E-Bikes are a great way of transportation, they are fun and very enjoyable. They come with a motor which helps you achieve such rides and is powered by a battery. In most cases, it is a lithium-ion one and to let you enjoy the rides, whether it’s a morning commute or your evening leisure time, the battery should be in good shape. Just like any other gadget e-bikes also requires some special care to actually prolong its battery life.
There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to charing your e-bike and there are a lot of things you can do to get the most out of your battery, improve its performance and let it live a long life. So if you are looking to buy a new E-bike or already have one and wondering the right way to charge it then you are in the right place.
Here are a few things you are going to learn in this article:-
● How you charge your battery effectively.
● When to charge your battery
● Some tips which will help you in the long run to prolong your battery life.
● And answer some of the common questions.
When to charge the Electric Bike?
How to know when the bike is out of power? A majority of the e-bikes out there has a battery indicator feature either built-in digital display or comes as LED indicators on the batteries itself. The modern one has the screen fitted on the handlebar of your electric bike. It is far better than the LED ones because it gives you the exact idea of how battery you have left either in a graphical or number format. The screen also gives you additional information such as speed.
On the other hand, some bikes have LED indicators on the batteries which are not that accurate but still better than not having any kind of indicators. To look at these indicators you have to get out of the bike which is sometimes annoying.
You won’t be able to enjoy the ride when your battery is itself not charged. You can charge the Electric bike when it’s low on battery and ran out of power. You can check the amount of charge left by looking at the indicator and also charge it before the ride which ensures you have enough battery to complete the ride.
How to Charge the battery
The proper method to charge your e-bike will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. In most of the cases, the electric bike will come with a battery pack which contains the batteries inside. The best budget electric bike come with removable batteries so you can remove them whenever you want and charge them wherever you would like to. The battery has its own place and you simply cannot place it anywhere on the bike.
There is a special place made for the battery and the point where the battery connects to the electric motor also has a small socket so you can charge it.
You can directly charge the battery while it is fitted on the electric bike by connecting one end of the charger to the socket on the bike and another end to a wall outlet with sufficient power output. The other way is to remove the battery from its place then turn it off and then connect it to the charger and the power outlet. This comes handy when the power outlet is away from the range and you can’t get the electric bike in.
How to know if the battery is charging?
Most e-bikes out there will have a digital display to show that the battery is charging when it is connected to the bike. When the battery is not connected to the bike, there will be a LED indicator in Red color showing that the battery is charging and when the charging is done and the battery is full, the LED will turn Green.
Make sure to always use the correct charger provided along with the bike. If you somehow lost the original charger then don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer for a replacement. Most of the battery already features safety features to prevent it from over-voltage and over-current. This is everything you want to know how to charge your e-bike.
How long does the Charging Takes?
There are various conditions which can affect the charging time of an e-bike battery. The most important of them is the size and capacity of the battery. Another thing is the type of charger you are using. The bigger the battery capacity is, the longer it is going to take to fully charge. Usually, an electric bike battery takes around 2.5 to 7 hours to fully charge. You can check the charging time given on the product manual guide or on the box in which the battery comes in.
You can also determine how much distance you can cover according to the charging time. Let’s say your electric bike can cover a range of 30 Miles in a single charge and the charging time is 2 Hours. Then your battery is charging at a rate of 15 Miles per Hour. Just like that, if the e-bike takes a solid 4 hours to charge and can go up to a distance of 80 Miles on a single charge then your e-bike is charging at the rate of 20 Miles per Hour.
So, with this, you can easily calculate the charging rate your e-bike and estimate how many hours you have to charge it to cover your desired distance.
Will the Electric Bike Charge Itself While Pedaling?
Some e-bikes come with a feature that charges the battery of your e-bike while you are riding it. The feature is called Regenerative Braking or Regen Brakes which recharges the battery when you apply the brake. This braking system can help you extend the range by somewhat between 1% to 10% depending upon how often do you stop.
Some tips to Prolong your battery Life
If your e-bike doesn’t feature it then you don’t need to worry about because the extra battery and extra distance it lets you cover is not a lot and this feature can also increase the cost of your e-bike by $200 or more. So, you are welcome to skip this feature and instead buy a separate battery and carry it along with you.
Some tips to Prolong your battery Life.
Keeping your battery healthy is not rocket science. You just have to follow some habits and blend them in your lifestyle and it will automatically help you increase the life of your electric bike battery.
What is it? Let’s check out.
Charge a new battery for at least 10 Hours.
Just like every other electronic gadget which comes with a battery is said to be fully charged before the first use. The same case is here with the electric bike too. Even if the battery still has some charge left once you get your new electric bike, charge the battery to the fullest or at least 10 to 12 hours before the first use.
Why?
The first and long initial charge make sure that the current is flowing through each and every cell inside the battery and helps improve the battery condition right off the bat.
Avoid Overheating.
The e-bike battery sometimes comes with a cover which wraps around the battery. This closed enclosure can sometimes create a little amount of heat and may also cause the battery to overheat. Some battery comes with the auto cool feature but it is still better to take care of it.
To extend the battery life avoid keeping the battery in an extreme temperature whether you are using the battery or charging it. Always avoid charging the battery outside in the scorching heat. the optimal temperature is around 15 to 25 Degree Celsius and the extreme temperature can be 45 Degree Celsius. It is better to not go extreme.
Don’t Overcharge and Don’t Store Empty Batteries.
Although batteries come with an inbuilt feature which prevents overcharge still you should not leave the battery plugged in for a long period of time. Charging time of 12 hours is more than enough and once it’s over then just disconnected your charger, don’t let it plugged in for several days. What happens here is once the battery is charged to 100%, the charger disconnects then the battery will drain itself in the standby mode to let’s say 95% then again, the charger will start charging it to 100% and again it will discharge.
So, this charge-discharge cycle keeps ongoing and can affect the battery health. To keep track you can use an alarm or timer on your mobile phone.
Also, don’t discharge the battery completely every time. You can completely discharge it occasionally but keeping the battery above 30% is always recommended. When the electric bike is not in use and you are not going to charge it for several days then don’t store the battery discharged. You can top up the charge for at least 50% and you are good to go.
