Range on 10,4 Ah water bottle style battery

[Kudoscycles]

There are so many questions about the range of these popular water bottle style batteries. We fully charged the battery and used the bike in the 'proper' way,by 'proper' I mean using the PAS control dependant upon terrain,steep hills level 5,medium hills level 3,flat or slight incline level 1. Also using the correct gears dependant upon terrain.
The rider was a good cyclist but not a professional biker.
The bike managed 49 miles,battery empty.
The bike used was the Kudos Arriba,the Arriba has a torque sensor which may be very efficient on its usage of power.....whilst the PAS control determines the max power available,the torque sensor determines the amount of that power which is drawn dependant upon crank load.
It will be interesting to repeat the exercise using the Tornado,similar bike but with speed sensor,I will try to test that soon.
Hardly a test under controlled conditions but I think a useful exercise.
KudosDave

 

[Artstu]

I imagine I could flatten one in circa 15 miles.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Artstu...my memory is that Jimod is getting circa 40 miles out of the same battery on his Kudos Typhoon,he lives in a much hilly area in Scotland than us down in Kent.
KudosDave

 

[trex]

try riding muddy tracks - see how many miles you'll get.
Then you understand why I like crank drives.

 

[EddiePJ]

try riding muddy tracks - see how many miles you'll get.
Then you understand why I like crank drives.

Currently 8 miles for me on the BH with it's hub drive, new battery and in eco mode!

The new battery is going back!

Even before that I could still kill one in approx 12 miles or so. Duff battery aside, the power settings don't work either, so for all I know, eco could be standard/sport.

The KTM hub drive was a different story and by memory had decent battery level left after 43 miles, where as my Bosch mid drive was stone dead, and halted the ride. So it's not a clear cut case that crank drives are any better.

I actually have quite a good test route now set up, for this very reason. It's only 28miles long, but has a good mix of terrain including a nice 25% climb after the first few miles. Using this route and it's three loops, gives me a get out, should battery life be dwindling.
On the KTM, I also extended the route even further, as it has one killer climb towards the end. It's not particularly steep, but it just goes on and on with no chance for respite.

I'd happily give a Kudos a try on the South Downs.

Killer route.

I also have a similar road route set up, with similar 'get out' options.

So Dave if you want someone to really test things out for you, I'm more than up for it.




.

 

[Artstu]

Artstu...my memory is that Jimod is getting circa 40 miles out of the same battery on his Kudos Typhoon,he lives in a much hilly area in Scotland than us down in Kent.
KudosDave

I'm just saying how long I think it would last me here. Not that we'll ever know unless you send me one to try.

 

[RobF]

I usually tell people who ask about the Bosch battery life that it's up to 40 miles.

But I'm not trying to flog them one.

The clue in the OP is in the cyclist, not the bike.

A 'good cyclist' could do 50 miles on any bike unassisted, so getting that mileage from an ebike - any ebike - doesn't mean a lot.

 

[Kudoscycles]

I usually tell people who ask about the Bosch battery life that it's up to 40 miles.

But I'm not trying to flog them one.

The clue in the OP is in the cyclist, not the bike.

A 'good cyclist' could do 50 miles on any bike unassisted, so getting that mileage from an ebike - any ebike - doesn't mean a lot.

Rob
We do a lot of shows and when asked how far our bikes will go,that question is the first and asked a lot. We answer for a 10 Ah battery the range is 30-35 miles,I see no reason to change that answer.
We never rode the Arriba unassisted,if you read my OP,I think I have made that clear,it was to see what range could be achieved if you rode the bike in such a 'correct' manner what mileage could be achieved.
It contrasts with the 150 kms that is claimed by the Stromer on another thread.
KudosDave

 

[EddiePJ]

I'm sure that myself and Artstu both ride in a "correct and proper" manner, so how about it? Send up a bike to each of us to try.

 

[RobF]

It contrasts with the 150 kms that is claimed by the Stromer on another thread.
KudosDave

Dave,

There's no contrast with the Stromer thread - both quoted ranges are rose-tinted claims from people trying to flog their product.

I don't doubt you could get 50 miles out of a carefully ridden 10ah Kudos (or any other) ebike.

Equally, I don't doubt you could get 90+ miles (150km) out of a 20ah ebike, which is what the Stromer is.

But I believe in both cases the rider would be putting in a lot more effort than an average ebike buyer would expect to do, or even be capable of doing.

 

[Jimod]

Artstu...my memory is that Jimod is getting circa 40 miles out of the same battery on his Kudos Typhoon,he lives in a much hilly area in Scotland than us down in Kent.
KudosDave

I get 30 miles roughly on the Typhoon depending on how much work I do. I've done 30 miles and the battery was dead and on another day, I've done 30 miles and it wasn't dead.

On the Tourer I get 35 miles normally although on one glorious day last year I got 45 miles. That wasn't so much hill climbing though.

 

[JohnCade]

Dave,

There's no contrast with the Stromer thread - both quoted ranges are rose-tinted claims from people trying to flog their product.

I don't doubt you could get 50 miles out of a carefully ridden 10ah Kudos (or any other) ebike.

