Car & driving
How far can an e-bike go on one charge?
Real kilometers from your e-bike battery based on Wh, assist level and terrain — plus cost per 100 km.
Quick answer
E-bike range claims — "up to 120 km!" — are the WLTP of cycling: measured in Eco mode, on flat ground, with a light rider and no wind. The honest math is watt-hours divided by consumption per kilometer, and real consumption clusters tightly: about 5 Wh/km in Eco, 7 in the Tour mode most people actually ride, 9 in Sport, 12 in Turbo. Hills multiply everything — rolling terrain adds ~30%, real mountains 60%. A 500 Wh battery in Tour mode on flat ground is thus a genuine 70 km bike; the same battery in Turbo in the hills is a 30 km bike. Both numbers are true; only one appears in the brochure.
Estimated real range
~71 km
- Consumption
- 7 Wh/km
- Charging cost per 100 km
- ~$0.19
Real-world consumption runs 5-12 Wh per km depending on assist, plus up to 60% more on climbs — figures here already include rider weight around 75-85 kg on a city/trekking e-bike. Headwind, knobby tires, low pressure and cold (batteries lose 15-25% below 5 °C) all eat kilometers. Manufacturers’ "up to 120 km" claims assume Eco on flat ground; the Tour figure here is the honest daily number. Charge cost assumes €0.25/kWh.
How it works
What the spec sheet also won’t say: cold costs 15-25% below 5 °C (store the battery indoors, mount it just before riding), underinflated tires and knobby treads each nibble 5-15%, and batteries age like phone batteries — expect ~80% of original capacity after 500 full charge cycles, which is 3-5 years of normal use. The economics stay absurd regardless: at €0.25/kWh a full charge costs 12-15 cents, so 100 km of assisted riding costs about 20 cents — roughly fifty times cheaper than the same kilometers by car.
Two things move the range more than anything on the spec sheet. Assistance is not linear — going from the lowest mode to the highest can roughly triple consumption per kilometre, and every advertised range is measured in the lowest one, which is why the real number is often less than half the claim. The rider is the other half: pedalling genuinely rather than resting on the motor extends range dramatically, so two people on the same bike get answers that barely look related. Over winter, store the battery at around half charge indoors — left full or empty for months is what actually kills it.
Frequently asked questions
How far does a 500 Wh e-bike battery really go?+
Realistic figures: ~100 km in Eco on flat ground, ~70 km in Tour, ~55 in Sport, ~40 in Turbo — drop 25% for hilly terrain and 40% for mountains. If your commute is 20 km round trip in Tour, a 500 Wh battery covers 3 days per charge with margin. For all-day mountain rides, either a 750+ Wh battery or a second battery in the pack.
How should I charge the battery to make it last?+
Same chemistry, same rules as phones, but the stakes are €400-800: avoid parking it at 0% or 100% for days (store around 50-60% if not riding for weeks), charge indoors at room temperature, and prefer topping up over deep full cycles. Never charge a battery that’s still freezing from the ride — let it warm up an hour first. Original chargers only: e-bike battery fires are rare and almost always involve third-party chargers or damaged packs.
Why is my e-bike range much lower than advertised?+
Run the checklist: assist level (advertised figures are Eco; most people ride Tour/Sport — that alone is -30-45%), terrain, tire pressure (check monthly, it’s the most neglected 10%), headwind, total weight with bags and child seat, cold, and battery age. If range dropped suddenly rather than gradually, have the battery diagnosed — most brand dealers read cell health in minutes, and one weak cell group drags the whole pack down.
Is it worth buying a second battery or a bigger one?+
Do the math before spending €400-800: if 90% of your rides fit the current battery, a charger at the office or a 30-minute lunch top-up (fast chargers refill ~50% in that time) often solves the remaining 10% for a fraction of the price. The second battery makes sense for regular all-day tours, cargo bikes on hills, and couriers. When buying, check that the battery is a current model — packs for discontinued mounts get expensive and then extinct.
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