Delivery Battery Range Calculator
How far one battery goes, and how many batteries or charges your shift needs.
Part of the 🛵 Delivery Drivers toolkit, with more tools made for the job.
Volts times amp-hours gives Wh. For example 48 V and 10 Ah is 480 Wh.
Measure your own: battery used divided by distance. Loads, hills and cold raise it.
Keep a reserve. Leave empty for 80%.
Type the battery size and how much energy you use per distance, and the range appears here.
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Enter the battery size, how much energy you use per km or mile, and the length of your shift. This shows the range on one battery, how many batteries or charges you need, and what the electricity costs.
The range printed on the box is measured in easy conditions. Loads, hills, wind, cold weather and stop-start riding all use more. The best number to use is your own: battery used divided by distance, from a few real shifts. This tool also lets you keep part of the battery in reserve, so you do not plan to run it flat.
How it’s worked out
- Battery energy in Wh is volts times amp-hours, or kWh times 1,000.
- Usable energy is that times the share you plan to use, leaving a reserve.
- Range is the usable energy divided by the energy used per km (or per mile).
- Batteries for a shift is the shift distance divided by the range, rounded up. Electricity is the energy used times the price per kWh.
A 500 Wh battery using 80% gives 400 Wh. At 10 Wh per km that is 40 km. A 100 km shift needs 3 batteries, so 2 swaps or charges, and about 1 kWh of electricity.
Common mistakes
- Using the maker's range. Those figures use a light rider on smooth ground in the lowest assist, and loaded delivery riding uses more.
- Planning to use the whole battery. Keep a reserve so a detour, a hill or cold weather does not strand you.
- Using one figure for every shift. Wh per km changes with load and weather, so use a cautious number.
- Forgetting charge time. A swap is quick, but a full charge can take hours, so plan where you can recharge.
Questions
How do I find my energy use?
Note the battery percentage or watt-hours before and after a ride and divide the energy used by the distance. Do it over a few rides and use a cautious average.
What share of the battery should I use?
Leave empty for 80%. Some riders plan for less to protect the battery and keep a reserve. It is your call.
Does it work for electric cars and vans?
Yes. Choose kWh for the battery, and give kWh per 100 km for the energy use.
Does it include charging losses?
No. Chargers lose some energy as heat, so your real electricity use will be a little higher than shown.
Where the method comes from
Estimates only
These are estimates and general information, not financial, tax, legal or professional advice. Costs, fuel and electricity prices, pay rates, tax rules and platform rules differ by country and place, so use your own figures and check the rules where you live.
Rain stopped play. Officially research.