Ebike Glossary

Written by OFERO Philippines Editorial Team · Reviewed by Willy, OFERO Philippines · Published 2026-10-19 · Last updated 2026-10-19

Drafted with AI assistance; facts checked by Willy, OFERO Philippines against the sources listed below.

This glossary explains common terms on ebike and e-trike spec sheets, battery labels and seller posts in the Philippines. Each has its own link and a short definition with numbers and units: watt-hours are volts × amp-hours, so a 60V 24Ah pack stores 1,440 Wh.¹ Use the jump links or search the page; each entry links to its full guide.

Jump to: Vehicle types · Battery · Motor and speed · Charging · Rules and standards · Seller and listing

Vehicle types

Full guide: types of ebike.

Ebike

In the Philippines, ebike is the wider word for small electric vehicles on 2, 3 or 4 wheels.

E-trike

An e-trike is a 3-wheel ebike; see 3-wheel ebikes.

Electric motorcycle

In our guides, an electric motorcycle is a 2-wheeler built to go faster than 50 km/h, LTO’s L3 class.²³ See how electric motorcycles work.

Battery terms

Full guide: ebike battery guide.

Volt (V)

Volts measure electrical pressure; a label such as 48V, 60V or 72V gives the pack’s nominal voltage. Cells in series add their voltages,² so four 12V lead-acid blocks make 48V. For a given motor, battery voltage sets the top speed.¹ See 48V vs 60V vs 72V.

Amp-hour (Ah)

Amp-hours measure the charge a pack can deliver. Cells in parallel add their Ah while the voltage stays the same.² Under ebike loads, a lead-acid pack often gives only 60–70% of its rated Ah.¹

Watt-hour (Wh) and kilowatt-hour (kWh)

Watt-hours measure stored energy: Wh = V × Ah.¹ One kWh is 1,000 Wh. Compare packs in Wh, not Ah: a 48V 24Ah pack (1,152 Wh) stores less than a 60V 20Ah pack (1,200 Wh). See how to read V, Ah and Wh.

Range (km per charge)

Range is the maker’s claimed distance per full charge, and it depends on the test: the EM1 e: is listed at 41.3 km in Standard mode and about 48 km in ECON mode (Honda internal test; Wheeltek lists the same), and 30.0 km on WMTC Class 1.³³⁶ Ask which test a listed range comes from; see battery and range.

Nominal and full-charge voltage

Nominal voltage is the label figure; full-charge voltage is the higher level a charger takes it to, which depends on chemistry: 4.20 V per cell for NMC, 3.65 V for LFP and 2.30–2.45 V for lead-acid.⁴⁵ Since cells in series add up,² a pack sold as “48V” can be 54.6 V full with 13 NMC cells or 58.4 V full with 16 LFP cells (our calculation), so match the charger to that, not to the name, and expect an ebike voltmeter to read above the label figure when the pack is full. Compare a reading with the ebike voltage chart for its chemistry.

Cell, series and parallel (13S, 4s2p)

Cells in series (S) add voltage and cells in parallel (P) add amp-hours. The series count comes first, so 4s2p means four cells in series and two in parallel, and 13S means 13 cells in series.² A pack is only as strong as its weakest cell, which matters most in series.²

Lithium-ion

Lithium-ion is a family of battery chemistries that includes NMC and LFP. For the same energy, NMC and LFP cells are about 2 to 7 times lighter than lead-acid.⁴⁶ Lithium-ion needs a protection circuit and must not be trickle-charged when full.⁷⁸

NMC (nickel manganese cobalt)

NMC is a lithium-ion type with 3.6–3.7 V per cell, 150–220 Wh/kg and a rated life of 1,000–2,000 cycles.⁴ It is lighter than LFP for the same energy but reaches thermal runaway at a lower temperature, typically about 210°C.⁴ Thermal runaway is an uncontrollable, self-heating state that can end in violent venting, smoke and fire;⁹ see battery safety.

LFP (lithium iron phosphate)

LFP is a lithium-ion type with 3.2–3.3 V per cell, 90–120 Wh/kg and a rated life of 2,000 cycles and higher.⁴ It reaches thermal runaway at about 270°C, and Battery University calls it one of the safest lithium-ion types.⁴

Lead-acid

Lead-acid is the older chemistry, built from 2V cells that store about 30–50 Wh/kg; a 12V block holds six of them in series.⁶² For deep-cycle use it is rated for about 200–300 cycles, depending on depth of discharge.¹⁰

Sealed lead-acid (VRLA)

Sealed, maintenance-free lead-acid batteries hold the electrolyte in silica gel or a glass mat (AGM), not free liquid; Battery University calls both valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA).¹⁰⁶ They are still lead-acid, and for VRLA every 8°C above 25°C cuts battery life in half.¹⁰

Graphene battery

Graphene is a form of carbon in sheets one atom thick.¹¹ It has been added to lead-acid batteries: a 2017 conference abstract by a Chaowei Group researcher said lead-graphene grids made by Chaowei Power had been used in over 30 million ebike batteries.¹² So the word alone does not tell you the chemistry: ask whether the pack is lead-acid or lithium, and for its V and Ah.

