The battery for your electric bike is typically worth about a third of the value of the entire bicycle, so it’s important to find a good quality one and take care of it.
In the case of Pedego Canada, we offer a 5 Year Prorated Battery Warranty with all our electric bikes, which is one of the best in the business. Why we’re so confident in our batteries is the quality of the cells within them. If you take nothing else away from this post, remember this: do not buy an electric bike with anything less than a five year battery warranty and do your best to purchase a battery by one of the “big three” name-brand cells: Samsung, Panasonic or LG. Cheap electric bicycles like the kind you find at Costco do not have the quality of manufacturing or warranty that will ensure you can enjoy the bike for years. It’s our recommendation that you spend a bit more money up front to save you from headaches (or worse – the garbage dump or even a fire!) later.
No matter what electric bike you buy nowadays, chances are it runs on a lithium-based battery. Believe it or not lithium batteries have been around since 1912 but it’s only been in the last 15 years that they caught on and became economical in consumer applications. There are “lithium-ion” batteries and “lithium polymer” (aka “lithium-ion polymer”) batteries and the difference between them is the type of electrolyte used. Other than that, there isn’t a significant variance: Li-Polymer allows for a slight increase in energy density but is 10-30% more expensive and so manufacturers have yet to decide upon one over the other.
There is also a range of lithium chemistries available in different batteries and manufacturers might claim some are more robust than others but the single most important factor affecting the life of a battery is how well it is looked after. You should typically expect a battery to last between 3 and 5 years if it is well maintained. (A lithium-ion battery will slowly lose its capacity over time, even if it’s not used.) Below are three things you can do to ensure you get the longest usage out of your electric bike battery.
Temperature conditions are important factors affecting lithium-ion batteries. For example, leaving one in your car in the hot sun or in direct sunlight will guarantee you lessen the life of your battery. The worst conditions for your battery would be keeping it fully charged at elevated temperatures. When not in use, keep your battery in a cool place, preferably below 20°C (68°F).
It is also important to guard against cold with your ebike battery. Ensure your battery is above freezing before charging, otherwise you could harm the cells. This is because lithium ions in the e-bike batteries float in a liquid electrolyte which can freeze. It is no problem to ride the bike in below-freezing conditions (it doesn’t harm the battery). However, when you are riding in very cold weather, you will notice a drop in power and range; this is normal and expected. Store your battery inside during the cold months.
The chart below, provided by Battery University, shows the impacts of temperature upon recoverable capacity of a battery.
You’ll also notice in the above chart that storing a fully-charged battery has an impact on the recoverable capacity. Even more important, storing a fully depleted battery may be disastrous because, as we mentioned above, a lithium-ion battery will slowly discharge over time even when you’re not using it. If the voltage drops below a certain point this may cause irreparable cell damage, depending on the time it’s left sitting. Ideally, when storing the battery for a long period, ensure it has a charge between about 80% and 40% of a full charge. Some chargers have a lower ‘storage’ voltage setting, so just switch to this before charging it for storage. An easy alternative is to take the bike for a ride after you’ve charged it fully and before storing.
Also, don’t leave your battery on the charger for long periods of time, as storing it at or close to 100% will reduce the life of the battery. You can also check your battery every couple of months over winter. If you notice that the battery indicator has dropped too low, you can give it a quick charge to bring it back to the ideal storage voltage (this is unlikely to be needed if the battery was at 40% or above). If you don’t have a battery indicator, it’s probably a good idea to charge the battery for half an hour every few months. Again, try not to put the battery away fully charged (but it won’t be the end of the world if this happens.)
It’s amazing that we still see tech sites advising regular full discharge of your battery, even when this has been proven as detrimental. The chart below, again provided by Battery University, proves that regularly discharging lithium-ion batteries to 0% is harmful and partial discharges with regular top-ups are recommended to extend the recharge-cycle lifespan of the batteries. The occasional full discharge on that extra long ride is no problem! It’s ok to top up lithium-ion batteries regularly and, as the chart below shows, it’s best to operate them in the top half of their discharge cycle; lithium-ion batteries don’t have a ‘memory effect’ that some other battery chemistries have. If you are doing short rides on a regular basis, it is slightly better to charge it every few rides rather than every ride (to avoid long periods at or close to 100% charge, as discussed above).
