Range Difference w/ Same Battery: Bosch vs. Brose eBikes
#1
I am looking to buy an eBike and it's most likely coming down to Trek vs Specialized, which is Bosch mid-drive vs Brose mid-drive system.
I want to get a Brose for the quieter system, with the battery more integrated, and the Specialized bikes have more style points.
However it states on their site that the range for a Turbo Como 3.0 with a 500wh battery is only 60 miles on eco mode?
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/tu...-650b/p/133847
While in comparison with the Trek Super Commuter+ 7, also a 500wh battery, the max range is 90 miles:
https://electricbikereview.com/trek/...mmuter-plus-7/
Can someone help me understand why? Is it that Brose isn't as efficient battery consumption?
I want to get a Brose for the quieter system, with the battery more integrated, and the Specialized bikes have more style points.

However it states on their site that the range for a Turbo Como 3.0 with a 500wh battery is only 60 miles on eco mode?
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/tu...-650b/p/133847
While in comparison with the Trek Super Commuter+ 7, also a 500wh battery, the max range is 90 miles:
https://electricbikereview.com/trek/...mmuter-plus-7/
Can someone help me understand why? Is it that Brose isn't as efficient battery consumption?
#2
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 3,540
Likes: 454
From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Now: HPV Gecko FX 20 w/ assist.. Old: Trident Spike 2 recumbent trike w/ e-assist
It's probably because they just make it up. https://electricbikeblog.com/how-to-f...ic-bike-range/
#3
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 5,058
Likes: 1,283
From: socal
Bikes: DIY
+1 with the above. Range, to me, is who slings BS the best. My friend got 45 - 50 "real" off road miles with his Brose/Bulls MTB and that was with 4,000' - 5,000' of climbing. He still had a little juice in the tank.
#4
It's probably because they just make it up. How to figure out electric bike range
Does anyone know if you can ride while charging from a power inverter battery backup?
#5
Full Member

Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 205
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Bikes: Stromer ST-1; Gary Fisher SAAB edition; Dahon Speed D7; Motobecane Grand Touring 1972
+1 for the "take the range with large grains of salt". However, different boost algorithms and different motors can certainly result in different ranges. Also, the ability of the rider doing the factory test run ;>
As for riding while charging ... that seems like a *very* bad idea. The battery management system was almost certainly designed to charge or discharge ... even if it "works" the BMS will not be operating as designed and stressing the LiON cells could be dangerous.
My stromer does regenerative braking, but there's no boost when that happens, so the BMS remains sane.
As for riding while charging ... that seems like a *very* bad idea. The battery management system was almost certainly designed to charge or discharge ... even if it "works" the BMS will not be operating as designed and stressing the LiON cells could be dangerous.
My stromer does regenerative braking, but there's no boost when that happens, so the BMS remains sane.
#6
The numbers are fiction based on you doing all the work. I cant tell you what model have the most miles on a charge, but I can tell that much of the difference between e-bike motors is what is not in the spec. IE, how they pedal without power, how they handle hitting the speed limit, how responsive they are, how they react to fast pedalling ect. To figure out what you like, go try a few different models and keep this in mind.
#7
The numbers are fiction based on you doing all the work. I cant tell you what model have the most miles on a charge, but I can tell that much of the difference between e-bike motors is what is not in the spec. IE, how they pedal without power, how they handle hitting the speed limit, how responsive they are, how they react to fast pedalling ect. To figure out what you like, go try a few different models and keep this in mind.
#8
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 108
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Bikes: R&M Delite GX Rohloff, Crescent Elgar 27,5 FS, Haibike SDURO HardFour 4.0
Subjectively, I can say that Yamaha is way better than Bosch, so much better it's not even funny. Why? Because, since Yamaha doesn't interfere with non-electric pedaling, it gets a better boost in +ECO and ECO modes when you pedal using muscle power.
#9
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 350
Likes: 2
From: Kalifornia Kollective
Bikes: K2 (Marzocchi/Fox), Trek 6000 (red) MARS Elite up front, Specialized Hardrock Sport -> eBike (R7 Elite up front), lastly TREK 820 loaner. Recently sold Peugeot du Monde Record and 1956 Schwinn (owned since new).
So many variables it ain't funny. Just selection of tires, tread type, compound and air pressure will make a difference in range. One outfit is prolly being conservative, one is being flamboyant ...
#10
Member
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: 91311
Bikes: hal eboost
One thought to consider is buying a bike with a larger battery. I have the HAL eboost and sometimes wish it had a longer range. It may be the colder weather we have been having here but I have had to cut my ride short a few times recently. There are a few bikes with the brose motor and 700wh instead of 504wh which is the going standard. Bulls has one that has the higher wh battery and emotionbikes too with the brose motor and larger battery. Let us know what you go for.
#11
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 5,058
Likes: 1,283
From: socal
Bikes: DIY
Cold temperatures are a known entity to reduce the range of a battery; mostly, we don't deal with that in CA although my friend and I frolicked in about 8" of snow at an elevation of 4500' or so on Saddleback Mountain a couple of weeks ago. Relatively cold winter and lots more precipitation in socal this year.
EDIT: Just realized you're in socal too albeit a more northerly burg.
EDIT: Just realized you're in socal too albeit a more northerly burg.
#12
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 457
Likes: 85
From: Sacramento, CA
Bikes: 2017 Surly Cross-Check. 2020 Specialized Turbo Vado 3.0, 2002 GT Dyno Roadster, 2002 Rans Stratus, 2020 Giant Fathom 2, 2011 Trek Pure Sport
Off subject, but I asked the Trek dealer hoe much a replacemnt battery is. He quoted me $1000
I asked the Specialized dealer the same question. He quoted me $600 for the stock battery, up to $800 for a larger capacity one.
Point is check out battery pricing and support.
I asked the Specialized dealer the same question. He quoted me $600 for the stock battery, up to $800 for a larger capacity one.
Point is check out battery pricing and support.
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olanin
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