battery power down due to cold

[nobbyq]

hi, its hovering around 9-10 degrees here in jersey and i seem to be getting 6 miles wish less to a full charge , that or its the new shorty tyre on the back , anyone else getting less efficiency ?

 

[Utah Rider]

I ride all winter. I can get around 12-16 miles with a 500wh battery. (1500-2000 ft elevation gain)

 

[Simoto123]

Yep we've got 5 to 7' and I'm noticing reduced efficiency. I started wondering about one of the battery cover thingys. Frame finish will suffer I'm afraid. So that's out.
I am going to bring chargers in and start rides with cells at room temp. See if I notice any difference.

 

[nobbyq]

I ride all winter. I can get around 12-16 miles with a 500wh battery. (1500-2000 ft elevation gain)[/QUOTE

hmmm makes you wonder if having a bike in winter is worth it with that little mileage !

 

[Utah Rider]

I keep my bike inside my SUV so that when I get to a trail head my battery and motor are warm. I've noticed that the battery and motor will maintain warm temps for the duration of the ride if they start warm. I verified the after ride temp with the app and put a battery on my face after a ride and it is warm. Also, 12-16 miles is plenty long when it is cold out. Bar mitts are awesome.

 

[Lee67]

I ride all winter. I can get around 12-16 miles with a 500wh battery. (1500-2000 ft elevation gain)

Lol my giant does mega miles 70-90 on one 500w battery with height gain of 3000-6000 ft ... i really like the levo looks but range is so offputting

 

[Utah Rider]

I forgot, I carry a spare battery in the winter for emergencies. There is no way you can pedal that Levo through snow without battery assistance. Been there many times. Also, the two hour range is plenty far when you are in the mountains since the ride back down has increased wind . In other words, you don't generate much body heat going downhill so there are limitations to time spent in the cold whilst on an a bicycle. Unless you are some kind of mountain man, ha.

 

[PsiLoCybia]

I ride all winter. I can get around 12-16 miles with a 500wh battery. (1500-2000 ft elevation gain)

That seems very low, do you ride in turbo constantly with lots of stop starts?

I rode 19 miles last week with 1000ft using just 48% battery. This morning I rode 11 miles (only 500ft elevation though) using just 26% battery. I appreciate elevation puts more strain on the motor, but still seems very low range.

 

[nobbyq]

Lol my giant does mega miles 70-90 on one 500w battery with height gain of 3000-6000 ft ... i really like the levo looks but range is so offputting

that i don't believe unless ur in eco mode with 10% assistance

 

[Utah Rider]

Lol my giant does mega miles 70-90 on one 500w battery with height gain of 3000-6000 ft ... i really like the levo looks but range is so offputting

I kinda doubt that the Giant could push snow for 70-90 miles on one battery in below freezing temps. Even on flat land. I gave real world results of a 200 lb rider with tons of extra gear for going into the back country and "not" using the lowest power setting. I also use studded tires. Cheers

 

[Lee67]

that i don't believe unless ur in eco mode with 10% assistance

Eco on factory setting of 100 w... i never use other modes if you’d like to follow me on one of my epic rides i can show you anytime lol ... just to show how good the Giant range is ive done 50 mile peaks rides and still had 40% battery left where others have used 2 batteries ... both my Giant emtbs are similar with my hardtail giving slightly more range

 

[Lee67]

I kinda doubt that the Giant could push snow for 70-90 miles on one battery in below freezing temps. Even on flat land. I gave real world results of a 200 lb rider with tons of extra gear for going into the back country and "not" using the lowest power setting. I also use studded tires. Cheers

Ah but you didn’t mention snow! I ride in - 0c reg in winter with snow but obviously not on 90 milers

 

[Mikerb]

Circa 7° here today ....battery use same as usual. Not sure why elevation should make a big difference....if you up....you usually come back down and without pedaling! Most people agree the average range for a Levo with a 500 w/h battery....all off road...is about 30 to 35 miles. I do not believe any 500w/h battery with 75 to 90 nm motor can do 70 miles. Maybe 70kms at a push (literally!)

 

[Lee67]

Circa 7° here today ....battery use same as usual. Not sure why elevation should make a big difference....if you up....you usually come back down and without pedaling! Most people agree the average range for a Levo with a 500 w/h battery....all off road...is about 30 to 35 miles. I do not believe any 500w/h battery with 75 to 90 nm motor can do 70 miles. Maybe 70kms at a push (literally!)

You spez lads need to dump ur levos and but Giant’s!

