in mind, the test was less about top speed and more about one practical question: how fast, and how easily, can each trike get a real rider up a real hill?

Rider weight matters a lot in a test like this, so it is worth being upfront. Dustin weighs about 240 pounds, and the Simple Glide itself weighs about 100 pounds. That puts close to 340 pounds of rider and machine on the climb before you add any cargo. Plenty of people shopping for an electric trike are in a similar range, and it is exactly the group most likely to wonder whether a single motor will be enough.

His honest take going in was that for riders over about 200 pounds, many hills will call for some pedaling on a single motor trike, depending on how steep the grade is. That is not a knock on single motor trikes; it is just how the physics works. Heavier loads on steeper grades ask more of the motor.

The hill he chose had what he described as a decent grade: not a mountain pass, but the kind of steady climb that shows up in a lot of suburban and coastal neighborhoods. The kind of hill you notice on a regular bike and maybe walk up on a heavy cruiser.

The plan was the same for both trikes. First, climb with the throttle only and no pedaling, to see what the motor can do on its own. Then climb again while pedaling, to see how much a rider's own effort adds. That two-part approach is useful because it reflects how people actually ride. Some riders want a trike precisely because they do not want to pedal much, or cannot. Others are happy to pedal and want the motor to make it easier rather than do all the work.

If you are trying to figure out whether a trike suits your size and build in the first place, the high weight capacity electric trikes collection is a good place to start, and the fitting quiz can help narrow things down before you get into motor choices.

The first run did not start ideally. Traffic forced a pause before the climb, and Dustin lost most of his momentum heading into the hill. That is a realistic scenario, though. On public roads you do not always get a rolling start, and a trike that only climbs well with a run-up is not much use at a stop sign halfway up a grade.

With the throttle twisted all the way and no pedaling, the single motor Simple Glide started working its way up. The speedometer read nine miles an hour, then nine and a half, then ten. It was not fast, but it was steady, and it kept climbing without bogging down. Near the top, where the grade eased off a little, it reached about 12 mph.

Dustin admitted he was a little surprised. With 240 pounds of rider on a 100 pound trike, starting from a near standstill, using a single 750 watt motor and zero pedal input, holding around 10 mph up the hill is a respectable result. It is not a crawl, and it would get most riders up most neighborhood hills without needing to step off.

His summary for this run was roughly 10 mph up the hill on throttle alone. For a lot of riders, that is the most important number in this whole test. If you are not able to pedal much, or simply do not want to, a single motor trike will still get you up a moderate grade at a pace that does not feel like a struggle. You just will not be setting any records.

On the way back down, coasting with no throttle, the trike hit about 24 mph. That is a reminder that gravity does a lot of the work in the other direction, and that brakes matter as much as motors on hilly routes. More on that later.

For the second run on the single motor trike, Dustin looped back around and added pedaling. The difference was immediate. He was moving noticeably faster up the same hill, and he made a point of saying he was not really exerting himself.

Interestingly, he was in seventh gear, the highest one, for this climb. He noted he could have shifted down to make the pedaling even easier on himself. That says something about how much the motor was still carrying. Pedaling in the tallest gear up a hill on an unassisted trike would be hard work; here it was comfortable.

The speed settled around 14 mph, about 4 mph faster than the throttle-only run. Four miles an hour does not sound like much in isolation, but on a climb it is a 40 percent jump. It also changes how the ride feels. At 10 mph you are getting up the hill. At 14 mph you are riding up the hill, keeping closer pace with the flow of a residential street and spending less time on the grade.

Dustin also shared a habit he swears by: he keeps the throttle engaged while he pedals on climbs. Rather than choosing between throttle and pedal assist, he uses both together, because it feels like he gets more total power out of the trike that way. If your trike allows it, that is worth trying the next time you face a long hill. Think of the throttle as holding a baseline and your legs as adding whatever extra you have to give.

If you are a rider who can and will pedal, this run is the key takeaway. A single motor trike plus moderate pedaling climbs well, even for a heavier rider. The motor does the hard part, your legs add the margin, and you crest the hill without feeling wrecked.

Then came the moment that did not go to plan. Right as Dustin reached the top of the hill on the pedaling run, the single motor trike cut out. The battery display was flashing. He had made it, but only just.

After a moment, the trike gave him a little juice again, enough to roll home on flat ground. His explanation is worth understanding because it applies to every e-bike and e-trike, not just this one. Climbing makes the motor ask for a lot of current. When a battery is already low, it may still have enough to run the trike on flat ground but not enough to deliver that surge of power the motor wants on a grade. So the system shuts down under load, even though the battery is not completely empty.

