Choosing the Best eBike Battery
As more and more people begin to become more eco-friendly and do their part to tackle climate change before it’s too late, we’ve seen a sharp increase in the amount of people ditching the cars, motorcycles, and public transport, and instead turning to cycling, or rather, e-biking.
eBikes are a fantastic option for people who want all of the benefits of cycling, with a little assistance along the way for times when the route is too steep, or challenging. Not only are eBikes good for the environment, they’re also a great way to get fit and healthy. To get the most from them, though, you need to know how to maintain them.
eBikes typically run on a lithium eBike battery, yet not every battery is created equal. Choose the wrong battery, or fail to maintain the battery correctly, and not only will your eBike not function as well as it should, but it will also cost you more when you inevitably have to replace the battery.
To help you select the best lithium eBike battery, the following guide should prove very useful.
What are eBikes?
Don’t worry, we’ll look at the various eBike battery options available for you a little later on. First, though, let’s take a look at exactly what eBikes are.
An eBike, also known as an ‘Electric Bicycle’ is exactly that – a bicycle which runs on electricity thanks to a battery.
The bike features an integrated electric motor which is there to assist the rider when pedalling. You can use the bike manually, just like a regular bike, or you can enable the electric motor, which will of course make things much easier. That’s all well and good, but how does the motor get its power? Well, that’s where the lithium eBike battery enters the fold.
The motor is charged from a rechargeable battery mounted upon the bike itself. It is however, important to understand the difference between an eBike and an electric motorcycle. To fall into the eBike category, the electric motor must assist the rider, rather than propel the rider. You still need to pedal to get the assistance, whereas an electric motorcycle would propel you by itself.
The amount of power that the motor delivers is based upon the pace in which you pedal, along with how much assistance you have selected. You can set the motor to assist you a little bit, or for challenging sections of your ride, I.E a steep hill, you can set it to receive a lot of assistance.
The great thing about eBikes is the fact that they generally have a number of different settings and modes available, so you can set the bike to give you just the right amount of assistance. In order to keep your bike functional and efficient however, you must look after the battery, and choose the correct type of battery.
What is the Best Type of eBike Battery?
One of the most common questions that people ask when shopping around for a new eBike, is whether a lithium e bike battery is the best, and if not, what is?
When deciding between a lithium e Bike battery, and the countless other types of battery out there, such as a lead acid battery for example, there are so many different variables that you must take into consideration.
In order to decide what the best eBike battery is, you must first understand how these batteries work. Contrary to popular belief, eBikes don’t run on fairy dust or magic, though it would be awesome if they did. No, the reality is that the battery packs are made up of a number of different cells, just like those you put into your TV remote, or those you find in your phone.
When it comes to choosing the right battery, it’s important to understand that a battery is only as efficient as its weakest cell. This is why, if a TV remote takes 4 x AA batteries, if 3 of those AA battery cells are brand-new, but 1 of them is old and out of charge, the TV remote won’t work until you replace the old battery cell with a new one.
You certainly have plenty of choice when deciding upon an eBike battery, but typically you will find that lithium eBike battery products such as lithium ion, or lithium iron phosphate LiFePO4 are the most popular and the most efficient. (Concerned about lithium battery safety? Learn more about here.)
You should also ensure you buy the battery from a trusted manufacturer such as MANLY Battery, and that you don’t scrimp and cut corners when it comes to spending.
eBike Battery Range
Before you decide which eBike battery is best for your two-wheeled delight, it’s also worth knowing what sort of range your battery will provide.
The truth of the matter is that the range your battery pack provides will depend upon how much energy is inside it in the first place. Just to make things even more confusing, the range you will get per charge can vary from 20 miles per charge, up to as much as 100 miles per charge.
Things such as the ambient temperature, the weight of the rider, the terrain, the quality of the battery, and indeed, the amount of pedalling the rider does will also determine the range. The more pedalling you do for example, the longer the battery will last because you’re using less power. The colder it is, the quicker the battery will discharge. All of these variables, and many more besides, can play a huge role in determining just how much range your eBike battery will give you.
How to Maintain Your Lithium e Bike Battery
Now that we understand more about eBike batteries and how they work, it’s time to look at things you can do to look after and maintain your eBike battery.
These batteries need looking after and caring for like any other device, and the more you look after them, the longer they will last.
Here are some general tips on looking after and caring for your lithium eBike battery.
Avoid high temperatures
When people talk about temperatures and batteries, usually it is cold weather that people focus on. While it is true that cold weather and low temperatures are very bad for batteries (more on that shortly) high temperatures can also take their toll.
Lithium ion cells are generally very reliable but they don’t like temperatures that are too warm. Temps above 105 F are considered to be too hot for lithium ion batteries. Don’t store the bike, or batteries, anywhere where they will be exposed to these temperatures.
Obviously if you live somewhere where you get these kinds of temperatures in the summer, we know that’ll be tricky, but do your best to keep the battery cool. Not only will extremely high temps affect the battery itself, they could also pose a fire risk.
Avoid very cold temperatures
As mentioned, cold weather can also wreak havoc on your eBike’s battery, just like warm weather.
Very cold temperatures can affect how quickly your battery recharges, and can also cause it to lose its charge much quicker than usual. In colder temperatures, it isn’t uncommon for eBike batteries to lose as much as 30% of their range.
The main reason why they lose their range is because of the cell electrolytes experiencing more resistance.
When storing your eBike, try to store it indoors or under cover somewhere, I.E a shed or garage, and consider covering the bike, or the battery at least, with a neoprene sleeve to help insulate it and keep it warm when not in use.
Try not to charge to 100% too frequently
When your lithium e bike battery is low after a particularly long ride, it can be tempting to get it on charge straight away, and to leave it to reach 100% charge.
While having the battery fully charged at 100% may sound good, if you keep charging it in this manner all you are doing is making the battery less efficient and reducing its lifespan.
Unless you know you are definitely going to need a full battery, try to get into the habit of charging your battery to around 85%. This will prolong its lifespan and help make it more efficient.
Avoid letting your battery drain completely
Just like charging to 100% too often can reduce the effectiveness of your battery, so too can letting the battery drain completely flat too often.
If you let your battery completely discharge too often, this will stress the battery and reduce its lifespan and effectiveness.
try to keep your battery’s charge at its sweet spot, which is between 25% and 85% charged. Don’t freak out if the battery goes completely flat now and then, but just try not to let it die too often.
Operate the bike smartly
How you use your eBike is entirely down to you. With that said however, there are ways of operating the bike that will prolong the life of the battery, and there are ways of draining the battery quicker.
If you use the bike in ‘boost’ mode too often, this obviously puts more strain on the battery and will drain it quicker. Most eBikes feature an eco-mode, so try to use that as frequently as you can, if you wish to prolong the life of the battery.
Buy from reputable manufacturers
Finally, if you want to ensure that your lithium e bike battery is as effective and efficient as possible, make sure to buy the battery from a reputable manufacturer such as MANLY Battery.
MANLY Battery are one of the world’s leading suppliers of lithium batteries, and their track record speaks for itself. With a wealth of happy customers and years of experience behind them, it’s easy to see why they’re considered one of the best in the business.
