If you are purchasing an electric bike strictly for commuting purposes, you may be wondering how far you can actually go on it. So, what’s the average range of an electric bike?
The average electric bike has a range of 25-50 miles per charge. The range is impacted by battery size and age, terrain, and cargo weight. Using pedal-assist is one of the best ways to extend the range. More expensive longer-range bikes exist, but purchasing a spare battery can double your range for less.
E-bikes with ranges of 25-50 miles aren’t bad. In fact, they’re a great starting point allowing you to test how much range you need based on how you use your bike. 25-50milies will allow most riders enough distance to get from point A to B, but if you need more than that, there are lots of ways to boost that figure.
What is the Typical Range of An Electric Bike
The range of an electric bike is going to depend on a variety of factors. Some factors that can affect the range are weight, terrain, riding style, and battery type. That being said, you can normally expect a range of 25-50 miles for electric bikes on a single charge.
We’ll break into the specifics of how to estimate the range of your e-bike later on in this article. But, basically, the bigger the battery, the longer the range. With higher price points, you can purchase stronger batteries, and this leads to longer ranges per charge.
First, let’s look at some typical entry-level bikes to see what ranges you can expect. And remember: the pedal-assist range will be the longest, while the throttle-only range will be the lower end. So if you plan to use your electric bike as a scooter, not pedaling at all, you need to focus on the lower number that a given E-Bike’s marketting material references.
How Far Can Normal, Consumer E-Bikes Go?
Most consumers purchasing e-bikes priced around $1,000 can expect ranges of around 25-35 miles per charge. This isn’t a bad range by any means and is an excellent place to begin.
The XC100 by eAhora (on Amazon) is a good example. This bike is priced under $1000 and totes a range of 35 to 50 miles per charge. That being said, you’re more likely to get closer to 35 miles. This range is largely due to the 48V 14Ah battery.
A model with a less powerful battery, such as the Yiilove 26″ Electric Mountain Bike (on Amazon), is going to offer significantly less range. This model comes equipped with a 36V 8Ah battery. With this type of battery, you’re going to be getting around 15 miles per charge. That being said, it’s a much cheaper model.
If you have some extra money in your budget but are still looking for “entry-level” e-bikes, you will be able to buy models with a bit more power. The Aostirmotor Electric Powerful Bike (on Amazon) is a good example. It’s a bit stronger than the eAhora with a 48V 15Ah battery. It boasts a range of 30-35 miles using its fully electric mode. So, using pedal-assist, you may be able to get around 50+ miles per charge.
These are some great examples, and their all bikes that a person just dipping their toe into E-Bikes would be able to select and have fun with. But what about bikes that specialize in longer range? Let’s look at what you can expect there.
How Far can More Specialized Long-Range E-Bikes Go?
If you have different budget restrictions and are looking for more long-range e-bikes, you can expect ranges of between 60-120 miles per charge.
One model you can find in a higher range is the Addmotor Wildtan M-5600 Electric Bike. This bike comes in around $3,600. It’s not built specifically for long-range, but with its 48V 17.5Ah battery, you can expect a minimum range of 45 miles per charge. Depending on how you ride and other factors, you could potentially reach a range of 65 miles per charge.
Now, if you are looking for entirely specialized bikes, look no further than FLLUID. This model has a 1008Wh battery, which totes a base range of 50 miles per charge. On average, you might be able to get 80 to 120 miles per charge. This is what you can expect around the $6,000 USD price tag.
All that considered, what’s the absolute farthest an electric bike could travel on a single charge?
What’s the Longest Range Electric Bike?
You can find many great e-bikes with ranges of 75-100 miles. But, if you want the best of the best, the highest range electric bike has a range of over 200 miles.
The longest range electric bike is the Guinness World Record holder known as the TOP 3.0 by Delfast. This e-bike comes in with a maximum range of over 200 miles! Delfast even made a version of this bike for police officers, showing how far electric bikes have come.
But, this is a highly specialized bike. At nearly $7,000, it doesn’t suit most casual riders. So, what’s the best pick for an affordable long-range electric bike?
The Best Affordable Long-Range Bike
One of our recommendations and a great pick is the Gotrax EBE2 Electric Bike. This model is under $900, putting it in the perfect price range if affordability is important. This bike is excellent for commuters and hobbyists alike.
