How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Ebike Battery?

Wondering how much does it cost to charge an Ebike battery? Cool! That’s what today’s discussion is all about. We all know that electric bikes are cost-efficient and they don’t cost much for charging. But how cheap are they actually? What are the numbers?

Well, in general, in the United States on average people spend around 5 cents to charge their E-bike battery, and the annual cost of electricity bill for E-bike charging is around $21.17.

That being said, how much it would cost to charge your E-bike battery will depend on the kWh of the battery as they come in different capacities. Plus, it will also depend on how much the electric provider charges per unit.

Whatever it is, I am going to take you through everything you need to know about E-bike battery charging. So without any further ado, let’s get started…

How To Calculate The Cost Of Charging An Electric Bike Battery?

Even though it seems a very complex task to do but it actually is a fun play. Here is what exactly you need to do…

1. Find out the battery capacity, which should be given in Wh (Watt-hour).
2. Now you’ll have to convert the watt-hours into kWh (Kilowatt-hours).
3. And then, multiply the kWh by the unit price the electricity provider charges.

These are the simple three steps you need to follow. But wait! Hold on a sec!

What if you don’t know the Wh of your battery? Often it happens that E-bike batteries don’t come labeled with their Watt-hour.

And if you don’t know the Wh, you can’t calculate the charging cost! What to do then?

Don’t worry! Take a chill pill, I am here to help you with that as well.

In order to find out the capacity or Wh of the battery, you will need two things, the voltage, and the Amp-hours. Every battery comes labeled with these, you should see something like 42V 10 Ah.

Once you know the V and Ah of the battery, follow the steps to calculate the cost…

Step 1: Finding out the Wh

Assuming your E-bike comes with a 46V 20Ah battery, to find out the Wh, you will have to multiply the voltage by Amp-hours.

Voltage (V) x Amp hour (Ah)= Wh (Watt-hour)

46V x 20Ah = 920 Wh

Step 2: Finding the kWh

You got the Watt-hour of the battery, now what? Time to convert the watt-hour (wh) into kilowatt-hours (kWh).

Most of the electric providers in the world consider 1 kilowatt-hour as 1-unit of electricity, and that’s how they bill. And to find the exact cost of charging an E-bike battery, finding the kWh is a must.

It’s simple to convert Wh into kWh. You just have to divide the Wh by 1000, that’s it.

920 Wh ÷ 1000 = 0.92 kWh.

Step 3: Calculating the Cost

Here you will have to find out the kWh rate! No calculation for this one! You will have to contact your electricity provider or check the last bill, it should be mentioned there.

According to Statista, in 2020 the average per unit electricity cost in the USA was 0.15 cents. And to calculate the charging cost you will have to multiply the kWh by the unit cost of the electricity.

kWh x Unit cost of Electricity = Cost of charging E-bike battery.

0.92 kWh x 0.15 = 13.8 cent.

So 13.8 cents is the amount you will need to spend to fully charge your e-bike battery.

I must mention that the per-unit electricity cost varies from state to state, so make sure to contact your electric service provider to know the exact amount.

How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Ebike Battery?

I have mentioned it shortly before, now let’s dive a little deeper! If we look at the average cost, it is $29.38 annually and per charge the cost is around 7 cents. Now let’s get a little more specific.

In the United States, the annual cost of charging E-bikes is around $21-22, and per charge is 5-6 cents. Compared to most other countries, the cost in the United States is cheap.

However, charging E-bike batteries is the cheapest in China and India. On the other hand, Bermuda, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and Italy are the most expensive in terms of charging costs.

Check out the chart below to find out what an average E-bike battery charging costs in different countries. Usually, most E-bike batteries are 34 V 10Ah which means the average kWh would be 0.34,  the chart is made on this capacity.

If your E-bike battery comes with a higher voltage or amp, the price will be different and I have shown above how you can calculate the cost on your own.

This chart is to give you an idea about the cost.

Country	Electricity Cost per kWh	Calculation formula	Per Battery Charging Cost
United States	0.159	kWh of Battery x Unit Price of Electricity = Charging Cost	5 cents
United Kingdom	0.284		9 cents
Australia	0.241		8 cents
Denmark	0.359		12 cents
Brazil	0.160		5 cents
India	0.079		2.6 cents
Netherland	0.208		7 cents
Germeny	0.347		11 cents
South Africa	0.175		5.9 cents
South Korea	0.103		3.5 cents
China	0.088		2.9 cents

How Much Distance Can You Ride From a Single E-bike Battery Charge?

