How far can an e-bike go on one charge?

The short version

Range is battery energy divided by energy used per mile. A typical 706 Wh, 750 W commuter uses about 13.9 Wh per mile in everyday riding, so it goes about 46 miles. Double the battery and you double the range; everything else changes the Wh per mile.

What changes range, and by how much

Starting from a 180 lb rider at 16 mph with relaxed pedaling over rolling hills at 70°F (46 miles on a 706 Wh bike), one change at a time:

Change	Range	Effect
Rider weight 250 lb instead of 180 lb	39 mi	-16%
Average speed 20 mph instead of 16	33 mi	-29%
Throttle only, no pedaling	39 mi	-15%
Hilly (±4%) instead of rolling (±2%)	31 mi	-32%
10 mph headwind	21 mi	-54%
32°F instead of 70°F	38 mi	-17%
Gravel instead of pavement	40 mi	-12%
Battery at 80% health	37 mi	-20%
Moderate pedaling instead of relaxed	52 mi	+14%

Speed and pedaling matter most. Air drag per mile grows with the square of speed, and the 35–120 W a rider adds by pedaling replaces a large share of what the motor would otherwise draw.

Real range of popular e-bikes

Across the 76 e-bikes in our database, everyday range runs from 17 to 72 miles, with a median of 41. The real vs. claimed table lists every bike; each bike page shows range at 150 to 300 lb.

• Lectric XPedition2 Dual-Battery: 72 miles everyday, 48 miles on throttle over hills
• ENGWE M20 3.0: 66 miles everyday, 44 miles on throttle over hills
• Ride1Up Revv1 EVO: 59 miles everyday, 39 miles on throttle over hills
• Lectric XPeak2 Long-Range: 56 miles everyday, 38 miles on throttle over hills
• Gotrax Tundra: 56 miles everyday, 37 miles on throttle over hills

How to get more range

• Ride a little slower: dropping from 20 to 16 mph adds more range than almost anything else.
• Pedal, even lightly, and use lower assist levels on the flat.
• Keep tires at the upper end of their pressure range.
• In winter, store and charge the battery indoors.