What is the significance of the watts?

[subzero]

Hi, sorry for the newbie question. I'm deciding between Radmini and the Voltbike Mariner. The mariner has 500W while the Radmini has 750W.

What benefit does having higher watts (W) give me?

I plan on mostly riding for recreational purposes. I need a folding bike because my car is tiny. I drive a Scion FR-S. I hope that when the seat is dropped that a folding fat ebike can fit in there. If not, then I'll have to get a bike rack.

 

[Sonoboy]

1 Horsepower equals approximately 750 watts, so the more watts, the more power, is a simplistic answer. HOWEVER, you must make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Unlike the automotive industry which has standardized on SAE brake hp as a standard process that allows direct comparison, the e-bike industry does NOT have standardization. Some manufacturers cite 'peak' horsepower, some use a 'nominal' rating. A Bosch 250 watt motor may well outperform someone else's 400 watt, because Bosch seems to be conservative in their ratings. See if you can determine what each vendor is actually citing before making a decision.

 

[mrgold35]

I have a Radrover with the same 750w rear hub motor. The controllers are set to a certain wattage at each PAS level until the motor cut off at 20 mph:
PAS 0: 0 watts
PAS 1: 75 watts
PAS 2: 175 watts
PAS 3 375 watts
PAS 4 550 watts
PAS 5 750 watts

The throttle can be used at any PAS level from 0-5 and it provides up to the full 750 watts of power depending on amount of twist you provide. I usually don't need more than PAS 3 or 4 on level ground when I work commute on paved roads at 18-22 mph. The extra power comes in handy when I need to hit a short but steep incline to maintain my speed, pick up speed quickly to move across and intersection, stiff head winds, maintain higher speeds on longer inclines, sand starts to get a little deep in spots, or when I'm maxing out the weight of the Radrover (I'm already at +270 lbs and +20lbs for accessories, tools, and commuter gear). The Radmini and Radrover are both about 2-3 lbs heavier than the Voltbike. Both bikes have similar battery packs.

The radmini would be like adding a supercharger to your Scion FR-S for around +35% more hp/tq.

 

[Alex M]

What benefit does having higher watts (W) give me?

Higher nominal watts - more assist from motor, less sweating for you.
Faster battery drain, too (if you do use more power).

 

[riverrat61265]

a truism that its better to buy more hp even if you dont think you need it, vs buying less and feeling the need for more later. same is true in cars trucks boats.

 

[Alex M]

There is a penalty for having cars, trucks and boats with a more powerful motor - more $, more weight, more fuel. It sucks paying this penalty when you don't really need more hp.
Luckily, with ebikes this isn't too important. Especially since both motors in question are by the same Bafang and the difference btw 500W and 750W isn't that big.