It isn’t easy to say how much you can ride from a single E-bike battery charge, it depends on a lot of factors such as riders weight, speed, terrain, wind condition, battery capacity, tires, whether you are using hand throttle all the time, or using pedal assist.

Besides, if you remove the speed limiter on your ebike, you may get a higher speed and mileage, but will drain the battery faster.

Like before, we have to do a little bit of math here as well so that everyone will be able to calculate how much range they would get from their E-bikes on a single charge. And it is pretty important to know if you don’t want to end up in the middle of a lonely road running out of battery.

In order to find out how much your E-bike will take you on a single charge, the first thing you need to do is determine the battery capacity, which is Wh or watt-hour.

If the battery doesn’t have Wh labeled anywhere, you will have to find that by multiplying the voltage by the amp-hour. And we have done that before.

The Wh of a 48v 10ah battery will be 480.

(48v x 10ah = 480 Wh).

The next thing you need to do is effective range calculation. This is where you would know how long you would go on a single charge.

What you need to do here is, divide the Watt-hour or Wh by the AEN (average efficiency number). It’s okay if you didn’t get it. Let’s make it understandable for you.

The average efficiency number is how many miles or km the battery can offer on 1 watt-hour or Wh. And it depends on a lot of factors. But usually, if the average speed of a 500-700watt throttle bike is 20 miles per hour or 32 kilometers per hour then the average efficiency number would be 25Wh per mile or 15.6Wh per Km.

Here is the calculation

Watt-hour/average efficiency number = range

480Wh ÷ 25 Wh per mile= 19.2 miles

With a 480 Watt-hour capacity battery and 25 wh per mile average efficiency, you can cover around a 19-mile distance. It is for throttle-only e-bikes.

Even though the average efficiency number depends on other factors, calculating with the common one would help you at least guess how long you can ride on a single charge.

And on the pedal assist, the battery consumption is less. So if you are riding an Ebike on pedal-assist at a speed of 15-18 miles per hour then you should get around 15Wh per mile.

If we calculate…

480Wh ÷ 15Wh per mile = 32mile.

You can use the exact formula to calculate the range of any E-bike.

Tips To Reduce The Charging Cost And Keep The Battery At Its Best

Following the mentioned factors will not only make the battery last longer but will also increase its efficiency.

Even Surface

When it comes down to E-bike battery charging, the environment is the most overlooked factor. Most people don’t even know that they shouldn’t charge their bike battery on uneven surfaces. If you want efficient charging then make sure to charge the battery on a flat-level surface.

Keep Out Heat

And also ensure the battery isn’t under the direct sunlight which can heat the battery up. Not only sun, either a stove or a campfire, anything that can heat up the battery. Keep the battery in a normal atmosphere.

One more thing, press the power button at least 30 seconds before you plug the battery charger into the outlet. Doing that will calibrate the battery cells which will result in efficient charging.

Keep It Away from Water

All of us know that you can’t put a battery into the water, otherwise, the battery will be damaged. What most don’t know is, it is prohibited to charge a battery near water. Because charging the battery near water, for example, a sink will cause corrosion buildup which will slowly damage the entire battery.

And even if mistakenly a slight drop of water lands upon a single cell of the battery, that will spread to all the cells which will increase the charging time and decrease the output.

So for some reason, if you are forced to charge an E-bike battery near a sink or anything that has something to do with water, then cover the battery with a plastic sheet or anything that won’t let the water come in.

Using the Right Charger

Even though your E-bike battery charges with another charger, that doesn’t mean you can use that to charge yours. Not using the right charger is a big reason why most people end up wasting their E-bike battery at an early age.

E-bikes come with different types of batteries and voltages. To efficiently charge your e-bike battery and keep it healthy, you will need a charger that matches the battery specs. You can check that on the charger, it will have the suitable specs labeled on it.

Fully Charging the Battery

When you bring a new E-bike, I know the feeling, you can’t wait till the battery gets fully charged. But trust me, it makes a big difference. Didn’t you hear this, first impression is the last impression?

This goes into battery charging as well. So when you bring a new E-bike or anything that comes with rechargeable batteries, put it on charge for at least 12-hours.

Then it will make sure that every cell has received charging. A new battery stays in sleep mode until it is charged for the first time. So to awaken them fully, you need to keep them in charge long enough to make them realize that it’s time to work. And normally, the first charge will take a long time as all the cells will be sleeping.

