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eBike Range Calculator: Best Case, Realistic and Worst Case
One advertised number hides the weather, hills and work your motor must do. Enter your setup to see the useful range: a good day, an everyday ride and the conditions that leave the least margin.
Live physics model
Plan the ride, not the claim
Estimated range
92 km57 mi
50 km31 mi
25 km16 mi
- Real consumption
- 12.6 Wh/km
- Full charge
- AU$0.22
- Cost / 100 km
- AU$0.43
- Recharge time
- 7.5 h
- Battery energy
- 720 Wh
- Typical life to 80%
- ~500 cycles
Estimate, not a guarantee. Wind, stops, tyre pressure and battery condition vary ride to ride.
Manufacturer figures are usually possible, but only under their chosen test conditions. This electric bike range calculator keeps every assumption visible and gives you three estimates, because route planning needs a margin rather than a marketing maximum.
How this calculator works
The model starts with battery energy: volts × amp-hours gives nominal watt-hours. It then reserves energy that the battery management system cannot safely deliver and adjusts the remainder for temperature and battery age.
On the road, the motor must overcome tyre deformation, aerodynamic drag and gravity. Your pedalling contribution is subtracted from that demand, then motor efficiency converts wheel power into battery power. In compact form:
Range = usable battery Wh ÷ [(rolling + aerodynamic + hill power − rider power) ÷ motor efficiency ÷ speed]
Best case uses flat ground and no wind. Realistic uses your terrain plus a light 1.5 m/s headwind. Worst case adds two percentage points of gradient and a 4.2 m/s headwind—about 15 km/h directly against you.
What kills your eBike range
Temperature
Cold does not permanently shrink a healthy battery, but it temporarily reduces the energy available. At 0°C this model uses 85% of the warm-weather capacity; storing and starting with the battery indoors can help.
Rider and cargo weight
Mass increases tyre losses everywhere and the power needed on every climb. It matters less on a steady flat road than on a stop-start or hilly route.
Tyre type
Fat tyres trade efficiency for flotation, grip and comfort. Their rolling coefficient here is about 2.5× a slick tyre's, one reason to compare the trade-offs in our fat tyre eBike guide.
Headwind
Air drag rises with the square of air speed. Riding at 25 km/h into a 15 km/h headwind makes your body and bike push through air as if they were travelling at roughly 40 km/h.
Hills
A continuous average gradient is expensive because gravity acts on the whole system mass. Regenerative braking is uncommon on bicycle drivetrains and rarely recovers enough energy to cancel the climb.
Battery age
Cells lose capacity with time, heat and charge cycles. The model applies 92% for a 1–2 year battery and 85% for a battery aged three years or more.
Assist level
Eco assumes the rider contributes more power; Turbo assumes the motor does most of the work. That makes assistance choice one of the quickest controls you have during a ride.
Range by battery size
These figures use the same default setup as the live calculator: 80 kg rider, 25 kg bike, hybrid tyres, upright posture, Tour mode, 25 km/h, rolling terrain and 20°C.
| Battery | Energy | Best case | Realistic | Worst case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36V 10Ah | 360 Wh | 72 km | 25 km | 11 km |
| 48V 15Ah | 720 Wh | 144 km | 50 km | 22 km |
| 48V 20Ah | 960 Wh | 192 km | 66 km | 30 km |
| 52V 20Ah | 1040 Wh | 208 km | 72 km | 32 km |
| 72V 30Ah | 2160 Wh | 432 km | 150 km | 67 km |
Manufacturer range calculators compared
Manufacturer tools are strongest when they know the exact motor, battery and firmware on your bike. The comparison below reflects official information checked in August 2026; features vary by model and region.
Bosch eBike range calculator
Bosch's Range Assistant considers its drive unit, system weight, terrain and average speed; Bosch also tells riders that temperature, cadence, stops, gearing and tyre pressure matter. Its connected Range Control can learn from recent rides and route elevation. Our tool is brand-neutral and exposes three weather scenarios before you own a connected bike.
Bafang range estimate
Bafang GO supports compatible displays with ride tracking, navigation and personalised settings, but we could not verify a public, standalone Bafang range calculator with documented assumptions. For a Bafang-powered bike, enter the battery label and choose hub or mid-drive here rather than assuming every Bafang system consumes the same energy.
Yamaha eBike range calculator
We could not verify a current public Yamaha calculator that accepts rider, weather and tyre inputs. Yamaha's on-bike estimates are tied to a particular system and current charge; this page is more useful before purchase or when comparing a Yamaha battery with another brand on common conditions.
Specialized range estimates
Specialized publishes model-specific “up to” range figures and its Turbo ecosystem can use bike data. Those claims are helpful for comparing bikes within the range, while this calculator lets you stress-test the claim with headwind, temperature, cargo and battery age.
Trek Central range
Trek Central connects to compatible bikes, uses personal details and displays how far the current charge may take you in the selected assist mode. That live integration is its advantage; our estimator works without an account or Trek bike and gives pessimistic and optimistic bounds alongside the central estimate.
Giant RideControl range
Giant's RideControl displays remaining range for the current assistance level and warns that terrain and wind can change it. It benefits from knowing the actual EnergyPak state; this tool adds explicit load, tyre, posture, age and temperature controls for planning and comparisons.
Cube eBike range calculator
Most Cube Hybrid bikes use Bosch systems, so their displays and range guidance commonly rely on Bosch's model and current riding conditions. Use Bosch tools for a connected Cube; use this independent calculator to compare that bike with non-Bosch alternatives under identical assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
How far can an eBike go on one charge?
A typical eBike can cover roughly 30–100 km (19–62 miles) per charge, but battery size, assistance, hills, wind, speed, tyres, load and temperature can move a particular ride well outside that span. Use the realistic and worst-case results for route planning rather than relying on a maximum advertised figure.
Why is my real range lower than the advertised range?
Advertised range is usually measured in favourable conditions: a light rider, low assistance, moderate speed, firm tyres, warm weather and little climbing. Real rides add stops, wind, elevation, cargo and battery reserve, all of which increase energy use or reduce usable capacity.
Does cold weather really reduce eBike range?
Yes. Lithium-ion batteries deliver less usable energy in the cold because internal resistance rises. This model applies about a 15% capacity penalty at 0°C and 30% at −10°C compared with 20°C; the effect is usually temporary when the battery warms again.
Do fat tyres reduce eBike range?
Yes. Their larger contact patch and deformation increase rolling resistance. In this model the fat-tyre rolling-resistance coefficient is 2.5 times the road-slick coefficient, although the total range penalty also depends on aerodynamic drag, hills and the rider's contribution.
How much does it cost to charge an eBike?
Multiply battery capacity in kilowatt-hours by your electricity tariff. A 48V 15Ah battery stores 0.72 kWh, so a nominal full charge costs about AU$0.22 at AU$0.30 per kWh, before allowing for small charger losses.
How many kilometres will a 48V 15Ah battery give me?
Using this calculator's default 80 kg rider, 25 kg city eBike, Tour assistance, hybrid tyres, rolling terrain and 20°C temperature, the exact physical model estimates about 50 km realistically. Flatter ground, lower speed and Eco mode can extend that substantially; hills and headwind can cut it sharply.