Also this makes it extremely inconvenient for warranty support. The replacement cost of the Optibike battery pack is a whopping $2000, and bike must be hazmat-shipped (expensive) to Boulder Colorado to replace the pack, since the battery is built into the frame. However, its high cost is a definite downside. The Optibike contains an amazing amount of battery given its small form factor and weight. Battery replacement cost $2000 (plus labor charge, battery is built into bike).Battery cells: Generic 18650 cells (average quality).If you are getting better than 20 watts per mile (the lower number the better) you are a real electric juice miser, or an athletic pedaler, and are probably moving at just a little fast than regular bicycle speeds. In our experience most riders will be less efficient than 20 watts per mile (its hard to lay low on the throttle), so this is a generous figure. We will list the range that the E-bike company claims, and then use our “20 watt hours per mile” standard to come up with an EB estimated real life range. So we will also list the weight of the E-bike, the price of the E-bike, and the quality of the cells. The larger the watt hours the longer the range, the more expensive the bike, and also the heavier the bike. Just for practice, lets count the watt hours of some of the bikes that have been reviewed on. However the exhilaration of available electric power is sometimes hard to resist. If you are nitty with your 500 watt motor and run it at half throttle (250 watts) and pedal a lot, you will get the same efficiency as you get with a 250 watt motor. If he can’t answer that, speak to someone else…or do your own research online.Ī 250 watt motor will burn 250 watt hours in an hour and will last you an hour and 20 minutes at full throttle on those 360 watt hours, but it will not provide you with very much assist.Ī 500 watt motor will burn through the same pack at full throttle in less than 45 minutes, but you will be given twice as much assist as you get from the 250 watt motor. You want to throw that salesman for a loop? Ask him what brand and what chemistry is in the cells that the battery pack uses. Of course if your pack consists of name brand cells, the cost per watt hour will be much higher. Name brand cells such as Samsung, Panasonic and A123 will last longer (number of charge cycles) than no-name Chinese cells. Watt hours determine the range of your bike, the cost of your bike, and the weight of your bike….three very important factors to consider when buying an electric bike.īatteries come in different cell qualities. The range can vary widely depending on where and how you ride. Therefore a 360 watt hour pack will get you about 18 miles. If you are nitty with your energy usage, each mile you travel will cost you about 20 watt hours. A 36-volt 10-Ah battery pack has 360 watt hours (36 X 10 = 360). To calculate the watt hours (WH) of a battery pack, simply multiply the voltage by the amp hours (Ah) of the pack. Watt hours is a way to measure the energy capacity of a battery pack, so you know what to expect from your new E-bike in terms of range performance.
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