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Tips and Tricks to Take Care and Prolong Your E-Bike's Battery Life

Team AckoJan 17, 2024

The new generation of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is maintenance-free, primarily because they have fewer moving parts. An EV's two most expensive components are the electric motor and the batteries.

With batteries playing a crucial role in EVs, it is important to take of them for a longer life and to get the maximum riding range. In this article, we will go through how to take care of and get the most from your e-bike battery.

Contents

Tips on How to Take Care and Get the Most from Your E-Bike Battery
Takeaway
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Tips on How to Take Care and Get the Most from Your E-Bike Battery

Most EV batteries today are Lithium-ion batteries. Before we get into e-bike battery health and maintenance, it is crucial to consider the battery life. As a battery goes through the charging cycles, it will discharge over time. Hence, it is vital to understand how to maintain the e-bike battery to increase its performance and life.

Here are a few tips you can follow to the extent of your e-bike or any EV's battery.

1. Avoid Discharging Your Battery Down to Zero

A Lithium-ion battery life is measured in terms of charging cycles. One charging cycle is the period of use from a 100% state of charge down to 0% and back to 100% again. Most Lithium-ion batteries used in EVs have a life of around 300 to 500 charge cycles.

Deep discharging or draining your battery down to zero can drastically reduce the lithium-ion battery's life. These batteries thrive when on partial discharge cycles. It is recommended never to let the battery's State of Charge(SOC) drop below 20% to extend the life of your e-bike's battery.

2. Avoid Charging Your Battery Up To 100% All the Time

Conventional thinking will tell you to keep your e-bike's battery at 100%. Lithium-ion batteries last the longest when their SOC is between 20% and 80%.

Avoid charging your battery up unless you need to travel far and squeeze out every bit of range from your battery. If your everyday commutes can be achieved by starting with 80% SOC and you can get back home without the SOC dropping below 20%, avoid charging your battery to 100%.

Some manufacturers will allow you to set the upper limit while charging your e-bike. If you have that option, capping your daily charging cycles at 80% can extend your e-bike's battery life.

3. Minimise Your E-Bike's Exposure to The Extremes of Elements

Lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive when it comes to temperature. Extremes on either end of the temperature spectrum can have a significant effect on your e-bike's battery's life and performance.

If you live in a region where it is hot, try to park your vehicle in a garage or the shade, especially while charging the EV. If you live in an area where temperatures plummet, try to park your e-bike inside a closed garage.

The optimal range for Lithium-ion batteries is 15 - 35 degrees centigrade. Prolonged exposure to temperates outside this range can increase the rate of degradation of your e-bike's lithium battery.

4. Never Let a Lithium Ion Battery Sit at 100% or 0% SOC for Prolonged Periods

Leaving your e-bike's battery at 0% or 100% SOC for prolonged periods can be more detrimental to your battery than regular partial discharge cycles.

If you plan on not using your vehicle for a prolonged period, do not put it in storage with a 0% charge. Instead, charge your battery to 80% and then put it into storage.

Lithium-ion batteries can hold their charge for a relatively long duration of time.

5. Avoid Fast Charging Unless Required

Support for fast charging and quick charging times is something manufacturers use as a marketing gimmick to entice customers. While this feature can be helpful in specific scenarios, regular fast charging can wreak havoc on your batteries.

Most Lithium-ion batteries are designed for Level 2 charging, i.e. charging via a 220v wall socket. Level 3 or DC fast charging pushes very high amounts of current into the batteries, which can result in micro-damage to the batteries. Over a prolonged period, this can dramatically affect the battery's capacity.

Fast charging also causes a lot of heat to build up in Lithium-ion batteries, reducing the battery life.

6. Improve Your Riding/Driving Style

It is common knowledge that in traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, rapid acceleration and deceleration result in a drop in the vehicle's overall mileage. The same holds for e-bikes or EVs in general as well. Rapid acceleration will draw large amounts of charge from the batteries and affect the expensive battery's overall range and life. Smooth linear acceleration can go a long way in maintaining the battery's overall health.

Takeaway

As EVs become popular, owners will have to consider the maintenance of their batteries. If followed religiously, these tips on taking care of and getting the most from your e-bike battery will extend the e-bike's battery life.

Proper battery maintenance is necessary to prolong the life of your EV's battery. An appropriate insurance plan will also go a long way in doing the same for your finances by offering coverage for damages to your e-bike and third-party liabilities. ACKO has some excellent motor vehicle insurance plans to help you save money.

Also Read: Best Battery Chargers for Bikes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the answers to some common questions about e-bike batteries.

What are the primary factors that can affect an EV battery's life?

Overcharging, deep discharges and exposure to extreme temperatures can drastically affect battery life.

What are the major factors that affect an EV's range?

The capacity of the battery pack and your riding/style are the two factors that can affect an EV's driving range.

What is the most common type of battery used in an e-bike or EV in general?

Today, most e-bikes and EVs use Lithium-ion batteries.

Why does cold weather affect EV batteries?

While cooler climates work wonders for traditional ICE engines, EV batteries depend on chemical reactions to generate power. As we know, the colder it gets, the slower the chemical reaction, which is why it gets affected.

Does driving fast affect an EVs range?

Yes, the faster you go, the more drag a vehicle experiences, and the more drag a vehicle experiences, the more power is required or consumed to sustain those higher speeds. This is why EV manufacturers pay extra attention while designing EVs to make them as aerodynamic as possible.

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Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on several secondary sources on the internet and is subject to changes. Please consult an expert before making any related decisions.