How Much Power Does An Electric Bicycle Need
250 W Electric Bicycles
The lowest power class for electric bicycles is usually the 250 W class.
With 250 W of power, you’re basically looking at a flat land cruising e-bike. Most 250 W e-bikes will struggle to climb hills without any user-added pedaling, though mid-drive e-bikes will offer better hill climbing performance than hub motors at these low power levels due to their ability to achieve higher torque through downshifting the bike’s gears.
If you’re a heavier rider, you can still ride a 250 W e-bike as long as you are on flat terrain. The acceleration will be quite sluggish, but the bike will move you. Keep in mind that 250 W continuous is more power than most people create when pedaling.
350 W – 500 W Electric Bicycles
The next step up in power brings an increase in acceleration. While 250 W e-bikes are sluggish to accelerate, bikes that reach closer to 500 W will pull much quicker off the line.
