Ownership
Ebike range, explained honestly
The short version
Wh per mile is the only range figure that travels between bikes. Expect 20-25 on eco assist and 35-45 at full throttle.
Do the arithmetic once and you can ignore every claim
Range is battery energy divided by consumption. Battery energy in watt-hours (Wh) is simple: volts x amp-hours. A 48V 15Ah pack is 720Wh.
Consumption is where every claim goes soft. Real-world figures from our own test rides:
| Riding style | Wh per mile | Range from 720Wh |
|---|---|---|
| Eco assist, flat, pedalling | 20 | 36 miles |
| Moderate assist, rolling terrain | 26 | 28 miles |
| Sport assist, mixed climbing | 34 | 21 miles |
| Full throttle, no pedalling | 42 | 17 miles |
Use this to sanity-check any listing
Divide the watt-hours by 26 and you have a realistic mixed-use range. A 720Wh bike that claims 90 miles is either in eco mode on a treadmill or not being straight with you.
Cold is the biggest variable nobody mentions
Lithium cells lose usable capacity as they cool. At 40F you are down roughly 10%, at 20F closer to 20%, and the effect reverses as the pack warms from use. This is why a January commute feels dramatically shorter than the same ride in June.
- Store and charge the pack indoors. Charging a cold pack is slow and mildly hard on it.
- Expect the first two miles to feel weak in the cold. Internal resistance drops as the pack warms.
- Range recovers indoors within an hour – the capacity is not gone, it is temporarily unavailable.
Estimate your own commute
- 01 Measure the one-way distance
Use a mapping tool with elevation enabled, and note total climbing – not just distance.
- 02 Double it, then add a buffer
Round-trip miles, then add 30% for cold, wind, and the days you take the long way home.
- 03 Convert to watt-hours
Take the total miles and multiply by 30 Wh/mile for mixed assist. That is your required pack, at minimum.
- 04 Compare against the pack, not the claim
If the answer exceeds the pack’s watt-hours, you need either a bigger pack or a second one.
A second battery costs less than the upgrade to a bigger bike, and it doubles range without adding weight you carry every day.
Service desk
Five ways to get more miles from the pack you have
- Run tire pressure at the top of the recommended range on pavement. Soft tires are comfortable and expensive in watts.
- Pedal from a standstill rather than throttling. The first 30 feet cost more energy than the next 300.
- Ease off before stops and coast. Braking regenerates nothing on most builds.
- Drop one assist level on flats and use the gears – cadence around 70-80 rpm is the efficient zone.
- Store indoors between rides in winter so the pack is warm when you set off.
Check your own numbers
Every product page lists pack capacity in watt-hours alongside the claimed range, so you can apply the arithmetic above yourself.