Electric Bike vs Electric Moped

by Adam BastockSep 12, 2020

Electric Bike vs Electric Moped

If you’re looking for a cost-effective method of commuting while avoiding public transport, eBikes and Mopeds are two appealing options. Clean, quiet and efficient, both allow you to arrive at work sweat-free.

The key difference between the two is that an electric bike requires you to pedal, while an electric moped does not. Equally, this means that an eBike will improve your fitness and require some level of physical input, while a moped is a “twist and go” affair with no exercise required.

In this post, we compare the other differences between an eBike and eMoped so you can discover which is right for you.

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Summary

This table compares two of our most popular models which are typical of their type as everyday vehicles.

	eBike	eMoped
Model	QWIC RD9 400Wh	NIU MQi+
Cost	£2,149	£2,156
Typical Yearly Maintenance	<£100	<£100
20% Gov Discount	No	Yes
Funding Available	Green Commute Initiative, Cycle Scheme, Finance	Finance
Licence Required	No	Yes
Range	70 Miles	50 Miles
Speed	15.5mph	28mph+
Weight	24kg	69kg
Battery Size	400Wh	2000Wh
Battery Charge Time	5 Hours	5 Hours
Charge Type	3 Pin Plug	3 Pin Plug
Removable Battery	Yes	Yes
Power Method	Pedal Assistance	Twist and Go
MOT	No	Yes after 3 yeras
Tax	No	No
Cost to Fully Charge	7p	28p
Cost per Mile	0.1p	0.4p
Insurance Required	No	Yes

Cost

On the whole, the cost of an electric bike and a moped are in the same ballpark.

You can pick up an eBike or Moped for between £2,000 and £5,000. The biggest impact on the price is the power of the motor (acceleration) and the size of the battery (range).

For a bike using well-built motors, components and Lithium batteries, expect to pay at least £2,000. Cheaper models are available, but you’ll lack features and begin to compromise on certain specifications such as power, range and reliability.

For an electric moped, costs will depend on the brand, with the more bespoke, lower production models costing more than established brands such as Super Soco and NIU.

Batteries make up a considerable cost of both eBikes and eMopeds. Opting for a spare battery can cost between £500 and £1,000 depending on size.

Discounts & Financing

Electric bikes are not registered vehicles and are exempt from the Government OLEV discount. Mopeds do receive this discount, and all of our prices take the 20% reduction into account.

However, electric bikes are available through salary sacrifice schemes such as the Green Commute Initiative and Cycle to Work Schemes, saving you up to 40%. Mopeds are not available on these schemes, but we do offer traditional financing.

Range

While electric bikes have much smaller batteries, they are also much lighter and take advantage of human power to give a greater range from a smaller battery.

Typically an electric bike will achieve between 30 and 100 miles on a single charge, depending on the assistance mode. The more assistance is given, the easier pedalling becomes and the more power is consumed, thus reducing the range.

Mopeds are heavier and are “Twist and Go” - requiring no pedal assistance. This means they consume more power and require larger batteries as a result. However, electric motors are still far lighter and more efficient than petrol equivalents.

Speed

Mopeds can achieve speeds of over 28mph and will require a licence accordingly. Some of our models are capped at 28mph, while others achieve up to 60mph. This makes them far more suitable for suburban commuting or riding on A roads.

Electric bikes do not require a licence but are limited to 15.5mph assisted speed. The only exception to this are Speed Pedelecs, which are a separate category to electric bikes despite looking similar.

Not every electric bike will have the same acceleration either. Cheaper motors will be slower, while some performance or road electric bikes will give much faster acceleration. We suggest booking a test ride to experience this for yourself.

Which is faster?

Typically in real-world scenarios, if you are in the city centre an electric bike will be faster than a moped due to using cycle lanes and competing with traffic less. If your route is slightly further out of town, an electric moped will be faster.

Weight

Typically an electric bike will weight between 15 and 25KG, with the variance depending on the frame material and motor. Some lightweight electric bikes are available that weight under 15kg.

Mopeds are much heavier, again due to battery and motor. However they are still considerably lighter than petrol equivalents.

A typical electric moped will weigh around 80 - 100KG including battery. A typical petrol moped will weight around 130 - 160kg.

For this reason, many of our customers use electric mopeds on motor homes as without batteries in they are much lighter than any petrol equivalent.

Charging the Battery

With both bikes and mopeds, the batteries can be easily removed and charged on any 3 pin socket, making them ideal for charging at work.

Some cheaper models may not allow the battery to be removed, so be sure to check on each model.

Here are the calculations used to estimate how much it will cost you per mile as per Summary table above.

	eBike	eMoped
Battery Size	500Wh	2000Wh
Cost per kWh	14p	14p
Cost per Wh	0.014p	0.014p
Total Charge Cost	7p	28p

Insurance

While insurance is available and advised for electric bikes, it is not legally required to ride one. Electric mopeds however, require insurance to be road legal. You can find out more and find suggested companies to get an insurance quote here.

Why Use an Electric Bike?

The main benefits of an electric bike are that you will be able to get exercise while riding, and do not need a licence to start using one. They are easy to live with and will allow you to ride much further than a normal bike would.

If you’re commuting in a city and would also like to explore with your bike and weekends, and eBike might be right for you.

Why Use an Electric Moped?

Electric mopeds are ideal for longer journeys where you may need extra speed on fast roads, or if you’re already riding a Scooter and have the required licence.