What's the range Gerald?

Hi Peeps,
I'd like to know what range people get on a stock standard 200/250 watt hub motor running a 36volt 10AH battery.
I usually ride 48volt and with bigger motors.
I suspect that about 5km per AH is to be expected as long as the rider is about 70-80kg and the terrain is reasonably flat and the average speed is 27-30km/hr.

What do other ESers think?

You'll use roughly the same amount of power to go the same distance at the same speed, regardless of the motor size.

Yep. That's been my experience. At most, any difference in range over a 20 mile ride is a block or so.

It's not like cars, where a V8 driving 20 mph eats more gas than a 4 cylinder driving 20 mph.

The same speed, close to the same weight, on similar bikes will use very very close to the same watthours per mile. But if there are many many stops, then differences in the windings of the motors may produce a difference. For example, a 36v 300w motor with a top speed of 20 mph would be a bit more efficient in that first 20 feet than a faster wound motor that goes 30 mph at 36v. Even if both are ridden 20 mph.

But if there are few stops, then this would have much less effect, since both motors would cruise at 20 mph using very close to the same wattage.

Hmm, that wasn't a reply to your question was it?

I'll try again. My experience riding at about that speed is that 10 ah should take you a minimum of 15 miles. Assuming you aren't stopping every block.

You should be able to cruise at that speed on less than 300w, but a low wattage motor will really bog down slow in a stiff headwind. So that might be the biggest disadvantage to downsizing. That same headwind would still murder your range with a bigger motor, but you'd at least be able to travel faster into it if you wanted to.