It helps to know how far your e-bike battery will take you. That way you are not caught out. The distance you can cover with your e-bike battery is what we call the range. Our range calculation takes several factors into account. So you may be able to ride more kilometres than the figure we give. You may also get fewer, for example because you use the bike differently.

📅 Published on 1 August 2023

🕒 Reading time: 4 minutes

👤 Written by: Koen Seuren

Manufacturers usually quote the maximum range. That figure can be a long way from the kilometres you actually get out of your e-bike, because many factors affect the range.

The manufacturer tests the bike under ideal conditions: a flat surface, no wind, a low assistance level and plenty of pedalling power from the rider. Pedalling power is the force the rider puts on the pedals.

Those test conditions are far from the only things that decide how many kilometres you can ride. Here are some more factors that count:

• Weather: a battery pack cannot deliver its capacity as well in the cold. The range drops below 5 to 10°C. This has no further effect on the lifespan of your battery. Just make sure the battery is back at room temperature, say above 15°C, before you charge it.
• An e-bike battery loses a few per cent of its capacity every year. An older battery therefore has less capacity than a fresh one, so age counts too.
• Level of assistance: low assistance or high assistance, for example. How hard the rider pushes on the pedals matters here as well.
• Headwind or tailwind, uphill or downhill. A bumpy road or smooth tarmac. Wide, soft tyres or narrow ones pumped up rock hard. Resistance is a big factor here.
• Then there is the total mass: the weight of the bike, the rider and the luggage.
• The range can also drop sharply if you set off in a high gear. The battery has to give the motor more power to get you moving. So it is important to set off in a low gear and then change up.
• Constantly pulling away and braking on the e-bike. Because the bike has to accelerate again each time, the motor needs more power to get back up to speed.
• Riding speed. A bike that has to assist all the time up to 25 km/h draws more than an e-bike touring gently at around 15 km/h.
• A battery that is used several times a week will as a rule last longer. That can be anything from short trips to longer tours. What matters most is that the battery is used often.

In short, there are factors you can take into account yourself and factors you cannot always influence. Over the years the capacity of an e-bike battery gradually declines. And the kilometres manufacturers state are measured under the most ideal conditions.

Higher capacity

That is why we advise always choosing a slightly higher capacity than you think you need now. You will enjoy your e-bike and its battery for years longer. Read our tips for extending the life of your e-bike battery as well.

If the capacity is not enough, a cell replacement (re-celling) is an option: we replace all the cells in your battery with new ones.