E-bike batteries: how to increase their lifespan

Your e-bike gets you from A to B quickly in the heat of summer and the cold of winter. It’s worth taking care of the battery to ensure that this remains the case: if you look after it properly, it’ll keep you on the road for longer. First things first, only charge the battery with the designated adaptor. This is because the charger and the battery management system built into the battery are perfectly aligned with each other. The system ensures that the battery does not overload during charging and that it switches itself off immediately if moisture gets in, for example.

Batteries’ service life is usually stated as a number of charge cycles – manufacturers talk of up to 1,000 cycles – which means you don’t always need to charge the battery fully. For example, if you only charge it to 60%, that equates to a charging cycle of only 0.6. In other words, short charging cycles don’t mean that you ‘use up’ the battery any more quickly.

E-bike batteries: in sub-zero temperatures, in heat and in rain

The best temperature for your e-bike’s battery is between 10 and 25 degrees. Extreme temperatures, conversely, reduce battery performance and service life unless you take the necessary precautions.

Here’s what you can do to improve battery life:

Clean your e-bike properly

You should clean the road salt off your e-bike at regular intervals in winter, and do the same with any dust in summer. A garden hose is all you need for this: make sure the water pressure is low, so you don’t damage any of your e-bike’s components. In other words, it’s not a good idea to use a high-pressure washer to clean your e-bike.

You’re best off removing the battery and other moving parts such as the display, if you can. Then, get rid of the bulk of the dirt with a brush and a little water, before using a special bike cleaner and a cloth to clean the entire bike. You can use other detergents, too, but only bike cleaners are guaranteed to be free from additives that will attack the surfaces or seals in the long term.

The best way to handle the battery is to gently clean it with a damp cloth. NB: the contact points must be completely dry when you re-insert the battery. You can clean the chain like you would on a bike without an electric drive – remove any old oil and dirt with chain cleaner and a brush, then apply new oil.

Optimise the performance of your e-bike’s battery

How far you can ride your e-bike until its battery runs out depends on many factors: the model of your e-bike, the age of the battery, the tyre pressure, the level of support selected, the terrain and the weather. Luggage also makes a difference. Most manufacturers specify a range of between 80 and 130 kilometres for a fully charged battery.

When riding, you can optimise the battery’s performance by not always choosing the highest level of support. For batteries and cars alike, getting going requires a comparatively large amount of energy. So, if you’re travelling long distances outside of cities and need to brake less because of the route, the battery will last longer. And if you’re cycling through the city and have to stop at junctions frequently, shift into a lower gear before braking – as you would on a bike without assistance. This makes getting going easier and requires less energy.

Storing your e-bike’s battery properly

Your e-bike’s battery will last longer if you store it correctly, with temperatures between 5 and 25 degrees best for the battery. If you want to extend its service life, it’s important to remember the following tips:

• Keep your e-bike battery in a dry place, protected from dust.

• Make sure you store the battery in a low-humidity environment.

• If you don’t ride your e-bike for several weeks or months, charge the battery to a maximum of 80%. Should the charge level drop to less than 20%, charge it up again.

• To be on the safe side, avoid storing flammable materials such as oil or gas near the battery.