Watt Mile compares e-bikes from the figures their makers publish, then does the arithmetic. This page sets out exactly what we read, when, how bikes are sorted and picked, what is missing, and what we never do.
What we read, and when
- Five brand stores, 60 in-stock e-bikes, read by script on November 7, 2026: aventon.com (12 bikes), velotricbike.com (15), lectricebikes.com (16), ride1up.com (8), himiwaybike.com (9). Catalogs from each store's public product feed (Shopify
products.json, or the WooCommerce Store API for Ride1Up), specifications from each bike's product page. - One seller per bike. These brands sell direct; we list the brand's own store and its price. Where other retailers sell the same bike we have not read their prices yet.
- Electricity: EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, residential average price by state, August 2026 (released October 23, 2026). Gasoline: EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, regular grade, week of November 2, 2026, by state where published, otherwise by PADD region (EIA glossary).
- State rules: the 51 PeopleForBikes "E-Bike Law Handouts" (50 states and D.C.), PDFs dated 2021 to 2023, read November 7, 2026.
What is not covered
- Brands we have not read yet: Rad Power Bikes, Super73, Trek, Specialized, Giant and every bike-shop brand. The comparison is not the whole market.
- Out-of-stock models on the day (for example Aventon Level 3 and Pace 4, Velotric Fold 1 Lite, Go 1, Packer 1, Nomad 1 Plus and Triker, Ride1Up Revv1 FS and HT, LMT'D V2, Turris and Cafe Cruiser).
- Step-through and color versions sold at the same price with the same battery and motor (one listing per model), Lectric's accessory bundles, kids' bikes and spare batteries.
- Throttle ranges, sensor types, brakes and suspension: in the store quotes, not in our tables.
How tables are sorted
By price, cheapest first, unless the column says otherwise (watt-hours per advertised mile, battery size, weight limit). A commission, present or future, never changes an order.
How each pick is chosen
"Our picks in 30 seconds" boxes follow one written rule: the cheapest in-stock bike in our check that meets the stated condition. A bike picked once is not picked again in the same box. The conditions:
- Cheapest e-bike in our check: no condition.
- Cheapest that can be set to Class 3: the product page publishes a Class 3 setting.
- Cheapest with 700 Wh or more: the watt-hours are printed on the page (not calculated by us) and reach 700.
- Cheapest with a 400 lb limit or more: the published weight limit, whatever it covers.
- Cheapest under 45 lb: the published weight with battery.
- On the weight limit page: cheapest with 300, 350 or 400 lb left for rider and cargo, read strictly (limit minus the bike when the store does not say the bike is excluded).
Calculations
Every calculator runs in your browser and shows its formula under the result. Results marked [calc] are our arithmetic: watt-hours from volts times amp-hours, Lectric bike weights from the bike and battery weights it publishes, watt-hours per advertised mile, cost per charge and per mile, price per watt-hour.
What we do not do
- We do not test, ride or own these bikes, and we never write "tested" or describe a ride we did not have.
- No star ratings, no scores, no customer reviews written, quoted or imported by us.
- No discount percentage computed by us: a struck-through price appears only when the store shows a compare-at price.
- No fake urgency or stock counters.
How we are paid
We intend to apply to the affiliate programs of the five brands. If they accept, some links may earn us a commission when you buy, at no extra cost to you. Commissions are not part of any rule above. As of November 7, 2026, no program has accepted the site. Details: affiliate disclosure.
How often we update
Prices and stock are read again at least once a month, and after the Black Friday and holiday sales; state rules when PeopleForBikes or a state publishes a change we can source. Each page shows the date it was last changed, and each price the date it was read.