Equally, I don't doubt you could get 90+ miles (150km) out of a 20ah ebike, which is what the Stromer is.

But I believe in both cases the rider would be putting in a lot more effort than an average ebike buyer would expect to do, or even be capable of doing.

Of course anyone getting such long distances regularly must be putting in almost as much effort as he would on a normal bike. So as the power would only compensate for the extra weight and maybe a bit more, why bother with an e bike at all? I can see why you might want to do it occasionally to go on a particular journey.

I like feeling the extra power, and being able with some effort to go much faster uphill than I could ever have managed years ago when I was a lot younger and fitter and did a fair few weekly miles on my lightweight road trainers.

 

[Artstu]

We answer for a 10 Ah battery the range is 30-35 miles,I see no reason to change that answer.

The reality of the battery actually going flat in just 15 miles I guess isn't something you'd want to tell a potential customer.

We never rode the Arriba unassisted,if you read my OP,I think I have made that clear,it was to see what range could be achieved if you rode the bike in such a 'correct' manner what mileage could be achieved.

So when you tell a customer that the battery will last 30-35 miles I bet you don't say "ah but only if you ride it in the correct manner" and then go onto explain just exactly what the correct manner is.

I understand you're wanting to give an honest real world answer to this question, however the real truth may not get you a sale. Of course your figures are closer to reality than any other e-bike claims, but could you also say "In the worst case scenario the battery could be flat in under 15 miles or so"

 

[Jimod]

The reality of the battery actually going flat in just 15 miles I guess isn't something you'd want to tell a potential customer.



So when you tell a customer that the battery will last 30-35 miles I bet you don't say "ah but only if you ride it in the correct manner" and then go onto explain just exactly what the correct manner is.

I understand you're wanting to give an honest real world answer to this question, however the real truth may not get you a sale. Of course your figures are closer to reality than any other e-bike claims, but could you also say "In the worst case scenario the battery could be flat in under 15 miles or so"

I've never had a battery go flat in 15 miles. Neither on my Tourer nor my Typhoon. I'm sometimes lazy and let the bike do most of the work and still get 30ish.

 

[Artstu]

I've never had a battery go flat in 15 miles. Neither on my Tourer nor my Typhoon. I'm sometimes lazy and let the bike do most of the work and still get 30ish.

As I've said, 15 miles to flat is just an educated guess. I know my Bosch battery shuts down sooner than the Kudos one will, so perhaps it'll take me 17 miles.

How much climbing do you do in those 30 miles I wonder?

 

[Kudoscycles]

As I've said, 15 miles to flat is just an educated guess. I know my Bosch battery shuts down sooner than the Kudos one will, so perhaps it'll take me 17 miles.

How much climbing do you do in those 30 miles I wonder?

Artstu....I am quite shocked that you only get 15 miles out of your Bosch battery,is that a 300Wh or 400Wh unit? I only ask because part of our group sells bikes with Bosch crank drive and Bosch batteries,I tell customers that they can expect 30-35 miles out of the 400Wh unit,that range is very low,even my little Secret bike with its 8Ah(288 Wh) battery i get 20 miles plus in very steep terrain. 15 miles seems as though something is wrong.
KudosDave

 

[JohnCade]

I've never had a battery go flat in 15 miles. Neither on my Tourer nor my Typhoon. I'm sometimes lazy and let the bike do most of the work and still get 30ish.

That's 12wh/pm so it must be either flat where you live or you're putting a lot of effort in.

Where I live which has hills in every direction I can easily use 20wh/pm on 5. I'd use a lot more if I turned the speed setting right up on the few flat bits too.

 

[Artstu]

Artstu....I am quite shocked that you only get 15 miles out of your Bosch battery,is that a 300Wh or 400Wh unit? 15 miles seems as though something is wrong.

I think I've flattened the 300 w/h one in 14 miles. I flattened both the 300 w/h and 400 w/h battery on this ride below, probably a mile or so left.

http://app.strava.com/activities/122064066

Although I did do the same ride two days earlier with less wind and less time in turbo, the one above was full gas all the way, the one below with tour and turbo on the steep bits.

http://app.strava.com/activities/121505798

If the links don't work I've made both rides private again, it's not fair to bag the KOM's on an ebike and they usually get flagged very quickly if I leave them public.

I'd happily try a Kudos on that route for comparison, send a spare battery with the bike though

 

[Jimod]

That's 12wh/pm so it must be either flat where you live or you're putting a lot of effort in.

Where I live which has hills in every direction I can easily use 20wh/pm on 5. I'd use a lot more if I turned the speed setting right up on the few flat bits too.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, I don't do calculations, I just go out and play and get 30ish miles on the Typhoon and more than 30 on the Tourer. I don't live on the flat. It's not mountains where I live but it's all hilly.

Maybe I am fitter than I thought but when out on my normal bike I don't go as far or as fast uphill as when I'm on my ebikes.

Reading some of the posts on here makes me wonder about myself.

I'll change my login name to Super Grandad.

 

[JohnCade]

Don't reckon you can't be going up hills all that fast to get a range like that....Unless you are very slow on the normal bike.