On the other hand, a higher assist setting is useful to get you up hills and to accelerate more easily in stop-start conditions, but will drain your battery significantly faster. The best electric bikes were comfortable to ride over potholes and rough ground, and easy to handle with clear displays and comfortable controls – a joy to ride, in other words. That's a tough one to answer. It depends on the power of the battery (typically 24, 36 or 48V), the power of the bike ( limited in the UK to 250W), the bike's battery management system, and the way you ride. Some bikes allow you to choose different levels of assist to prioritise speed or battery life, which makes predictions of battery life even more difficult. An electric bike will be powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Like the batteries in other electric vehicles, they’re used for their low weight and performance, along with rapid recharging – typically charging to full capacity in a few hours. Certain individuals refer to a battery’s watt-hours as its “capacity”. This isn’t accurate in the strictest sense… A better term would be “energy storage capacity.” Amp-hours, as explained above, are often referred to as “capacity.” Battery Cell battery cell

WAU has a single electric bike model on the market at one time and has recently discontinued the WAU X and replaced it with the WAU X Plus, the model under review here.

E-Plus Commute 26" Folding Electric Bike - White

As a result, lithium-ion batteries have the lightest and most energy-dense batteries on the market, and as a result, they have the greatest possible range and lifespan. LIFEPO4

Output for an ebike motor is typically measured in watts. That’s a measure of the maximum power it can produce. Watt hours

Branded e-bike battery manufacturers are clear. Their models should not be refurbished. There’s a lot of science going on inside the case that they don’t want you to risk looking at. There are plenty of recognised international safety standards they comply with that you don’t. Electric bikes are manufactured both by legacy companies and specialist providers. You can search for e-bikes alongside analogue bikes at most of the well known retailers like Trek, Giant, Raleigh and Specialized or look into the independent electric bike brands like Rad Power, Cowboy, or VanMoof. The motor isn't a replacement for having gears While the motor helps, we found that electric bikes with only one gear didn't perform as well on our hill tests. If your daily commute or favourite cycling route has some big hills, make sure you get an e-bike with gears. In summary, this is a well thought-out, well-made and slightly showy machine that is very enjoyable to use. Sensor An electric bike can come with one, or a combination of, sensor types to determine how much power the motor should deliver to the bike and when. Speed sensors measure how fast the bike is going, typically based on the speed of the wheel, and deliver power accordingly. Cadence measures how fast you're pedalling and delivers more power the slower you are. A torque sensor measures how hard you're pushing on the pedals and delivers more assistance if needed. A bike with a torque sensor can engage the motor faster than a cadence or speed sensor, making it great for hill starts.