Anyone with an electric bike, will tell you they’re so much fun to ride. They get so many people out there cycling more. Even to places they would not have dreamed of cycling, with a regular bike. These can include picturesque mountainous destinations and rugged off-road trails. So, if you have an electric bike, you’re going to want your battery range to last as long as possible. This will help you get the most out of your riding experiences. Before continuing though, electric bike battery range is as defined below.

Electric bike battery range – The distance an electric bike will cover on one battery charge. Usually measured in either miles or kilometers.

By adopting certain behaviors and habits, you can increase your electric bike battery range. These generally come under the following: 

• How you maintain your battery
• How you set up your electric bike
• The manner in which you cycle

In this article, I will talk about the most actionable of these behaviors and habits. This will help you stay out on your electric bike longer, to get the best cycling experiences you can. But before I go any further, below is a table, outlining some electric bike battery range increasing tips. 

Keep Your Tires Pumped Up 

In a nutshell, the flatter your tires, the more it will be a drain on your battery. This is because, if your tires are flat, you need to put in more effort to move your bike forward. So your tire pressure is definitely something you should pay attention to, if you want to maximize battery range. 

Your tires should be pumped up to the pressure mark given on the sidewall of the tire. If you’re riding whilst your tire pressure is below this pressure mark, your battery is unnecessarily using up more of its charge.

Inflating tires right up to their maximum, though, is not recommended. If a tire is too inflated, it will not connect to the ground properly, making it less efficient. The less efficient the tire, the more draw from the battery. 

German tire manufacturer, Schwalbe, has a Tire Pressure Tool. This allows you to know the optimum tire pressure, for different scenarios, to help you get as much range as possible. 

Tire Weight

Your battery is going to need more energy to move your bike forward, the heavier the tires are. So heavier tires, means less range.

There are different types of tires you can have for your bike, depending on what sort of cycling you’ll be doing. These different tire types will have variations in weight. For example, you can have fat tires which are very heavy. Riding with these tires tends to be great fun. They are ideal for riding on off-road trails and other challenging conditions. Like riding in snow and sand. But due to their weight, they will use up more battery compared with thinner tires. 

If you’re using your electric bike for commuting and general road use, you can opt for a thinner and lighter tire. This will preserve more of your battery’s charge during rides.

Sometimes, when deciding on which tires for your electric bike, you may find yourself having to decide on a trade off. This would be between what you’ll be using the bike for and the impact the tire weight will have on the battery range.

Tire Tread

How the tire interacts with the surface, it’s riding on, affects the tire’s traction and rolling resistance. This therefore affects the bike’s efficiency. Tread plays a major part in this. The more efficient your bike is whilst cycling, the less charge is being used up in your battery. So you want tire tread that will give the most efficiency, for the surface you’re riding on. This will help you to get the most range from your battery. In a nutshell, you want the best tread for the conditions, to get more range. 

So riding on the road with tires that have tread meant for off-road use, is not recommended. There will be more rolling resistance, compared to riding with slick tires (ideal for road use). Here the tire will be less efficient compared to a slick tire, resulting in more battery drain. 

It is not recommended riding with slick tires in off-road conditions. The tires won’t be gripping the ground well enough, resulting in poor traction. Again, resulting in your bike traveling with less efficiency. This will mean more draw from your battery. So to get the most from your battery here, use tires with tread purposefully for off-road conditions.   

Sometimes, people opt for a halfway house. Some electric bikes have tires that can handle light off-road, but also roll well on the road. You would find these types of tires on gravel electric bikes, for example. This is beneficial, if you’re anticipating you’ll be riding in both conditions. 

Braking 

Effective use of braking will help prolong your battery range. You can do this by braking gently over a long period, as opposed to quick sudden braking. This is a far more economical way of breaking, that uses less energy.

You can achieve this by planning ahead whilst cycling, by keeping your eyes peeled for what’s in front of you. This even includes anything at a far distance. Taking this precaution reduces the chance of you having to brake heavily, due to any sudden surprises. As you may gather, this is also a safe way of cycling.

Some electric bikes have an energy efficient braking system, known as regenerative braking.

Regenerative braking works, by converting some of the kinetic energy that is lost through braking, back into your battery. As a result, this energy is recycled and not lost to the environment. Your battery can draw upon this retained energy, for further use of your electric motor. This allows for braking to be less of a drain on your battery. 

Most electric bikes currently don’t have this braking system. But it’s something you can look out for, when picking an electric bike. This will add to the cost of your bike, but can contribute towards you experiencing longer cycles. 

Pedaling

Pedaling harder will use up your battery at a faster rate, as a general rule of thumb. I say as a general rule of thumb, for the below reason.

Electric bike motors will either have a cadence or torque sensor. Both of these sensors engage the motor when you’re pedaling. With torque sensors, the speed of the motor is automatically relative to the rider’s pedaling speed. Whereas, with cadence sensors, the rider determines the speed of the motor, by manually adjusting the settings. So here, the rider needs to manually adjust the speed of the motor, to match the speed of their pedaling.

With this in mind, as long as the motor speed is relative to your pedaling effort. Cycling at a leisurely pace will use up less battery, compared to if you’re cycling at a high speed. Obviously, it’s your preference how you cycle. But you can take this into account during, or even whilst planning, a cycle journey.

A handy tip, is you can take advantage of freewheeling when going down hills. This preserves more of your battery. You can let gravity take over for a bit and do the work, rather than the electric motor.  

Battery Maintenance 

Take good care of your battery and it will take good care of you. Looking after your battery, will minimize its wear and tear. This will help it to work better and provide better range. Below are certain tips, to help you better maintain your battery.

