Dustin Gyger
April 29, 2022
Hey guys, Dustin here, CEO of sixthreezero. And today we're going to answer the question how far can electric bikes go? Stick around.
All right, so today we're going to answer the question how far can electric bikes go? But before I do, hit the subscribe button below, stay in touch with us here at sixthreezero, and be the first to know about all the new products, new content, and of course, giveaways that we do for bikes, e-bikes, and accessories. So hit subscribe. All right. So today we're going to talk about how far can electric bikes go? Electric bikes are becoming so popular because the motor, the assistance can help you ride farther, ride longer, and take the strain off your body. But, real question is, well, how long do they last? How many miles can I go? How long does the battery last? The charge last?
Well, this is a very complicated question that I'll try to simplify into the simplest answer. It really depends on many factors. Now, there's a lot of marketing and advertising out there depicting how far batteries can go, the ranges, some batteries will say 20 miles, 30 miles, 40 miles, 20 to 50 miles. Now, all of those ranges depend on several factors. The number one factor in my opinion, well, number one actually, is the battery size. Number two is the load on the bike. That includes the rider and then any other weight that's on that bike, whether it's a weight inside a basket, on a rear bag, or if you're towing something behind you. Number three is the type of terrain you're riding. So are you riding up big hills? Are you flat ground? Number four is the type of ground. Is it smooth pavement? Is it dirt? Is it mountainous, rocks, things of that nature? So, those are really the four factors that are going to determine the range or the biggest four factors, in my opinion. Number one is the battery size. And number two is the load on the bike. Number three is terrain, types of hills, topography, flat, not flat. And number four is the actual trail, pavement, things of that nature.
When we look at battery size, you're going to see different battery sizes out there. You're going to see people advertising a range. Or some people, when they talk about batteries, they're going to talk about volts and then also amp hours. So as an example, our batteries are 48 volt and 10.4 amp-hour. And then there's something called watt-hours. To get watt-hours, you multiply the volts times the amp hours and that equals your watt-hours. Our batteries, without remembering and doing the math, just off the cuff, you just multiply 48 times 10. So you're going to be somewhere around 500-watt hours, basically.
So the size of your battery will depend on that. So if you have a 21 amp hour battery that's 48 volts, that's going to be a larger capacity battery. One thing to keep in mind, the larger the capacity battery, the more expensive the e-bike is going to be, generally speaking. Batteries are one of the most expensive, actually in my opinion, the most expensive component of an electric bike. And they can get more and more expensive depending on the battery size. When you look at electric cars, you're going to be paying for range. Batteries are the most expensive technological aspect of electric cars as well.
So, things to keep in mind though, because if you, depending on how you're using your electric bike, if it's short-range or long-range, you don't want to overpay for a battery that you'll never need the range of. That's important to pay attention. A big battery may sound good to you, but you're going to pay $100, $200, $300, or $500 more depending on what size battery you're looking for.
Now, the other factor to think about is what is your motor size? Now, different motors out there as well, 250 watts, 350 watts, 500 watts, 750, 1,000, and over. I'm going to talk about 750 and below just because 750 and below is only what's street legal here in California. And actually, most states have some guidelines saying 750 is the max wattage for a street-legal e-bike. Now there are 1,000 watts, 2000 watts, much bigger.
So, the range is going to depend on the combination of the battery and the motor size. And then also, how are you using it? Are you using the pedal assist? And if so, are you keeping it in levels two and level three? Or are you using level five trying to go 20 plus miles an hour? Are you using the throttle? Now, not all e-bikes have this, but sixthreezero e-bikes have a throttle and a pedal-assist option. The throttle is essentially a motorcycle feature. At that point, you're holding that throttle down and the bike is doing all the work and it's being powered by the motor. You don't even have to pedal at all. So your range is going to vary. If you're mixing in your riding by using it like a regular bike, using a pedal assist, and using a throttle, how much of each of those do you use? I've had actually done a video where I used full throttle only on my 500 watts with the 48 volts, 10.4-hour battery. And I made it 20 miles, believe it or not, just using the throttle. The other thing that plays in is how you strategically use the motor or don't use the motor. So when it's flat ground, try to coast. If you're coming down a hill, let it coast. You're going to elongate the battery. Or, use it like a regular bike to preserve the energy as well.
So, giving exact ranges or telling you this is how long an e-bike battery is going to last is very complicated. The other thing I'm going to say is when any brand, including sixthreezero, advertises a range, what we're saying is, generally speaking, this is the range of miles you are going to get when using this e-bike for pedal-assist or for throttle. But, those ranges can vary based on all these factors. So, long story short, there's no simple answer of saying this 500-watt e-bike will take me 20 miles. What I will say is for sixthreezero e-bikes, they're 500 watts, I'll give you a general ballpark, what we say is if you're doing just full throttle, not pedaling, I'll say you should get no less than 10 miles on flat ground, no less than 10 miles on flat ground with full throttle. I did 20 miles. I'm also 220 pounds. Somebody lighter than me could do more than that. With pedal assist, if you're in a level two or a level three, you're going to get no less than 20 miles. And the range could be up to 30, 40, or 50 miles, depending on how you use that pedal assist level.
I personally look at a lot of forums and a lot of groups and I listen to people and I see how much they're getting out of their battery. And it really does depend. Every rider is different. Every range is different. The hills are different. The riding terrains is different. The wind is different. As much as you may not think the wind affects you, the wind is putting resistance on that bike and it's draining the battery. So the biggest thing I will say when you're shopping is to look at the size of the battery and then make sure the range looks to be a range that you're happy with. Once you get that bike, start to clock your rides and you will start to get a feel for what routes, how long you can get a battery, or how much life you can get out of each ride and each battery. And my suggestion is before you buy an extra battery or do this, see if the battery you bought with your current bike is giving you the range you want.
Unfortunately, I'm not giving a [inaudible 00:08:00] answer of, "Oh, all-electric bikes should give this range." But, if you want to ask me specifically about an e-bike that you are looking at and have a question about a battery, you can comment below. I would give my opinion. If you're looking at a 250 watt with an eight amp hour battery, a nine amp hour battery, and you give me a little idea of the terrain, I can and help give you some idea of how long I think the battery will last on your rides.
So again, hope that helps. Comment below or email us at team@sixthreezero.com, or call us, at (310) 982-2877. We're happy to answer your questions. And if you're in the market for an e-bike, visit our website sixthreezero.com. Take our proprietary body fit quiz. It's going to ask you some questions about your body, and your life, and recommend the perfect e-bike for you. In addition, we have a 90-day test ride your e-bike policy. If you don't love your e-bike within 90 days, send it back, no questions asked, no money out of your pocket. And then in addition to that, after that 90 days, we're going to still warranty the bike for 365 days, take care of any questions, problems, anything with the bike to make sure you can keep riding for the next 365 days.
Lastly, join our Facebook pedalers group and download our app to be a part of our community. Before you purchase, these are great things to do because you can see other people actually logging their miles on specific bikes, what bikes they're riding and how far. And, you can also ask questions, talk to other riders in our pedalers group before you purchase. Then after you purchase, you can be a part of our competitions on the leaderboard weekly with the app. Opportunities to win bikes, e-bikes, and accessories. And in the pedalers group, make new friends, post your photos, and have a lot of fun. All right. So thank you for sticking around, and don't forget, it's your journey, your experience. Enjoy the ride.