Electric bikes are known as safe and cost-effective transportation systems that require less operating and maintenance costs. The operating cost means the charging cost, which is relatively far lower than gas and oil operated transportations.
And if you’re wondering how much does it cost to charge an electric bike, the answer would be around 4-12 cents per charge. Well, it’s an average charging cost that can differ based on your local electric rate and your e-bike’s battery voltage and capacity.
However, you can learn how to calculate your ebike battery charging cost, and tips to reduce the cost throughout this article. You can also learn the charging the cost per charge, also monthly and annual costs as well. Stay tuned.
Are E-Bikes Expensive to Charge?
No, e-bikes do not require too much money to charge, whether you count the daily, monthly, or annual costs. The specific amount can vary among different brands and models. However, if you compare electric bikes with traditional bikes, it’s evident that e-bikes are pretty expensive to buy.
And you may have to spend $700 to $10,000 to get a quality electric bike. However, you can also find good quality e-bikes like commenter ebike, sports e-bike, and folding electric bikes for under 1000 bucks.
Despite the price range of electric bikes, they offer a meager charging cost. And e-bikes offer one of the cheapest transport operating costs of all other vehicles and bikes. And the average charging cost of an electric bike is 4 to 12 cents which can differ based on location.
That means, electric bikes are not expensive to charge, and they come with a low operating cost.
How Much Electricity Does It Take to Charge an E-Bike?
It can be tough to give a straightforward answer when it’s about how much electricity it takes to charge an e-bike. That is because how much electricity is required to charge an e-bike depends on the bike’s battery capacity.
Most e-bikes come with either lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries, and the battery capacity isn’t the same for both. So, there’s no specific figure for how much electricity an electric bike consumes.
However, most electric bikes will take 500-800 watt-hours or 0.4 – 0.8 kilowatt-hours to recharge the battery. And this amount of electricity with a rate of $0.10/kWh will cost you 5 to 8 cents on average.
How Do You Calculate E-Bike Battery Charging Cost?
It may seem complicated to calculate e-bike battery charging costs as a beginner. But the fact is it’s quite easy, and by knowing the appropriate method, anybody can calculate the estimated charging cost.
Well, if you also want to know the procedure to calculate e-bike battery charging costs, we’re here to help. To find out the electric bike recharging cost, you’ve to determine three things, including:
1. Find Out Your E-Bike’S Battery Capacity or Wh
The electric bike’s battery is measured in Wh. However, if you don’t know or cannot find out the Wh, then you can find it out by multiplying the voltage by the Amp-hours, such as-
V x Ah = Wh
Here is an example that you can look at-
Suppose your e-bike’s battery has a 36V and 10.4Ah battery, which means 36V x 10.4Ah = 374.4Wh. Meaning your electric bike’s battery capacity is 374.4Wh.
2. Convert the Wh into KWh
The second thing you have to do is convert the Wh into kWh. That is because electricity providers use kWh for billing the consumers. And to do so, you have to divide your battery capacity or Wh by 1000. Here is the procedure you have to follow:
Wh / 1000 = kWh or 374.4Wh / 1000 = 0.3744kWh
3. Multiply the kWh by Your Electricity Supplier’s kWh Rate
And the final step is to multiply the obtained kWh by your provider’s kWh rate. In the USA, the average kWh rate is 10.42 cents. However, this amount varies in different states, so it’s best if you check out the Electric Power Monthly provided by EIA.
Here is how you have to multiply the kWh by your electricity provider’s kWh rate:
0.3744kWh x 10.42 cents = 3.90 cents
That means your electric bike will cost you 3.90 cents to fully charge. (The kWh rate can differ based on different regions.)
How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Bike?
When it’s about how much it costs to charge an e-bike, it’s not an easy question that can be answered in a few words. A bunch of things contributes to the electric bike’s charging cost.
Alongside known per charge cost, it’s good to know per mile or kilometer, monthly and annual cost as well. So, if you intend to know about them, this section is for you; follow the section below.
Factors that Affect the Charging Cost
There are several aspects that contribute to the cost of electric bike recharging, and here are some of the aspects:
- The Battery Quality: The quality of your electric bike’s battery is one of the major aspects that contribute to the charging cost. If you’re not using a quality battery in your e-bike which drains comparably faster, it means you have to charge it frequently. And charging the bike often means it’ll cost you more.
- Battery Size: Most electric bikes come with a mileage range of 20 to 40 miles per charge, and some of them offer even more mileage. That means all the electric bikes come with different battery sizes. And the different sized batteries will naturally require different amounts of charge, which will differ in the cost range.
- Weight of the Rider: The amount of weight you’ll put on your electric bike can also contribute to the charging cost. Wondering how? Every electric bike has a weight limit and putting more weight than the limit can drain the battery faster, which will increase the charging cost.
