Technical guide
How to choose an e-bike battery
What watt-hours (Wh) mean, how to estimate your real range and which battery you need for your trips.
Battery capacity is measured in watt-hours (Wh). It is the best figure for comparing range between bikes, far more than the kilometres each brand claims, which depend on how they are measured.
How to estimate your range
A simple way to do the maths: range ≈ battery Wh ÷ consumption per km. Consumption depends on the assist mode, the climbing, the wind and your weight. As a rough guide, on the flat with low assistance you use few Wh per km, and in the mountains with high assistance you use many more. That is why the same bike can do twice or half the kilometres depending on where you ride it.
Rule of thumb: choose a battery with plenty to spare for your usual round trip. Batteries lose capacity over the years and perform worse in winter.
The batteries of the bikes analysed
| Model | Battery | Claimed range | Removable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elops LD 920 E | 702 Wh | up to 150 km | Yes |
| Rockrider E-EXPL 700 | 630 Wh | up to 100 km | — |
| Rockrider E-FEEL 700 S | 630 Wh | up to 90 km | — |
| Rockrider E-FEEL 900 S | 630 Wh | — | — |
| Elops LD 500 (Larga Distancia) | 504 Wh | — | No |
| Rockrider E-EXPL 500 S | 500 Wh | up to 80–90 km (little climbing) | — |
| Rockrider E-EXPL 520 | 500 Wh | up to 80 km (little climbing) | — |
| Rockrider E-EXPL 520 S | 500 Wh | up to 80 km (little climbing) | — |
| Van Rysel E-GRVL AF MD | 500 Wh | up to 150 km | Yes |
| Riverside 500 E | 418 Wh | up to 90 km | — |
| Elops 900 E (cuadro bajo) | 417 Wh | — | — |
| Rockrider E-ST 100 | 380 Wh | — | — |
| Van Rysel E-GRVL AF Discover | 360 Wh | — | Yes |
| Rockrider E-ACTV 100 (cuadro bajo) | 356 Wh | up to 70 km (Eco mode) | Yes |
| BTWIN E-Fold 500 | 252 Wh | up to 50 km | Yes |
| Van Rysel E-GRVL AF HD | 250 Wh | up to 100 km | — |
| Van Rysel E-EDR AF Shimano 105 | 250 Wh | up to 100 km | — |
Removable or integrated?
A removable battery lets you charge it at home or at the office without carrying the bike up. If you live in a flat without a lift or park the bike on the street or in a garage without a socket, it is almost essential.