how much are you saving using your ebike?

[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.

[BungaEBiker]

To paraphrase Tom Hanks "I'm Saving America Dave". Everyone who rides an e-bike, who takes the time to invest in any alternate/renewable energy is doing a part in saving this blue/green marble we all live on. We have no where else to live and its freaking time we started taking care of business around here. Every dog knows not to crap where you sleep and we need one huge pooper scooper.

[SpeedEBikes]

Way too complicated to figure. Almost like trying to answer how much money getting married has saved/cost me. Not the sort of question that wise men want to contemplate too deeply.

I've been doing ebikes for about 10 years. If I added up all related expenditures it might be in the ballpark of $20,000. But that would include a lot of tools, things like a TIG welder that I use for other stuff than juat building bikes. Money spent on stuff actually consumed or destroyed is perhaps $4000. The rest was spent on stuff that could be depreciated but still is in use (or in dusty piles in the basement awaiting future use...).

Also, I've had a couple crashes on ebikes that resulted in significant medical expenses, perhaps $3k of which didn't get covered.

On the plus side I stopped driving many years ago and have been able to rely on my electric bikes for almost all of my hauling and transportation needs. So perhaps I've saved a bundle if I could only guesstimate what I never spent on cars, vans, motorcycles, etc.

And savings might include supplanting hobbies like light aviation (pretty expensive and perhaps more dangerous), no longer needing a health club / gym membership, etc.

But trying to pin a $ figure on it is hard and perhaps pointless. I'm glad I went down the ebike road and glad to still be traveling. And so far it's only been getting easier and more rewarding.

[vanilla ice]

I've probably spent $750 on our E-stable. So I've saved $-750.00 so far. But foe rills ditto what speed says.. if I could take some classes to learn the shizz I've learned the tuition would be a hell of lot more than that!

[317537]

Two bikes.

Rough honest estimate

Bike 1

Whole bike $130
Replacement batts $300
Replace contoller $50
Odd and ends, helmets, bike lights and projects $300


Bike 2...

2xWheel kits $1400
Replace batts twice $800
Replace controllers $20 each
Experimental controllers for projects etc $200
2x Trailers and baby seat $430
Odds and ends $500


Chargers gone through a few.

3x36v at $80 couldnt handle 24 ah batts.
2 that were not the right type $80 each still working.
Home made charger $60
48v second hand charger from Brett white still working. $25
New spokes from Brett White $25


Hall replacemnents $20
Wrong parts $50.

Misc: $400

Total: Quick add up $5070 probably more over 3 years.

I rely on bikes as main form of transport so they do wear out tiers and stuff goes wrong, learning yada yada.

Compared to.

Cabs for the trip into town average $80 per week.

$13440

Still way ahead and bikes provide much needed liberties that a taxi can even come close too.

Eg.

Get into town via a taxi cab.

Stuck walking around from shop to shop with much weight to carry. This imits what can be done and I get exhasted. Bike with trailer seems to make life shopping for the family a fun thing to do instead of a choir. Can ride right up to the super market and park near the door, with trailer, and its simple unload from trolly to trailer. My battery range allows me to go anywhere around town including the cheapo warehouse type stores. Medical appointments and trips here and there is fun. Traffic much easier to navigate than car. I Can almost beat a taxi to town, and to home from town. If the wait for taxi is included I win hands down. Wife loves the bike.

[StudEbiker]

You can see my milage log here for my e-bike. My commute is 3 miles each way. The chart is based on 12 mpg vehicle that I would drive if I wasn't riding the e-bike. This chart only looks at gas saved and even then it is not perfect because there are days that I probably would have drove more than I rode my bike just because it is easier to go places that are further away, and then there are trips to the bike store that I take in the Jeep that I wouldn't take if I wasn't e-biking. I figure once I get to about 65% ROI the kit will have paid for itself.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key= ... DLPFV7OuTw

[amberwolf]

It's hard to say exactly, because normally I would bike everywhere anyway (never had to have a car or drive in all my 41 years; though I could, there's no reason to, and I'd rather not).

However, there used to be times I'd rather take the bus, or more recently the light rail, for across-valley trips, especially if cargo (like bigger items from Freecycle) is involved. So on those trips, I've saved at least a couple hundred dollars on the bus fares in the last couple years, where before I would have taken the bike on the bus just because of the summer heat, for most of the trip. Although, in some cases, because of the cargo or length of trip, I've taken the bike *on* the light rail or bus. No savings there.