• Avoid running your battery flat as often as possible. Generally electric bikes will have a Lithium-ion battery. Running these batteries flat, can contribute towards increased wear on the battery cells. It’s always likely you’ll go on long cycle rides though, where you will run your battery flat. But try to keep this as minimum as possible if you can, to get the best out of your battery. It is also advisable to avoid storing your battery flat, for long periods of time. 

• Following from above, it’s best to store your battery with a charge, to maintain its performance. It’s advisable, though, to allow a rest period for approximately half an hour after you’ve finished your cycle, before recharging it. This allows the battery’s chemistry to balance itself out first.

• Storing your battery fully charged for prolonged periods, is not recommended. This can place added pressure on the cells, leading to increased wear. Storing with around 60% charge is suitable. It is not such an issue to store your battery fully charged between cycles, if you’re riding often. For example, if you’re using your electric bike for the daily commute.  

• Cycling in cold weather can affect your battery’s performance. If you’re cycling on cold days, you can insulate your battery, by using a neoprene thermal cover. This will prevent the temperature from compromising your battery range.

• Further to above, you should also avoid storing your battery in a cold environment. During the winter, it is advisable to store your battery inside at room temperature, to get the best out of it. This may mean having to detach your battery from your bike, if you store your bike outside.

• Riding and storing your battery in hot conditions, can affect its range as well. Heat causes your battery to work harder and contributes to more wear, which reduces range. Electric bike batteries like cool, dry conditions. So where you store your battery, should meet this criteria.

If you’re cycling on a hot day, it may be unavoidable for your battery to get warm. You can allow though, for the likely compromise on your batteries range, when planning a ride. You could also minimize the impact of this, by keeping your bike away from direct sunlight, when stopping for a rest. 

If you’re transporting your electric bike by car on a hot day, you could try storing your battery in the coolest place in your car. This could be under the seat away from direct sunlight. Again, you would need to detach your battery from your bike.

Weight

The heavier the electric bike and the rider, the more this compromises the range of the battery. This is due to the increase in weight, requiring more effort from the motor.

If you’re riding an electric bike to lose weight, you may find the battery range increases, the more you lose weight. 

Using an electric bike to carry cargo, will also reduce the range. However, the more cargo you carry, the more helpful you will find the electric assistance. Sometimes you may have to trade off the amount of cargo you want to carry, against the battery range you need. 

Electric bikes allow you to take advantage of these extra luxuries though. For example, riding with fat tires, or carrying the kids to school on the back, would be harder on a normal bike.

The more you ride your electric bike, the more of a sense you may get for how far it can travel, with different variations in weight. Like when carrying different amounts of cargo, or different tires even. Trial and error will come in to play here. Bosch, however, provides a useful range calculator, to help you have an idea of how much range you can expect, in different situations.

Pedal Assist Modes 

Electric bikes have different pedal assist modes. These determine the level of pedal assistance you get. The number of pedal assist modes can vary from bike to bike. These modes can start from eco, the least amount of assistance, right up to turbo, the most amount of assistance.

The higher the pedal assist mode you’re riding in, the more it will decrease your battery range. There will be varying reasons that determine which mode you’ll decide to be riding in, at any given point. These could include the examples below:

Reasons for Turbo Mode

• To get up a steep hill
• To get somewhere quickly, if you’re carrying a significant amount of cargo
• To commute to work quickly without sweating 

Reasons for Eco Mode

• If you want a good workout, whilst still requiring some assistance
• If you want an extra boost, whilst riding up a mild gradient
• To reduce fatigue, whilst you’re on a lengthy ride

Being watchful of your choice of pedal assist mode selections, can help you get more range from your battery. For example, only using turbo mode when necessary. This could be if you’re going up a steep hill and the other modes are not going to cut it.

It’s your choice though, of which pedal assist mode you use. You may want to ride in turbo mode as much as possible, simply because you find it more fun. Again, you may sometimes find yourself having to find a trade off, between your preferred pedal assist mode and the battery range.  

Accelerating 

Using the pedal assist for accelerating, uses up more battery, compared to using it whilst at cruising speed.

With this in mind, you can be more selective of when you use your pedal assist. For example, using pedal assist, when starting straight from a stop, uses a lot of power. So you could opt to have the pedal assist off altogether, when setting off from a stationary position. You may start using the pedal assist, once you’re up and running. 

Accelerating quickly will use up more battery, compared to if you build up speed gradually, until you arrive at cruising speed. This is a similar principle to braking, as mentioned earlier. Again, it’s up to you how you ride. These are only tips to help you conserve your battery, for you to use as and when you choose. 

Lubricate the Chain

If your bike chain is not well lubricated it will create resistance. This will decrease your electric bike’s efficiency and therefore your battery range. So be sure to lubricate your chain regularly, if you want to stay out on your electric bike longer. Muc-off provides a suitable chain lubricant for electric bikes. There are electric bikes on the market which have a belt instead of a chain though. These belts do not need any lubrication at all.  

Riding Position 

Yes, the position you’re riding in, can have an effect on your electric bike battery range.

Cycling in an upright position creates more wind resistance. This means you’ll be working harder and your battery will be depleting faster. Positioning yourself in a forward (aerodynamic) position, whilst riding, will reduce wind resistance. This will help preserve more of your battery.

Road bikes and gravel bikes, both have drop handlebars. These are designed especially to allow you to cycle in an aerodynamic position.  