BMS (battery management system)

A BMS is the electronics that monitors a pack’s cell voltages and, in some designs, temperature and current, and disconnects the battery if set limits are exceeded or a failure occurs.¹³ Lithium-ion needs this protection; on most lithium-ion cells it cuts off below about 2.20 V and above 4.30 V, with other settings for LFP.⁷

Removable battery

A removable battery comes off the vehicle for charging elsewhere: Honda says the EM1 e:’s Mobile Power Pack e: can be easily removed for charging at home on a separate 270 W charger.³ A fixed battery needs parking near a safe wall outlet; see safe charging.

Cycle life

A cycle is one discharge followed by a recharge, though Battery University notes there is no clearly defined standard for one.¹⁴ Rated life runs from about 200–300 cycles for deep-cycle lead-acid to 2,000 or more for LFP, depending on depth of discharge.¹⁰⁴ See how long an ebike battery lasts.

Depth of discharge (DoD)

Depth of discharge is how far a full pack is drained before it is recharged.¹⁴ Drained 100% each time, NMC is estimated at about 300 cycles and LFP at about 600 before capacity falls to 70%; drained 40%, at about 1,000 and 3,000.¹⁴

Motor and speed terms

Full guide: ebike motor and power.

Rated power

Rated (continuous) power is what a motor can sustain; EU rules define maximum continuous rated power as the most an electric motor delivers over 30 minutes.¹⁵ Bosch lists its Performance Line CX at 250 W rated, and Honda its EM1 e: at 0.58 kW.¹⁶³

Peak power

Peak (maximum) power is the most a motor gives for a short time: 600 W for the Bosch CX and 1.7 kW for the Honda EM1 e:, about 2.4 and 2.9 times their rated figures (our calculation).¹⁶³ If a listing shows one watt figure, ask which it is; see rated vs peak power.

Torque (Nm)

Torque is the motor’s turning force in newton-meters (Nm), rising in direct proportion to motor current.¹⁷ Bosch lists 85 Nm for its CX mid-drive and Honda 90 Nm for the EM1 e:’s in-wheel motor,¹⁶³ but bike maker Van Raam notes that hub torque is measured on the motor shaft and mid-drive torque on the crankshaft, so they cannot be compared one-to-one.¹⁸ Compare like with like, hub with hub, and on hills check torque and gearing as well as rated watts; see hills, passengers and cargo.

Hub motor (geared or direct-drive)

A hub motor sits inside the front or rear wheel and drives it directly.¹⁹ A geared hub works through planetary gears, typically weighs about 50% less than an equally powerful direct-drive hub and almost always freewheels; a direct-drive hub has no gears and is large and heavy for its power, but allows regenerative braking.¹⁷

Regenerative braking

Regenerative braking makes electricity from the turning wheels while braking and sends that energy back to the battery;²⁰ on a hub motor it needs a direct-drive hub, as geared hubs almost always freewheel¹⁷ (see regenerative braking on hub motors).

Mid-drive motor

A mid-drive sits in the pedal area and works with the bike’s own gears, so shifting down helps it turn the crankset on a climb, while a hub motor driving the wheel uphill spins slower and works harder.¹⁹ See hub vs mid-drive.

Differential motor

Top Gear Philippines used this term in March 2024 for the Hatasu Mako 2 e-trike’s 650 W motor, without describing its layout.²¹ A differential is the gear set that lets two driven wheels turn at different speeds in a corner, and many also reduce gear speed.²² Ask the seller which wheels the motor drives; see differential motors.

Controller and controller current (A)

The controller is the electronics that runs the motor from the battery; it defines the system voltage, which cannot be readily changed.¹ Its current limit in amps caps the push, as torque follows current.¹⁷ A 60V controller limited to 40A draws at most 2,400 W (our calculation). See where it sits among the other electrical parts.

Hall sensor

A Hall sensor (Hall-effect sensor) detects a magnetic field. Texas Instruments, a sensor maker, says ebike motors traditionally use 3 Hall-effect latches spaced 120° around the rotor, which read a rotor magnet’s alternating fields so the spinning rotor can be synchronized and controlled;³⁷ see the ebike parts guide.

Top speed

Top speed is the maker’s claimed maximum in km/h. It depends on battery voltage, gearing and maker limits, not on watts alone: Bosch’s CX assists up to 25 km/h, and Top Gear Philippines reported in 2024 that Hatasu’s ebikes top out at 25 km/h.^1171621 LTO classes 2-wheelers by the speed they can reach (see L1a).²³

Rated load

Rated load, also listed as maximum load, is the weight the brand says the vehicle can carry; ask in writing whether it includes the rider.

