"Up to 100km" is the most misleading number in e-bike marketing. Range depends on the battery's watt-hours, how much you weigh, the hills and how hard the motor works. This calculator uses a real-world consumption model to estimate the range you would actually see, then lists real e-bikes at that battery size from our directory.
Realistic range from a 500Wh battery for an 85kg rider on rolling hills, riding on mixed assistance. Manufacturer claims usually assume the lightest rider, flat ground and eco mode, so treat "up to" numbers as a best case.
E-bikes around 500Wh, ranked by estimated range for you
| Brand | Model | Battery | Est. range for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trek | Slash+ 9.7 | 580Wh | 31 to 41km |
| NCM | T3 | 576Wh | 31 to 41km |
| Giant | Reign Advanced E+ 2 | 560Wh | 31 to 40km |
| Tern | Quick Haul Long D9 | 545Wh | 30 to 39km |
| Tern | HSD P5i | 545Wh | 30 to 39km |
| Eunorau | META26 X2.0 | 540Wh | 30 to 39km |
| VelectriX | SUV | 540Wh | 30 to 39km |
| Urban Arrow | Family Performance Line Plus | 545Wh | 30 to 39km |
| Urban Arrow | Flatbed Cargo XL | 545Wh | 30 to 39km |
| Riese & Muller | Carrie2 City | 545Wh | 30 to 39km |
| Reid | Let's Moto Fat eBike | 529Wh | 29 to 37km |
| Specialized | Turbo Vado SL 2 5.0 EQ | 520Wh | 29 to 37km |
Estimates use a consumption model of roughly 14.0 Wh per km for your settings, and 90 percent usable battery. Real range varies with wind, tyre pressure, stops, cold and how hard you push. Use it to compare bikes, not as a guarantee.
Battery size, roughly what to expect
As a rule of thumb on mixed assistance and rolling terrain, for a typical rider: a 250 to 400Wh battery suits short commutes; 500Wh is the everyday sweet spot; 600 to 750Wh covers long commutes and weekend rides; and 1000Wh-plus or dual-battery setups are for touring and big off-road days. Hills and higher power move you down these bands quickly.
Common questions
How far can an electric bike go on one charge?
For a road-legal 250W e-bike, a realistic figure is roughly 25 to 45km from a 400 to 500Wh battery on mixed assistance, more in eco mode on flat ground and less on hills or high power. Big-battery bikes of 750 to 1000Wh can do 60 to 100km-plus in eco mode. The battery capacity in watt-hours is the number that matters, not the marketing range.
What does Wh mean on an e-bike battery?
Watt-hours (Wh) is the true measure of how much energy the battery holds, and it is volts multiplied by amp-hours. A 36V 14Ah battery is about 500Wh. When comparing bikes, compare Wh, because two bikes with the same nominal range can have very different real-world range depending on capacity.
Why is my e-bike range lower than advertised?
Manufacturer range claims almost always assume the lightest rider, flat ground, the lowest assistance level, warm weather and no stops. Add a heavier rider, hills, cold, headwind, higher assistance or a throttle and real range drops fast. That is why we estimate a band rather than a single hopeful number.
Does rider weight affect e-bike range?
Yes. A heavier rider and any cargo increase the energy needed to move and, especially, to climb, so range falls. It is one of the inputs in the calculator above, along with terrain and how much you let the motor do the work.