Your battery is the most expensive part of your new eBike, so good battery care will extend the life of your battery. Here are some general guidelines.
Factors that have a POSITIVE impact on overall battery life:
Light duty use (keep the battery over 20% charge as often as possible), store at optimum ambient temperature 60-70°F, and storage in a state of charge of approximately 60%.
Factors that have a NEGATIVE impact on overall battery life:
Heavy-duty use, storage over 86°F, prolonged storage in a completely charged or completely discharged state, parking of the bike and battery in the blazing sun, or sub-freezing temps.
Here are 15 battery care tips that will make sure you get the most out of your eBike battery.
Temperature
1. The battery should be charged under dry conditions and at room temperature. Charging should take place between 60 & 70°F (room temperature).
2. Temperatures below 14°F and above 120°F should be avoided. Operating your bike closer to those temps will be more demanding, and you will have less performance in terms of power and range.
3. When using the battery during the winter, especially below 32°F, we recommend waiting briefly before departure to insert the battery, which has been charged and stored at room temperature. For frequent travel in the cold, it is advisable to use a thermal protective wrap.
How To Charge
4. Before you begin charging, if your battery has an On/Off switch, then make sure it is in the Off position.
5. The battery can be charged on or off the bike. Charging the battery off the bike tends to go faster unless the battery charge port is directly in or on the battery.
6. Long periods of time being completely charged or fully discharged is hard on the battery. The ideal state of charge for the extended periods of storage when you aren’t riding (i.e. Winter is about 50 to 60%). If you’re not riding for longer periods of time, it could help to plug the battery in once every month or so to keep the lithium-ion happy.
7. For safety, when you are charging your battery, plug the power cable of your charger into the wall outlet (110V) then, plug in the other part of the charger to your battery. Once your battery is charged, the status light of your charger will turn green. When you are finished charging, then you can unplug the charger from the battery, then the power outlet.
8. How long it takes to recharge your battery will vary depending on which bike, which battery (some bikes have more than one option), output of the charger, as well as how much battery life was available before charging started. Most bikes charge to full within 2-6 hours depending on those factors. To avoid leaving your battery at its fullest, it's recommended to unplug the charger when finished. An outlet timer becomes a handy, inexpensive tool to help with that.
9. During transport outside of your vehicle, the battery should always be taken off to avoid exposing it to weather that might affect it adversely.
Cleaning
10. Occasionally cleaning and lightly greasing the plug terminals will ensure a solid, clean connection.
11. To protect the electronic components, the rechargeable battery should not be cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner. Before cleaning, remove the battery. Being caught in inclement weather will not be an issue assuming you do not submerge important electronic parts such as the battery, motor, or controller.
Battery Life
12. Your battery has no memory so it can be briefly charged at any time regardless of its charging state. Interruptions of the charging process do not harm the battery. Complete discharge is not required and is harmful to the battery’s cells.
13. Your lithium-ion battery will age over time, even if you don’t use it.
14. A charge cycle is a full charging of the battery with a single charge or several partial charges. Most batteries are rated between 500-1,000 charge cycles before the cells will degrade more obviously, and your range will start decreasing. Please check with the manufacturer for the most up to date and correct information for your particular model.
15. The Battery Management System (BMS) protects the lithium-ion batteries from excessive temperatures, overcharging, and deep discharge. The BMS checks every cell, extending the life of the battery.
For further details on your particular bike, check your bike manual.