The truth: How far can an electric bicycle really go on a single charge?

One of many greatest advantages of electrical bicycles is that they can assist riders go farther with the identical quantity of leg energy. However with producers citing wildly completely different vary scores for seemingly related e-bikes, how will you know what an e-bike’s true vary is?

It’s truly simpler than you’d suppose. And after spending more than a decade working in the electric bicycle industry, I’ve gotten decently good at it, if I could say so myself. Listed below are my tricks to get a real, trustworthy vary score out of an e-bike.

What are the components in e-bike vary?

First issues first: One of many causes e-bike vary scores appear to be all over is as a result of they are often affected by numerous components.

All the things from pace to rider weight to terrain type to wind circumstances and even tire alternative can affect an e-bike’s efficient vary on a single cost.

The second main issue is the presence (or absence) of a hand throttle. Most European riders gained’t have to contemplate this since e-bike throttles aren’t frequent in EU international locations. However for People and riders in different international locations that permit hand throttles along with pedal help, a hand throttle generally is a fast technique to drain battery and scale back vary.

A throttle is perhaps handy, however it is going to drain battery faster than pedal help

Find out how to estimate e-bike vary

To find out an e-bike’s approximate vary, you first want to begin with the battery capability. It’s normally measured in Watt hours (Wh). Generally you’ll see a battery rated in volts and amp hours, such as an e-bike with a 48V 10Ah battery. To transform to Wh, merely multiply the volts by the amp hours. A 48V and 10Ah battery is due to this fact a 480 Wh battery.

Subsequent, you may calculate efficient vary by merely dividing the watt hour capability of the battery by a median effectivity quantity in Wh/mi (or Wh/km if you happen to favor kilometers).

That is the marginally fuzzy a part of the maths, since effectivity numbers will range based mostly on the components listed in the beginning of this text. However talking typically, I discover that the majority 500-750W throttle e-bikes ridden at a median pace of 20 mph (32 km/h) on solely barely hilly terrain get me round 25 Wh/mi (or 15.6 Wh/km). Thus an e-bike of this type with a 480Wh battery would offer me with round 19 miles of vary (480 Wh ÷ 25 Wh/mi = 19.2 miles).

Pedal help will at all times be extra environment friendly. I discover that the majority pedal assist e-bikes ridden round 15 to 18 mph in medium ranges of pedal help will get me round 15 Wh/mi (or 9.4 Wh/km). Thus the identical 480Wh battery on a pedal help e-bike will present me round 32 miles of vary (480 Wh ÷ 15 Wh/mi = 32 miles).

You should utilize the identical math for numerous sizes of batteries to calculate an estimated vary beneath actual world circumstances. Nevertheless, you would possibly need to make changes to the numbers to raised suit your wants, as I clarify subsequent.

You may modify these numbers to suit your particular situation

For reference, I weigh round 155 lb (70 kg). If you happen to’re an even bigger man, you would possibly need to use a determine nearer to 30 Wh/mi on throttle bikes, for instance. Or if you happen to’re somewhat slip of a factor, you would possibly get nearer to twenty Wh/mi. My spouse at all times will get higher vary than I do, and the truth that she weighs 45 lb (20 kg) lower than me is an enormous a part of it. Extra weight means the bike has to make use of extra power, particularly on acceleration and hill climbing.

You may as well edit these numbers based mostly on terrain. I normally trip in solely barely hilly terrain. If you happen to’re using round on a pancake, you need to use barely higher effectivity numbers. If you happen to’re climbing larger hills, you’ll need to use barely worse effectivity numbers.

However for starters, 25 Wh/mi on throttle e-bikes and 15 Wh/mi on pedal help e-bikes is an effective place to start for an affordable vary estimate.

What if I’m a very sturdy pedaler?

I’ve obtained you sturdy pedalers lined, too!

I normally trip round with a mid-level pedal help mode chosen, which is why I get round 15 Wh/mi on most pedal help e-bikes. That’s a stable determine for me after I’m commuting or working errands. At these instances, I’m definitely utilizing my legs so as to add help, however I’m not going nuts with the health.

Nevertheless, after I actually need to get some train, I persist with pedal help Stage 1 and the effectivity can typically skyrocket. I lately documented a 29 mile (47 km) e-bike ride I performed the place I used solely 90Wh of power by remaining in Stage 1 pedal help as a lot as I might. That labored out to a loopy 3.1Wh/mi!

I used to be just about lifeless after that trip, so I wouldn’t suggest using at that stage daily until you’re a really match bicycle owner (I’m not), but it surely was an awesome experiment to see what can occur once you push your self and your bike to the restrict.

What about excessive vary scores on e-bikes? Are these true?

We are able to use these equations to check out some examples of extremely high-range e-bikes to see if the producers are being practical.

The Specialized Turbo Vado SL e-bike was recently released and got here with an 80-mile vary score from its 320Wh inside battery or 120 miles with an additional 160Wh booster battery.

At my regular effectivity of 15 Wh/mi with medium pedal help, that bike would probably take me round 21 miles with its built-in battery or 32 miles with its booster battery. Realistically although, the narrower tires, decrease weight and better effectivity of that bike will probably lead to a bit higher vary than that, as I’ll be using extra effectively than I do on most of my cheaper pedal-assist e-bikes.

But when I drop it into the bottom pedal-assist mode and get nearer to my 3.1 Wh/mi effectivity after I’m actually pedaling arduous on that bike, that may equate to a variety of simply over 100 miles on the inner battery!

Clearly that’s on a sweat-soaked multi-hour health trip, however you get the purpose. By including extra of your individual pedal energy and utilizing decrease pedal-assist modes, the vary of an e-bike may be drastically elevated, which is the place producers typically get these lofty vary figures.

Finally, most individuals aren’t going to ever hit efficiencies beneath 5 Wh/mi, until they’re actually pushing it arduous and getting a critical exercise. For each day using, 25 Wh/mi on throttle-only using and 15 Wh/mi on modest pedal help using are each good figures for actual world vary estimates.

Have you ever performed your individual vary testing? I’d love to listen to about your experiences — let me know within the feedback part beneath!

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.