Another reason why you should fully charge your new E-bike battery is, that you’ll be able to evaluate how long you can go on a single charge.

Charging the E-bike Often

If your bike comes with the latest Lithium-ion batteries it will be wise to charge it on a regular basis. After every ride, check the battery charge level, if you see it is below 50%, put it on charge.

A car won’t start if not ridden for months, because the battery will be down. The same happens with the electric bike as well so it is best to take at least quick short rides every week to keep the battery alive.

Avoid Over-charging

I know it might seem a little confusing to some people as I’ve mentioned charging the battery fully on a regular basis. Well, first, know that regularly charging the battery and overcharging it are completely different things. When you charge the battery more than it requires, that’s called overcharging.

But is it even possible? Ain’t E-bike batteries stop taking charge once it’s fully charged? Indeed!

The trouble arises when you leave the battery on charge for days. It is completely fine to put the battery on charge for 8-12 hours. But when you leave the battery on charge for days, the battery starts to discharge. And slowly the capacity decreases. That is how most people wear their E-bike batteries off at an early age.

Battery Storage

Never store batteries when they are fully drained, it is another fast way to wear the battery health off. It is best to store the battery when the charge level is above 50% or at least make sure the battery charge isn’t below 50%.

That being said, if you are storing the battery for a few days like 2-5 days, then it’s okay if the charge level is below 50% but make sure it isn’t drained fully.

One more thing, you should not store the battery when it is full either. That can hamper the maintenance cycle of the battery.

Extreme Temperature Changes

Extreme temperature change isn’t a good thing for batteries. The ideal temperature for a battery is between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. And it is the temp where we humans feel comfortable.

Too hot or cold can degrade the cells which will result in a short lifespan. But the reality is you can’t always keep the battery at a comfortable temperature. When you are riding in freezing cold or burning summer, there is no way you can protect the battery from that.

In that case, make sure you don’t charge the battery in extreme temperatures.

Is It Expensive To Charge An Electric Bike Battery?

Well, that depends on where you are living! In some countries, charging an ebike can cost you as low as 3 cents. And some countries require more than a dollar to charge the E-bike battery.

If you are living in Germany, Bermuda, and Denmark, then yes, it is expensive there to charge an electric bike compared to other countries.

How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Electric Bike Australia?

Compared to the USA, charging an electric bike in Australia is expensive as the electricity price per kWh is higher. According to global petrol prices, the per kWh electricity price in Australia is 231 cents which is pretty expensive compared to the USA as they charge only 15 cents per kWh of electricity. And it is lower in China and India.

If your E-bike comes with a 0.92 kWh capacity, then you are looking at paying around 21 cents.

The calculation goes like this…

kWh x Unit cost of electricity = Cost of charging E-bike battery.

0.92 kWh x 0.231 = 21.25 cents

How Many Times Can You Charge A Ebike Battery?

How many times you can charge an E-bike battery will depend on a few factors but the most important one is the battery.

It is measured by the charge cycle. And it refers to how many full charges the battery can take before it gets ineffective.

There are three types of batteries that are usually used in E-bikes which are…

1. Lithium ion
2. Nickel
3. Lead acid 

Lithium batteries are widely popular and they are now being used on every e-bike as they can withstand up to 1000 charge cycles. However, they are expensive as well for obvious reasons.

Then comes nickel batteries which are not as long-lasting as lithium batteries, they have a charge cycle of 500 times.

There are lead batteries which are not much popular due to their short lifespan, they can take up to 300 full charges before they start to get ineffective.

Note: Having a removable battery will help you stay on road double the time you would with a single one. You can just remove the drained battery and swap it with another fully-charged one.

Key Takeaways:

• How much money you will need to spend charging your E-bike battery will depend on the battery capacity and kWh price your electricity provider charges.
• In the United States, it costs around 5 cents to charge an E-bike for a single charge and $21.17 for a year.
• You can calculate how much your E-bike charging cost is by using this simple formula, kWh x Unit cost of Electricity = Cost of charging E-bike battery.
• You can also calculate how much distance you can cover on a single charge with another simple formula which is, Watt-hour/average efficiency number = range.

Conclusion

E-bikes are now trending due to their cost-efficiency and the comfort they offer. With the price of one tank of gas, you can charge your e-bike for a couple of years, as in the United States per charge costs only around 5-cents.

However, I have tried my best to provide everything so that everyone can find out how much does it cost to charge an E-bike battery. If you have an ebike and don’t know the battery configuration printed on board, check the manufacturer’s guidebook.