He also made a point that a lot of riders learn the hard way. Battery gauges with bars are approximate. When you are down to one bar, you do not know exactly when that last bar is going to give out. On flat ground you may have plenty of range left. On a hill, the same charge can disappear quickly.

The practical lesson: if you know your route has hills, especially near the end of the ride, do not plan on attacking them with the gauge at one bar. Charge before rides with climbs, plan routes so the steepest parts come earlier when the battery is fuller, and treat the last bar as a buffer rather than usable range. If you ride a lot of hills or longer distances, a spare pack from the batteries and chargers section is also worth considering.

This is where the dual motor's 30 amp hour setup earns its keep. Two motors working at once use more energy, but the dual trike also carries twice the battery capacity of the single. That does not make it immune to running low, but it gives you a much bigger reserve to draw on when the road turns uphill late in a ride.

To be clear, this was not a fault with the trike. The single motor Simple Glide had already done a fair amount of riding that day, and it carried a heavy rider up the hill twice. It simply ran the battery down to the point where a climb asked for more than it had left. It is a useful real-world demonstration of something spec sheets never show.

Between runs, while heading back to swap trikes, Dustin made a point about something that matters just as much as climbing. Coming down the hill at around 25 mph, he described the Simple Glide as an insanely stable trike.

That stability is not an accident. Three wheels, a wide stance, a low center of gravity, and fat tires all work together to keep the trike planted. For many riders, especially those coming back to cycling after years away or those who feel nervous on two wheels, that sense of security is the whole reason to choose a trike. It is a big part of why electric trikes for seniors have become so popular.

Still, 25 mph on a trike is quick, and a 100 pound machine with a heavy rider builds real momentum on a descent. That is why braking deserves as much attention as motor power when you live somewhere hilly. Being able to get up a hill is only half the job. Being able to get down it with control is the other half.

With both batteries switched on and the handlebars adjusted for comfort, Dustin moved over to the dual motor Simple Glide. Before even getting to the hill, the difference was obvious.

On a twist of the throttle, the dual motor trike took off. That added torque from having both the front and rear motors pulling is most noticeable from a stop, which is exactly where a single motor tends to feel most sluggish under a heavy rider. He mentioned being able to get off the line quickly, and that the extra power made the trike genuinely fun to ride.

He also pointed out how easily it handled corners on the way to the hill. Stability plus responsive power gives you a trike that feels confident rather than labored. You are not waiting for it to wind up; it just goes.

The dual motor also offers three riding modes, eco, normal, and power. That gives you a way to manage how aggressively the trike responds. Eco is useful when you want to stretch range or ride at a calmer pace on flat ground. Power is the setting for hills, heavier loads, or when you simply want the trike to feel as lively as possible. Normal sits in between for everyday riding.

This flexibility matters because a dual motor trike is not only for hills. On flat ground in eco mode, it can ride as gently as you like. The extra power is there when you need it and stays out of the way when you do not.

After waiting to get across traffic, Dustin pulled onto the same hill with the throttle engaged. The dual motor trike was off to a quick start and settled in at about 14 mph almost right away, on throttle alone.

That is the number to compare. On the single motor trike, throttle-only climbing produced about 10 mph, building to 12 near the top. On the dual motor trike, throttle-only climbing produced about 14 mph from early in the climb. In other words, the dual motor without pedaling matched the single motor with pedaling.

Dustin described it as basically no effort. He was moving at a good clip without doing anything but holding the throttle. Then he started pedaling, and the trike really took off. He did not call out a specific speed for that final run, but the clearest evidence of the difference was what happened behind him: he left the cameraman in the dust. The person following on another bike could not keep up.

At the top of the climb and on the way back down, the dual motor trike was rolling at about 27 mph on the descent, again with Dustin noting how stable it felt.

His conclusion was straightforward. It is pretty apparent how much faster the dual motor gets up the hill. For a 240 pound rider who wants to use the throttle and not grind away at the pedals, the second motor helps a lot. It also, in his words, makes the trike really fun.

Putting the results together makes the comparison easier to see at a glance. These are approximate speeds from the test, with the same 240 pound rider on the same hill:

• Single motor, throttle only: about 10 mph on the climb, reaching around 12 mph near the top where the grade eased.
• Single motor, throttle plus pedaling (7th gear): about 14 mph, roughly 4 mph faster than throttle alone, with low effort.
• Dual motor, throttle only: about 14 mph from early in the climb, with essentially no effort from the rider.
• Dual motor, throttle plus pedaling: noticeably faster again, fast enough that the camera rider could not keep up.

