Electric bikes are regarded as one of the most affordable commuting options today. They can be purchased in an inexpensive tag and can be operated at an even affordable cost, all thanks to their ‘electric’ nature. Unlike the traditional methods of long-distance commutes, electric bikes don’t run on gas – which means they’re not affected by surging gas prices.
But since they do consume another form of energy (electrical energy), it’s only natural to wonder how much does it cost to charge an electric bike.
If you’re wondering the same, just read on and you’ll get your answer.
How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Bike?
Before we get to the big question, we need to discuss some basic things about e-bike batteries first. To help you understand better, we’ll take the example of the C20 Pro – a long-range electric bike from Engwe.
So, buckle up for e-bike batteries 101!
As you’d probably know, electric bikes use Lithium-ion batteries of various capacities to fuel their motors. So to put it simply, it’s their capacity to hold the electrical energy that determines how much does it cost to charge an electric bike.
A larger-sized battery would understandably cost more to charge than a smaller battery.
The capacity of a battery is measured in Ampere-hours (Ah) while the energy content is measured in Watt-hours (Wh). These two things are related in the following manner:
Energy content of a battery (in Wh) = Capacity of the battery (in Ah) x Voltage of the battery (in V)
For instance, the C20 Pro has a massive 36V 19.2Ah Lithium battery with an energy content of 691.2Wh (691.2Wh = 19.2Ah x 36V).
Now, the cost of charging an e-bike battery can be determined by the following formula:
Cost of charging (in €) = Energy content of the battery (in kWh) x Cost of one unit of electricity (in €/kWh)
In the case of the C20 Pro, the energy content in kWh would come out to 0.691kWh… and when we multiply it with an assumed average electricity cost of €0.13 per kWh, the cost of a single charge would come out to be €0.09 or 9 cents.
Since the C20 Pro has a maximum assisted mileage of 150km, it means you’ll be spending just 9 cents to travel 150km on pedal-assist on this e-bike.
Also, keep in mind that the C20 Pro has one of the largest batteries on the market. For an average 400-500Wh battery, the cost of a single charge would be around 5-6 cents.
In case you want to find the accurate cost of charging your e-bike, you just need to know how much watt-hours (Wh) your battery has and what’s the cost of one unit of electricity in your area.
We hope this short blog answered your question and added to your knowledge. Happy riding!
Also read: What are E-bike Class Differences?
