How Far Do Electric Bikes Go?
Electric bikes are pretty awesome, and riding one is so simple. Unlike a traditional bike, which has no mileage limit (until, I suppose, the tires go flat), an electric bike does. How far do e-bikes go before you need to stop and charge them?
Most electric bikes can travel between 25 and 45 miles on one charge. Your weight, the type of terrain you’re riding, the size and capacity of your battery, your reliance on the battery, and the weather and wind can all determine how far your electric bike travels.
Ahead, I’ll investigate in more detail how far an electric bike can go so you can plan all your e-bike travels. I’ll even present some tips that could possibly extend your distance range, which you won’t want to miss!
How Far Can You Ride on an Electric Bike in a Single Charge?
The only real downside to owning an electric bike is the long battery charge times. If you read my recent post, then you’ll recall that you’ll be down and out for at least three and a half hours and upwards of six or even eight hours while your battery charges.
Since it takes so long to recharge your e-bike battery, you want to make the most of the time you have on your bike. Precisely how long will it be before the battery requires a recharge?
At the very least, you can expect to get 25 miles of ride time out of a single charge of your electric bike’s battery. That’s not too shabby!
The most distance you can gain on the bike is 45 miles, at least in average riding conditions.
Now, whether these distances suit your lifestyle depends on what you use your electric bike for.
If you’re a commuter who only rides the bike around your town, then 25 to 45 miles on a single charge isn’t so bad.
You should be able to get to and from work, the grocery store, friends’ houses, the gym, or wherever you like to go and maybe even have a bit of battery power left to spare.
For those who use an e-bike for longer-distance travel, then the aforementioned distance range can be a little disappointing.
Keep in mind that it’s not like your electric bike stops working once the battery dies. You just have to manually pedal.
Of course, one of the upsides of riding an e-bike is keeping the manual effort to a minimum, and I get that.
This is just on a single charge, though. You could always strategically charge your electric bike battery and be out on the road within the same day, traveling further than 45 miles if need be.
The Factors That Influence Your E-Bike Travel Distance
The reason that your electric bike travel distance was presented as a range in the last section is that how far you can go on the bike comes down to a variety of factors.
Almost all of them are in your control and thus are worth paying attention to. Let’s go over these important factors now.
Your Weight
The more weight that an electric bike has bearing down on it when it’s in use, the harder the battery has to work to keep you going.
That’s especially true when you’re ascending on your e-bike.
Lighter loads make it easier for the bike to collect the max amount of mileage on a single charge.
Thus, how much you weigh is one of the biggest determining factors in how far you can take your e-bike before the battery depletes.
It’s not only how much you weigh when you step on the scale but the weight of anything and everything else you’re wearing or carrying on your person.
A helmet–not like I’d ever tell you to forego one–is going to add to your weight. If you have groceries hanging off your handlebars, so too will that.
Even your choice of shoes can drive up your overall weight, although admittedly not by much.
Terrain Type
What type of terrain is common in your neighborhood or where you like to ride your electric bike the most frequently?
If the terrain is very rough and tumble, that’s harder on your bike.
The less grip your e-bike naturally has, the more that your battery will have to kick in to power the motor so you can stay upright.
In a situation like that, switching out the types of tires you’re using for your e-bike can be the simplest and most convenient fix.
Otherwise, you’d be stuck riding on smooth terrain all the time. Riding the same old, same old day in and day out can get rather boring.
You want the freedom to explore sand or grass or even gravel when the urge strikes.
Level vs. Unlevel Ground
In a similar vein as the type of terrain is how level the ground is that you’re riding your e-bike on.
Electric bikes make navigating up hills far easier than doing the same on a traditional bike. You don’t have to exert yourself to nearly the same degree.
Reducing your physical effort like that leaves you with more energy and a lot less body odor and sweat to contend with.
However, each time you use your e-bike’s battery to motor up a hill, you’re sucking away the battery’s juices more and more.
Granted, any type of motorized e-bike use drains the battery, but the battery will go a lot faster if you ride in hilly San Francisco versus New York City with a lot of even, flat terrain such as sidewalks.
The Weather
Is the weather outside frightful? Then a ride on your electric bike will assuredly not be delightful.
When roads are dirty or wet, they lose their grip compared to the natural grippiness of dry asphalt or concrete.
You’re already aware that when your e-bike has less grip to rely on that it’s going to struggle more to get you from Point A to Point B.
Thus, in inclement weather of any kind, your electric bike’s battery will go a lot faster than when riding in clear weather.