The pattern is clear. A dual motor trike on throttle alone does what a single motor trike needs your legs to do. Add pedaling to the dual, and you move into a different category of climbing performance altogether.

It is also worth noting what did not change much. Both trikes felt stable. Both have the same comfortable seating position. Both have seven speeds and a throttle. If your routes are mostly flat, the single motor gives you nearly the same everyday experience, since both trikes cap out around 20 mph on throttle on level ground.

The difference lives almost entirely on hills, on launches from a stop, and in how much effort you personally want to put in. That makes the choice less about which trike is better overall and more about which one matches where and how you ride.

Both Simple Glide trikes have seven speeds, and on the single motor version Dustin suggested making good use of the lower gears on climbs. When the motor is working near its limit, dropping a gear or two lets your pedaling contribute more effectively and takes some strain off the system.

On the dual motor trike, he made a different point: you probably do not even need to worry about the gears when climbing, because there is so much power available. That is a quiet but real quality-of-life difference. Many riders who come to trikes are not experienced with shifting, or find it one more thing to think about. A trike that climbs well regardless of which gear you are in removes that friction.

That said, gears still have a role on the dual motor. Pedaling in a sensible gear lets you add your own power efficiently, which can help conserve battery on longer rides. And the three riding modes give you a second layer of control. A smart approach on a dual motor trike is to use eco or normal mode for flat cruising, then switch to power mode and drop a gear or two when a long climb shows up.

On the single motor trike, the best hill technique is the one Dustin demonstrated: keep the throttle on, pedal steadily, and choose a gear that lets your legs spin comfortably rather than mash. You will get up faster, and you will ask less of the battery than throttle alone at full tilt.

Speeds of 24 to 27 mph on the descents are a good reminder that hilly riding is as much about stopping as going. The dual motor Simple Glide comes with hydraulic disc brakes, and Dustin noted that they stop nicely.

The single motor version he rode had mechanical disc brakes. Mechanical discs work well and are easy to adjust, but hydraulic systems generally need less hand effort for the same stopping power and tend to give a smoother, more consistent feel. On a long descent with a heavy rider and a 100 pound trike, that lighter lever feel can make a real difference in comfort and confidence, especially for riders with limited hand strength.

There is also a single motor version of the Simple Glide with hydraulic brakes. So if you like the idea of a single motor but want the better braking for hilly roads, you do not have to jump to the dual motor to get it.

If braking performance is a top priority for you, the electric trikes with disc brakes collection is worth a look. Whatever you choose, keep your brakes adjusted, check pad wear regularly, and wear a good helmet; sixthreezero helmets are an easy add-on if you need one.

A big reason this test is useful is that the rider was not a featherweight. At 240 pounds, Dustin represents a lot of real-world e-trike buyers, and his experience lines up with what many heavier riders find.

Motor power is shared across everything the trike has to move. A lighter rider on a single motor trike will climb faster than the 10 mph seen here, because there is less total weight for the same motor to lift. A heavier rider, or a rider carrying cargo in the basket, will see the opposite. The single motor still gets there, but more slowly, and leans more on the rider's pedaling.

Dustin put it plainly: if you are a bigger guy or a bigger lady and you want to be able to rely on the throttle, the double motor helps a lot. That is the key phrase. Rely on the throttle. If the throttle is the main way you plan to ride, because of knee or hip issues, limited stamina, or simply preference, then a heavier body weight is one of the strongest arguments for going dual.

Cargo works the same way. If you plan to fill a basket with groceries, carry a pet, or haul gear to the beach, you are effectively adding weight just like a heavier rider would. Riders who regularly carry loads may also want to look at cargo electric trikes or models with a large basket, and factor the extra weight into their motor decision.

Range is the other half of the motor conversation, and the battery episode in this test makes it hard to ignore. The single motor Simple Glide carries 15 amp hours. The dual motor carries 30 amp hours across two batteries.

Range on any electric trike depends on rider weight, terrain, temperature, tire pressure, how much you pedal, and how heavily you lean on the throttle. Hills are among the biggest range drains of all, because the motor works hardest there. So two riders with the same trike can see very different real-world range depending on their routes.

With the dual motor, the extra capacity is not just about going farther. It is about having enough reserve to feed two motors when they are both pulling on a climb. A single motor trike running one 15 amp hour pack and a dual motor running two 15 amp hour packs are each sized for what their motors are asking of them.

