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E-Bike Range Estimator

A typical 672 Wh e-bike carrying 250 lb on flat ground goes about 73 miles on high assist with easy pedaling (9 Wh a mile), about 36 miles on the throttle alone at 20 mph, and about 36 miles as a Class 3 averaging 26 mph. Speed, assist level and hills move range far more than the battery’s size — this calculator shows exactly how, with the physics printed.

No sign-up · works on your phoneUpdated 9 sources

You, the bike and the ride

Wh
%100 = new.
lbRider + bike + cargo.
How you ride
How hard you pedal
Assist level
Class (where assist stops)
Riding position
Tires
ft0 for flat. Map apps show total climb for a bike route.
/miLights, stop signs, U-turns. A bike path might be 0.

Your range

Range

73mi

672 Wh usable

Average speed

16.4mph

where your power balances

Battery use

9.3Wh/mi

motor does 67% of the work

Where the energy goes

Rolling30%
Air54%
Climbing0%
Stops16%

Lighter use than most e-bikes see

Efficiency Vermont’s study put e-bikes at roughly 10–20 Wh per mile. This model assumes steady riding with no wind, so real rides with gusts, soft tires or a dragging brake use more. Check your tire pressure first.
How this was calculated
Mass250 lb × 0.4536113.4 kg
Rolling0.0065 × 113.4 × 9.817.2 N
Air½ × 1.225 × 0.4 × 7.34²13.2 N
Power at the wheel50 W you + up to 100 W motor150 W
Motor share100 W ÷ 150 W67%
Energy per milecruise 32.9 kJ + stops 6.1 kJ39.0 kJ
From the battery× 67% ÷ 0.78 efficiency ÷ 3,6009.3 Wh/mi
Range672 Wh ÷ 9.373 mi
Drag area (CdA)
0.4 m²
Rolling (Crr)
0.0065
Motor + drivetrain
78% efficient
Air density
1.225 kg/m³

Worked example

672 Wh, 250 lb, high assist, easy pedaling, flat, two stops a mile

You pedal about 50 W and the motor adds twice that, so about 150 W goes to the wheel. On commuter tires leaning slightly forward, that balances rolling and air drag at about 16.4 mph. The motor is doing 67% of the work.

Each mile takes 33 kJ at the wheel plus 6 kJ to get back up to speed after two stops. The motor’s share, divided by 78% efficiency, is 9.3 Wh a mile from the battery — just under the 10–20 Wh a mile Efficiency Vermont found in real use — steady, flat riding is the best case. 672 ÷ 9.3 = about 73 miles.

Reference

E-bike range by battery size and riding style

Flat ground, 250 lb total, commuter tires, leaning slightly forward, two stops a mile, new battery. Steady riding with no wind — real rides vary.

Estimated e-bike range in miles by battery size and riding style
Riding style400 Wh500 Wh672 Wh750 Wh1,000 Wh
Low assist, steady pedaling86 mi108 mi145 mi162 mi216 mi
High assist, easy pedaling43 mi54 mi73 mi81 mi108 mi
Throttle only, 20 mph22 mi27 mi36 mi40 mi54 mi
Class 3, working hard22 mi27 mi36 mi40 mi54 mi

What changes range (from the high-assist, easy-pedaling baseline)

Effect of hills, position, tires, stops, weight and battery health on e-bike range
ChangeRangeDifference
500 ft of climbing per 10 miles62 mi-14%
Sitting upright69 mi-5%
Fat tires70 mi-4%
6 stops per mile55 mi-24%
300 lb instead of 25069 mi-4%
Battery at 80% health58 mi-20%

How to use it

In 4 steps

  1. 1Enter the battery's watt-hours (volts × amp-hours) and its health — 100% if it's new, less if range has dropped.
  2. 2Enter the total weight: you, the bike and anything you carry.
  3. 3Pick how you ride: how hard you pedal and the assist level, or throttle only and your cruising speed.
  4. 4Set your position and tires, then the climbing and stops on a typical ride.

