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One of the most important considerations in an electric bike has to be the battery, as the capacity will determine how much range you can get from your electric bike off a single charge.
On average, electric bikes can typically cover a range of up to 100km or less based on a battery which is 400-500W, cheaper e-bikes with smaller batteries will have a decreased range. However, you can't just take into account the size of your bikes battery when looking at range, as several other factors will influence how far you can ride.
So as you can figure out which battery you need for your electric bike, how far it will take you and how to take care of your bikes battery, we have put together a little guide below that will tell you everything you need to know about your bikes battery.
Whether you're searching for an e-bike to commute to work or school on, or you need one to get from one city to another, you can always find an e-bike that works for you.
An electric bike with a 500-Watt motor is a good option if you're on a budget and require a vehicle for short trips around town or to and from work.
However, it may not provide the desired mobility due to its underpowered battery. The question is whether or not a 500-Watt electric bike can travel far on a single battery.
So, how far can a 500w ebike go? A 500-Watt electric bike, in principle, can go 60 to 75 miles on a single charge, making it an ideal mode of transportation for short trips to and from the office, class, the store, a friend's house, etc.
Moreover, we have written an in-depth article about the range of 500W ebike, and how we can increase it. It will help you a lot if you read it.
A 1000W electric bike can go pretty far on a single charge, far enough to revolutionize your daily commute or next cross-country road trip. While the exact distance varies based on terrain, rider weight, and other factors, a 1000W e-bike can travel up to 60 miles on a single charge. That's enough to cover the average person's round-trip commute with plenty of juice to spare. And if you're feeling especially adventurous, you can always be pedalling to give yourself a little extra boost. Whether you're looking for a fun way to get around town or want to explore the great outdoors, a 1000W electric bike has the power and range to get you there.
Moreover, you can read our in-depth article about how far can a 1000W electric bike go and how to improve its range.
5000W electric bikes are some of the most powerful on the market. But how far can 5000w ebikes actually go? The answer depends on a few factors, including terrain, weight, and wind resistance, but it can go up to 100 miles. On flat ground, a 5000W electric bike can easily reach speeds of 30 miles per hour. However, on hilly terrain, the bike will consume more power and therefore have a shorter range.
Most of the time, when you are looking at purchasing a new electric bike, it will have its battery information listed out in amp-hours, so as we can work out the range your bike will be able to cover, you would need to convert this figure into watt-hours.
To do this simply multiply the volts on the battery by the amp hours to see how many watt-hours it holds; for example, a 24V 6Ah battery will have 144 watt-hours.
In order to work out how many miles your e-bike can cover from this watt-hour, you will need to estimate how many watts you will use per mile, this is on average about 20 watts per mile for people who are being careful with there battery.
So to get your range in miles, take the 144-watt hours and divide it by 20, which will mean your 24V 6Ah battery could potentially cover up to 7.2 miles off a single charge, which isn't a lot.
This calculation depends on a large number of external factors which we will get on to below, but you should always be looking for a battery with no less than 400W-200W if you want to be able to cover a fair distance with your bike.
When trying to calculate how far the battery of your electric bike can take you, many other factors will influence the total range of your bike such as; tyre pressure, your weight, the assistance chosen and the quality of the battery.
We have explained how these factors below will influence how far you can ride on your bike.
One of the first factors that impact how far your e-bike's battery will take you is your weight. Having your extra weight on an e-bike will influence its range, so if you are heavier, your bike will like to go less distance.
This is the same if your planning to be carrying extra luggage with you on your bike, you should account for this extra weight and know the range of your bike will not be as far.
Your electric bikes overall motor power will also influence how much power it drains from the battery to function. For example, if your motor is too powerful in comparison to the battery then it will be straining the bike.
To get the right sized motor with your battery it should be roughly the same watt-hours your battery is, for example, a battery that is 300-watt hours should have a 300W motor.
Wet, muddy or bad conditions, in general, will require more friction from your bike to maintain stability, this will, in turn, reduce the range your battery can support, windy conditions may also decrease range if it's head-on.
On average, you can ride your e-bike 15% longer on sunny days than in comparison to rainy days.
Low-quality batteries or a battery with age will not perform how it used to and may hold a charge for a shorter amount of time when your out and about. Always use a named high-quality battery for it to last for longer and you should be maintaining it correctly too.
Low tyre pressure adds friction to your ride and will make the e-bike work much harder to keep you going, decreasing its overall range. Your bike's tyres should always be fully pumped before each ride so as you can get the most out of your battery.
If your planning to ride your electric bike on a route full of hills and various terrains then the range will be reduced no matter what, also stopping and starting your bike, especially on hills will drain a fair amount of battery power.
Using your e-bike on assisted power or engaging the throttle the whole time you are riding will drain the battery quickly, often the more power that you need to support you when riding will mean the shorter the range you will have from the bike.
Going faster on PAS will also need more assistance, so faster rides with assistance need more battery power.
Often, the design of the bike you are using will have a massive impact on how far it goes depending on where you take it. Let's look at a commuting bike, for example, these bikes are made to go very a long distance because of there thin tyres, and will always beat a mountain bike when it comes to range on the road, as they tend to have thick tyres.
However, if you try and use a commuting bike on more difficult terrain, it's range dramatically decreases as it's not meant for off-road use and the mountain bike will win.
Now we know how far an electric bikes battery can on average take you, how to calculate the range for a specific battery and the factors that will affect it, we can start to look into how to maintain our e-bikes battery in the best way possible so as it can have top performance when we are out on the road.
We have put together our essential maintenance tips below for your bikes battery.
When you are out on the road and you see your battery charge going down fast, you might be wondering what you can do to extend its range till you get to your destination.
Well, if your battery goes completely flat you will unfortunately just have to manually pedal (let's hope you don't live up a hill), but if it has some juice left, follow these tips below to make it last.
What's the longest range an e-bike can go?
Some of the longest range e-bikes which are specifically designed for long-distance can cover a range of up to 350km, for example, the Delfast Prime e-bike can go up to 367km off one single charge.
Why is my e-bikes battery losing charge quickly?
You should first check your batteries charger and ensure it is not damaged and working properly, if your battery itself has not reached its end of life, then it might have been damaged from improper care or lack of maintenance.
Can I remove the battery from an electric bike and ride it normally?
Yes, there is no reason why you can't remove the battery from your e-bike and ride it normally, just be aware you may feel more weight on the bike than a regular one due to the motor, but when you take the battery off this will make a noticeable difference.
What type of battery is used on an e-bike?
Nowadays, most of the best electric bikes will use a lithium-ion battery to power there system, some still use lead-acid but these tend to be heavier in weight so aren't still as common.
Can I use a spare battery on my electric bike?
Yes, you can buy a spare battery for your electric bike but you should consider that this will weigh around 7 pounds and also add more weight to the e-bike, thus decreasing its range. It might be better, in this case, to just buy a new battery that can support a long-range rather than cycle with a heavy one on your rear rack.
How long do e-bike batteries take to charge up?
This will ultimately depend on your batteries capacity but the average charging time could be anything from 2-6 hours.
To conclude, the distance the battery of your electric bike will take you depends on its capacity and many other external factors, however, for an estimate when purchasing your e-bike's battery, you can use the calculation in our guide above to get a rough idea of the distance you can cover and if it would be ideal for your day to day use.
