A review of factors that lower the range of an electric scooter or bike
Range anxiety:
This is a term coined to describe the worry that users experience when they consider that they may run out of power before reaching their destination. This section reviews factors that lower the range of an electric bike.
1. Braking and starting:
Whatever makes you brake, and then use the accelerator to regain speed, will lower the range of your bike. In other words, whatever makes you lose momentum, or whatever makes it hard for you to run at a uniform speed (e.g. heavy traffic, traffic lights, pedestrians or cattle on the roads, speedbreakers, potholes, bad roads etc.), will compromise the range.
2. Pillion rider and loads:
Range decreases when you carry loads such as a pillion rider. This is because the motor has to work harder for a given speed. Carrying luggage may not matter much unless it is rather heavy.
3. Tyre air pressure:
Poorly inflated tyres decrease the range of the bike. This is because there is increased friction of rubber against the surface of the road, making it necessary for the motor to work harder for a given speed.
4. Uphills and wind:
Going uphill or against the wind can lower the range because the motor has to work harder. This may not be much of an issue because downhills can partly make up for the uphills, and because a rider is unlikely to face a strong headwind through an entire commute.
5. Speed:
Higher speeds drain charge and so lower the range of the bike.
6. Using headlights:
Night riding and use of headlights will also drain charge and reduce the range of the bike.
7. Time since the last charge:
The batteries loses charge with time, whether the bike is used or not.
8. Battery age:
As batteries age, the range that they provide progressively drops even if the batteries are fully charged.
9. Damaged batteries:
Batteries that have been damaged by overcharging have compromised range.
10. Kind of bike
Some bikes have greater range than others. This may be because they have less powerful motors and run more slowly; or because they have greater battery capacity. The latter bikes cost more.
This is a term coined to describe the worry that users experience when they consider that they may run out of power before reaching their destination. This section reviews factors that lower the range of an electric bike.
1. Braking and starting:
Whatever makes you brake, and then use the accelerator to regain speed, will lower the range of your bike. In other words, whatever makes you lose momentum, or whatever makes it hard for you to run at a uniform speed (e.g. heavy traffic, traffic lights, pedestrians or cattle on the roads, speedbreakers, potholes, bad roads etc.), will compromise the range.
2. Pillion rider and loads:
Range decreases when you carry loads such as a pillion rider. This is because the motor has to work harder for a given speed. Carrying luggage may not matter much unless it is rather heavy.
3. Tyre air pressure:
Poorly inflated tyres decrease the range of the bike. This is because there is increased friction of rubber against the surface of the road, making it necessary for the motor to work harder for a given speed.
- This does not mean that you should hyperinflate the tyres. Hyperinflated tyres wear out in the middle and will need to be replaced earlier than tyres that are inflated according to recommendations.
- Hyperinflating tyres makes sense for petrol scooters because the savings on petrol could exceed the losses associated with more frequent replacement of tyres.
- Hyperinflating tyres does not make sense when the fuel is electricity, which is cheap.
- Hyperinflating tyres of an e-scooter may be a good idea if it is important for you to have a long range.
- I find that I need to check the tyre pressure every 10-15 days. The pressure in the rear wheel goes down quickly.
4. Uphills and wind:
Going uphill or against the wind can lower the range because the motor has to work harder. This may not be much of an issue because downhills can partly make up for the uphills, and because a rider is unlikely to face a strong headwind through an entire commute.
5. Speed:
Higher speeds drain charge and so lower the range of the bike.
6. Using headlights:
Night riding and use of headlights will also drain charge and reduce the range of the bike.
- I have insufficient experiencing with night riding to know to what extent headlight use drains the batteries.
7. Time since the last charge:
The batteries loses charge with time, whether the bike is used or not.
8. Battery age:
As batteries age, the range that they provide progressively drops even if the batteries are fully charged.
9. Damaged batteries:
Batteries that have been damaged by overcharging have compromised range.
10. Kind of bike
Some bikes have greater range than others. This may be because they have less powerful motors and run more slowly; or because they have greater battery capacity. The latter bikes cost more.