how much are you saving using your ebike?

[swbluto]

That wind in your face feeling is nice when it's warm.

[johnrobholmes]

I like cold wind in my face too. Ever go riding on a snowy night when there is snow on the ground and clouds in the sky? The city lights bounce back and forth between the layers and light up everything.

[swbluto]

Hah. No. Snowy night = Roadkill here.

But I'm basing that off my old speeds when I was pedaling at 12-15 mph w/o an electric motor. It seems like it might be more practical with an electric and, yes, that does sound enjoyably tranquil. I remember similar experiences when I threw the newspaper at 4:00 a.m. in the morning when nothing was moving and no one was around. The newspaper folding and mushing through the snow kind of detracted from the enjoyment, but that particular aesthetic you mention was nice.

[johnrobholmes]

With proper head attire, goggles, possibly a face warmer, and some thick gloves it ain't so bad. I plan to use mine as much as possible. The only thing I don't like is road ash and salt.

[BikeFanatic]

Money saved last two years not driving to work $2,522—4,108 +

Number one factor for me is parking fees. Most People I work with pay $ 54 per week to park at our garage, and others pay less to park off site and take free shuttle bus. All drivers have to pay monthly even when they are out sick or on vacation it comes out of their checks every month whether they use it or not.

Park at garage per year - 2,808.00
Park at OFFSITE per year - 1,200

I have been working there over 2 years and ride my Ebike or bike every day. I rarely take the bus perhaps 3-4 X per year.

Money saved not Parking at garage for 2 years - 5,616
Money saved not Parking at OFFSITE for 2 years - 2,400

Money saved over two years 2,400---5,616!!!!

NOW my partner and I got rid of a second car that we never used anyway
Saving 750 per year in insurance. Plus Save minimum $200 in gas not driving also

Now minimum saved 4, 300 —7,516 ( over two years) ( minus cost of Ebike, minus cost of electricity )

Since I live in the city we do pay a premium for parking and even taking the train cost much more than Ebiking. Train $2 or 4 $ RT, electricity = 10-15 cents. I save money on Every trip. I can not calculate unless I keep track but I have saved money there also.

Example: I was lucky enough to go to Fenway 5 times this year. My friends paid 30-45 dollar each time to park! We biked or Ebiked – another 150- 225 dollars saved. (Plus drinking + Ebike = FUN especially on the bike path that are devoid of PEDS and squirrels)

Hard to calculate Ebike cost as it becomes a hobby, as you run into battery and controller issues, then you want the latest ,fastest, lightest Batts, I spent more than original cost on my Ebike perhaps even $600 - 700 a year in upgrades etc. But the motor and wheel and are still the same over last 5 years. Here is original cost

Used BIKE $150 , BRAKE pads 20$, MOTOR KIT aprox 400 FROM ( 5 YEARS AGO) Wheel, spokes, tire = 150? LATEST BATTERY PING – 450, LIGHTS 25$ ebike $ 1195. - ( divided by 5 years, add 50 electricity and $600 for maintenance upgrades batts ) 889 per year = 1778 for two years . I think that is a fair estimate.

[swade]

Been commuting to work on my ebike for just over a year now.

So far expenses for my current commuter are as follows:
Batteries - 2000 (a123's)
Bike + mods 900
Controllers 1000
Motors 1500
~ about 5400, probably closer to six or seven if I really add it up. Right now I have two spare controllers and two spare motors on hand just in case...

The first six months were the worst in terms of blowing stuff up and trying to figure out what my max volts were that wouldn't cause damage to the motor & controller.

Possibly the worst case scenario on this thread in terms of expenditures, for savings though, I think I'm about even:
Per day:
parking: 25
Gas 5
* 200 = 6k

So I guess if I don't break anything, I'm starting to make money

[BiGH]

Ive spent about $4000 total in ebikes - however i've got two motors and two controllers and two throttles. I'm going to build up a second bike, and because it is my primary form of transport i need to ensure i have spares.

I used to spend $400 a month in petrol - now i spend $0.

that works out fairly nicely ! 10 months of riding ... and its fully paid for itself

i stopped working off distance - and started on lifestyle instead.

[rodbotic]

well I traded my car for my bike, so my only costs is insurance + fuel vs electicity.