Charging terms

Full guide: how to charge an ebike safely.

Charger output (V and A)

A charger label gives output volts and amps. The volts must suit the pack’s chemistry and full-charge voltage;⁴⁵ the amps set the pace: Bosch lists about 5.4 h for its 16.7Ah PowerTube 625 on a 4A charger and about 9.3 h on its 2A,²⁴²⁵ close to Ah ÷ amps plus a slower finish as the current tapers (our calculation).⁸ Use only the charger the maker supplies or approves.²⁶ See charging time.

CC/CV charging

CC/CV means constant current, then constant voltage; Battery University says lead-acid charges this way, the constant-current stage giving the bulk of the charge, about 70% in 5–8 hours.⁵ A lithium-ion charger also limits voltage: a high current quickly gives about 70%, then the current falls until the pack is full at 3–5% of its Ah rating.⁸

Topping charge and float charge

The topping charge is the slower second stage of a lead-acid charge, another 7–10 hours after the first 70% for 12–16 hours in all, and Battery University calls it essential.⁵ A float charge then keeps lead-acid full;⁵ lithium-ion gets no float charge, as its current must be cut off when full, though some chargers apply a brief topping charge when its voltage drops.⁸

Rules and standards terms

For how these apply today, see LTO speed classes and road limits; this is not legal advice.

LEV (light electric vehicle)

Republic Act 11697 of 2022 defines light electric vehicles as EVs such as electric scooters, electric bicycles and electric personal transport weighing less than 50 kg.²⁷ The term is also used for ebikes and e-trikes: in October 2024, following a DOTr instruction, LTO suspended the registration, driver’s license and helmet requirements for light electric vehicles such as ebikes and e-trikes.²⁸ As of May 2026, DOTr was still finalizing new joint guidelines, so rules are still changing.²⁹

L1a

L1a is the class in LTO Administrative Order 2021-039 (11 May 2021) for 2-wheel electric vehicles built for up to 25 km/h; the order sets no power limit for it.²³ See LTO speed classes.

L1b

L1b is the class in the same order for 2-wheelers built for 26–50 km/h, also with no power limit, so wattage alone does not decide the class.²³

L3

L3 is the class in the same order for 2-wheel electric vehicles that can go faster than 50 km/h,²³ which our ebike vs electric motorcycle guide calls electric motorcycles.

L2, L4/L5 and L6/L7 (3- and 4-wheel classes)

The same order puts 3-wheelers built for up to 50 km/h in L2 (L2a up to 25 km/h, L2b 26–50 km/h), and e-tricycles rated 1,000 W or more, up to 50 km/h and 600 kg curb weight, in L4/L5 (the asymmetrical and symmetrical versions). E-quads are L6, up to 45 km/h, 4,000 W and 350 kg unladen, or L7, above 45 km/h, up to 15,000 W and 550 kg.²³

PS mark and ICC sticker

In June 2026, DTI urged buyers to check products covered by mandatory standards for a Philippine Standard (PS) mark if locally made, or an Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker if imported; both show compliance with government quality and safety requirements.³⁰ Ask whether one applies to an ebike’s charger.

IP rating (IPX4 to IPX7)

In an IP code (IEC 60529) the first digit rates dust and other solids and the second water; 0 means no protection and X means not rated.³¹ For water, 4 means splashing, 5 water jets, 6 powerful water jets and 7 a 30-minute test at up to 1 m of water.³¹ Bosch rates its chargers IP40 (protected against objects over 1 mm, not against water) and says not to use them outdoors.²⁴³¹

Seller and listing terms

Full guide: ebike buying guide. Short forms on seller posts and in their comments include:

• HM: “How much?”, usually posted by interested buyers.³⁸
• DP and PM: see their entries below.

SRP (suggested retail price)

SRP stands for suggested retail price; in seller posts it is the original store price, quoted to show how big a discount is.³² See what a listed price includes.

Promo price

A promo price is a lower price for a limited time. Under the Consumer Act (RA 7394), a “former price” in an ad must have been charged in the previous 90 days, or offered for at least 4 weeks within them, unless the ad says when, and a mass-media sales promotion must state its start and end.³³

Warranty

A warranty says what the warrantor will do if the product has a defect. For what the Consumer Act requires and which parts to ask about, see ebike warranty, parts and service.

Official store

An official store is a shop a brand opens on a shopping platform, as Nintendo did on Shopee in November 2023; Shopee requires brands in Shopee Mall to go through verification.³⁴ To check any store or page, start from the brand’s own website and see whether it links there (how to check official channels).

DP (down payment)

In seller posts, DP stands for down payment: a partial payment to reserve an item.³²

PM (private message)

PM stands for private message.³² In June 2020, DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said products sold online also need price tags, GMA News reported;³⁵ see price tags in listings.