Charging

E-bike chargers do not require special charging infrastructure

We surveyed E-bike chargers and found that:

  • All listed e-bike chargers operate on 120 volts

  • All can operate on a standard 15 or 20 amp household circuit.

  • Rated power requirements ranged from 150 to 600 watts for a fast charger. 600 watts (5 amps at 120 volts) is the highest power at which most ebike batteries can be safely charged.

  • Charger weights range from 1 to 3 pounds (for example the Bosch charger line ranges from 600 to 1000 grams)

Our measurements of a 2019 Bosch 4 Amp Standard Charger showed a peak of 185 watts draw from a 120 volt circuit tapering off as the battery reached capacity and then shutting off to no draw (zero watts) once the battery is fully charged.

At this rate of draw, a standard 20 amp circuit can safely handle the peak draw from up to 10 slow chargers similar to the Bosch or 3 fast chargers at their maximum draw 5 amp draw. [1]

E-bike chargers have a rate of recovery equivalent to a Level 2 charger

  • In our studies we have found that standard e-bike chargers provide 10-20 miles of range per hour of charging. This matches prediction on the Bosch website[1] Getting an equivalent 10-20 mile per hour rate of recovery for charging an electric car requires a Level 2 charger pulling 3-6 kW from a 240 volt circuit.


[1] a 20 amp 120 volt circuit is rated at 2,400 watts, but as a general rule loads should not exceed 80% of the rating to avoid tripping breakers. Therefore a 20 amp circuit should be limited to 1,920 watts. Ten slow chargers at the 185 watts measured for the Bosch would draw 1,850 watts total. Three fast chargers drawing their maximum [2] The Bosch 4A Standard Charger is rated to charge the PowerPack 500 in approximately 4.5 hours (Bosch E-bike Systems-Charger accessed 6/23/2021). The Bosch Range Calculator estimates 56 miles for a fully charged Powerpack 500 using Tour mode support (Level 2 of 4) for a 220# rider at medium effort and 60rpm riding on somewhat hilly territory on poor quality roads with light breezes.