If you’ve just scored yourself a new electric bike, then it’s a good idea to take the necessary steps to keep that bike and its battery in proper working condition for as long as possible.
E-bikes are a considerable expense, and the battery is essential to keep those rides as awesome as possible.
If this is your first electric bike, then we’ve got some tips for on you caring for that battery and maintaining it for it’s full useful life.
Before Your First Ride
Depending on where you bought your new e-bike, it will either have a fully-charged battery or a partial charge.
Do not take that first ride without first checking the battery level.
For the best results from your battery, and to get maximum longevity from it, charge the battery fully before you take that first ride on your new electric bike.
This is important for two reasons:
- it gives it a start point from which to gauge the rest of its operation
- it conditions the battery
Making sure you have a full charge is the best way to start out with your e-bike.
After Each Ride
This is going to seem like a real pain in the ass, but you have to care for the ebike battery after every single ride.
Maintaining it like this means that you’ll maximize its useful life.
So, what do you need to do?
- charge it just enough to top it up to the max charge level (even after short rides)
- remove the battery before you clean the bike
- make sure the battery is securely in the bike so that it doesn’t drop out
When you re-charge the battery after a bike ride, don’t just leave it charging until whenever your next ride is because that will damage the battery.
Instead, remove it as soon as you get back to that full charge.
How long does it take to charge an e-bike battery?
That really varies by capacity, but for a fully drained ebike battery the average time to recharge is three to five hours.
How to clean my electric bike battery?
Of course you’re going to need to clean that battery regularly.
The best way to do this is with a wet sponge.
Don’t submerse the battery in water.
Instead, clean it with the sponge and then dry with a clean cloth.
How To Store The Electric Bike Battery (and bike)
If you’re not going to be using your electric bike for a few months, then you need to store it (and it’s battery) properly.
Never leave the battery in the e-bike when you’re storing it away for a few months.
You should remove the battery from the bike to keep it in proper working condition.
There’s a wrong way and a right way to store an e-bike battery.
- store your battery at approximately 60% charged for long periods of time
- never store the e-bike battery with a full charge or fully depleted
The place you store your ebike battery is also very important.
There are optimal conditions that preserve the battery and keep it in proper working condition.
- the place where you store your electric bike battery should be room temperature
- it should be free from moisture
If you follow those two conditions for your storage location, then you will preserve the battery cells and keep it lasting for it’s full useful life.
Extending The Life Of Your E-Bike Battery
Following the tips above help to extend the life of your electric bike’s battery.
And there are still other steps and precautions that you can take to maximize it’s useful life.
1. Always use a battery cover.
This should go without saying, but a battery cover works to protect the ebike battery.
Not only does it work to protect it from damage, but it also helps to extend its range.
How does a battery cover extend the range for your ebike battery?
Simple.
It insulates it from some temperature fluctuations, meaning cold and hot temperatures have less of an effect on the battery’s range.
2. Keep the tires properly inflated.
Before each ride, you should check the bike’s tires to make sure that you’ve got them properly inflated.
If you’re going on rides with your tires not at the recommended pressure, then you’re causing harm to the bike’s battery.
Properly inflated tires can extend the e-bike battery’s range up to an estimated 15% increase.
3. Keep the ebike properly maintained.
We’ve already touched on this above, but you should always practice proper care and maintenance on your electric bike.
Bike shop owners agree that electric bikes that are properly maintained have greater range than those that are not properly cared for on a regular basis.
4. Check and clean the battery contacts regularly
As part of your regular care and maintenance, you should check and clean the battery contacts.
Cyclists who ride their electric bike in the rain should be especially diligent about this and should always dry the battery after a ride.
Moisture leads to oxidation and corrosion at the battery contacts, which weakens the ability of the battery to power the bike
Use a clean cloth to gently clean those battery contacts. And for corrosion, you can use an emery cloth for cleaning.
5. Never leave the e-bike battery in direct sunlight.
Hot temperatures are terrible for your electric bike’s lithium-ion battery, and that means no direct sunlight for extended periods.
This is mostly like to happen when you leave it to charge in your home.
So, before you choose a charging location make sure that it’s not near a window where sunlight can heat it up.
6. Don’t overload it.
It is important that you don’t push your electric bike, and its battery, as hard as you can because that sort of overload degrades the battery.
The harder you push the bike, then the harder that battery has to work to keep up with you.
And that’s a recipe for a disaster when it comes to e-bike battery life.