Bear in mind, though, riding in an aerodynamic position, will limit your visibility. This is because you will not see all around you as well, compared to riding in an upright position. This can compromise your safety, especially when riding in urban areas, where there’s many potential hazards. If you prefer, you could find a balance between these 2 riding positions. You could ride halfway between entirely upright and entirely forward. 

Conclusion

All the above tips and advice have a consistent theme. This is that the less effort the electric assistance is exerting, the more range you’re going to get. Keeping that in mind, can allow you to be competent at managing the range of your electric bike battery. 

You don’t have to obey the above advice religiously. But being aware of these tips, can help you get the most out of your electric bike. After all, being too obsessed with your battery range, could take all the fun out of electric biking.

The advice is there, for whenever it will come in useful though. You may find there are certain times, when these tips are more beneficial than other times. These can be if you’re going on a lengthy ride, carrying a considerable amount of cargo, or embarking on a hilly route. All events that will guzzle your battery charge. Adhering to these recommendations can reduce any range anxiety you may have. 

The post How Can I Increase My Electric Bike Battery Range? appeared first on Electric Bike Planet.

This is a question you should ask yourself when buying an electric bike. Power is likely to be one of the main considerations, in determining which electric bike you opt for. When talking about the power of an electric bike, you’re referring to the power of its motor, measured in watts.

The amount of power you need for your electric bike, will depend on what you’ll use it for. The more demanding the situations you’ll be riding in, the more power you’ll need. Demanding riding situations can include, carrying heavy cargo, riding up steep hills and being a heavyweight cyclist.

When buying an electric bike, you need one that’s powerful enough for your needs, whilst still within your budget. The power of an electric bike’s motor, will most often be any one of the below wattages.  

250w, 350w, 500w, 750w or 1000w. 

I will talk about each of these above motor power wattages in this article. Covering such aspects as what sort of performance and suitable uses, you can expect from each. This is to help you determine which would be the most appropriate for you. But firstly, some considerations you can make, when deciding on what power motor for your electric bike. 

Disadvantages with Increased Power

A high-powered motor on your electric bike is not always better. This is because of the 2 below factors.

The Cost

The more powerful the motor, the more it’s going to add to the cost of your electric bike. At least generally speaking. I say generally speaking, because other factors, like build quality and motor type, can also affect the cost.

If a motor is powerful enough for your needs, you may deem it’s not necessary paying extra, for a more powerful one. You may find a 250 or 350 watt motor is powerful enough, for the cycles you intend to make. 

Battery

There’s also the battery efficiency to consider. The more power the motor is utilizing, the more battery you’ll need to go the same distance, as you would with a lower powered motor. This can reduce battery range. So as a general rule of thumb, higher powered motors need bigger batteries. This means extra weight on your bike, as well as the further increased cost. As you may gather, bigger batteries mean bigger price. 

Legal Requirements

You need to consider the legal requirements of the country or state (if you’re in America) that you’re living in.

Different countries and American states, have different legal limits, as to what power motor your electric bike can have. 

Having a legal limit, for motor wattage, allows countries and American states to determine what is an electric bike. Any electric bike that has a motor wattage higher than the legal limit, is considered a motor vehicle. In which case, you would need the applicable license, insurance, taxation etc. 

There’s also the safety aspect as well. You’re not allowed to ride/drive a motor vehicle where it’s going to endanger people, like on a public path.

In America, most states currently have a legal limit of 750 watts, for electric bikes. But this is different in certain other states. In the EU, UK and Japan, it’s 250 watts. The limit is 500 watts in Canada and 400 watts in China.

Ultimately, the power of your electric bike should not be higher than what’s legally required for where you live, or at least currently based. 

250 Watt Motor 

This is the entry level of power you’re going to find for an electric bike. 

For general road use, as well as if you’re anticipating not cycling up many steep hills (if any), or if you’re not a heavy rider, this can be a suitable option. Particularly, if you’re looking for an extra boost, without paying for more power than you need. 

Below are scenarios, where you may find the extra boost beneficial, without needing all out power.

• If you want to keep active whilst commuting to work, but you want to get there quickly, without being in a sweat. 
• You may enjoy going out on long leisurely cycles, for example on a pleasant ride in the country. The electric boost may be the extra help you need, to go further distances than what you would normally. It may give you the extra confidence to put in a few more miles, knowing that if you get tired, the motor will get you home. 
• If you’re rehabilitating after an injury or illness, currently lacking fitness, or enduring a condition like arthritis, the extra assistance can be the kick-start to get you out there cycling at all.  
• You may be often cycling with your friends or partner, or even with a cycle group, but lagging behind. Here, a little extra power can help you keep up. 

If you live in a hilly part of the world, a 250 watt motor may not be your best bet. You’re going to slow down with this level of power, whenever you hit a steep hill, especially if you’re a heavier rider.   

250 watts can be good enough for steep hills, if you’re of average weight and good fitness. This would be more if you’re looking for just a little assistance, to compliment your own pedaling power. But if you want to flatten those hills, then you want to be looking at more power. 

350 Watt Motor

Here, we have a small bump up in power, compared to the 250 watt motor. A 350 watt motor is a valid option, even if you expect a 250 watt motor to be satisfactory enough for your needs. This is because you can have the assurance of having a bit of extra power available, for if you ever need it. You still won’t be forking out here, for a super powerful electric bike. 

I would say this is the recommended minimum level of power, if you’re opting for an electric bike with a throttle. A 250 watt motor may not cut it well enough, if you’re using a throttle only, on hilly terrain. This is because when you’re using a throttle only, you’re not pedaling to compliment the motor’s power. Here, the motor is doing all the work.