(160km daily commute when I was driving)
$130 ins
$120 fuel
+ 4hrs a day

(3.2km daily commute now, I moved)
$0 electricity is free on campus
+ 8min a day

so my time I will charge about $25/hr
and work about 4days a week.
therefor by car it was costing me $1850/month(time included)
my bike $53/month (that covers the cost of my time to of riding the bike, I would do it for free, but I need to be fair).

now if we were to say I drove from my house to work. (about 6km due to cul-de-sac roads)
$ 10 bucks in Gas + insurance + time ~= $193/month.

[nitecheck]

Not including wear & tear on the car (which has been relegated to school duties, major shopping & the about a week of driving a year - when the weather is really bad < 5000km per year for the whole family) - I'm saving $25.12 AUS a day on fuel/tolls.

The real saving is that I am nearly as fit as I was 20 years ago so hopefully this will mean longer healthier life with less medical bills in the long run...short of getting nailed by a cage that is

[Drunkskunk]

Not saving anything. It costs me more than driving.

But damn, its fun!

Honestly, its a toy. More fun than a bike, or a motorcycle. its my hobby. I think of it the same way I might think of a jetski, or a snow mobile. Fun and usefull. it runs Lipo, so it costs me about $2 every 20 miles in terms of wear and tear on the batteries and the rest of the bike. it also wasn't cheap to build, and still needs refinements. It might break even in 15,000 miles, or there about, and start saving me money after that. But I'd rather rust keep riding it for fun, and not worry anything else.

[nomad85]

E-bike Costs
Bikes:
Trek 7.3 FX- 560$
Trex 800 - Free
Batteries:
48v 15Ah LiFePO4 - 500$
48v 36Ah of SLA - free
Motors/Cycle Analyst/Controllers/ect..
407, controller, CA, throttle- 700$
Amped Bikes kit- 400$
Accessories- Trailer/raingear/winter gear, lights, horn, mirrors, racks, tires, bags, arkel bug(best thing ever), tubes, ect...
1000$(over estimate)
Total- 3160$
I live with my family while I go to school so electricity is free.
I would estimate that maintaining/operating the bike would cost me 15$ per month, some months nothing goes wrong, others I need a new BMS, or spokes or what not.
I'm not going to include principal for either the car or the bike.
My car cost me about 300$ a month(gas insurance, repairs, I paid for it in full, or else it would be much more)
My bike costs me about 15$ a month

In one year I will save 3420$. That pays for everything.

[vanilla ice]

I paid $50 for it, still hasn't paid for itself the way I use it. Like DS, I think of it like a jetski.

[Lock]

I have seen the bills for ppl who drive themselves in their cars to their weight loss clinics. I know I am savings thousands a year

[steveo]

I might scare myself here but i will do my best to list every ev thing i've bought with approx price

Crystalite controller
72v 40amp around 280$... tradded for x405 RWD motor

Replacement fets 4110's Est 50$

2 watts upmetters 80$

Cycle analyst 120$

my first crystalite motor x5304; bought for 500$ ... sold for $350 shipped

First set of batteries 7.5ah sla's 120$

Shrink wrap 3" 16" around 100$ est

$300 worth of anderson power poles & tool to date

60$ of random 10AWG needed to build

100$ of copper braid for pack assembly

mega power 960sr + balancer for pack assembly $200

Replacement Screen for megapower 30$

Dewalt battery packs 25 packs worth .. probably bought 1000$ worth of cells .. the rest where free

2 BMS board v 2.3 $375 parts + board

18awg for bms harness 20$

Random connectors needed during build; est 30$

Used 5304x bought for 250$; ended up only paying about 125$

Replacement bearing for used 5304 approx 30$

curretly free supply of controllers/ throttles/ lipo batteries at my request from my connections

spokes 75$

rims 100$

avid juicy x5 brakes 120$ value; got with trade of my 1st 5304

misc tires and tubes 40$

helment for bike .. freebie

cba 2 ... est value 120$ free for controller trade

psu 36v 11.1amp 75$;got 3 replacements free..managed to fix one.. 2 working..

thermal probe 15$

led lamp 1200 lums $50

dc-dc inverter 2 50$

20 pieces 4110's 100$

24 pieces of fdp2532 fets i think 120$


useless ledlights 30$

useless led bike lights 30$

signalflashers 10$

fuses over time 40$

small shrink wrap 40$

tools 40$

soldergun 100$ weller

60$solder

time well wasted... priceless

[Eric G]

I'm saving lots of money...

I haven't driven a car for at least 20 or so years.Before the ebike I took taxis,rode a bus and walked.Since getting the ebike I don't bother with taxis or the bus,I still walk though.I ride in winter as well,a nice cold wind in your face makes you feel alive.

