Determining Electric Bike Battery Ranges

Without a doubt, the number one question we get asked about our Bakcou eBikes is “How far can I ride on a single charge?”, and to be completely honest, there isn’t a simple answer. The range of your Bakcou eBike, or any eBike for that matter, varies from rider to rider. When you see eBikes advertised as having a certain range, those ranges are usually inaccurate and sometimes quite exaggerated. It’s extremely difficult to estimate the range of your eBike because so many factors depend on the individual rider and the riding conditions. 

Some of the factors that influence the range of your Bakcou eBike include the rider weight, the level of pedal assist the rider is using, how much the rider is using the throttle, the terrain, the speed, weather conditions, and towing weight, just to name a few.

How Do I Determine My Electric Bike Range?

Before we start, it’s important to note that motor power only impacts how fast you can pull off and how well you can get up hills. Motor power doesn’t impact how far you can go. The battery capacity is the most important variable in determining the electric bike range. 

At Bakcou, we measure our battery capacity in Amp-hours (Ah). To calculate your eBike range, you will want to calculate the Watt hours (Wh) capacity of your battery. The formula to calculate Watt-hours is Watt-hours=Amp-hours X volts.

Examples:

1. Bike A has a 24V - 20Ah battery: 24V x 20Ah = 480Wh
2. Bike B has a 48V - 10Ah battery: 48V x 10Ah = 480Wh
3. Bike C has a 24V - 6Ah battery: 24V x 6Ah = 144Wh

Bikes A & B have the same amount of energy, and with equal motors and riders they would perform very similarly. Bike B with the higher voltage will accelerate faster and climb better but at the expense of some of that energy. On the flip side, Bike C will not take you nearly as far.

So, Which is Better?

If you’re looking for an eBike that accelerates fast, climbs well, and can travel long distances on a single charge,the best option is to purchase a battery that has high voltage AND high amp-hours. A battery with high voltage and low amp-hours will shorten the distance you can travel on a single charge.

At Bakcou, our eBike batteries are all 48V and available in a few different amp-hour options. We're proud to offer the BIGGEST eBike battery on the market in our 25ah/1200wh battery. This gives you great acceleration and climbing power and the high value amp-hour options give you the ability to go further. 

Finally, it’s important to also take the type of motor you are buying into consideration when you are looking at eBike ranges. There are good arguments to be made that mid-drive motors get a better range than the hub-drive motor counterparts because they work synergistically with the gears. At Bakcou, the Storm, Storm Jäger, Mule, and Scout are all available with a mid-drive motor.

Conclusion

We hope you find this information useful as you research and weigh your options for purchasing an electric bike. At Bakcou, in addition to having best-in-class customer service and eBikes built to handle their demands, we pride ourselves on offering the biggest electric bike battery available on the market for Lithium-ion batteries. 

If you have any questions regarding eBikes, eBike batteries, or Bakcou eBikes and scooters in general, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be more than happy to help!