If you’re planning on using an electric bike for carrying cargo, either by attaching a trailer, or by opting for a dedicated cargo electric bike. The extra power you get from this motor, can be most welcome. Opting for a more powerful motor is likely to be better though, if you’re carrying a lot of cargo. 

500 Watt Motor

You will generally find 500 watts is enough power for the average person. Even if you’re a medium weight rider, you should still find this amount of power plenty, when you’re getting up steep hills or carrying heavier cargo. Anything more than this may be a bit excessive. 

If you’re a heavier rider, you can still find this power competent enough to get you up them tough hills. To give you even further assistance though, if you’re a heavier rider, you can make sure your motor is a mid drive one. The motor, on an electric bike, will either be a mid drive motor, or a hub motor. Mid drive motors are the more efficient of the 2. They will give you more help up steep hills and rugged terrain. This is a further consideration, other than the wattage, with regard to opting for a motor that gives you the assistance you want. 

Mid drive motors are more expensive, but more battery efficient compared to hub motors. So, remembering the more wattage the motor has, the more it can draw from your battery in general. Meaning a bigger and more expensive battery. You may find opting for an electric bike with a 500 watt mid drive motor, to be powerful enough for your needs. Whilst being a more cost effective/battery efficient option, compared to an electric bike with a 750 watt hub motor. 

Ultimately, opting for a mid drive motor instead of a hub drive motor, can reduce the need for more wattage. This is also useful if 500 watts is the legal limit for where you live.

750 Watt Motor 

You may want to cover your bases, if say you’re a heavier rider, anticipating going up a lot of tough hills and terrain and/or you’re carrying heavy cargo. In which case, this amount of power should be plenty enough. 

Again, you can maximize the assistance even more, by making sure the motor is a mid drive. Remember this will add to the cost though. The increased battery efficiency the mid drive motor gives, will help mitigate any extra drain on your battery, caused by the high amount of power you’re getting. As mentioned earlier, 750 watts is the legal limit for an electric bike motor, in many states in the USA. 

If you’re only riding on flat inclines, whilst being of average weight and not carrying much cargo, then this amount of power will be excessive. In these scenarios, paying the extra premium for this motor and bigger battery (likely to be required), is unnecessary.

Having said this though. Depending on how much money you’re prepared to stretch to, you may like having this amount of power available. It could always come in handy one day, even if you don’t need it most of the time. For example, if you were ever to go away on a cycling holiday, for long rides in the mountains. 

750 watts, is not going to give you a significant difference in performance riding on the flat, compared to the lower powered motors. Apart from the increased acceleration you get from a stationary position. This can get you out of dangerous situations, like busy junctions. 

Do be cautious though, if riding an electric bike with a 750 watt motor. This high amount of power and acceleration, can make you more prone to accidents. Especially if riding in urban areas, where there’s many potential hazards. Increased power, comes with increased responsibility!  

1000 Watt Motor

This is going all out. You’re going to get some very impressive hill climbing ability in deed, with this amount of power.  

In many countries around the world (if not most), electric bikes of this power, are too powerful to be legally classed as an electric bike. This means they would be classed as motor vehicles. Here you would be restricted to where you can ride them, as well as needing the applicable license and taxation etc.

You would expect electric bikes of this power to be in the higher price bracket. Most people, though, would not need this amount of power anyway. You may appreciate this level of power, if you intend to use your electric bike for carrying heavy cargo and/or if you live in a mountainous part of the world. 

If you opt for a 1000 watt motor electric bike, keep an eye on your battery juice whilst riding. You’re going to need a bigger battery to get a decent range, which will add to your bike’s weight. 

Conclusion

On the whole, there’s no harm buying an electric bike with a motor as powerful as you can afford. That said, as long as it’s within the legal restrictions of where you live and you ride it safely. As mentioned earlier, even if you don’t currently need all the power the motor offers, it’s nice to know it’s always available. You never know when it could come in handy.

Remembering, the more powerful the motor, the more battery charge it’s susceptible to guzzle, for the same distance as a lower power motor. If you’re prepared to pay the extra for a bigger battery to cover this, then this may not be an issue. After all, a bit of careful battery management can help you get the most out of your battery. You don’t always need to utilize all your motor’s power whilst cycling anyway. 

It’s good to know that if you don’t have a big budget and if you don’t need all out power, that you may still find an affordable electric bike that meets your needs. Not needing all out power, can help you narrow down which electric bike you want. This can be helpful, because there’s such a huge range out there to choose from, which can be overwhelming.

When it comes to budget, you may find that compromising on the power of the motor, may allow you to afford to have other features on your electric bike. For example, you may want your electric bike to have full suspension. Opting for a 500 watt motor, instead of a 750 watt motor, may allow you to afford to have this. This would be an ideal solution, if 500 watts is still powerful enough for you.

The post How Much Power Does My Electric Bike Need? appeared first on Electric Bike Planet.

Electric bikes aren’t usually cheap purchases. So if you’re thinking of buying one, you shouldn’t rush your choice. You should pay a considerable amount of attention, making sure you choose the right one for you. As part of doing this, you want to consider the choice of battery for your electric bike. 

Alongside the motor, the battery is arguably the most important electric bike component to get right. Due to that it plays a crucial part in the bike’s performance.

The electric bike battery you choose, should meet your needs and preferences. The most important battery consideration is capacity. The bigger the capacity, the faster and further your electric bike will go. Bigger capacity, means higher cost and more weight though. Another consideration is whether your electric bike battery is internal or external. This is more a personal visual preference.  

