The range of an electric bike is how far you can ride it on one charge. A common problem is figuring out how to assess electric bike range. All electric bikes are advertised as having a particular range. However, these advertised ranges are often inaccurate. In fact, sometimes they are downright exaggerated, and may even be four times higher than the reality. Here is a guide to help you figure out the true range of an electric bike.

Youlon Y10 is excellent bike with great range and power

Factors to Consider that Impact E-Bike Range

If you think about it, it is impossible for electric bike range claims to be totally accurate. There are too many factors that make the range different from person to person. These factors include:

• how much the rider weighs (you will get longer range if you weigh 100 pounds than if you weigh 400 pounds);
• what level of assistance the rider chooses;
• the terrain they’re cycling over (you will  get less range in the French Alps than you will get in the Sahara Desert);
• the amount of luggage they’re carrying;
• how fast they go (1/3 faster = 1/2 the range);
• how hard they’re pedaling;
• how many times they stop and start (hill starts in particular will drain power);
• wind conditions;
• temperature (they will get about 15% more range from a battery on a warm sunny day than they would in winter);
• tire pressure (as with regular bikes, soft tires = less efficiency = less distance for power expended);
• what kind of battery they’re using;
• how old their battery is (batteries lose power over time);
• size of their bike motor (big motors are fun, but obviously they drain more battery power); and
• how fast they’re going.

For example, if you decide to engage no assistance at all because you’re on flat terrain and you’re feeling strong, your electric bike range is as far as you can go before you collapse. For some people this might be 200 miles, and for others it could be 20. On the other hand, if you engage the highest level of assistance constantly, and are in very hilly terrain, you can eat through your battery charge pretty fast.

The DM01 is the king of off-road

Battery Power vs. Motor Power

Bear in mind that your battery size and your electric bike motor have to be well matched in order to get optimal range. As a general rule of thumb, look for a setup in which the battery capacity in watt hrs is equal to the motor capacity in watts. This kind of setup will have the greatest range because the motor will not over-tax the battery. You should be able to get at least one hour at maximum assist with this kind of setup.

As an example, the top-of-the-range Youlon Z10  had a battery with 1380 Watt hrs (60 V/23Ah amp hrs). So the motor capacity and battery capacity in watt hrs were almost identical, and the battery was advertised as having an impressive range of 75 miles (120 km). However, the reality is that you would not be able to travel 75 miles in one hour on most electric bikes (unless you were coming down Mt. Everest).

Bear in mind that many electric bike motors are capped at 20 miles (32 km) per hour. So that 56 miles would be achieved more likely in about three hours, and definitely not using the full assist the whole time – there would be a whole lot of pedaling going on as well!

Battery Capacity is the Most Important Factor

Most people will want to have the most powerful bike motor they can afford. But in fact, motor power only impacts how fast you can pull off, and how well you can get up hills. It does not necessarily impact how far you can go. The most important variable to look at in terms of electric bike range is battery capacity.