Trek has been a well-known bicycle brand for decades. I still have my 30-year-old Antelope 830 (and recently converted it to an electric bike), but until now the company has not released an electric cargo bike. [Trek seems to be making up for lost time with two new models, the Trek Fetch+2 and Trek Fetch+4. Both models were recently released for $5,999 and $8,499 respectively.

Trek offered me the opportunity to take its cargo bike for a spin in New York City's Central Park. And since this cargo bike is meant to be ridden with children, I also took my daughter along to see what she thought of the bike. [Trek's Fetch+2 and Fetch+4 will be available in May 2023 and can be found on Trek's website and at Trek dealers across the U.S. The Fetch+4 costs $8,499 and comes in red and black. Both come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Both bikes come in one size, but can be customized with seats, panniers, and racks. Options are not as plentiful as RadPower offers with its electric bikes, but there are plenty of choices.

Trek's Fetch+2 and Fetch+4 have different designs and consequently different carrying capacities: the Fetch+2 is designed to carry most of its cargo behind the rider, while the Fetch+4 has a larger cargo area in front of the rider and can generally carry more able to carry more cargo.

The Fetch+2 is the smaller and less expensive of the Trek e-cargo bikes. It can carry up to two children on a rack at the rear of the bike, and can also be fitted with two rear panniers and two front panniers on either side of the front wheels.

According to Trek, the larger Fetch+4 can carry up to four children (maximum total weight 175 lbs.) in the front cargo area. It can be equipped with a separate seat for each child, a bench seat, or an infant car seat. The rear carrier can carry up to 59 lbs.

Both models use Bosch Cargoline 250W hub motors, but the Fetch+2 has a 500Wh battery compared to the Fetch+4's 750Wh battery. Both batteries are removable so they can be charged separately from the bike itself.

The Fetch+4 uses an Enviolo Pro manual controller twist-shift, while the Fetch+2 is geared by a 10-speed Shimano Deore M4100. Both bikes also feature four-piston hydraulic disc brakes and dropper seatposts.

The Fetch+4 has a 27.5-inch rear wheel and a 20-inch front wheel that turns with cable steering. Trek has adjusted the handlebars so that turning the handlebars 65 degrees turns the front wheel 85 degrees, so that the handlebars do not have to be turned as far. Like most cargo bikes of this type, this one is quite large, with an overall length of over 7 feet.

To test the Fetch+4, I loaded up my backpack and daughter and circled the northern half of the Central Park loop. As with any cargo bike, it took me a few minutes to get used to the weight distribution.

The Bosch mid-drive motor had plenty of power to get us around Central Park. Going up the hill at the north end was not hard at all, and I passed others who did not benefit from the pedal assist. The bike has five levels of pedal assist, but no throttle. This is a useful feature when trying to move the cargo bike from a stop on a hill.

On the right handlebar is an Enviolo grip shift used to change gears. I did not like this feature as it was difficult to get a sense of how far to turn it to change gears.

One welcome feature I hadn't thought of is the bike's dropper seatpost. Like one of the best office chairs, the seat height is raised to a comfortable level by pushing a lever on the handlebar. This makes it very easy to get on and off the bike.

Compared to other electric cargo bikes, the cargo area of the Fecth+4 is a bit bland. It's a big, functional hunk of plastic that looks like it could take a bump, but it lacks the design flourishes of the bamboo used in Yuba's Super Cargo CL and Bunch Coupe. At least there is plenty of room for stickers.

We haven't ridden the Fetch+4 enough to do a full review, but our test ride impressions are strong for Trek's first effort in the electric cargo bike category. However, it faces stiff competition from established rivals. [For example, the Yuba Super Cargo CL, the best cargo bike on our Best Electric Assist Bikes list, weighs half as much as the Fetch+4 but can carry up to 220 pounds in the front cargo area and another 80 pounds in the rear. And at $5,999, it is more than $2,000 less than the Trek.

Still, the Fetch is a relative bargain compared to the Riese & Mueller Packster 70, which starts at $9,279; to get the same belt drive and shifting system as the Fetch+4, one would have to upgrade to the $10,250 model. The Fetch+4 is a great deal. My daughter was very excited, but she was more excited about the snacks I put on the seat next to her.