In this article, I will discuss the considerations you should make, when deciding on which battery for your electric bike. I will also discuss upgrading existing electric bike batteries. Advising how you can do this and giving important considerations with regard to this

Lithium-ion Batteries

Before continuing, it’s worth mentioning lithium-ion batteries. These are increasingly becoming the standard battery type, for electric bikes these days. They are more efficient than the other battery types. This is due to the fact they can hold a higher capacity and therefore produce more power, for less weight. They also charge faster and last longer. 

Battery Capacity

This is the most crucial aspect to consider, when choosing a battery for your electric bike. As mentioned above, battery capacity affects the bike’s speed and distance it will go. That is at least electrically assisted. Essentially, battery capacity impacts the bike’s performance.  

Battery capacity, by the way, is not the only aspect that will affect the speed and distance your electric bike will go. These other aspects can include the ones mentioned below:

• Rider weight
• Bike weight
• Terrain and incline that’s ridden upon
• Motor power
• Motor type 
• Carrying cargo
• Wind resistance
• Tire pressure
• Tire type
• Whether you’re using a throttle or pedal assist, or both, even
• How hard you’re pedaling whilst using pedal assist
• Choice of mode you’re riding in (whether riding in eco or turbo etc.)
• If you’re freewheeling down hills

With regard to the distance your electric bike will go on a single battery charge, using the electric assistance (this is referred to as range). The larger the capacity of your battery, the less of a concern the impact of the above factors will be.  

For example, you may particularly need as much range as possible, if you regularly go on long bike rides. So a high capacity battery, can give you more confidence to take on bigger hills, on long rides. You could also be less sparing with using the higher mode settings (like turbo), during these long rides as well. 

Essentially a high capacity battery can mean less range anxiety.

Referring back to where I mentioned battery capacity affects speed. A high capacity battery helps your electric bike go faster, because it has more power, to give more of a boost. This also means quicker acceleration, as well as better helping you to maintain speed. This extra boost, to help maintain speed, can be welcome for the below scenarios.

• If you’re a heavier rider.
• When you’re carrying cargo.
• You’re currently not at full fitness. 
• For commuting and you want to get to work quickly, but not arrive in a sweat.
• When riding up steep hills.
• You may simply want to go faster for the pure fun of it, as is the case for many riders.

Aside from speed, a high capacity battery will help provide more power, to assist with these scenarios in general. This means these scenarios will use less of a percentage of the battery’s charge.

As mentioned before, though, the higher the capacity of a battery, the heavier it will be. So, if you won’t be using an electric bike for long journeys, you can opt for a low capacity battery. This will save you money and mean your electric bike will be lighter. You still want the battery capacity to be relative to the length of the journeys you’ll be making though.  

How is the Capacity of an Electric Bike Battery Measured?

The capacity of electric bike batteries are measured by the following. Watt hours (wh), volts (v) and amp hours (ah). But what do all these mean?

Well, firstly, watt hours is the overall capacity of the battery. So generally the higher the amount of watt hours a battery has, the faster and further the electric bike will go.

To be specific about what watt hours actually are, they are defined as below.

Watt hours – The number of watts a battery can deliver, over an hour of constant use.   

The amount of volts and amp hours a battery has, determines its capacity in watt hours. In fact, multiplying a battery’s voltage, by its number of amp hours, gives you the number of watt hours the battery has. This calculation is shown below.

Amp hours (ah) x Voltage (v) = Watt hours

This now brings me onto voltage and amp hours. Which are both defined as below.

Voltage – Refers to the speed/strength of electricity flowing through a circuit.

Amp Hours – Refers to how much electricity can be drawn over a period of time.

To be more specific about amp hours, it’s the number of hours a battery can draw 1 amp, from the number of volts the battery has. So, for example, for a 36v, 15 ah battery, if your electric bike is drawing 1 amp at 36v, then the battery will die after 15 hours. Amps, by the way, are a unit used for measuring electric current.

Anyway, you don’t need to know all this science behind these capacity measurements, when deciding on an electric bike battery. What is useful to know, though, is the below factors, with regard to voltage and amp hours.

• Voltage lends itself to speed
• Amp hours lends itself to range

So generally speaking, the higher the voltage, the faster the electric bike can go. Additionally, the higher the amp hours, the further the bike can go (will give a better range).

So you could have 2 separate electric bike batteries, both with the same number of watt hours. However, one could have a higher voltage than the other, but the other could have a higher number of amp hours. Here, you would expect the battery with the higher voltage, to cause an electric bike to go faster, than the other battery. Conversely, you would expect the other battery, that has the higher number of amp hours, to cause an electric bike to have a higher range.

Remember that speed and range is not an exact science though. This is due to the previously listed factors in this article, that can affect the speed and range of your electric bike. However, if you were to ride on 2 separate electric bikes, both like for like in specification except for their batteries, exactly the same way on the same route, then this is what you would expect.

Furthermore, with regard to the battery capacity not necessarily being an exact science. If you have, for instance, a 36v, 10ah battery and a 36v, 15ah battery, the battery which has 15ah would be faster. This is as well as having a further range compared to the 10ah battery. This is because the 15ah battery will have the higher wattage, making the battery more powerful in general.

What Capacities do Electric Bike Batteries Come In?

After advising how battery capacity is measured, you may be wondering what capacities electric bike batteries come in. So I will discuss this as below. This is to help give you a better idea of what to look for, when buying an electric bike. 

Watt Hours

With regard to watt hours, the capacity can be around 150wh or 200wh for the extreme smaller capacity. At the extreme highest capacity, it can be around 900wh. This is as it currently stands in the market. You can, though, have electric bikes with dual battery systems. Here, the electric bike has 2 batteries attached at the same time, running in tandem. This can provide over 1000wh.

