The true cost of owning and operating an eBike

 Especially in these pandemic times, many people think of an eBike as a low cost, eco friendly, and germ free alternative to cars, trains and busses.  All of that is true, but let's delve into the cost a bit more, shall we?

Any discussion will be anecdotal at best, but because I have had numerous bikes for a fair period of time, my experience should be somewhat representative of real world costs.  

So the first thing to think about are all the normal costs that would come with owning any type of normal bicycle.  Most eBiles are, after all, basically bicycles with some specialized components added onto the basic tried and true bicycle system.  

Which is to say, most have chains and sprockets, handle bars and frames, saddles, and reflectors and lights, brakes and brake pads, kick stands, etc.

In my experience, the most common thing that needs to be repaired or replaced is the tires and/or tubes.  I have probably had 4 tire changes in as many years across several of my bikes.  The most common issue that can't be repaired is that the tube rips near the stem.  I don't know if this is because I ride too hard, or it is a design defect or what, but it is a common thing that has happened to be about 3 times.  This obviously required replacing the tube, which usually costs me about $30 - though it would cost less if I did it myself.  I have also had a few puncture flats, which can be repaired - or you can go tubeless, which I did with one of my bikes.  

The treads on the rear tire of my XM-1 also started getting bare, so I had that tire replaced.  You can prolong the life span of your tires by avoiding skidding when you brake, and also by using the appropriate tires for the terrain you will be riding.  The problem is that I want to ride both trails and pavement with the same bikes, so I end up using knobby tires, which wear quickly on normal roads.  

Interestingly, I've found that tubes on bikes left sitting idle tend to age more quickly.  I had a friend who didn't use one of his bikes for around a year, and it meant that he needed to buy new tires!  So use your bike at least once a month, check the pressure, and top them up with air if need be.  

Let's say you will replace a tire or tube on average once per year at a cost of $30.  

If you leave your bike outside and you have softish rubber handle grips, then the sun will turn them into mushy, sticky jelly eventually.  Let's say you spend $24 on a new set of grips every two years.  (Most Japanese utility bikes use hard plastic grips for this reason!)

If you are really picky, you might pay a professional re-align your derailer, but I am going to assume that either you don't care that much, or you do it yourself.  

Likewise, chains usually need to be replaced after several thousand kilometers, and gears last much longer but may still eventually need to be replaced.  I am assuming anyone reading this won't ever get that far, as I ride way more than most people I know and I haven't.  (Even after well over 3000km on one of my bikes, the chain isn't stretched much at all, perhaps because it is an eBike specific chain).  

If you ride your bike often and for long distances, you will probably need to replace your brake pads and/or oil eventually.  I went over 2 years without doing this, but recently had to replace by brake fluid.  Those who have non-hydraulic brakes will still have to replace their brake pads eventually.  (If you need to replace your brake rotors, or rims due to braking, then you are probably way out of the target audience of this post!). 

Let's call this $10 every 2 years.  

I am going to assume that you have rechargeable lights, so you don't need to constantly buy batteries. 

Then there's parking costs - this really depends where you go, and how often.  I will assume you are commuting to work, and you need to pay to park there.  I'll also assume that commuting to places like the grocery store is usually free.  Usually, you can pay per day (or per hour), or get a monthly pass.  Some places with changing rooms and swanky upright stands cost upwards of $60 per month, while the 3rd floor of many parking garages can often be around $10 per month.  I'll assume you get a monthly pass, and it costs you $20 per month - which works out to $240 per year.

$287 per year so far if you actually take care of your bike, mostly for parking.  

What's mildly entertaining here is that you can actually get a cheap bike for less than that!

Then there's the "e" part of eBike.

It takes electricity to charge up the battery in your eBike, but the cost is so low as to be negligible.  It depends on the size of your battery of course, but for example: It might cost you $0.10 per charge in Japan where electricity is quite expensive.  I'll assume you have a 0.5 kilowatt battery and you charge it from 0% to 100% every single way, which is certainly far more than is typical.  That's $18 of electricity for an entire year.  

By far the most expensive consumable component if an eBike is the battery.  I have never met anyone who needed their motor overhauled, even after 10 years of heavy use - but batteries tend to give out over a few years' time.  The death of the battery is usually gradual, so it may not be immediately noticeable, but the usable range will get shorter and shorter until it no longer meets your needs.  None of the bikes I have bought new are in this condition, but I have friends who have bought used bikes where the batteries needed to be replaced.  The cost of replacing a battery (or buying a spare) varies a lot, because the capacity of batteries varies widely.  It is common in Japan to have multiple options for the same bike which have different amounts of range.  That's simply because some people will only ever use their bike to ride to the closest supermarket and train station, while others will want to ride further.  The median cost I can find online for Panasonic bikes is around $400 for the average capacity battery.  The battery on my Yamaha bike costs more like $800.  

Since my bike is hardly representative, we'll use the more typical $400 cost, and say you replace it every 2 years.  (I know a lot of people who have had their bike a lot longer than that and never replaced the battery).  

So we have $200 a year battery cost, plus $18/year for electricity, and that gives us $505 per year.

This is still roughly half parking, so you could almost cut that cost in half if you can park for free.  You can also reduce a lot of the other costs by taking a little action as well.  

For example: 

1. Cover your handlebar grips with something to prevent them from baking if you store your bike outside.  

2. Try to keep your battery between 20% and 80% charged.  Don't run it down to 0% every time before charging.  This will help it withstand more charge cycles.  (Keeping it under 80% is more difficult, as most chargers don't have a way to automatically start charging at a particular level).

3. Do maintenance such as changing brake pads and patching tubes yourself if you are short on cash.  

Parking costs can't always be avoided - but you know what's more expensive than paying for parking?  Parking illegally.  If you park in some place you aren't allowed to, and the parking police tow your bike, there is a good chance that they will take it somewhere far away, it will be covered with scratches, and you will have to pay something like $50 to get it back - if you can find it at all.