As an extra note for the winter season, make sure your battery is above freezing before charging, otherwise you could harm the cells. It is no problem to ride the bike in below-freezing conditions (it doesn’t harm the battery), just make sure you let the battery warm up before charging. When you are riding in very cold weather, you will notice a drop in power and range; this is normal and expected. You can help avoid this by bringing the battery inside whenever you aren’t riding to keep the temperature of the battery up. That way you will get that extra bit of power!
Correct maintenance and storage of your battery as detailed above will significantly increase its lifespan. A well-maintained lithium-ion battery will last between three to five years, whereas a poorly maintained battery can be badly damaged over just one season or sooner. For more detailed, scientific information on batteries and how to care for them, check out the excellent online resource at Battery University, where the above charts came from.
The technology behind an eBike is powered by its battery. When looking to purchase one, it’s natural to be concerned about how long a battery can really last.
Whether you’re investing in an electric bike to boost your fitness levels, tackle challenging rides or do your bit for the environment, it’s a purchase you likely want to enjoy for years to come. Most technology comes with a limited lifespan – it’s unlikely that you’ll still have the same phone you do now 20 years down the line. So, does the same apply to electric bikes?
In this blog, we’ll cover how long an eBike battery lasts, and share our tips and tricks to make it last that little bit longer.
Generally speaking, a high-quality eBike battery can last anywhere from 2 – 5 years. Of course, that depends on a number of things including the type of battery itself and just how well you take care of it.
The most common battery found in electric bikes nowadays is a lithium battery. Long-lasting, these batteries can usually withstand around 1,000 charge cycles – so you’re sure to get a fair few years of cycling out of it, especially if you take into consideration just how far each one of those charges can get you.
The Avaris Road eBike, for example, is powered by a Samsung 26V 10.4AH lithium battery which allows you to ride for up to 80 K on a single full charge.
eBike batteries usually account for around one-third of the price of the bike itself, and the bike is essentially redundant without it. So, it’s an important asset that you’ll want to do everything you can to keep in tip-top condition.
As with anything, proper care and maintenance will help to extend its lifespan and ensure you’re riding for longer without having to replace the battery. So, here are our top tips for getting the most out of it:
eBike batteries are generally robust and durable, built to withstand the harshest conditions on the toughest rides. Good quality eBikes are generally fine to ride in extremely hot or cold temperatures without any impact on the battery. However, the way you store your battery is what’s important.
Whilst it may be rare to experience a blistering hot UK summer, sometimes that does happen. In these conditions, don’t lock your bike up under the direct heat of sunlight and leave your battery in it – take it out, or park it in the shade and keep it sheltered at the very least. The same goes for extremely cold temperatures and damp or wet environments.
Whilst this may seem fairly obvious, it’s important to point out that eBikes are water-resistant not waterproof. Sure, eBikes can be used in the rain and endure the wettest of weather conditions, but submerging the battery entirely in water is one way to reduce its lifespan. If water penetrates inside the battery it’s likely to affect it, as with any other type of electric device.
The key to getting the most life out of your eBike battery is to follow smart charging etiquette. The idea is to not let the charge drop too low, and avoid re-charging it too often when unnecessary.
The ideal charge range is between 30% – 80%. Trying to keep it between these numbers will take less of a toll on the battery compared to frequently charging it from empty to full, or overcharging it when there is still plenty of power left. Of course, there will be times where this is necessary and those odd instances won’t have too much of an impact on the battery, but try to follow best practice where you can.
Following our guide to proper care and maintenance is of course the best way to extend the life of your eBike’s battery – but, it never hurts to have a spare. For avid eBikers, a spare battery is a must-have for ensuring those long rides continue without a glitch and giving the peace of mind that you’ll never have to be without your electric bike.
Due to popular demand, we now sell spare batteries for the Avaris Road eBike. We know that we couldn’t be without our backup plan, so now you don’t have to either. Click here to buy.