300wh to 500wh is the relative standard size of electric bike battery, which people generally have. I would say 500wh would be adequate for most people, but you can go upwards of this if your budget allows. At the end of the day, the more capacity you have, the further and faster you can go.

Bosch has provided an electric bike range calculator. This is to give you an idea of how much range you can expect from an electric bike, in different conditions.

Voltage 

With the voltage, electric bike batteries are mostly 24v, 36v, 48v or even sometimes 52v. As you may gather, going up in increments of 12. Although you may sometimes find batteries with other voltages, such as 43v. You can even find some batteries that are as high as 60v, 72v or 96v. That sort of power would be excessive in most cases though. This is especially when there’s always a speed limit, for how fast electric bikes can go, using the electric assistance. 

Although, a very high voltage can provide a beneficial boost if again, you’re a heavier rider, riding up steep hills, or you’re carrying heavy cargo. This can even be if you’re experiencing a combination of these.

Amp Hours

When it comes to amp hours, you’ll typically find this can vary from 5ah up to 28ah.

Applying the Electric Bike Battery Capacity to Your Needs

When deciding on what capacity battery for your electric bike, the determining factors are how much speed and range you want. One of these factors may be more important to you than the other, or maybe they are both equally important.

As mentioned before, the higher the capacity in watt hours, the more powerful the battery is overall. However, if speed is more important to you, then you should pay more attention to the voltage of the battery. Conversely, if range is most important for you, then you should pay more attention to the number of amp hours a battery has.

Below, I will give you more detailed advice, relating to choosing a battery that has the capacity you want. This is with speed and range in mind.  

Range

Electric bike battery manufacturers will make all sorts of claims, about the range their batteries provide. However, the range you get out of any given electric bike battery, will always completely vary. This is due the varying factors listed previously in this article, that affect the range. So I would take range claims given by the manufacturers, with a pinch of salt.

As a general guide though, I’d say below is the average you can typically expect from a 500wh battery. 

• 20 miles/32 km, if you’re using throttle only
• 35 miles/56 km, if you’re using pedal assist only

Therefore, expect less range from a 500wh battery, for the following scenarios.

• If you’re a heavier rider
• Riding on the highest pedal assist setting (turbo)
• When riding along a particularly hilly route
• If you’re carrying cargo

Likewise, expect more range from a 500wh battery, for the below scenarios.

• When riding on an especially flat route
• If you’re riding at a leisurely pace
• You’re using the pedal assist particularly sparingly 

You could spend a lot of time assessing how much range a battery may give you. At the end of the day though, you can simply buy an electric bike with the highest capacity battery you can afford.

By the way, using a throttle only, uses up more battery power than using pedal assist only. This is because using the throttle only, means the electric motor is doing all the work. That’s why the expected battery range above, is less for throttle only, compared to using pedal assist only.  

Calculating Battery Range 

To give you a better idea of any given electric bike battery’s range, there is a calculation you can do.

Again, bearing in mind that determining battery range is never an exact science. Due to all the different events that can happen during a bike ride. This calculation is more to act as a guide, to give you an approximate/expected range. Nevertheless, this calculation will give you a much better idea of what range to expect from an electric bike battery, compared to going by the range given by the manufacturer. Which, again, you should take with a pinch of salt.

The first step of the calculation is knowing (or at least having an idea of) the average watt hours per mile that you’re riding at. Below are the typical watt hours per mile, for both using throttle only and pedal assist only.

Throttle only – 25 watt hours per mile

Pedal Assist only  – 15 watt hours per mile

This is though, if using mid, to above mid level pedal assist settings. Say 3 to 4, if there’s 5 settings. Also, this is if you’re riding in the following riding conditions, which are fairly representative of most typical rides. 

• The rider is of average weight (approximately 70 kilos/150lbs).
• Street riding (with maybe some light gravel/dirt here and there).
• Averaging at 20mph.
• Whilst riding on flat to relatively flat ground, with some light hills here and there.

You can now use either of the above mentioned watt hours per mile (depending on which one is most applicable), for the below calculation.

Battery range = watt hours of battery ÷ watt hours per mile

Below are a couple of examples of this calculation, using a 500 watt hour battery.

Throttle use only – 500wh battery ÷ (divided by) 25 watt hours per mile = 20 miles

Pedal assist only – 500wh battery ÷ (divided by) 15 watt hours per mile = 33.3 miles

So using the watt hours per mile mentioned before as a starting block, you can modify this to better match your circumstances. This is assuming they are different to those mentioned above.

For example, if your weight is around 250lbs, the watt hours per mile may increase by 3 to 5, from the figures given above. For example, up to 28 or 30 for throttle use only. Your battery consumption is not going to double, if your weight doubles by the way. The increase in weight is only going to slightly decrease the range. This is especially the case on flat ground.

Having said this though, if you’re riding on a hilly route as a heavier rider, you will use disproportionately more power/charge from your battery. Again, in general at least, being a heavier rider still only decreases the range a little.

The watt hour per mile is also likely to increase by 3 to 5, for the below circumstances. Again, compared to the above given figures for a typical bike ride.

• The bike itself is heavier than average
• You have fat tires
• You’re carrying light to moderate weight cargo

You may be a lighter than average person, or riding on level ground with no hills whatsoever. In which case, the watt hours per mile may decrease by 3 to 5, compared to a typical ride. For example, down to 12 or 10, if using pedal assist only. You may even be riding on the lowest setting throughout the whole ride (level 1/eco) with these conditions. Here, the watt hours per mile could be as low as 5.

