Electric pedal-assisted bikes, also known as E-bikes or electric bikes, offer a spectrum of benefits for different kinds of rides and riders, and aim to break down barriers that prevent us from taking longer, faster rides. Each E-bike in our lineup has a pedal assist motor that runs on a frame-integrated, rechargeable battery. One question we get all the time is: how long will my E-bike battery last on one charge? The not-so simple answer: It depends. We know, WE KNOW: that’s not that helpful, but hear us out. There are a lot of factors that affect just how far your battery will last, and once you understand them, you’ll be better at estimating how many miles you have before you need to recharge.
But, before you can get a clear picture of how to maximize your E-bike battery life, you’ll need a quick run-down of the technology that goes into making your E-bike… well… go. For everyone’s sanity, we tried to put our tech jargon into simple terms here. Read on for detailed descriptions of each model of battery and motor, and how they interact on your bike.
Tips for Extending your E-bike’s Range
- The biggest variable that impacts battery range is the motor on your bike. If you’re riding a bike with a SyncDrive Pro motor, which produces punchy bursts of power, it will drain the battery faster. The lowest-power option, the SyncDrive Core, uses a much more conservative amount and will keep your battery lasting longer.
- Different batteries have different ranges, so you can extend your battery life by purchasing one with generally higher limits. Learn more about the range of each E-bike battery HERE.
- E-bike battery range is also highly affected by which mode you’re riding in. All three motors have five modes: Power (the highest), Sport, Active, Tour, and Eco. The higher level of assistance you’re using, the faster it will sap your battery power. In Power mode, the SyncDrive Pro motor takes your pedaling input and offers a 360 percent boost to the force turning the pedals (the Sport and Core offer 350 and 300 percent in Power Mode, respectively). As you lower the assistance mode, the less power the motor offers, meaning the rider would need to pedal harder to maintain the same speed as she could with less effort in a higher assistance mode; in its lowest mode (Eco), the SyncDrive Pro still provides a 100 percent boost.
- Other factors that influence the battery life basically all have to do with how hard you’re having the motor work. If it’s having to overcome a strong headwind and lots of punchy climbs to keep up it’s speed, that’s going to require it to use more juice at a faster rate. Rider weight and cargo load also play a role, so if you’re loaded down with groceries or a big backpack, that will require extra work for the motor as well.
- In addition to considering factors like weight, wind, elevation, and acceleration, you can increase battery range with good bike maintenance and tire choice. Fully-inflated tires and a clean drivetrain will mean less resistance for the motor, as will a smoother tire, as opposed to a knobby, grippy one.
