Overview
To begin, it’s quite clear that the overall running costs of electric bikes, scooters and other PLEVs make both long and short-term use highly affordable. On average, fully charging a standard scooter costs around 14-21 cents or 10-15 pence; which is the equivalent to ~550km per litre of fuel, or 1500 miles per gallon.
According to Eco Cost Savings, the average cost to charge an eBike across 24 countries is just 7 cents. They say that on average, charging costs for the year total a very fair $29.38 (£21.25). However, this figure will vary by country, overall total use, battery capacity and other factors. For example, in China and India, an average eBike costs only 3 cents to charge, for a total of $13.03 (£9.42/€11.03) per year!
Via: MapMyRun
So what’s the battery capacity required to reach 60 miles (100 km)? For eBikes, you’re looking at a battery with 417Wh / 11.58Ah, such as on the Shred 604. For escooters, you’d require a battery that delivers 52v 30aH to reach that same range. An example would be the EMOVE Cruiser long range scooter.
Electric Bikes
Despite the relatively average battery capacity, the overall performance offered by the Shred 604 is outstanding. For an electric bike to reach 60 miles (100 km), a minimum battery capacity of 417Wh (Watt Hours) / 11.50Ah is necessary. Using a standard charger to charge from empty, a Li-ion battery of this capacity will take around 3.5 to 4 hours. So, let’s start calculating the average cost for a 60-mile journey.
Thankfully, there is a fairly easy formula to calculate the cost of charging the battery of an electric bike or scooter. Riders must find the Watt-hour (Wh) capacity and convert it into kilowatt-hours (kWhs), before multiplying this figure by the amount your electricity provider charges per unit. If you don’t feel like mathematics, we recommend using this eBike electricity cost calculator instead.
Formula For Calculating Cost Per Charge
[kWh] (Wh÷100) x [Cost per Unit] = [Total cost per charge]Regardless, we will still include our own calculations and show how we reached the cost for 60 miles. Let’s use the 417Wh eBike battery as an example, putting our charge per unit at the US average of 13.19 cents/kWh. First, we convert 417Wh into 0.417 kWh, before multiplying by the charge per unit (13.19¢).
This gives us a total cost of approx. 5.5 cents per full charge for a 417Wh battery, which offers an average mileage of 60 miles (100 km). Judging from these calculations, it’s safe to say that the average 400Wh+ electric bike costs just 5.5 cents to operate for up to 60 miles. Read below and learn how much this would cost for an electric scooter!
Electric Scooters
These types of PLEVs have exploded in popularity in recent years, mostly due to technological advancements and increased affordability. The average street scooter (based on Xiaomi M365) offers a range of around 20 miles and a battery capacity of 36V/280 Wh. Using this model as the standard, we calculate that the average low-mid capacity eScooter costs ~3.7¢ per charge. Incredibly, this means that even with repeated use every day, yearly running costs still only average $13.47.
However, a much bigger battery is required for an eScooter to reach ranges of up to 60 miles. In fact, it’s quite rare to find many models that strive for such high performance at all. Although using the eMove Cruiser as an example, we see that a huge battery capacity of at least 52V 30aH (1560Wh) is required. This is over 3 times the necessary Watt-hours for an electric bike to attain the same mileage.
Using the same formula as before, we convert 1560Wh in 1.56 kWh and multiply by the same US average of 13.19 cents; giving us a total cost of approx. 20.6¢ from empty and taking ~6.5-7 hours to charge. Therefore, we conclude that it would cost 20.6¢ to ride 60 miles on a 1560Wh electric scooter. This is much higher than eBikes and other mid-range models.
Germany, China & Other Regions
Of course, figures will vary depending on your average charge per unit, with Germany charging 30.43¢ (Euros) per kWh/1000 Wh. This turns into a much more significant 45.64¢ per charge for battery capacities of 1500Wh+. After a year of daily use and recharging, the average rider would have spent approx. $75.19 in the US and €166.58 in Germany.
In China, this figure is ludicrously low, standing at just 0.635 yuan ($0.099) per kWh. This averages out at ~0.1485¢ per charge or $54.20 for a year of daily use. As such, it’s important to calculate with your own figures and see if it’s really worth it for you. Although, we can’t imagine many cheaper methods of transport with such low running costs in the majority of countries. Learn the average cost per kWh of electricity for all countries, or continue reading for our conclusion.
Conclusion
Overall pricing also depends on the availability of energy in your region, alongside its cost to produce. Some areas with renewable energy sources are cheaper, whilst also committing to a much lower carbon footprint. We anticipate a number of advancements and innovations for batteries in the near future; allowing for faster charge cycles, greater mileage and a longer lifespan.
We hope we were able to cover any questions or doubts you may have about this topic. Please leave us a comment to say hello, give your opinion or suggest a change to this article. Alternatively, read through the latest PLEV news here!
Sources and Additional Reading
- https://www.electricchoice.com/electricity-prices-by-state
- https://www.ukpower.co.uk/home_energy/tariffs-per-unit-kwh
- https://ecocostsavings.com/cost-of-charging-an-electric-bike/
- https://ecocostsavings.com/electric-scooter-charging-cost/
- https://www.pureelectric.com/blogs/news/electric-scooters-worth-the-cost