Why range claims vary so much

An e-bike’s motor has to push against three things: the tires rolling on the road, the air, and gravity on the climbs. Rolling resistance grows with weight; air drag grows with the square of speed, so going from 20 to 28 mph almost doubles the push the air needs. That’s why, in this model, the same battery gives about 73 miles on a gentle commute and about 36 at Class 3 speeds.

The other big lever is how much of the work you do. At low assist the motor adds a fraction of your effort and the battery lasts a long time; on the throttle it does everything. Stop-and-go riding costs energy too — every stop throws away the bike’s momentum, and getting a 250-lb bike and rider back to 18 mph takes real energy.

Cold matters less here than in snow country, but it’s real: Battery University notes a lithium-ion battery that delivers 100% at 27 °C (80 °F) gives about half at −18 °C (0 °F). If your range has dropped in the same conditions, check tire pressure and brakes before assuming the battery — then have its capacity measured.

FAQ

Range: questions

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

It depends mostly on assist level, speed and hills. For a 672 Wh battery and 250 lb on flat ground, this model gives about 145 miles on low assist with steady pedaling, 73 on high assist with easy pedaling, 36 on the throttle at 20 mph and 36 as a Class 3 at 28 mph. Efficiency Vermont found e-bikes use roughly 10–20 Wh per mile in real riding.

Does riding faster reduce e-bike range?

Yes, sharply. Air drag grows with the square of speed, so the power needed rises steeply above 20 mph. In this model, the same rider working hard uses about 2.7 times the battery energy per mile as a Class 3 averaging 26 mph as on a bike whose assist stops at 20.

Does tire pressure affect e-bike range?

Yes. Soft tires deform more, and rolling-resistance tests at bicyclerollingresistance.com show the watts lost rising as pressure drops. On a heavy e-bike that's energy the battery has to supply on every mile — the tire pressure calculator gives the right numbers for your weight.

Does cold weather reduce e-bike range?

Yes. Battery University notes a lithium-ion battery that delivers 100% at 27 °C (80 °F) gives only about 50% at −18 °C (0 °F). South Orange County rarely gets close, but range drops on cold mornings, and batteries shouldn't be charged below freezing.

Why is my e-bike's range less than advertised?

Advertised ranges assume ideal conditions: low assist, a light rider, flat ground and no stops. Higher assist, throttle use, hills, stop-and-go riding, an upright position and extra weight all cut range — and so do soft tires, a dragging brake, a worn chain, or a battery that has lost capacity with age.

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Sources

Where these numbers come from

  1. [1]Leoncini, Burani & Cabri (2022), “An Algorithm to Predict E-Bike Power Consumption,” Electronics 11:1105 (opens in a new tab)Motor and drivetrain efficiency around 0.75–0.8; model validated within about 1–10% on real e-bikes.
  2. [2]Princeton MAE, bicycle aerodynamics (after Munson, Young & Okiishi) (opens in a new tab)Upright commuter: frontal area 0.5 m², Cd 1.1; crouched 0.36 m², Cd 0.88.
  3. [3]Best Bike Split, “What is CdA?” (opens in a new tab)Upright road position 0.35–0.40 m²; air density 1.225 kg/m³.
  4. [4]Bicycle Rolling Resistance — test method (opens in a new tab)Drum at 28.8 km/h, 42.5 kg per tire; road, touring and MTB ranges.
  5. [5]Bicycle Rolling Resistance — fat bike tires (opens in a new tab)22–43 W per tire at 8 psi.
  6. [6]Wikipedia, “Human power” (opens in a new tab)Fit adults average 50–150 W for an hour.
  7. [7]E-MOUNTAINBIKE, Bosch Performance Line CX review (opens in a new tab)Assistance up to 340% of rider input.
  8. [8]Efficiency Vermont, e-bike energy analysis (2018) (opens in a new tab)Roughly 10–20 Wh per mile in real use.
  9. [9]Battery University, BU-502 (opens in a new tab)A Li-ion battery giving 100% at 27 °C delivers about 50% at −18 °C.

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