How Fast Do Electric Bikes Go? (E-Bike Top Speed)

Electric Bike Top Speed

In most countries, electric bikes are fitited with a speed limiter in order to restrict their assisted speed.

E-bikes are limited to 15.5mph in the UK and Europe, 20mph or 28mph (depending on class) in the USA, and 25.5kph (15.5mph) in Australia.

Some powerful off-road e-bikes can reach speeds of up to 85mph, but these are not road legal in most countries around the world.

PICTURED: Bicycle Anatomy 101 Mug (Limited Edition)

With an electric motor to support your pedal power, getting around on an e-bike can be faster, more efficient, and require less effort. It’s ideal for those who cycle to work and don’t want to arrive at the office drenched in sweat.

An added boost from electrical power makes the ride easier, but you still have to use your own power to pedal the bike, so you’ll still burn calories, improve cardiovascular fitness, and get a great workout while riding an e-bike.

How Fast Can Electric Bike Go?

However, that’s not to say that you can go as fast as you want on an e-bike. There are legal speed limits to consider, and there are usually speed limiters on e-bikes which prevent the motor from assisting your pedalling over a certain speed.

If you’re trying to weigh up whether an expensive e-bike is worth the investment, and want to know how fast you can go on an e-bike, you’re in the right place.

Read on to find out more about e-bike speed limits, the speed of different e-bike motors, and the fastest electric bikes on the market, so you can decide whether buying an electric bike is worth it for you.

READ MORE: Full List of E-Bike Laws in the UK

How Fast Are Electric Bikes?

Electric bikes can go as fast as you want them to, but there’s a catch. The maximum motorised speed of an e-bike is limited according to local speed limit laws, meaning that above a certain speed, the motor will cut out and you’ll be reliant on your own pedal power.

There are several reasons why these speed limits have been set, most importantly rider and pedestrian safety, particularly as e-bikes are very quiet and hard to hear coming. If you want to ride an e-bike without a speed limiter, you’ll have to do so off-road in a safe location.

In theory, an e-bike’s top speed can be up to 85mph, although most models are capable of around 40mph. However, electric bikes are required to be sold with a speed limiter in most countries, which restricts speed to 15.5mph in the UK, Europe and Australia, and 20mph in the USA (or 28mph for class three e-bikes).

Electric Bike Max Speed

The maximum speed of an electric bicycle is dependent on local speed limit laws. In the UK and Europe, e-bikes are not allowed to go faster than 15.5mph on public roads, while in the US e-bikes can go up to 28mph depending on the class of e-bike. In Australia, e-bikes are limited to 25kph (15.5mph).

How Much Faster is an Electric Bike Than Normal Bicycle?

The maximum speed of a normal bicycle is dictated by how fast you can pedal, which for the average rider is around 12mph. Electric bikes, however, can achieve speeds of over 50mph – but only if there were no speed limiter in place, which would be illegal for road use in many countries.

E-Bike vs Normal Bike Speed

The average cycling speed of a beginner cyclist on a normal bike is around 12mph, while competent club riders can hit averages of 20 to 24mph.

Electric bikes are limited to maximum motorised speeds on roads — 15.5mph in the UK, Europe and Australia, and between 20 and 28mph in the US. However, the speed that can be achieved by an e-bike is dependent on its power capabilities.

So, while competent cyclists may be able to physically pedal quicker than an e-bike’s motorised limit on a normal bike, going at higher speeds on an e-bike will require far less effort from the rider which enables them to reach their destination without being totally worn out.

This might be a key consideration for commuters, delivery cyclists and other purpose-focused cyclists who don’t want to be tired, sweaty and out of breath at the end of their ride.

Electric Bike Speed

Here, we’ll compare the varying top speeds of bikes with different levels of power. It is important to bear in mind that these speeds are only legally achieved off-road, and as such the more powerful e-bikes are designed to be off-road bikes rather than everyday commuter cycles.

How Fast Does a 3000w Electric Bike Go?

A 3000w electric bike can reach speeds of 48mph (77kph) on flat terrain, if no speed limiter is in place.

How Fast Does a 5000w Electric Bike Go?

A 5000w electric bike can reach speeds of 60mph (96kph) on flat terrain, if no speed limiter is in place.

How Fast Does a 8000w Electric Bike Go?

An 8000w electric bike can reach speeds of 68mph (109kph) on flat terrain, if no speed limiter is in place.

How Fast Does a 10000w Electric Bike Go?

An 10000w electric bike can reach speeds of 85mph (137kph) on flat terrain, if no speed limiter is in place.

Fastest Electric Bike in the World Ever (World Record)

According to the Guinness World Records, the fastest electric bike is an electric motorbike, the Voxan Wattman. It achieved 283.182mph (455.737 kph) when ridden by former pro Grand Prix motorcycle racer Max Biaggi at the Kennedy Space Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida, USA, on 1 December 2021.

According to the bike’s GPS, with the benefit of favourable wind, the bike hit a max speed of 292.204mph (470.257kph)

Biaggi was already the world record holder for top e-bike speed on the Voxan Wattman, having set the speed record at 253.5mph the previous year, but he and the team were determined to go even faster on the electric motorcycle.

Made in Monaco, the Voxan Wattman delivers 150kw of power, or 203 horsepower, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 3.4 seconds.

The high-performance Wattman was specially created to set new world speed records.

After breaking the world record, Biaggi told Cycle World: “When you see the instruments signalling 470 kph you don’t believe your eyes.

“Even for a MotoGP racer used to pushing 300 kph, this is something extreme. At that speed, the track suit vibrates and burns your skin, your eyes cannot see well. There is so much turbulence that you think you can hold on, but you can’t.

“You don’t look anymore at what is straight ahead. You need to look wider. It’s crazy.”

SEE MORE: Fastest Electric Bikes in the World