The bike boasts a range of 50 miles per charge. The 36V 12.5Ah removable battery is going to offer you power, range, and accessibility. Pair that with the 350W motor, and you’re in for a fun ride! The 350W brushless steel motor will offer assistance up to 20mph, making it the perfect Class 2 e-bike option.
On top of all that, the Shimano 21-Speed Gears provide adaptability, more robust hill-climbing capacity, and enough variation that you can get the most out of each ride. The lightweight aluminum alloy frame only aids this bike and its range. To top it off, the lockable suspension ensures a smooth ride on any terrain.
How Can You Estimate an E-Bike’s Range?
There is a lot of different factors that affect the range of an electric bike. But, to get a rough estimate, we can calculate the range using the watt-hours of a battery.
A watt-hour is the amount of energy a battery can store in relation to its mass. Under most circumstances, 1 mile equals 20Wh. How do we calculate the watt-hours of a battery?
To calculate the watt-hours of your e-bike battery, multiple the voltage (V) by the amp hours (Ah). So, the formula would look like this:
Voltage (V) x Amp Hours (Ah) = Watt-hours (Wh)/20.
So, a 48V 14Ah battery would have 672 watt-hours. Once you divide the watt-hours by 20, you get 33.6. So, in ideal circumstances, a 48V 14Ah battery would have a range of 33.6 miles.
As mentioned earlier, different factors such as terrain, weight, battery age, and more can affect the range. However, this formula gives you an estimate of what you can expect out of just the battery. This formula doesn’t factor in pedal-assist, throttle, or any other elements.
How To Increase Your E-Bikes Range
There are a lot of different ways to increase the range of your electric bike. Let’s look at some ways in more detail below.
Pedal More!
Pedaling more is one of the best ways to increase your electric bike’s range. It is a bike, after all! When coming out of a complete stop, make sure you’re pedaling. Be sure to pedal uphills as well; this will take a significant load off the motor and battery.
This is a really important detail: the most power required to move the bike is when starting from a full stop, or when going uphill. So in both those cases, you adding some pedal strength is going to do a ton to extend the range. Every little bit will count here, so you can pedal uphill just slightly to help, and that will take a significant load off the battery.
Reduce Cargo Weight
Reducing the weight on your rides is another way to increase the range. Be mindful of what you’re carrying and what gear you have on your bike. More weight will make the motor and battery work harder, which will reduce your overall range.
The more cargo you have, the more work the motor has to do and power the battery has to supply. And since most E-Bike’s don’t have regenerative braking, you don’t have any chance to recover that kinetic. More cargo=lower range.
Don’t Accelerate Too Hard
Hard acceleration can use unnecessary energy, which will eat up your range. Pedal out of complete stops and accelerate slowly. This will ensure you are not putting excessive strain on your electric bike.
Coasting
Be sure to coast when you can. The best times to coast are around 14-18 miles. Get up to speed and let your momentum carry you. Riding in this way reduces the overall energy you’re consuming.
Watch Terrain and Consider Your Tires
Avoid hills and rough terrain if possible. Going up hills uses up more energy which will, in turn, reduce your range. Try commuting across flat and solid terrain for the best range. And if you have an E-Mountain Bike, those bigger tires are going to take a bit more energy to move around.
A wider, fatter tire has more contact with the road or ground, so there’s more friction generated and more energy lost. This is usually a fair tradeoff, but it means a bike with slim tires, when swapped to fatter tires, will have a noticeably lower range. Be sure to check out our article on all the details around fat tires, when to use them, and the value they can add if you want to know more about this.
Add a Spare Battery!
One of the easiest ways to increase your electric bike range is by purchasing a spare battery. A spare battery can potentially double or triple your range. This option may not be in everybody’s budget, but this is a surefire route to go if you can afford it.
If you’re interested in this option, you should also check out our article on if you can replace your battery with a bigger one to extend the range. And for the extreme DIYers out there, we also have an article looking at whether or not you can add a second battery to your E-Bike.
Wrap-Up
Whether you buy a long-range e-bike or something a bit lighter, utilizing these tips can significantly increase your range. For most riders, 35-60 miles is going to be enough miles per charge. If you need more than that, great options do exist on the market as well, so make sure to research these.