How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Bike?

Electric bikes are cheap and convenient modes of transportation. As the electric bike runs on battery power, you might have wondered: How much does it cost to charge an electric bike? There are other factors to take into account in order to get the right answer. Since electric bike batteries won't last forever, it is important to consider their replacement costs.


In this article, we'll break down all the numbers. With a cost of 8 cents (6p)  per charge and $35.83 (£27.69)  per year for electricity, the UK is higher end of the scale. While the cost is not as low as in China or India, where it costs just 3 cents per charge, an electric bike will cost you barely £10.07 per year to keep charged.


Nevertheless, many other variables needed to be taken into account when estimating the cost. The price depends on the battery capacity, voltage, and the local electricity rate. Higher voltage and capacity batteries are more expensive to charge.

Are Electric Bike Batteries Expensive?

Knowing the cost of a new battery is essential if you are in the market for a new electric bicycle battery or need to replace an old battery on an existing electric bicycle.  How much do they cost? Let’s look at the details.

Depending on the brand and capacity, an electric bike battery can cost anywhere from £450 to £650. Batteries between 400 and 700 watt-hours would fit this description. (Hovsco 250 watt electric bike would cost you only £1,199.)

The price per Wh of name-brand batteries is much higher than off-brand batteries.

How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Bike?

To figure out how much it costs to charge an electric bike, you'll need three pieces of information. There is also a manual way to calculate the cost of charging your battery:

. The battery voltage
. The amp hour of the battery
. Your local electrical rates

Battery ratings should include voltage and amp hours. If it isn't listed, try looking it up online, in the manual, or with the manufacturer.

By checking online, you can easily find your local electrical rates. If you have trouble finding it, you can contact your local power company or check your electric bill.

Now, to calculate cost per charge:

1. For watt-hours (Wh), multiply voltage (V) by ampere-hours (Ah).
For example, 48V x 8.8Ah = 422.4Wh.
2. In order to calculate Kilowatt Hours, divide the Wh (from step 1) by 1000.
As an example, 422.4 watts divided by 1000 equals 0.4224 watts.
3. Calculate your local electric rate per KWh by multiplying the KWh (from step 2)

So the final calculation that we need to do is multiply how much your electricity provider charges per kWh (i.e. per unit of electricity) by your battery’s kWh. Here’s the formula:

Your battery’s kWh x your cost per kWh = the cost to charge your ebike battery the average price in the UK is just over 17p (or 8 cents) per kWh. 

So taking this 8 cent average, our 0.3744kWh battery (or 374.4Wh battery) would cost us 2.9952 cents to fully charge:

0.3744kWh x  8 cents = 2.9952 cents to fully charge

The electric bike used in this example claims a 22-40 mile range. You could travel up to 40 miles for under 3 cents!

How Much Electricity Does It Take to Charge an Electric Bike?

In general, the battery usually requires 500 watt-hours (equivalent to 0.5 kilowatt-hours) to get charged, depending on its capacity. Based on a £10-£15/kWh rate (in the UK), a charge that lasts 40-80 miles will cost you £5 to £7.5. (You might want to read the related post about 2022 Electric Bicycle Buying Guide since the government will give preferential policies to the people who buy ebike).

How to Reduce Electric Bike Battery Cost?

If possible, switch to a more efficient battery. Consider switching from a lead-acid to a lithium-ion battery if this is relevant. Don't buy a new battery, and dispose of the old, just so you can get a few more miles from a single charge. This would be more expensive in the long run, and it would also have a negative effect on the environment. If you own an electric bike, you probably know how discarded batteries affect the environment.

What if you are not particular green, and you are reading this to save money at all costs, then why not make use of someone else's electricity? You can bring your battery to work and charge it there. Tell your boss that it will not cost more than 5 cents to do the job.

What steps would you take to incorporate regenerative breaking into your electric bike setup? Although reduced electricity consumption may result in short-term savings, they will not be enough to support your children through college. The cost of charging your phone may be reduced by a little, however. Regenerative braking can extend the range of your electric bike by 5-10%, according to several sources. You can save money on electricity this way.

Don't take so many showers! Be sure to listen to my explanation before you dismiss it. A bicycle, powered by electricity, requires less effort than one by gas. Therefore, you’ll likely sweat less. Consider this tip, especially since electric bikes are inexpensive and showers are extremely energy-intensive. The typical shower consumes 8-10 kWh, which is 21 to 27 times more energy than the battery in our example. Thus, a 3-minute shower could cost more than a full charge of an electric bike.

By shopping around, you can get a better deal. You can reduce your electricity bills quickly by switching providers. By charging your battery at a higher rate per kWh, you will reduce the overall cost.

Charge during off-peak hours, depending on your plan. During peak hours, energy providers usually offer discounts to encourage customers to use less energy during off-peak periods (approximately 9 pm to 7 am). Now would be a good time to charge the battery.

It goes without saying, of course, that you should use renewable energy to charge your battery whenever possible. Renewable energy devices provide long-term environmental and electricity savings for more and more households. Even if the savings aren't substantial on a single battery charge for an electric bike, you'll feel good knowing that you've minimized your carbon footprint.

Final Thoughts 

Having read this article, we hope you are no longer scratching your head wondering how much it costs to charge an electric bike. You already know that an electric bike is one of the cheapest ways to travel. Tires and inner tubes should also be considered as costs. When you ride your electric bike at its lowest power level, you can greatly extend your range and even ride your electric bike without a battery.

Electric bikes are extremely inexpensive to charge, no matter where you are in the world. You could keep your electric bike charged and moving for a year or more on the price of one tank of gas.