Biking is one of the most popular sports among outdoor lovers and fitness fanatics. Pedaling away to a bustling spot within the urban zone or to a scenic spot or a hill on the outskirts of your city to get some exercise and explore the natural beauty is a fun weekend pastime. However, until fairly recently, this enjoyable activity was restricted to only the young and fit bikers who had the stamina and endurance to pedal for long distances. With the advent of electric bikes though, fortunately that’s not the case anymore!
Senior citizens and the not-as-fit populace with a love for biking can now participate in the pleasurable sport and take advantage of its health maximizing benefits, thanks to electric bikes. If you’re considering biking to a faraway place soon, you’re probably wondering how far you can make it on your e-bike. Or what is the range of an e-bike? In that case, we bring you some helpful answers to this oft-repeated question pertaining to the electric bike range.
Electric Bike Range
How far your e-bike can take you on one charge really depends on a multitude of factors including your bike’s specifications like battery capacity. Quite naturally, the higher the battery power, the longer it will be able to take you on a single charge. In addition, other factors related to your bike including the type of tires and its weight also play a crucial role in determining its effective range.
However, the range provided by your e-bike also depends on the way you ride. Yes… you read that correctly. No two bikers are the same and hence neither will be the range traveled on their electric bike – even if it’s on the exact same e-bike, with the same make and model. Besides your riding habits and prowess, the range also depends on external factors like the weight you’re carrying, terrain, temperature, and weather condition.
All manufacturers mention the range of their electric bikes, which is called the advertised range. However it’s important to mention that in the real world, it’s not feasible to provide an accurate number for the e-bike range. It’s also possible that the claimed range may differ from the actual range because the average electric bike battery range depends on several elements that are far outside the scope of the bike’s assembly or specifications.
Here’s a complete list of the external factors (outside the purview of the electric bike’s specifications) that can decide how far your e-bike can take you:
- How hard is the rider pedaling?
- What is the riding speed?
- How many times does the rider stop and start?
- What is the biker’s weight and are they carrying heavy baggage (the lighter the overall weight the higher the range)?
- What is the level of assistance the rider is using?
- Is the terrain flat or mountainous? (the battery range will be far greater on flat terrain or within the city than on steep hikes)?
- How is the weather? Are there strong winds? Is it raining? (Sunny days are not only a pleasure to ride on but they also offer 15% more range than rainy or cold days)
Here’s are the considerations pertaining to the bike’s specifications that determine the range it allows (however the number will of course also depend on the above mentioned factors, as explained earlier):
1. Tires – Fat or Thin? Soft or Hard?
Electric bikes with fat tires are versatile in terms of terrain as they can be ridden on sand as well as snow. However they have a shorter range as they have a higher rolling resistance - a larger surface area of the tires comes into contact with the road. On the other hand, thin tires offer a greater range because they are lighter and have a reduced contact with the road surface.
In addition, similar to normal bikes, the pressure in the tires in your e-bike is also a determining factor of the distance it can travel. For a higher range, be sure to maintain the right pressure in your tires, as soft tires won’t take you very far.
2. Battery Capacity
Among all the electric bike specifications, battery capacity is one of the most important determinants of the electric bike range.
All electric bikes include specifications that mention the battery range in hours, amp-hours, or watt-hours. To convert from amp-hours into watt-hours, simply multiply the volts by amp-hours. For instance, Rize Bikes’ Leisure electric bike has a battery range between 16 and 19.2 amp-hours and its voltage is 48 V. It means that it offers a range ranging from 768 to 921.6 watt-hours.
This means even in rough terrain like uphill ascents and faster speeds, the Leisure bike’s battery will offer a higher efficiency and performance.
3. Battery size vs. Motor Power
Another useful factor that can impact the electric bike range is how equivalent is the battery capacity (watt hours) to the motor power (watts). They need to be similar to a large extent, so they complement each other during the entire run, and provide a higher battery efficiency.
To ensure a high range, almost all our e-bike models have a battery capacity that is equivalent to the power of the motor, to quite a large degree. For instance, Rize Bikes’ Blade has a battery capacity of 768Wh, which is reasonably equivalent to its motor capacity of 750 watts. The similar battery and motor capacity ensures that customers enjoy a high battery range.
4. Type of Battery
The battery type can also affect the electric bike range. Lithium batteries, for example, have a greater energy density and hence provide a better range than nickel-cadmium batteries. For the benefit of our customers, all of Rize Bikes’ electric bikes including Liberty are fitted with lithium ion batteries, which provide a much higher range than that provided by other types of batteries.
How to Enjoy Higher E-bike Range?
Here’s the bottom line: if you travel on a flat terrain, on a light-weight bike, with minimum luggage, check the pressure in your tires periodically, pedal hard and for a majority of the length of the ride, use a minimum assist level, don’t stop and start frequently, you’ll be able to cover a longer distance on a single charge. And don’t forget to do your due diligence in terms of the aspects covered above when choosing an e-bike.
We hope we addressed all your doubts and questions regarding electric bike range. Learn what our electric bike ranges are, with a complete and easy side-by-side comparison chart.
