E-Performance: Faster, higher, further - this principle also applies to modern e-bikes. It is not for nothing that the development of new drive trains and battery systems has made it possible for the average cyclist to reach even the peaks of the Alps. Despite all the advances, the keen e-biker suffers from the penetrating fear that the battery capacity is not sufficient. The phenomenon has long been known to manufacturers under the term “range anxiety”.
Fear of range is typically German
In the early days of e-bikes, the batteries in pedelecs had just 200 Wh. The range was correspondingly small. The average battery is now around 500 Wh. High-performance models even reach 600 to 700 Wh. And even here it is not the end. Some manufacturers are already building on modular systems whose range can be extended with an additional battery.
It seems that there can't be enough range for e-bikers. At least that's what Thomas Leicht, head of the e-bike division at automotive supplier Brose, confirms. He even goes a little further and certifies that German e-bikers have a pronounced fear of range, despite the enormous battery sizes. From a purely psychological point of view, it is perhaps the same mechanism that drove many contemporaries to hoard pasta and toilet paper in the spring.
Is the fear of range justified at all?
Be honest: An e-bike with a battery capacity of 500 Wh is sufficient for the lion's share of all everyday cyclists. Whether for the drive to work, to go shopping or to kindergarten - even at the highest support level, the vehicle does not give up. You only reach the limits of the battery capacity if you use your bike to extremes. And that's only the case on long e-mountain bike and e-road bike tours with a demanding profile.
Even then, there is still the option of carrying an additional battery in the trekking backpack. Thanks to the efficient technology, the batteries are nowhere near as heavy as they were a few years ago. Basically, the German fear of standing still is pretty much unfounded. After all, an e-bike can also be moved with pure pedal power if necessary - many forget that.