how much are you looking to spend on an e bike,given that there is a wide price range of between £500 and £1200+which would tempt you, and for what reason to reduce your transport costs or to save the planet,do you prefer not to pedal at all , or are you just looking for help on the hills.
what would suit you
- Thread starter fishingpaul
- Start date
For me not more than £500 as I'm strictly a leisure cyclist. Problem is that I have a perfectly good Claude Butler hybrid less than 4 years old in the garage plus a Pashley folder. So why would I want an electric bike? 'Cos I think that they're cool and I would really enjoy the extra assistance they offer. But it would be a 'luxury' purchase. The only options in my price range are dodgy Chinese models off e-Bay or just maybe a Powacycle or Powabyke. I've seen the odd Powacycle in the flesh and they just look a bit brash and clunky to me, although they do seem to get reasonable reviews. I'm looking forward to seeing the new Powabyke range but there's nothing in their current line-up that appeals.
Kalkhoff etc - lovely but the prices are ridiculous. The Indian's are about to launch a car for less money than some of these European e-bikes are selling for, for heaven's sake. And batteries!!!!! Net result seems to be a running cost for a Li-Ion bike of around 10p per mile. That's the same marginal cost of my (paid for) 8 year old 2 litre diesel saloon, which is simply barking. And yes, I understand about R & D costs, relatively small production runs etc etc, but for me I'm afraid the costs simply don't begin to add up.
That should spark some responses!!!!
Kalkhoff etc - lovely but the prices are ridiculous. The Indian's are about to launch a car for less money than some of these European e-bikes are selling for, for heaven's sake. And batteries!!!!! Net result seems to be a running cost for a Li-Ion bike of around 10p per mile. That's the same marginal cost of my (paid for) 8 year old 2 litre diesel saloon, which is simply barking. And yes, I understand about R & D costs, relatively small production runs etc etc, but for me I'm afraid the costs simply don't begin to add up.
That should spark some responses!!!!
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Nothing lowers prices as volume production, where the suppliers are selling at marginal costs plus a very small profit.
The premium electric bikes have no volume to speak of yet, and we at the stage where some people are willing to pay silly money for the best.
Cellphones used to be very expensive too.
Regarding the batteries, the DeWalt LiPO4 packs sell for $100 on EBAY, with the same price per Watthour an Agattu battery would cost £185 and not £300.
DeWalt has some volume, but still nowhere near car or small motorcycle numbers.
The premium electric bikes have no volume to speak of yet, and we at the stage where some people are willing to pay silly money for the best.
Cellphones used to be very expensive too.
Regarding the batteries, the DeWalt LiPO4 packs sell for $100 on EBAY, with the same price per Watthour an Agattu battery would cost £185 and not £300.
DeWalt has some volume, but still nowhere near car or small motorcycle numbers.
Adding an e-bike to supplement a car doesn't always save money but if you can sell the car then it certainly does.
After I got my e-bike, I found it pointless to keep the (second) car as it was just sitting on the drive the whole time.
After I got my e-bike, I found it pointless to keep the (second) car as it was just sitting on the drive the whole time.
I agree with your analysis. My circumstances are somewhat different. 18 months ago my office relocated and it was no longer possible to car share with my wife as we now work in opposite directions. My choice was therefore to buy a second car or try cycling. The financial choice was simple, and I bought an Ezee Torq. Even given the unforeseen extra costs of the battery replacements
mad I still think I have saved money. On top of that are the priceless benefits to my well-being of exercise and fresh air!Simon
John, how did you calculate the running cost of 10p per mile? Does that include depreciation? Does the equivalent running cost for the car assume its already done all its depreciation?
Top Gear magazine used to publish running costs for various makes of car (don't know if they still do). The costs included depreciation over a 3 year period from new, insurance, road tax, servicing and fuel (based on an average mileage of 10,000 miles a year I think).
When I bought my Peugeot 206HDi (around Feb 2003) the Top Gear running costs were listed right at the low end of the scale at 22p per/mile. The 206HDi is very efficient (I average around 55 mpg in mine), but since 2003 the price of diesel has gone up massively, so I imagine the equivalent running cost today would be much higher.
On that basis a running cost of 10p per mile for an electric bike still looks pretty good to me.
John, how did you calculate the running cost of 10p per mile? - I didn't! it's a figure that's been fairly widely bandied around on this an other sites and must include some kind of figure for depreciation. So, of course, I'm comparing apples with pears, cost-wise, I get 45mpg average from my 406 HDi and I'm not including any depreciation figure...
My point was rather more that I see a running cost of 10p per mile for an electric bike as way more than I personally see as reasonable, but of course, others - you included - will take a different view. Different strokes etc....
My point was rather more that I see a running cost of 10p per mile for an electric bike as way more than I personally see as reasonable, but of course, others - you included - will take a different view. Different strokes etc....
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