Lee Hill
Are you looking to go on a trip soon? You would love to bring your e-bike along but no idea how to go about it? You have come to the right place. This article will answer these questions, giving you a lot more information about traveling with an e-bike overseas.
Should You Take Your E-Bike On a Trip?
According to a recent research study, the American electric bike industry expects to sell about $130 million worth of e-bikes from 2020 to 2023. That means there are many like you who own an e-bike.
While commuting is a significant use case, people buy electric bikes for many things. E-bikes are great for mountain riding, sightseeing, and even motocross racing!
They are easy to carry around (lightweight), easy to refuel (you need an electrical outlet), and will save money than renting a gas bike or car.
So whether you’re looking to visit mountains, beaches, or just roaming cobbled streets on your next trip, taking your e-bike is a great idea!
Can You Travel In A Plane With An Electric Bike?
Traveling overseas with an electric bike to ride and enjoy the beautiful bike trails in Europe is not as easy as you would like it to be. Many airlines don’t allow you to travel with an electric bike. You need to inform the airlines and take permission from them before bringing an electric bike on board.
Why Are E-Bikes Prohibited For Air Travel?
The reason why e-bikes are prohibited on flights is because of their Lithium-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries are a fire hazard. Any damage to the external shell or overheating can cause the battery to spark and short circuit. Airlines avoid carrying these batteries on board for safety reasons.
Lithium is a flammable substance that can even cause a small explosion. Battery manufacturing companies, however, do claim to be completely safe. They also claim to have a fireproof design, but the aviation security personnel can not take a chance with people’s lives.
A fire in the cargo area of a plane can spread very quickly, and it is also tough to detect these fires as there is no person in the cargo area. You can take your electric bike on a flight without the battery.
So Then, How Can I Take My E-Bike Abroad?
Batteries smaller than 100 watt-hours are allowed on the majority of the airlines. Some airlines extend this limit up to a battery size of 160 watt-hours, but you have to inform them in advance.
So if you have an e-bike with less than 100Wh batteries, you can probably take it along without any hassle.
Other Ways To Travel Overseas With An Electric Bike
What if your E-bike has a higher battery power than 100Wh? Don’t fret; you can still take your trusty e-bike along. How? Some of the ways are listed below:
You Can Rent The Battery
Yes, electric bike batteries are available for sale or rent at a lot of places. You can travel with your bike to your destination on the plane and resent the battery separately upon reaching your destination.
For this method to work effectively, you will need to do a little research, such as finding out the electric bike lender. It depends on the location you are flying to. If the city is famous for electric bikes, you will be very likely to find a battery lender.
Secondly, you should also check that the battery must be compatible with your bike. If you cannot find a compatible battery, you will not be able to ride your bike. Renting a separate battery is cheaper than renting a fully electric bike. This method is also pocket, friendly, and cheap.
You Can Rent An Electric Bike
This method will again require some research on your part. You can look for vendors who rent a complete electric bicycle where you are going. This is a more expensive method than renting a battery, but you should enjoy riding the trails on an electric bike using this method. If you are adamant about riding your electric bike overseas, you can follow some other ways.
You Can Ship The Battery Separately
You can separately ship the battery to your destination using the high-end courier services. These courier services will have the proper knowledge regarding the whole transportation process of a battery.
The courier service will adequately seal and pack the battery to not sustain any damage. They will also label the battery as dangerous goods so that the aviation services will also take care of the battery.
This process is slightly more expensive than regular shipping and courier services, but it is an effective method of getting around the airlines’ guidelines.
You Can Ship Or Travel By Other Means Of Transport
There are no such restrictions on the transportation of an electric bike battery on ships and boats. You can also easily send the battery by road to your destination if it is not very far off. This will limit your traveling destinations.
You may need to plan your travel destination by considering this thing. There are plenty of locations all over the world where electric bikes are popular.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to travel on a flight with an electric bike?
The cost of flying with an electric bike depends upon the airline to which you are traveling. Some airlines don’t charge you anything, but some charge a transportation fee as little as $30. Some airlines may also charge you a sum of $300 for transporting your electric bike. It is always an excellent option to check these baggage or transportation charges before booking the ticket.
How Can I Know The Watt-Hour Capacity of My E-bike?
Watt-hour is the unit used to calculate the power of an electric motor. To determine the watt-hour measurement of your battery, you have to multiple the battery voltage by its amp-hours. For instance, a 48-volt battery with an amp-hour rating of 11.6 will make the battery power of 556.8 watt-hours. This rating is much higher than the allowed rating of 100 or 160 watt-hours. You can also calculate the power of your battery using this formula.
Conclusion
Electric bike users want to travel overseas with their bikes in a lot of cases. These people face difficulties while making transportation arrangements for their electric bikes because of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are not considered to be safe for air travel as they are highly flammable.
There are some restrictions and aviation guidelines on the traveling of an electric bike. These restrictions are imposed for the safety of the people traveling on the flight. You can work around these guidelines to ride your electric bike overseas using some of the above article methods.
