E-Bike Battery Care

Care tips for e-bike batteries

Lithium batteries are excellent devices for storing large amounts of energy and, if looked after properly, will last a very long time. These tips will help you care for your battery and avoid expensive replacements.

 

1. Keep your lithium battery charged

Lithium batteries are generally best kept fully charged, even after journeys of just a few miles. Regularly completely discharging a lithium battery will significantly reduce its ability to hold a charge, diminishing its capacity. If you do "flatten" your battery, fully re-charge it as soon as possible.

 

2. Keep your electric bike battery clean and dry

There is little danger of getting the battery wet, and ours have been designed to cope with riding in showers. After a ride in the wet, you should dry any connections to avoid oxidation and corrosion, which would weaken the ability of the battery to power the bike. Check the contacts every few months and clean if necessary. You could use emery cloth if there is any corrosion.

 

3. Keep your lithium batteries cool

The lithium powder inside the battery cells decreases its electrical resistance as it warms up, resulting in your battery discharging more quickly in warmer conditions and will need charging more often.

You should notice that your bike will travel less far on cold days, and this is due to this same property of lithium powder - its resistance increases with colder conditions meaning that you will travel further on warmer days.

A lithium battery is best stored in cold conditions where it will remain fully charged for longer. While keeping batteries in cool conditions is good, always remember to warm the battery to room temperature before charging, as doing so from frozen can damage the battery.

 

4. Plan for long-term storage of your electric bike

If you know you will not be using your battery for a few months, then it is wise to take some extra precautions: The rate at which a lithium battery self-discharges (goes flat) is highest when fully charged and lowest when almost flat. So over a long time, your battery will lose capacity less by being partially discharged.

A compromise that reduces the loss of capacity over time yet still preserves the battery is to store it at about 80% charge.

It's best to store the battery in the coldest convenient place you can find and then give short charges every 4-6 weeks. Again, DO NOT let your battery run flat and sit for months without charge.

 

5. Never open an electric bicycle battery

Under no circumstances should you open your e-bike's battery to examine and repair the contents. Opening a lithium battery would be very dangerous!

Lithium powder is highly flammable and will combust in contact with oxygen explosively!

If you suspect your battery is faulty or has lost its capacity, you will have to return it for testing and possible repair.

 

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