The electric vehicle revolution is in full swing, with major automakers like Tesla leading the charge. While everyone is hyped about EVs, a closer look at efficiency reveals some surprising contrasts, especially when considering the concept of a “Tesla E Bike.” Inspired by Tesla’s power consumption graphs for their Model S, 3, and X, I decided to compare this to the performance of efficient e-bike motors.
The results are quite unexpected. At lower speeds, e-bikes are so efficient they barely register on the scale compared to Tesla cars. However, as speed increases, the power consumption of e-bikes rises disproportionately to their weight. Consider this: at 100 km/h (60 mph), a roughly 100lb e-bike becomes significantly less efficient than a 3800lb Tesla car. In fact, the Tesla is about twice as efficient at this speed, and the gap widens further at higher speeds.
This comparison raises serious questions about e-bike design and technology. While electric cars like Tesla are achieving remarkable gains in efficiency, electric bikes, across the power spectrum, seem to be lagging behind. Is there a fundamental design flaw or a missed opportunity in e-bike motor and aerodynamic development? Perhaps it’s time to rethink e-bike engineering to bridge this surprising efficiency gap and truly realize the potential of a high-performance “tesla e bike” equivalent in terms of efficiency.
