You want to be able to ride and enjoy your electric bike whether you’re taking a leisurely afternoon cruise in the park or challenging the automobile traffic on your morning commute. To do that, all of your electric bike’s systems must be working well.
One key component is your electric bike’s battery. You want to keep it in good shape, so here are five electric bike charging tips meant to help your ebike battery live a long life.
Tip No. 1: Charge a New Electric Bike Battery for 12 Hours
When you first get a new electric bike take the time to charge it’s battery completely for up to 12 hours. This long initial charge ensures current is flowing through all the cells and helps to condition the battery right out of the box.
Tip No. 2: Charge Your Ebike Battery Regularly
The lithium chemistry batteries used on EVELO electric bikes, and really most electric bikes, should last longer with regular use and, therefore, regular charging.
For the most part, you don’t need to let your electric bike battery discharge completely. Rather try to charge the battery when there is between 30 percent and 60 percent of the capacity remaining.
Some battery experts do, however, suggest an occasional full discharge, perhaps, once every 30 to 40 charges. But otherwise, use the 30-to-60 percent guideline.
In order to charge your electric bike battery regularly, you need to use it regularly, so let this be another encouragement to get out and ride.
Tip No. 3: Avoid Temperature Extremes
An electric bike battery feels the same way about the weather as most electric bike riders do. Moderate temperatures are better.
To prolong an electric bike battery, avoid temperature extremes both in usage and when you are charging the battery.
During a charging cycle, the battery should be in an environment that is warmer than freezing and not hotter than 110 degrees Fahrenheit at the extremes. But why go to extremes? It would be better still if the temperature was between about 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit during charging.
Tip No. 4: Don’t Overcharge an Electric Bike Battery
Don’t just leave your electric bike battery on the charger for long periods of time — think several days or more. When you do, you can create a situation wherein the battery will discharge leaving it at perhaps 95 percent of capacity. The charger then goes to work, topping off the battery. This cycle of minor discharges and topping off continues creating a series of poor charging cycles.
Instead, use a timer on your mobile device to remind you to take the battery off of the charger.
Tip No. 5: Don’t Store an Empty Battery
Sometimes you may need to store your electric bike battery. Perhaps, you’re about to take a trip. Maybe it is too cold outside to ride. Regardless, don’t store the battery empty, rather look for it to have about 40-to-70 percent of its full capacity.
Electric Bike Battery Resources
Here are a few additional electric bike batter resources you may want to read.
- The Complete Electric Bike Buyer’s Guide. This is the definitive resource about what makes an electric bike special and how to pick the one you want.
- How Do I Maximize The Life of My Electric Bike’s Battery? Watch as EVELO’s Bill Cummings describes how to extend ebike battery life.
- How to charge your devices the right way. This is a Popular Science article about charging lithium batteries generally. Much of the information will apply to your electric bike battery.
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