It may take a bit of trial and error, to get a good idea of the watt hours per mile, for various cycling scenarios. But using the previously mentioned watt hours per mile for typical rides, is a very good starting point to use as a guide.

Calculating the Battery Size Needed for a Required Range

You can reverse the above talked about calculation, to get a range. This is to get an idea of how big a battery you’ll need, for the cycling journeys you intend to do. This reverse calculation is shown below.

Watt hours per mile x (multiplied by) number of miles required = total watt hours required (battery capacity required)

The below example, shows how you can use this calculation to determine the battery capacity you’ll need, if you’re using pedal assist only, to ride 20 miles in average conditions.

15 watt hours x (multiplied by) 20 miles = 350 watt hour battery

If you prefer to go by kilometers, then it’s helpful to know that 1 mile is equal to 1.609 kilometers. So you can apply the below pointers to the above calculations, if you prefer kilometers. 

• If you’ve used the 1st calculation to get the expected battery range in miles. You can then multiply this range in miles by 1.609, to get the range in kilometers.
• For the 2nd calculation (1st calculation in reverse), if you have the distance in kilometers for a cycle journey you want to make. You can divide this by 1.609 to get the distance in miles, for this to then be used in the calculation.

If you’re using this calculation, to determine what size battery you need, for the journeys you’ll make. Which can be as part of choosing an electric bike to buy, by the way. It’s a good idea to opt for a battery that’s bigger than what you need (budget permitting). This is so that you have a bit of leeway, in case it’s ever needed.

Speed (General Boost)

As a reminder, you should pay attention to a battery’s voltage, if the below are a priority for you.

• The speed your electric bike can go.
• The general extra boost your electric bike provides.

A battery of 36v would generally be OK for the average rider (in terms of fitness and weight), if you’re not doing much hill climbing. This also goes, if you’re a relative cycling purist, who just likes a little extra help here and there. You would usually expect to see batteries up to 36v on lower powered electric bikes, with 250w to 350w motors.

You may be a heavier rider, or intending on carrying cargo, or anticipating going up many hills. In which case, a 48v, or even a 52v battery (if your budget can stretch that far), are likely beneficial options for you. These voltages will give you an extra boost. 48v batteries are the most common, for electric bikes with a motor of 500w upwards. 

A 48v battery will help you accelerate quicker compared to a 36v battery. This can help you get out of dangers way quicker at junctions. Additionally, this can also help you get back up to top speed again sooner. This is especially beneficial if you’re doing a lot of stop-start riding. For example, if you’re getting stopped by traffic lights often whilst commuting.

Below shows how the 3 most common electric bike battery voltages are considered, in terms of the power they provide. 

24 Volts – Low end Power

36 Volts – Medium Power

48 Volts – High end Power

As mentioned earlier in this article, you can get batteries with voltages above 48v, like 52v and 60v. In most situations though, this sort of power is likely to be under utilized. Particularly, when you take into account electric bike speed limits. But again, it’s there if needed. The increased voltage of these batteries will increase their watt hours (overall capacity). So this will also increase the range the bike will give. However, if 36v or 48v is going to give you the speed and power for your needs, then you may be better off opting for a battery, with as high an amount of amp hours, that your budget will permit. Rather than opting for a battery with a voltage above 48v. This is to allow you to get as much range as possible from your battery.

You may have to compromise between amp hours and voltage, if you have a limited budget.

A 52v battery will not give you a huge increase in speed compared to a 48v battery, whilst riding on the flat. There is more of a notable difference, though, between a 36v and a 48v battery. This YouTube clip demonstrates this. It shows someone riding an electric bike with a 350 watt motor, using the throttle only, on a flat surface. Firstly with a 36v battery and then a 48v battery.

The clip shows the electric bike gets up to 26.1 mph, with the 36v battery and up to 32.5 mph, with the 48v battery (6.4 mph difference). Remember though, the electric bike speed limit is 20mph/32kmph in most States in the US. It is 15.5mph/25kmph in the EU and UK. This backs up that a 52v battery is excessive, in terms of the speed it helps provide, for the following. If you’re only ever riding on flat/relatively flat conditions and you’re of average weight and not carrying any/much cargo. This is though, unless you’re in other parts of the world, which may have higher speed limits. 

You can ride an electric bike faster than the speed limit for where you’re based, if you’re riding on private land. As long as you have permission from the land owner. If this is what you’re planning, you could buy an electric bike that goes as fast as you can afford. Remember to be careful though, too much speed can be dangerous. The speed restrictions that are on public highways, are there for a reason.  

Remember though, factors other than the battery, can help your electric bike go faster. This can include having a lightweight bike like a road bike, using lighter tires and having a powerful motor. 

Calculating the Speed Your Electric Bike Can Go     

As long as you know the voltage of your battery, the rpm of the motor and the diameter of your bicycle wheels in inches. You can then use the below calculations, to establish the speed your electric bike can go, in either mph or km/h.

rpm of motor x diameter of bicycle wheel (in inches) x 0.003 = speed in mph

rpm of motor x diameter of bicycle wheel (in inches) x 0.0048 = speed in km/h.

So below are examples of this calculation, to establish the speed of an electric bike in both mph and km/h, if the wheels are 26 inches and the motor is 200 rpm.

200 rpm x 26” (26 inches) x 0.003 = 15.6mph

200 rpm x 26” (26 inches) x 0.0048 = 24.96 km/h

Upgrading Your Battery

It’s sometimes possible to upgrade your electric bike battery to a bigger capacity one, for more speed and range. However, this is not always simple to do and there’s certainly some considerations.

