In 2024, 1.3 million new electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in the United States, while it is estimated that 1.7 million e-bikes were imported into the US. For e-bikes, that is a 78% increase over 2023 when approximately 1 million e-bikes were imported.
Even with a somewhat rough estimate comparing imports to actual sales, it’s clear that Personal Electric Vehicles (PEVs), which include e-bikes, e-scooters, and similar modes of transport, have outpaced traditional EVs. This trend indicates a quiet revolution in urban, suburban, and trail mobility. However, despite this growth, charging an e-bike often feels akin to sneaking electricity from a neighbor’s outlet or sheepishly plugging into a Starbucks wall socket after buying a $7 Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino®
The Charging Infrastructure Gap
- Home charging—which works, unless they’re traveling beyond the range of the battery
- Carrying an extra battery (6 to 11+ pounds)—not all e-bikes have detachable batteries
- Public outlets—if they can find them and if they work
- Workplace or café goodwill
A public outlet along the Delaware River Heritage Trail in Burlington, NJ
Nationally, there are currently more than 77,000 EV charging station locations, with more coming online almost every day. Only one state, Oregon, has officially added 110V outlets to its 47 EV stations of the West Coast Electric Highway
There’s a Converter for Those EV Stations
If you’re concerned about range anxiety, consider investing in a J1772 (Level 2 EV charging plug) to NEMA 5-15 (standard wall plug) converter, which typically costs between $45 and $70. This device enables you to connect your 100-240V compatible charger to a standard Level 2 charger (240V) available at public EV charging stations. However, please note that these converters are not compatible with Tesla or other Level 3 fast chargers.
A highly reliable resource for locating EV charging stations is Plugshare. This platform allows you to filter the map results to display only “J1772” and “Wall” chargers, and you can also read reviews from recent users of the stations. Charging costs can vary significantly; it’s advisable to check the rates on Plugshare. Stations that charge based on power usage (per kWh) may only cost a few cents, while those that charge by time could set you back a few dollars.
Most generic battery chargers accept 240 V, but some proprietary chargers do not.
Ultimately, these charging stations won’t increase the charging speed of your e-bike, as the speed is determined by the amperage output of the e-bike’s charging block, which is usually around 2 amps. It’s advisable not to use any charger that exceeds the manufacturer’s specifications. With a 2-amp charger on a relatively lightweight e-bike, you can expect to gain approximately 10 miles of range for every hour of charging, though your actual mileage may vary.
Creating Hubs for Food Delivery Cyclists (Deliveristas)
Creating an E-bike Charging Network
This EV Charging Station on the Pine Creek Rail Trail in Tioga County, PA has no outlet to charge an e-bike.
Downtown hubs, transit stations, hotels, restaurants, regional trailheads, and bike rooms in buildings are excellent spots to establish a network of bike charging stations. In Europe, where e-bikes are much more common, there are many e-bike charging stations that facilitate e-bike touring.
Fortunately, several North American companies are trying to sell the concept of e-bike/PEV charge stations:
- Oonee Pods are bike parking stations that offer the option to include electrical outlets to charge e-bikes.
Oonee received a federal grant and partnered with battery swapping company Swobbie to install Oonee Pods bike stations in Jersey City - Dero Bike Rack – Dero offers several bike racks and lockers with outlets, including a model that allows you to lock your charging block. Trail heads transit stations.
- Saris also offers E-bike charging racks
- Beam Global sells off-grid, solar-powered electric bike charging stations.