Batteries of brand-new electric bikes are able to last from 2 to 5 years. The lifespan of electric bike batteries depends on three major factors:
- The sort and brand
- The frequency of charging since the first use
- The production date
Before a rider wants to repair or replace it, he could charge a battery for thousands of times. On a regular and standard electric bike, each charge can provide a range of up to 120km.
Here we are gonna show you various electric bike batteries and offer some pieces of advice for extending your batteries’ lifespan.
The Importance of Charge Cycles for an Ebike
The battery lifespan of an electric bike relies on the number of times it has been charged. When the battery capacity runs from 100% to 0%, that is what we call a cycle charge. Going through every cycle slowly degenerates the battery and decreases its lasting time before it needs to be charged again.
How Often Should You Charge Your Ebike?
Generally, your ebike should be charged whenever it reaches the 30-60% charging range. Some riders wrongly think that once they use the battery less and less, it could last for a much longer time.However, that way just does more harm to your batteries than good.
The batteries of your electric bikes and other battery-powered devices tend to discharge themselves even when they’re not working. This phenomenon is commonly regarded as self-discharging. Excessive and extra self-discharging can also render irreversible damage to your ebikes’ batteries, so you need to ensure the daily use of your batteries.
Sorts of Batteries of Electric Bikes
According to some statistics, the lifespan and performance of an electric bike battery relies much on the sorts of batteries. There are mainly three classes of batteries used for electric bikes:
1. Lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries are the most widely used batteries for electric bikes. They can survive upwards of 1000 charge cycles in a lifespan. Moreover, they have been proven to be more durable and safer to use than other kinds of batteries.
2. Nickel batteries
Nickel batteries have almost the same power as Lithium-ion batteries but are inclined to self-discharge at a faster rate. They can be charged for about 500 charge cycles before the performance gets worse.
3. Lead batteries
Lead batteries may be the oldest kind of battery applied to ebikes. If you purchase a brand-new ebike, its battery possibly won’t be a lead one. Lead batteries are limited to a charge-cycle threshold of just 300 charges and much heavier than their Lithium-ion counterparts.
Also you need to notice that your electric bike’s battery life is closely connected to the quality of its materials and the company which manufactured it.
The selection of Batteries
Even though you don’t take into consideration the battery kind you select for your electric bike, you still have to make sure that it has a 2-year manufacturer warranty. Sometimes batteries may be caught discharging much quicker than expected, so it’s better to be safe in case there is something wrong with your battery.
Lithium-ion batteries are the standard ones for most ebikes in the market today, but they could cost more than nickel and lead batteries. Being more sensitive to high or low temperatures than other types of batteries, they also must be cautiously maintained.
The Appropriate Timespan for Replacing Batteries
If you’ve used your battery for two years or longer and start noticing a decrease in battery capacity, your battery’s life is slowly coming to an end. A lack of power and even fluctuation in capacity both mean that it may be the time for you to replace your ebike’s battery.
Another sign implying your battery would not last long is that it needs to be recharged more frequently. If you are aware that you need to recharge your battery more often than in the past, you gotta pay more attention to that.
Ways to extend your batteries’ life
Your battery’s durability, like any other electrical devices, is directly connected to the amount of care you offer. Other factors like temperature and humidity can influence your battery’s life, so you need to make sure you don’t leave your ebike outside for long periods of time. Here are a few tips for lengthening your electric bike’s battery life:
- Use the charger that matches with your battery.
- If your battery seems like it is overheating, don’t charge it, instead, let it cool down first.
- Don’t run your battery down to 0%, instead, recharge it when it’s been used halfway.
- If you plan to go for a long period of time without using your ebike, make sure to take the battery out and turn the battery on once in a while to avoid excessive self-discharge.
- Avoid overcharging your ebike’s battery once it is at 100%. If you charge your battery overnight, make sure you unplug it once you wake up.
- Place the battery in a cool and dry place.
- When cleaning your electric bike’s battery, use a dry towel, not wet one.Water can lead to further corrosion of the battery, so don’t unintentionally shorten its life while you are maintaining it.
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