Pedal assist motors amplify your pedaling, making it easier to climb hills or go faster while you pedal.  A throttle will power your bike without pedaling. Which is better is a matter of preference. (Some bikes have both.)  Here’s a video on the topic.

The motor on most eBikes is located either in the rear wheel (rear hub) or between the pedals (mid-drive). The only reason to go for a rear hub motor is cost. Rear hub motors will be fine for rail trails or Route 5 but often lack the power needed to go up and over hills in the Upper Valley. Mid-driver motors put the weight of the motor low and central on the bike, right where it should be, and make for a more stable ride. When the rider starts to pedal and puts energy into the bike, the boost from a mid-drive motor is immediate whereas the boost from a rear hub motor is slightly delayed because the rider's energy has to travel down the chain and into the rear hub before the boost of the motor is realized.

Most eBikes come with 400Wh, 500Wh, or 625Wh batteries. How long they last depends on many variables: the weight of the rider and gear, level of motor assistance used, the terrain, and even the weather. A 400Wh battery will provide a 200lb rider about 20 - 45 miles of range and a 500Wh battery will provide the same rider with about 24 - 55 miles. As you can see, answering the question of what range to expect is impacted greatly by the variables, but you can use this information as a general basis for understanding battery range.

Here’s a cost-to-charge calculator. To use this, you need to know the Volts and Amp hours for your battery (this information should be listed on your battery) and your electricity rate (Green Mountain Power charges about 16.9¢/kWh).

If you want to calculate this yourself:

1. Multiply the voltage (V) and amp hours (Ah) to get watt hours (Wh).
   Example: 48V x 8.8Ah = 422.4Wh.
2. Divide the Wh (from step 1) by 1000 to get Kilowatt Hours.
   Example: 422.4Wh / 1000 = 0.4224 KWh
3. Multiple the KWh (from step 2) by your local electric rate per KWh.
   Example: 0.4224 KWh x $0.1284 (2019 USA avg) = $0.05423616 or roughly 5.4 cents.

Let's do this for my eBike. It has a 36V, 13.9Ah battery. Assuming a 16.9¢/kWh cost of electricity... it costs 8.5¢ to fully charge the battery. 

Assume I'm getting 35 miles/charge range (I've actually been getting closer to 40+), it costs me 8.5¢/35miles=0.24¢/mile. The “fuel” (electricity) for a 30 mile roundtrip commute would cost 7.3¢.

Pretty inexpensive!

eBikes are an incredibly economical form of transportation. 

See the prior FAQ, How much does it cost to charge an eBike battery?, to see how we calculated the 7.3¢ electricity cost of an 30 mile eBike commute.

Let’s compare the 7.3¢ eBike commute cost to commuting in a Chevy Bolt EV and gas engine cars (one that gets 40mpg and one that gets 20mpg).

Chevy Bolt:

The EPA ratings indicate a Chevy Bolt consumes 0.29 kWh/mile.

(For comparison, a 2021 Tesla Model 3 with a standard-range battery has a rating of .24 kWh/mile, while a Ford Mustang Mach-E with a standard-range battery has a rating of .34 kWh/mile.)

Assuming 16.9¢/kWh, the electricity to power the Bolt over a 30 mile commute will cost $1.47.

Gas Vehicle (Car or Truck):

40mpg car. Current gas price is about $2.95/gallon. Cost of gas/mile is 7.4¢ resulting in a fuel cost of $2.22 for a 30 mile commute.

The fuel cost for a 20mpg car (maybe think truck here) will be double or $4.44 for the 30 mile commute.

In summary, the cost to “fuel” each vehicle over a 30 mile commute is:

                                          one day cost     annual cost
eBike:                                  $0.07                   $16.10
Bolt EV:                              $1.47                  $338.10
40mpg Vehicle:                $2.22                  $510.60
20mpg Vehicle:                $4.44               $1,021.20

*assumes 230 days/year
(Note: maintenance costs on an eBike are much less too. EV maintenance costs are far less than those of a gas engine vehicle as well.)

Estimated Pounds of CO₂ emitted on a 30 mile commute

                            one day emissions   annual emissions
eBike:                          0.38lbs                       87.4lbs
Bolt EV:                       1.96lbs                     450.8lbs
40mpg Vehicle:         14.7lbs                     3,381lbs
20mpg Vehicle:         29.4lbs                     6,762lbs

*assumes 230 days/year
(Gasoline emits 19.6 lbs of CO2 per gallon. The national average for electricity is 0.92lbs/kWh)

eBikes come with a charger, not totally unlike a large laptop charger. These have a "regular" plug and work with ordinary home electrical service.

It is a good idea to get a bike rack specifically made for eBikes. Traditional bike-car racks are designed to carry non-electric bikes that are generally half the weight of an electric bike. (Because the battery and the motor weigh a lot, eBikes typically weigh 40-60lbs.) eBike racks require a hitch (most versatile 2") on your car and a platform rack to take the weight. Tip: to reduce weight, remove your battery before placing your eBike on the rack. Be careful not to store your battery in the car if it will get really hot or cold, this can damage the battery.

A few racks our eBike Ambassadors say are worth checking out:
Rocky Mounts Monorail 2-bike platform for 2" hitch #91958 - $449.95
Thule Easy Fold XT #903202 - $799.95
Hyperax Volt 2 - $399.95 

You will need to determine your budget and figure out how you plan to use the eBike: commuting? Mountain biking? Gravel or road riding? Knowing how you will use the eBike and your budget will focus your research.

Test ride several eBikes to see how they ride and perform, how much noise they produce, and your general comfort. One of our Ambassadors test-road eBikes at Hanover Adventure, Omer & Bobs, and Green Mountain Bikes in Rochester VT. The latter had several eBike options.

Look up reviews on the internet, it’s very helpful to do this research. ElectricBikeReview.com is a great source of reviews.

Also check out the Additional Resources section near the bottom of the main eBikes page on this website.

And of course, ask an Ambassador who has a bike similar to one you are considering!

YES – See details on conversion kits near the bottom of the main main eBikes page on this website.