How electric bike batteries are attached to the bike is not standardized. This is throughout the market as a whole. So often, if you were to buy a new battery, it can only be a like for like replacement, from the manufacturer. This is handy at least, if you want a spare.

A solution though, if you wish to upgrade your battery, is to buy a triangle battery. You can attach these types of batteries to your electric bike, an alternative way. This YouTube video, “Easiest Way To Upgrade Your Ebike Battery”, shows how you can do this.

Electric bike triangle battery

Increasingly in the market, more electric bikes are starting to become available, where you can buy a higher capacity battery from the manufacturer, compared to the original battery that comes with the bike. It remains to be seen, but as time goes on, this could become more standard.

Upgrading Considerations

If you’re upgrading to a higher capacity battery, you need to be cautious. You need to make sure it is still a capacity, that your motor and controller can handle.

The increased amount of amp hours and voltage, should not exceed the specified amp hour and voltage limit of your controller. If you do not adhere to this, you will risk burning your controller out. You do, though, have the option to upgrade your controller. This can help you to accommodate any increased battery capacity, if needed.

Your motor is not as sensitive as the controller though. You can upgrade to a higher voltage battery without damaging the motor, as long as you don’t overdo it. This is apart from any possible increased wear and tear, due to the increased power. So as long as your controller can handle it, you could opt for the below battery upgrades.

24v battery to a 36v battery

36v battery to a 48v battery

48v battery to a 52v battery

So, if your electric bike comes with a 24v battery, it would not be advisable to upgrade it to a 52v one. It may be too much of a jump for the motor to handle. Remembering, as mentioned above, you still need to be careful if upgrading your battery. 

There will be a bit of trial and error here, when upgrading to a higher voltage battery. You don’t want the motor getting too hot whilst riding. This will be an indicator that the motor is being overloaded and at risk of burning out.

You can minimize the risk of burning out your motor, whilst riding with an upgraded battery, of a higher voltage. This can be done by the following. The upgraded battery can have a lower number of amp hours, compared to the original battery. This acts as a counterbalance. So you can keep the watt hours of the battery at a suitable capacity for the motor, with this option. This is a suitable means, if you want to increase your electric bike’s speed, but you don’t mind any compromise on the range. 

Do bear in mind, though, that factors like rider weight and incline, affect the load placed on the motor. This contributes towards the voltage your motor is dealing with, at any given point. Again, this all involves an amount of trial and error, to make sure your motor is not overloaded.

You could upgrade your motor to one with a higher rpm per volt, to accommodate a battery upgrade. This is an expensive option though. If you were to start upgrading your motor as well as your battery, then it’s starting to get to the point, where you may as well upgrade your whole electric bike altogether.      

Alternatives to Upgrading Your Battery 

You may deem that replacing your existing electric bike battery, for a higher capacity one, is too much of a risk. This is due to any potential burn out to your motor and controller, if you overdo it. So luckily, there are alternative, safer ways to increase the range of your electric bike. I will talk about a couple of these below. By the way though, there are other ways to increase your electric bike’s range. These are certain behaviors and habits you can adopt. I discuss these in my article “How Can I Increase My Electric Bike Battery Range”. 

Adding Range Extenders

You can opt for an electric bike, where the existing battery has the facility to have a range extender added.

A range extender is a power bank that is added to your electric bike and charges your battery, when the electric assistance is not being used. This can include if you’ve stopped for a break, or if you’re freewheeling down a hill. These range extenders are usually mounted to where your drinks holder would go. So they are more likely to be compatible with your electric bike, if you have an internal or integrated battery.

You can alternate between having the range extender added to, or removed from your bike. This means you can toggle between these 2 options, depending on the length of your journey. So if you don’t need the range extender, when you’re only going for a short journey, you can remove it to save on weight. You can then add it back on again later, for a longer journey. This makes range extenders a practical option

These range extenders can give you a significant increase in range. Some options are able to give you an increase of up to 75%. This depends on how much you’re prepared to pay, though.

Do be careful by the way, if you’re thinking of purchasing a range extender. This is because they may void the warranty with some manufacturers, so always check this. However, this won’t be an issue if buying one of these for an electric bike, where the warranty has already expired.

Carrying a Spare Battery

Opting for a range extender may not be for you. For example, this could be if it would violate your electric bike warranty. If this is the case, you could buy a spare (like for like) battery. You can take this out with you in a backpack, or on a cargo rack. This is another way to get more range, when you’re out on those longer rides. 

The battery weight and size, can be a key consideration here. This is because you want a battery that’s easy and comfortable, to carry in your backpack. That’s if you don’t have a cargo rack. You would also want a battery that’s easy and quick to replace, whilst you’re out on a ride.

A spare battery has the 2 below advantages compared to a range extender.

1. Spare batteries are more cost effective. Range extenders cost approximately the same as a replacement, like for like battery. However, a fully charged replacement like for like battery, will give you a 100% increase in range. Whereas range extenders, provide to up to 75% increase in range.
2. With a spare battery, you’re not relying on charging the original battery, anytime you’re not using the electric assistance. As mentioned before, this is how the range extender works. 

You may prefer a range extender though, if you don’t have a cargo rack, but you still prefer having everything you need, all on your bike. Cycling with a backpack to carry a spare battery, may not be appealing to you.

Internal Versus External Battery 

Whether an electric bike battery is an internal or external one, has no bearing on the battery’s performance. It’s down to a personal visual preference, as to which type you opt for. There are also integrated batteries as well. These are a relative variation of internal batte

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