Until a few years ago, the 500 watt-hour battery pack was the measure of all things for e-bikes. But those days are over. The market now offers all kinds of battery variations. It starts at around 250 watt hours (Minimal Assist) and ends with dual-battery systems with well over 1000 watt hours (e.g. the Norco Sight VLT with 900 Wh). Firstly, you should realise how much reserve you really need. Because it's often the same as with electric cars: many people complain about the lack of range, but the vast majority of e-bike journeys are for short distances.
Battery removal with or without key
Basic question 1: Key yes or no? Some e-bike batteries can only be removed with the right key, others with an Allen key, some completely tool-free. The key solution can be annoying, but offers theft protection. We find: The more the intended use shifts from everyday use to sport, the more coherent a simple solution without a lock is.
Additional battery cover or not?
Basic question 2: Some manufacturers hide their battery under a separate cover (pictured below), others have the cover firmly screwed to the battery. If you want to take a spare battery with you in variant two, you have the additional weight of another cover in your rucksack. On the other hand, the handling of variant one is slightly more complicated, as the cover must first be removed and then the battery taken out.
E-MTB battery: the bigger, the better?
In the e-mountainbike sector, higher battery capacity not only means higher costs, but above all more weight. The difference between the 500 and 630 watt-hour battery from Shimano is currently over half a kilo. On the other hand, the smaller solution can cover around 1100 metres in altitude and the larger one 1400 metres. The trend towards larger batteries is making e-mountainbikes significantly heavier overall. However, those who ride long alpine tours and don't always want to carry a spare battery with them just in case will benefit from the larger tanks. A capacity of approx. 700-750 watt hours is currently considered normal. This is what the higher-quality batteries from Bosch and Shimano offer. Around 75 per cent of current e-mountainbikes are equipped with batteries of this size. Some Shimano or Brose systems also use large 600-750 watt-hour batteries from other manufacturers. They can reach altitudes of up to 2000 metres. You can find out what range an E-MTB Bosch motor achieves in the individual support levels here.
Tip: Prefer a second battery instead of a larger, more powerful standard battery in the e-bike
Exorbitant reach heights sound very tempting and are a good sales argument. However, this does not make sense for every e-biker. As already mentioned, the large batteries add weight and therefore weaken the handling of the bike. They are also sometimes so large and heavy that it is almost impossible to carry a second battery. Some e-mountain bikers are therefore better off with a battery with 540-625 watt hours. That is, if the range is sufficient for the majority of tours. Weighing less than 3.0 kilos, such an e-bike battery can still be comfortably transported in a rucksack - for the occasional extra-long tour. In our experience, the currently popular 700 size is a successful compromise that works well for many applications. The current e-mountainbikes in the light category deliver between 250 and 540 watt hours and weigh only around 1.8-2.5 kilos.
