Real world 48v 10a battery range test by 250lbs rider.

[RoadWrinkle]

Warning: Newbie tester here.

I don't know much about e-bike technology (yet), but I had a weeks access to a converted electra (cruiser 1) running a Golden Motors DD front Hub motor at 750w (peak) with a 48v 10ah lithium (and I believe the GM hub has a 20amp controller built-in?). The bike weighs about 40 lbs, I weigh 250lbs (give or take a few beers) with extras the total package was 300lbs.

I did four kinds of range tests, with mostly light-to no peddling and an average speed of 15 mph, with very full(hard) tire pressure on Kenga cross terrain tires (not a full dirt or a full street tire):

1.) Relatively flat surfaces only, mostly paved, no wind: 2.0 hours
2.) Moderate hills (less than 5% grade), paved, no wind: 1.25 hours
3.) Flat surfaces, 20 mph wind, paved: 1.5 hours
4.) Steep hills around 10%+ grade, paved, no wind .30 hours (**with very hard peddling**).

I hope this gives heavier riders and/or cargo haulers a ball park range for a 48v 10ah battery.

I am learning almost all e-bike and component manufacturers either overstate these range numbers or conduct such test "in a vacum" under unrealistically -ideal conditions with Pro riders pumping the peddles and thus the range numbers.

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, my first hubmotor kit promised me 20 miles at 20 mph with the sla battery supplied. More like 6 miles, and using it to go that far killed the pack in 30 days.

That disappointment was part of what got me started on my 20,000 post journey here. I wanted to shout it from the mountaintop what the thing would really do. So much overhyped sales copy in the ads. Particularly range claims.

My rule of thumb now is cut all range or battery discharge rate claims in half, or more for some vendors. Grin cycles, who owns this website and pays for it to be commercial free is one of the few who's sales pitch is completely true. About all he'll say, is "range varies". It sure does. Speed is the main factor, so you just know they do that range test at 5-10 mph.

12-15 miles is a reasonable expectation from 48v 10 ah. But you could stretch it to 30 miles if you go slow enough and pedal moderately.

 

[Ykick]

I can squeeze 50 miles from 10Ah pack or consume it all in 5 miles. Welcome to the world of EV's. Power meters and preferably CA should be standard equipment for any EV construction.

 

[RoadWrinkle]

The good news is the ebike makes long pedal workouts possible and fun for big guys, so I am assuming that will lend itself to longer ranges and higher speeds as the bike's ...ahh..hum "cargo" becomes skinnier!

 

[RoadWrinkle]

Yeah, my first hubmotor kit promised me 20 miles at 20 mph with the sla battery supplied. More like 6 miles, and using it to go that far killed the pack in 30 days.

Interesting Dogman, is that a problem exclusive to SLA batteries?

 

[dogman dan]

6 miles was about the standard range, at 20-25 mph, for lead of that size. But that took a 100% discharge.

With lead, 100% discharges will quickly ruin them, no matter how good they are. So yeah, lead is a problem if you need long range. Ideally you stop at 50% to 60% discharged with lead. That didn't help me, with the grocery store 8 miles away, and 4 mile range. 36v Lifepo4, and 20 ah capacity gave me 20-30 miles of real world range.

Some report gaining weight after motorizing, some lose weight. It just depends on how you ride, and how you rode before.

For me, I lost weight, but not much, I gained a lot back in muscle. It did wonders for my heart health. The trick is to keep pedaling moderately hard, and do if for a long distance. 1 hr per day spinning the pedals will help your health for sure. The weight will depend on if you get hungrier, and what you eat when you do get hungry.

 

[RoadWrinkle]

Thanks Dogman, you are "the man" when it comes to helpful info, big mahalo for sharing your knowledge and experience.

 

[towerbot]

I've been learning to think in Watts. The CA calculates the very useful Wh/mi but that is the inverse of the petrol way of thinking, mpg.
mi/kWh seems like a very useful number for the whole EV industry. Without calculation the efficiency of my bike could be compared to say a Tesla or city bus.
I wish the first specificaction for a battery was kWh. If, through experimentation, you know how many miles per kilowatthour a machine gets in each riding situation it just seems easier to compare. The "riding situations" are like "city/highway" situations.

1kWh of battery in a 40mi/kWh riding situation is going to result in 40mi covered. My .75kWh battery will cover 30mi and my .5kWh battery will cover 20 miles, in the "WOT situation".

I've never riden a very long flat stretch but I think WOT is 40mi/kWh.
For my crosstown commute I get about 55mi/kWh.
Riding with a pedal group it is perhaps 71mi/kWh.
When I ride under 10 mph, on a nature trail or in a street fair, I see usually see under 100mi/kWh.
If a Tesla could do 1 or 2mi/kWh that seems a pretty useful range, 1-100.