 

[nobbyq]

You spez lads need to dump ur levos and but Giant’s!

u can't get 30to 35 miles on a levo unless ur in eco most of the time , but imo ur then defeating the object of ebiking

 

[Legendary-dave]

Same for me too ....I’m very new to emtb ...but since August I’ve been averaging 20 % in eco with some bursts of trail and turbo but now it’s colder I’m using double that on a ride ...and yes I’ve still got it wrapped up in cotton wool ?

 

[Mikerb]

u can't get 30to 35 miles on a levo unless ur in eco most of the time , but imo ur then defeating the object of ebiking

Speaking from experience?? I have done several rides of around 25/26 miles and each time I have had 20 to 25% battery left...….rides like over the Brecons ( 2000ft) and The Gap and Cut Gate in the Peak District plus local group rides. So I am talking from real experience. each ride uses a mix of Eco and Trail with very occasional Turbo. My riding buddy on the same bike is 15kg lighter than me and typically uses 10 to 15% less battery. So yes 30 miles is definitely within range and 35 on easier rides. I always charge my battery at room temperature in the winter and after a full charge leave it overnight before using it. I typically travel 15 miles with the bike in my van to local forests so in the winter both bike and battery are reasonably warm.

 

[nobbyq]

Speaking from experience?? I have done several rides of around 25/26 miles and each time I have had 20 to 25% battery left...….rides like over the Brecons ( 2000ft) and The Gap and Cut Gate in the Peak District plus local group rides. So I am talking from real experience. each ride uses a mix of Eco and Trail with very occasional Turbo. My riding buddy on the same bike is 15kg lighter than me and typically uses 10 to 15% less battery. So yes 30 miles is definitely within range and 35 on easier rides. I always charge my battery at room temperature in the winter and after a full charge leave it overnight before using it. I typically travel 15 miles with the bike in my van to local forests so in the winter both bike and battery are reasonably warm.

yes speaking from experience

 

[Jamy]

My new Cube SL625 is showing a range of 90 miles in eco. This is the new gen 4 motor and a 625w/hr battery tho. Plus it's giving me the info from riding roads not off road

 

[apac]

There are so many variables on the above range statements that there is no way to even remotely compare them. Pointless.

But i am in agreement with the opening post... Cold weather massively effects lithium battery performance. Just ask Elon Musk, he puts pre warming cell curcuits into his leccy cars just because of this reason.

 

[wepn]

Just ask Elon Musk, he puts pre warming cell curcuits into his leccy cars just because of this reason.

There's also a much less practical application - Ludicrous+ mode for even more extreme launches at the drag strip - if that's your thing. Jowl flapping fun until one of your passengers does a launch of their own.

 

[Jamy]

There are so many variables on the above range statements that there is no way to even remotely compare them. Pointless.

But i am in agreement with the opening post... Cold weather massively effects lithium battery performance. Just ask Elon Musk, he puts pre warming cell curcuits into his leccy cars just because of this reason.

True but i have no reason to doubt what the kiox display is telling me. My commute to work is a 8 mile round trip 5 days a week which equals 40 miles. My battery is on 63% after 1 week. my weight is 95kg probably nearer to 100kg with my snap and work gear. I can't say whether the weather is effecting the range as I havent owned the bike in temperatures above 10c

 

[Utah Rider]

I may have misunderstood the topic. When I saw the word "cold" I just assumed that we were talking about genuine winter riding, not short commutes to work over long periods of time. I also have an older Levo so if you are on a new Levo then my advice isn't really applicable. So the examples of battery life that I gave were for continuous burns ie: continuous voltage draw. Say it is 10F/-8C, you are on frozen ice/snow, tire pressures are between 8-12 psi for traction, you definitely are not wearing spandex but have enough gear that you do not die in the back country, and you are heading up a mountain trail. The battery is in constant output and the motor is under constant load. The Levo is going to get you around two hours. You could set the power level ultra low but then that is going to add an extra hour or two to the same ride. For me two hours is plenty in those conditions. I have found that bar mitts are the winter ebikers best friend. The added speed that the ebike brings increases wind which requires more protection.

So I've noticed that several people are posting how much battery life their app tells them they have left after a ride is over. Those number aren't really accurate on a continuous burn. Once you hit four power bars in frozen situations the battery life drops off very fast. That is why I carry an extra battery during winter riding. During the summer you can get some good miles on a low battery but when you are pushing snow it just isn't going to happen. Keep in mind that my advice is not for the newer Levos with the 700wh batteries and newer motors. I have two 17' Levos, two 460wh and one 504wh batteries. The difference between the 504wh and the 460wh is significant so I can't even imagine the range of the 700wh. Again, my opinion was for an older Levo and I am satisfied with the range. For me, 2 hrs on frozen ice is around the limits of my ability to stay warm so I am good with that. Happy riding.