Hi guys! I'm moving some content off of the main site and into the most relevant categories of the forum. This post was originally made on October 21st 2016:
This guide is meant to provide a comprehensive overview of the short and long term costs associated with electric bike purchase, use and ownership. I’ve listed dates for the first section to help orient you as time passes but from what I’ve seen, many electric bicycles are going down in cost with each passing year
The first cost to factor in is the initial purchase price, there’s a wide range depending on brand, battery size and components. Below are some averages and ranges based on a number of 2016 retail listings for the various categories. Note that you can often find earlier year models for a reduced sale price (especially in the Fall as inventory resets). Also note that these averages do not take into consideration budget electric bikes as you might find at Walmart on Amazon or other big box stores, which tend to cost less up front but rack up higher maintenance and replacement costs down the line. I’ve reviewed three cheaper Amazon bikes here, here and here with details about assembly time and effort.
Other considerations: Many times electric bikes wear out faster than non-electric bikes because they tend to be ridden more frequently, at higher speeds and for longer distances. If this is going to become your primary means of transportation, it may also see more challenging weather such as rain or snow. Cold weather in particular, cuts down the effective capacity of a pack and some companies offer Neoprene covers to keep them warm… I often store mine in the garage where it’s warmer than the shed but safer than being inside the house in case of a fire. Anyway, a good rule of thumb is to have a tune-up / check-up for your ebike every six months if you’re riding actively or every 500 miles. A tune up for your ebike will range in price depending on who is performing the service, and should any parts be needed, etc., also note that some places include a surcharge for ebikes, even if it’s just a normal service. This is one of the reasons I prefer to buy directly from electric bike dealers, they tend to be more friendly and open to repairs and maintenance if they sold it to you and they are very likely better equipped to help with battery issues, your controller or the display. Here’s a few guidelines for costs:
A couple of additional tips: Purchase a good lock—protect your investment, sometimes it’s shocking to see a $100 u-lock or folding lock but if you just spent $2,000+ on the bike, it’s a good investment. I know people who purchased two locks just to make it extra difficult for a would-be thief! If your ebike doesn’t have lights or a bell, consider adding these as well. Your bike won’t be worth much if you get hurt and can’t ride it and as the seasons change and it gets dark earlier you may be caught off guard by traffic.
All things considered, electric bicycles can be very efficient both in terms of energy use and money spent. They aren’t free and while you can’t charge most by pedaling (something that gets asked a lot) the electricity cost to fill them from a standard outlet is extremely low. Electric bicycles in fact, are often way more efficient than people-powered bicycles due to the fuel that humans consume which tends to be grown remotely, shipped using gasoline, stocked, shipped from there to a home and often cooked, digested and transferred from chemical to kinetic energy. Whether it’s coal, wind power or solar being used to charge an ebike, it’s usually much more efficient than using food to fuel a human being but you can still get a workout and perhaps transition more of your travel from a heavy, inefficient multi-person vehicle to a light weight, safe and affordable ebike.
This guide is meant to provide a comprehensive overview of the short and long term costs associated with electric bike purchase, use and ownership. I’ve listed dates for the first section to help orient you as time passes but from what I’ve seen, many electric bicycles are going down in cost with each passing year
The first cost to factor in is the initial purchase price, there’s a wide range depending on brand, battery size and components. Below are some averages and ranges based on a number of 2016 retail listings for the various categories. Note that you can often find earlier year models for a reduced sale price (especially in the Fall as inventory resets). Also note that these averages do not take into consideration budget electric bikes as you might find at Walmart on Amazon or other big box stores, which tend to cost less up front but rack up higher maintenance and replacement costs down the line. I’ve reviewed three cheaper Amazon bikes here, here and here with details about assembly time and effort.
- 2016 Cruisers ebikes: Average cost of about $3,050, ranging from roughly $1,500 to $7,900.
- 2016 Mountain ebikes: Average cost of about $4,150, ranging from roughly $1,200 to $9,000.
- 2016 Road ebikes: Average cost of about $4,750, ranging from roughly $1,900 to $8,000.
- 2016 City ebikes: Average cost of about $2,800, ranging from roughly $1,200 to $8,000.
- 2016 Folding ebikes: Average cost of about $1,750, ranging from roughly $700 to $5,000.
- 2016 Cargo ebikes: Average cost of about $3,300, ranging from roughly $1,700 to $6,000.
- Multiply the battery voltage and amp hour rating to get watt hours ie. 36 volt 10 amp hour battery has 360 watt hours (divide by 1,000 to get Kilowatt hours)
- Check your local electricity prices, the average cost per Kilowatt hour in the USA at the time of this guide was $0.12
- Multiply the Kilowatt size of your battery by the cost per Kilowatt hour electrical rate ie. .36 and $0.12 = a complete charging cost of $0.0342 or roughly four cents
- Estimate your trip distance cost by dividing the charge cost by the average range of your battery pack… I estimate the lowest range per charge by dividing the watt hour capacity of the pack by 20 ie. 360 / 20 = 18 miles per charge and now we divide $0.0342 by 18 to get $0.00171 per mile. That’s less than two tents of a penny per mile on an electric bike looking at electricity alone!
Other considerations: Many times electric bikes wear out faster than non-electric bikes because they tend to be ridden more frequently, at higher speeds and for longer distances. If this is going to become your primary means of transportation, it may also see more challenging weather such as rain or snow. Cold weather in particular, cuts down the effective capacity of a pack and some companies offer Neoprene covers to keep them warm… I often store mine in the garage where it’s warmer than the shed but safer than being inside the house in case of a fire. Anyway, a good rule of thumb is to have a tune-up / check-up for your ebike every six months if you’re riding actively or every 500 miles. A tune up for your ebike will range in price depending on who is performing the service, and should any parts be needed, etc., also note that some places include a surcharge for ebikes, even if it’s just a normal service. This is one of the reasons I prefer to buy directly from electric bike dealers, they tend to be more friendly and open to repairs and maintenance if they sold it to you and they are very likely better equipped to help with battery issues, your controller or the display. Here’s a few guidelines for costs:
- Tune up: $75 – $100+
- Flat tire fix (not including tube cost): $10 – $20
- Brake adjustment: $20 – $35
- Drivetrain replacement or adjusting: $20 – $60
A couple of additional tips: Purchase a good lock—protect your investment, sometimes it’s shocking to see a $100 u-lock or folding lock but if you just spent $2,000+ on the bike, it’s a good investment. I know people who purchased two locks just to make it extra difficult for a would-be thief! If your ebike doesn’t have lights or a bell, consider adding these as well. Your bike won’t be worth much if you get hurt and can’t ride it and as the seasons change and it gets dark earlier you may be caught off guard by traffic.
All things considered, electric bicycles can be very efficient both in terms of energy use and money spent. They aren’t free and while you can’t charge most by pedaling (something that gets asked a lot) the electricity cost to fill them from a standard outlet is extremely low. Electric bicycles in fact, are often way more efficient than people-powered bicycles due to the fuel that humans consume which tends to be grown remotely, shipped using gasoline, stocked, shipped from there to a home and often cooked, digested and transferred from chemical to kinetic energy. Whether it’s coal, wind power or solar being used to charge an ebike, it’s usually much more efficient than using food to fuel a human being but you can still get a workout and perhaps transition more of your travel from a heavy, inefficient multi-person vehicle to a light weight, safe and affordable ebike.
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