Charging Cost in Different Measurements
Since electric bikes come with different battery sizes and ranges, it’s tough to find out the actual charging cost. However, here we’ve included an average and estimated charging cost per charge, mile or kilometer, and many more. Have a look at the section below:
1. Per Charge:
Most electric bikes come with a battery capacity of 36V and 10.4Ah or 374.4Wh. And this powered e-bike battery will cost $0.04-0.012 per charge. However, the price range can differ based on your region’s per kWh price range or rate and the quality and size of your e-bike’s battery.
2. Per Mile or Kilometer:
If you want to figure out the electric bike charging cost per mile and per kilometer, follow the section below to know the process:
- Recharging cost per kilometer: When it’s about to determine the charging cost of electric bikes per kilometer, divide the range by the charging cost. For instance, your electric bike’s range is 20 miles or 33 kilometers, and per charge requires 7 cents. That means, dividing the 33 kilometers by 7 cents to figure out the per km cost or $0.7 / 33 km = $0.021, or 2.1 cents.
- Recharging cost per mile: Calculating the cost of recharging an electric bike per mile is the same as calculating the cost per kilometer. Here is the procedure you have to follow: $0.7 / 20 mile = 0.035, or 3.5 cents.
3. Monthly Charging Cost:
How much you have to pay per month to recharge your electric bike completely depends on your usability. However, if you want an estimated cost range, it’ll be $2.5. And as usual, the cost range will differ based on your bike battery type, usability, and your electricity provider’s kWh rate.
4. Annual or Yearly Charging Cost
On average, annually, you have to spend $29.38 to charge this electric bike. And here, we’ve included the average cost range based on the average car traveling distance of plenty of US citizens. And it’s an estimated cost range that can differ based on aspects related to e-bike usability.
Cost to Charge an Electric Bike in 15 Countries
As we’ve already mentioned, different countries offer separated charging cost ranges. However, if you want to know the estimated recharging costs, follow the section below. Here we’ve included cost per charge and cost per year of different 15 countries with both USD and local currency, have a look:
| Country | Cost per charge | Cost per charge (In local currency) | Cost per year | Cost per year (In local currency) |
| United States | $0.05 | $0.05 | $21.17 | $21.17 |
| United Kingdom | $0.08 | £0.06 | $35.83 | £27.69 |
| Canada | $0.04 | $0.06 | $17.92 | $24.43 |
| Brazil | $0.05 | R$0.26 | $21.17 | R$114.00 |
| China | $0.03 | ¥0.20 | $13.03 | ¥87.95 |
| Germany | $0.12 | €0.10 | $53.75 | €45.60 |
| France | $0.07 | €0.06 | $30.94 | €26.06 |
| Italy | $0.10 | €0.09 | $43.97 | €37.46 |
| New Zealand | $0.07 | $0.11 | $32.57 | $48.86 |
| Japan | $0.08 | ¥8.62 | $35.83 | ¥3,750.76 |
| Austria | $0.09 | €0.07 | $37.46 | €32.57 |
| Sweden | $0.08 | 0.70 kr | $34.20 | 302.93 kr |
| Spain | $0.09 | €0.07 | $39.09 | €32.57 |
| South Korea | $0.04 | ₩52.37 | $19.54 | ₩22,781.42 |
| Finland | $0.06 | €0.05 | $27.69 | €22.80 |
Note: This table shows the estimated cost of recharging an electric bike, and you can use this table for taking ideas.
Tips to Reduce the Cost of Charging Electric Bikes
Basically, electric bikes offer a very low recharging cost. However, the good news is you can minimize the recharging cost by following some reliable tips. And here we’ve included some tips that you can follow to reduce the cost of chagrin your electric bike, have a look:
- Recharge the Battery before It Goes Flat: One of the best ways to reduce your e-bike charging cost is to recharge it before it goes flat. If you always charge your e-bike’s battery when it drains off, it weakens your battery, costing more battery draining. And more battery draining means more charges and more electric bills.
- Maintain the Battery Properly: Always try to maintain your electric bike’s battery to reduce the charging cost. However, each electric bike comes with a different battery maintenance requirement, so try to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- Upgrade the Battery: If your electric bike’s battery is not providing good performance, then it’s a good idea to change or upgrade the battery. Upgrading the battery will help you to reduce or minimize the recharging cost.
- Keep Your Electric Bike Away from Water: It is not forbidden to ride an electric bike in the rain, but never ride your bike in submerged water. If water enters your bike’s battery or motor, it will damage them and create performance issues.
- Recharge Your Battery at off-Peak Hours: An effective solution is recharging the bike during off-pack hours to minimize the electric bike recharge cost. During off-peak hours electricity providers offer electricity at less rate.
Bottom Line
What’s the conclusion? Electric bikes offer very low recharging and operating cost than all other transport systems. And the low operating cost compared to other vehicles and motorbikes makes the electric bike widely popular transportation.
And, throughout this article, we’ve discussed how much does it cost to charge an electric bike, which is relatively lower than all other transportation. We’ve also discussed how to calculate the recharging cost and how to minimize the cost as well.
Since you know the operating cost of an e-bike with all other related aspects, getting an e-bike will be worth your money. Get an e-bike, enjoy riding it, and must ensure safety gear before beginning riding.