Wind Strength
The wind is technically weather, but it reacts to your e-bike in a different way than other types of weather, so I wanted to talk about it separately.
For example, the wind can sometimes help you as you ride your electric bike, especially if you have tailwinds.
The winds will propel you forward so you can rely less on the bike’s motor. That will certainly save the battery and allow you to travel further distances on your e-bike.
If you’re caught in headwinds, these winds fight against you. You’ll feel like you’re pedaling into a wall, and in slow motion, at that.
The more effort you expend into trying to combat a headwind, the less battery you’ll have for your troubles, which will leave you able to travel less distance on your e-bike.
Tire Pressure
I talked about how some types of tires are better for certain types of e-bike riding scenarios than others.
For example, if you’re using fat tires on your electric bike, those can handle off-road types of terrain like sand or gravel exceptionally well.
Commuter tires, on the other hand, are smooth for level terrain.
Tire pressure is another factor that you have to keep in mind when gauging your electric bike distance.
Your tires should be full but not overly full and certainly not empty either.
The correct tire pressure will allow for more power transference from your e-bike’s wheels to the pavement or terrain below.
Your Effort
Some electric bikes are reliant on a throttle to power you through all sorts of riding situations.
Others are pedal-assisted. This means that the e-bike’s engine can augment your physical effort such as going up a hill. The engine isn’t running all the time though.
The latter type of electric bike is far better for prolonging your battery life and thus the distance you’ll get out of your bike.
When you frequently take over pedaling duties on your e-bike, you save the engine and thus the battery. You can travel far and freely on your bike!
Battery Size
A smaller battery is going to have less capacity (more on that to come in just a second) but it’s going to weigh less.
And yes, when it comes to your electric bike’s traveling distance, you have to keep every source of extra weight in mind, and that includes the battery itself.
If the battery is large, or if the housing it occupies is sizable, then your battery will indeed wear itself down. It’s kind of ironic, but those are the facts!
Battery Capacity
The last factor is one of the most important if you want to go further on your electric bike.
The capacity of your e-bike battery refers to the rate of power it holds.
If yours is a lithium-ion or li-ion battery, which is common in electric bikes, then for every 20 watt-hours, the battery will allow you to travel one mile on your e-bike.
That’s if every other factor listed in this section is about average.
A watt-hour is the sum of the battery’s voltage multiplied by its total amp hours.
How to Increase Your Electric Bike’s Travel Distance
Are you interested in boosting the distance range of your electric bike? Of course, you are, as who wouldn’t be, right?
The following tips will help you do just that.
Use Pedal-Assist Mode
Every electric bike should have pedal-assist features, even those with a super-powerful throttle.
Since I established that more manual effort on your part will enable you to travel further distances on your e-bike, cutting back on your use of the throttle will indeed prove to be worth it.
Maintain Tire Pressure
Remember, both overinflated and underinflated electric bike tires limit how much energy transference you get when using your bike.
Test your tire pressure before every ride and refill the pressure as needed.
Use the Right Types of Tires for Your Type of Riding
Using the wrong types of tires is another way to make your battery work that much harder to help you travel.
You won’t get very much distance out of your electric bike.
To reiterate from earlier, if you’re going to ride on uneven terrain without a lot of grip, then fat tires are your best bet for your e-bike.
For everyday riding, a set of commuter tires suffices.
Cut Down on Your Weight
No, not your weight on the scale (although if you want to do that, then that’s cool too). I’m talking about cutting back on the weight of your gear and cargo.
Downsize your battery if you can get away with it. Limit what you carry on your person when you ride your e-bike and try not to use the bike for carrying items like your gym bag or your groceries.
If you must bring the latter items because you have no other choice, then at least be ready to pedal more on your electric bike to preserve your battery and increase your distance.
Limit Your Starts and Stops
The energy economy of your e-bike battery is better when you’re consistently riding than it is when you start and stop a lot.
That said, as when driving a car, you can’t help when you have to stop on your electric bike and then restart. You’re beholden to the traffic rules, after all!
As much as you can, try to ride on backroads and less-used areas so you can build up and maintain speed consistently.
Conclusion
Electric bikes can travel an average range of 25 to 45 miles on a single charge.
To some, those are great distances, whereas to others, it leaves something to be desired.
Fortunately, you have plenty of options for increasing your travel distance on your e-bike.
They all involve preserving your battery by maintaining the proper tire pressure, limiting weight on the bike, and inputting more manual effort when you can!