A few habits make a big difference on either trike. Charge fully before rides that include serious climbs. Pedal along with the throttle on hills instead of using throttle alone, which reduces the load on the battery. Use a lower assist mode on flat sections to save energy for the climbs. And as Dustin warned, do not trust the last bar on the gauge to carry you up a hill.

If you ride in a hilly area often, it helps to learn your routes. After a few rides you will know roughly how much battery a particular climb takes, and you can plan accordingly rather than getting caught out at the top like the single motor trike was in this test.

None of this means the single motor trike is the weaker choice for everyone. As Dustin said after his runs, even the single motor does all right for someone his size, and adding pedal assist gets you there faster.

The single motor Simple Glide makes a lot of sense if your rides are mostly on flat or gently rolling ground, like coastal paths, flat suburbs, parks, and town centers. On level terrain both trikes top out at the same throttle speed, so you are not giving up much in everyday riding.

It is also a strong fit if you are comfortable pedaling on climbs. The test showed that throttle plus moderate pedaling on the single motor matched the dual motor's throttle-only speed. If you do not mind contributing some effort, you get much of the dual motor's climbing performance with a simpler setup.

Lighter riders will also see better climbing from a single motor than a 240 pound rider does, which can close the gap further. And for riders who mostly take shorter trips, the 15 amp hour battery covers a lot of ground, especially if you charge regularly.

If you are still exploring options, browsing the full range of electric tricycles or the most comfortable electric trikes will give you a sense of how the Simple Glide compares to other styles.

Dustin's closing advice was clear: if you live in a really hilly area, or you want to ride off-road trails with hills, the dual motor is going to make things substantially easier.

Beyond that, the dual motor is the better pick if you want to rely mostly on the throttle. If pedaling up hills is difficult or uncomfortable for you, the dual motor gives you around 14 mph on a climb that held a single motor to about 10 mph, with no pedaling needed.

It also makes sense for heavier riders and anyone who regularly carries cargo. The more total weight a trike has to move, the more the second motor earns its place.

Riders who want the strongest launch from a stop will appreciate it too. If you ride in traffic, cross busy intersections, or start on inclines, that quick getaway is a safety and confidence benefit as well as a fun one.

Finally, the dual motor includes upgrades beyond the motors: rear suspension for a smoother ride over rough pavement, a rear basket, hydraulic disc brakes, three riding modes, and double the battery capacity. If those features appeal to you anyway, the dual motor is the more complete package. Riders who prefer using the throttle as their primary control can compare other options in the electric trikes with throttle control collection.

The simplest way to decide is to think honestly about three things: your terrain, your body weight plus anything you carry, and how much you want to pedal.

If your routes are flat, you are a lighter or average weight rider, and you are happy to pedal on the occasional hill, the single motor will serve you well. If your routes include steady climbs, you are a heavier rider or carry cargo, or you want the throttle to do most of the work, the dual motor is the one that will keep hills from feeling like obstacles.

There is also a middle ground worth considering. If you are mostly on flat ground but have one tough hill on a route you ride often, such as the street up to your house, think about how often you face it and how you feel about it. A climb you dread every day can quietly make you ride less. If the second motor turns that climb into a non-event, it may be worth it for that alone.

Nothing beats trying both for yourself. sixthreezero offers a 30-day test ride, so you can ride a trike on your own hills and return it if it is not the right fit, and every trike is backed by a one-year warranty covering parts and labor. If you are near Southern California, you can also visit the store and ride both versions back to back, just like in this test. For a broader look at how to choose, the buyer's guide walks through the big decisions, and financing options are available if you want to spread out the cost of the upgrade.

So how much better does a dual motor e-trike perform up hills? In this test, with a 240 pound rider on a decent grade, the dual motor Simple Glide climbed at about 14 mph on throttle alone, compared with about 10 mph for the single motor. The single motor needed pedaling to reach the speed the dual motor managed with no effort at all, and once Dustin pedaled on the dual, he pulled away from the person filming.

The single motor version still held its own. It climbed the hill on throttle alone, felt very stable on the way down, and with pedaling reached a comfortable 14 mph. Its one real stumble, cutting out at the top with a low battery, was a lesson about battery management on hills rather than a flaw in the trike.

If you live somewhere flat or do not mind pedaling, the single motor is a capable, comfortable choice. If you live somewhere hilly, you are a bigger rider, you carry loads, or you simply want the throttle to do the work, the dual motor makes hills dramatically easier and, as Dustin put it, a lot more fun.

For more hands-on comparisons like this one, browse the Video Blog or the full Bike Advice library.