Initial Crap Chinese ebike with tin can motor (200 watt) $700.I got took badly but I've learned since finding the forum.I scrapped the motor and replaced it with a Rear Wheel Brushed C-lyte & 25 amp controller $250.I've got another Front Brushed C-lyte & 30amp controller to go on ride #2 but had a bad year with health so maybe next spring.

Soooo $950 for about 4 or 5 years without a cab or bus and no waiting.

I get sla real cheap $45. for 3 12v/ 7.2ah taxes included.

I'm gonna get me some Yardworks Batteries this spring at Canadian Tire or some of Justin's 5c NiCad we'll see.

[pat_smtih]

I'm saving about $2 a day. I used to take my bike into work on the bus then ride it home but now I can ride both ways. It cost about $350 to set up so I should break even this summer.

[Lock]

...a nice cold wind in your face makes you feel alive.

What he said
Also, when it's stinkin' hot in southern Ontario in the summer times it feels soooo good "leaning" on the batts more and "flying" through the air without the pedal-effort... Best "air conditioning" I know!
tks
lOck

[steveo]

...a nice cold wind in your face makes you feel alive.

What he said
Also, when it's stinkin' hot in southern Ontario in the summer times it feels soooo good "leaning" on the batts more and "flying" through the air without the pedal-effort... Best "air conditioning" I know!
tks
lOck

I agree!!!!

[deronmoped]

Giant LaFree bike $50.00, LiFe battery $350.00. Buying the bike used saved me a ton, not sure how long the battery will last, so that is going to be hard to fit into the equation.

I use my bike for mostly short trips, that is when a ICE car is least efficient. Just saving on gas, oil and wear and tear, so it may take a couple thousand miles on my bike to recoup the cost.

The bike does help save me time in some cases. I ride to college which is only 2.5 miles away, so I can pretty much get there as fast as I can drive, but I ride the bike right up to my class which saves me from finding a parking spot and then walking several blocks to class.

Like nitecheck, keeping fit is a big plus and exercise is a huge stress release.

Deron.

[fifthmass]

I replace around 4,000 miles per year of car driving with ebiking.

At $0.20/mile for gas and maintenance I'm saving $800 per year.

The extra costs for the bike are $250/year towards battery replacement (assume a three year service life) and another $200/year for new brake shoes and tires as they wear out. Electricity $12 per year

Net annual savings $338 per year. Not huge $$$ but HUGE fun!

Bill

[Russell]

I figure the hobby is costing me about $200/mo. so far.

I only use my ebike for recreation so It'll never save me money.

-R

[JinbaIttai]

I can save $2.50 each time I commute to work instead of driving. I work about 20 times per month.

I've commuted maybe 35 times so far.

The problem is I've spent about $1500, and so far saved $87.

Only 565 commutes to go until I break even! That works out to 2.5 more years before I start saving.

[ElectricEd]

All dollars are in Pacific peso (Australian)
Current setup:
$475.00 Crystalyte 408R
$75.00 Crystalyte 40A Controller
$12.00 Thumb throttle
$30.00 Brake levers w cutoff sw
$485.00 48V 10AH LiFePO4 battery (eBay, very lucky no one else bidded)
$212.00 Cycle Analyst
$75.00 Topeak rack
$80.00 Topeak rack pack
$100.00 Miscellaneous wires, connectors, heatshrink, cable ties

$1544.00 Total
Charging at home costs 20c from power company, reducing to 0c if sufficient insolation for photovoltaic power.
Charged for free at work.
Car commute in Camry station wagon costs $10 per day for fuel.
I commute 4 out of 5 days a week, saving $40 per week.
Pay back time 7.72 months.
Earlier if ebiking 5 days in a week.

To amortise consumeables, factor in battery replacement every 5 years. Battery = $1000/5/52/4= 96.15c per commute. So the true saving is $9.04 per day
Payback time 8.25 months

[lcyclist]

Saving? This is a hobby, a practical hobby, that is ...

Frame(s) - 500.00
Fork(s) - $600.00
Headsets/cranks/chain/bottom brackets/brakes- $600.00
Tires/tubes - $120.00
Motor(s) - $1400.00
Controller(s) - $500.00
Batteries/chargers - $2000.00

Time saved for commuting and exercise, means more time for more important things, and let's not forget, the fun factor/e-grin - price$$less

[ElectricEd]

Saving?
http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2008-02-04
Applies to eBikes too.