Since the recharging only costs a few cents at most, I doubt I've even spent enough for a single all-day fare pass yet.

Now, as to how much the bike itself has saved me, ebike or not, well, I'd've probably gone the car route like most do if I didn't ride the bike, and that'd be the cost of car payments, insurance, maintenance, registration, testing, etc. Probably at least several hundred dollars per year, *before* fuel costs, and potentially a few thousand a year, depending on the car and the insurance.

Since the bikes themselves don't usually cost me anything, coming to me as scrap, and the same for all the used batteries and motors and stuff, it's pretty definitely a huge savings. I think over my whole life I might've spent $100 on bikes and parts for them. Maybe another $50-$75 on tools that I still have and use (except for one really crappy chaintool that disintegrated, so there's $10 wasted).

Overall, I'm sure I'm saving a significant amount; I just haven't got an easy way of determining how much.

[BungaEBiker]

In a more serious light.

1, San Pedro Cruiser $200.00
9c front hub kit $500.00
36v SLA Battery pack $150.00
Mods to bike $100.00

2, Trek 800 Single Track MTB $150.00
Cyclone mid drive $600.00
48v NmH pack $800.00
(bike two is in process of build. costs are estimates so far)

Possible cost of car of used $20,000, added interest after monthly payments $27,000. Average per year cost of maintenance $1000.00.
Possible per year fee not including gas $28.000
Possible per year cost of two bikes plus fuel: $2600
Total savings from E-Bike as apposed to regular car= $25.400

Long turn ruining estimate after initial investment period is over:
Car $1500.00 per year
Bikes: $100.00 per year
Total savings of = 1400.00
(total fuel cost per car based on current pricing would be $2400 per 20 liter per two week period based on $1.00 per-liter pricing)

[Canis Lupus]

So far I'm a couple grand in the hole!

I'm not far behind you, and until I get the BionX motor and recharger back from Canada, I don't have anything to show for it. Now, if we include the cost of the trike, a new Trice T, with plenty of accessories, my hole is quite a bit deeper than 2k, but at least that part of the equation is functioning.

[EMF]

So far I'm a couple grand in the hole!

I'm not far behind you, and until I get the BionX motor and recharger back from Canada, I don't have anything to show for it. Now, if we include the cost of the trike, a new Trice T, with plenty of accessories, my hole is quite a bit deeper than 2k, but at least that part of the equation is functioning.

No worries, the Canadians will come through for you, I have no doubt about this. I do some dealing up there and have not had a bad experience yet, they even have to contend with our "Homeland Security" in spite of NAFTA and they always get the job done. Always.

Even if they weren't a reliable lot, I have read enough of your postings that I know you would prevail in the end.

Once you get that trike going, within one half block, you will forget everything else prior, there is something about that quiet power...

[biohazardman]

OH I saved about 324 dollars so far in my 3K of riding e-bikes.

But they cost me

Schwinn Seirra $150

Upgrades after Purchase before I knew I was going to electrify
Lock $ 14
Fenders $ 30
Rack $ 34
Derailleur’s $ 80
Shift levers $ 49
Total $207

Safety items required
Mirror $ 16
Lights $ 46
Rear Wheel $ 70
Front Wheel $90
Tires $ 58
Total $400

Cost Required to Electrify
Hub kit $396
Battery $350
Charger $100
Total $846

Total cost $1323

Battery and charger upgrades for 48V $500

Bike 2 costs

Giant trance3 MTB $1000
Batteries & charger $800
BMC 600w motor kit $700
8” rotor upgrades $80
Carbon handlebars $50
Carbon crank $130
BB road gears upgrade $40
Pedals $30
Fenders $30
Rear Rack $45
Rear bag $50
Wheel, spoke, tire upgrade $40
Higher stem $20
K-Light $160
Planet bike rear light $20

Total $3195

And another 500+ in parts I have not used yet.

So, it cost me $5018.00 in e-bikes parts and hundreds of hours of labor to save that $324. Really not such a bad deal if you are like me and not quite all there. ;^) Still it's well worth it to be able to get out there with all the motorists and see how many you can dodge before they get you pretty entertaining for now. I don't even get upset just pedal on like nothing happened. Lots of skid marks on the road and much less rubber on the tires as of late though so another hidden cost. Then again, there are the truly addicted ones and to them that's just a drop in the bucket. OOPS add another $100 to that heart has been doing weird things as of late so got a Garman 305 off Craigslist to keep track of it and me.