E-Bike Charging Cost Calculator
Enter your battery Wh, electricity price, and how much of the battery a typical charge uses. The calculator prices the charge, the cost per 100 km, and a 3,000 km year - the comparison that makes car-versus-e-bike arithmetic laughable.
Cost pages usually quote a full-charge figure and stop. This one counts the 12% charger losses, scales to your actual partial charging habit, and points at where e-bike money really goes: not electrons, but the pack itself.
How to use
- Read battery Wh from the label or spec sheet.
- Enter your electricity price per kWh from your latest bill - night tariffs can halve it.
- Set your typical charge use (top-ups count too) and read the per-charge, per-100-km and yearly figures.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to charge an e-bike?
A 500 Wh battery from empty costs around one sixth of a kWh-price unit at 0.30 - roughly the price of a text message. Typical partial top-ups cost a fraction of that, losses included.
Do charging losses matter?
Wall energy runs about 10-15% above the battery's rated Wh because chargers and the battery itself waste heat. At e-bike scale the absolute waste is pennies a year - count it for honesty, not because it changes decisions.
Is an e-bike cheaper than a car per km?
By two orders of magnitude on energy: 100 km costs cents on an e-bike versus fuel, plus you remove parking, congestion charges and, often, a whole second car. The depreciation you do not pay is the real subsidy.
When does the battery need replacing and what does that cost?
Most packs deliver 500-900 full cycles before capacity drops to 80% - for a 3,000 km-year rider, roughly 7-13 years. Spread over the km actually ridden, replacement is a few cents per km; unused, it is the most expensive shed ornament you own.