Do's and Don'ts for e-bike battery care. What do you do to keep your battery performing at its best?

[RiderOnTheStorm]

To squeeze more useful cycles out of my battery, I've been fine tuning my charging routine based on all your helpful tips and inputs thanks!

So here goes,

SUGGESTED E-BIKE BATTERY CHARGING BEST PRACTICES​

1. Charge to 80% before most rides, or charge to 100% just before a long ride. After charging, wait 1 hour for battery to cool down before riding.

2. ---

   Ride. Then after the ride, allow 1 hour for battery to cool down before charging again. Repeat to #1. However, if not riding for a couple of days or going to storage, jump to #3.

3. ---

   If not riding for a few days or if battery is going to storage for 1+ weeks, charge only to 50%. In storage, verify/top off the charge level every 3 months. When exiting storage, jump to #1

4. ---

   Every 5 to 10 charges, charge to 100% and ride until the battery is discharged to 20% (over one or multiple rides). Required for BMS cell balancing. Jump to #1 or jump to #3

5. ---

   Never fully discharge the battery below 10%
   

   ---

6. Never charge the battery at temperatures below 0°C (32°F) or above 35°C (95°F). Charge or store the battery at room temperature 15-20° C (60-70°F).

7. ---

   Never overcharge the battery. Always unplug the charger from the power source after the desired battery charge level is reached.
8. Never use a defective charger or a charger that was not specifically designed for the battery.

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[Above best practices updated per forum member feedback, thanks y'all ]

WHAT'S ALSO NEW IN THIS THREAD?​

Suggested e-bike battery care and troubleshooting tips​

Disclaimer: Always reach out to your nearest bike dealer or battery manufacturer for professional expertise and assistance with using your battery, troubleshooting or resolving battery-related issues. Don't rely on contents posted on social media and public forums for professional advice. In other words, take everything you read or watch on social media with a grain of salt!

 

[Alexbn921]

Charge to 100 at least once every 5 charges and there is no benefits in going under 20%.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

@Alexbn921 Awesome! yeah, cell balancing every 5 charges makes more sense than following a timetable. I'll edit my post...

 

[jimbob]

Personally, I'm not sure only charging to 80% after most rides will make a significant difference. My spare batteries which I keep in storage I do that, but the main one I just charge to 100% each time.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Took another stab at a simplified battery charging routine and updated my previous post per your feedback. Appreciate y'all's input

Check out the latest version here:
Suggested e-bike battery charging best practices

To make it easier to quickly monitor the battery charge via the battery led display (Bosch 5 leds), I used multiples of 20 e.g:

20% charge showing as 1 bar on the Bosch display
40% -> 2 bars
60% -> 3 bars
80% -> 4 bars
100% -> 5 bars
Less than 10% -> 0 bar

 

[Gamer73]

I have currently two e-bikes. One is a trek trail 5 (e-mtb) and the other one an old HT powefly. The powerful is strictly used for work commuting and other close to home bike trips to the store of other activities.

The powefly I don’t do anything to preserve battery conditions. I use it year round in heat, rain and snow and ice. It’s resting overnight in my non heated garage. During winter it can sometimes be frezzizng temps in there.

Everyday I plug it in the charger and leave it unthil I use it again.

I have been doing this for hmm 4-5 years. I can’t say that I have noticed any degeneration of the battery.

The trek rail I generally take better care about. Mainly because it’s my gun bike and also because it’s the best looking lol. It’s ofc also double the value.
But I only do one thing to conserve the battery. I will take the whole battery inside around November time and leave it in my house unthil may when I might start to use it again.

In general, I have never really taken extra care of anything I have owned. Sometimes I fiddle with some things and go an extra length and effort, but it’s mostly because I might enjoy doing it on rare occasions and it’s never because I actually want to maintain things.

My life philosophy is that all things bought for money are ment to be spent unthil they fall apart and get destroyed. And then I will feel a certain pleasure knowing I have used it up and it’s dead, while I am still alive. I kinda like to outlast things. It’s a funny feeling but one that I enjoy

I try not to deliberately destroy things, and I might take measures to make sure it’s not happening prematurely, but the life of a battery is something I can honestly say I don’t care too much about. Old things are ment to die, and if they don’t…. Put it to the torch!

I still remember the feeling I had as a kid back in the late 70s when my father and grandmother emptied the attic of my grandmothers countryside cabin. My father tossed everything in a pile down in the garden. Old madrasses, 50 year old magazines and newspapers, old clothes, cartwheel tires, ancient candied food, old and broken wooden furnitures etc. Then he put it to the torch! Flames rising up to at least 10 meters, black and white smoke. It was a sight for the century I wanted to grill some sausages on that bonfire, but my father told me that would not be a good idea. Now I know why lol. On occasions my father and I still talk about that summer evening when we talk about and remembering my grandmother.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

@Gamer73 Welcome to the forum!

Great story! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Hamina]

What is your experience and recommendations for taking care of your lithium-ion batteries and maximize their lifespan and performance?

Don't read any topics related to emtb battery usage as the whole bike will be end of it's lifecycle before the battery is useless.

 

[Bones]

Just use your bike and stop being a slave to the battery. Faulty cells happen and you can't do anything about that. Unless you are charging or using at stupid extreme temperatures then the battery will outlast the bike by a long way. My old batteries are about 6/7 years old and working well on my 2nd bike.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Unless you are charging or using at stupid extreme temperatures then the battery will outlast the bike by a long way.

Making a good point here about not doing anything stupid that would prematurely degrade or damage the battery.

For me I'd rather learn from others what not to do when it comes to battery care, rather than learning it the hard way!

 

[Bones]

Well my Bosch batteries stay in the garage all year. If it's really freezing then I might bring them in for charging, or if I have a long ride planned then they benefit a bit being warm. But they soon get cold and milage drops . I have managed to fit the 500s into the 650 frame mounting so the old 500s get a fair bit of use and are going strong. 50 mile the other week out of one with 3% left. Also this idea of only using then down to a certain level is just going to give you range problems before you start and I'm pretty sure when it reaches that level that you are not going to walk the rest of the way. The battery electronics stop it from being over discharged and just because the display says 5% I bet the battery has more in order to protect itself. I do only fully charge them fully for a ride but that could be a couple of days before I need them.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

@Bones, sounds like you have a good system in place! Thanks for sharing your experience on the topic

Yep for BMS balancing (range calibration) it's important to full charge (to 100%) and then discharge (to 20%) the battery from time to time, starting when the battery is new.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Was just reading this latest BBC News article about e-bike batteries and how they should be better regulated due to fire hazard.... Not sure what to make of this?

The NFCC published guidelines for e-bike riders to properly (safely) charge and store their batteries. A good read in my opinion. A few highlights:

• Do not charge your battery while you're sleeping or away from home.
• Do not overcharge your battery. Respect the manufacturer's recommended charge times.
• Always unplug your charger after it has finished charging.
• Plug the cable into a wall socket rather than an extension cord.
• Do not cover charger or battery with anything while charging.
• Always use the manufacturer-approved charger for the battery.
• Ensure you have working smoke alarms in your home and in the room where you charge your bike/battery.

[Added information source]

https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/NFCC%20Guidance%20publications/Prevention/NFCC_Guidance_E-bikes_and_Scooters_.pdf

 

[jimbob]

All seem pretty sensible and obvious to me, with the exception of not using an extension cable. With the currents ebike chargers pull I really can't see it being much of an additional risk.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

All seem pretty sensible and obvious to me, with the exception of not using an extension cable.

Was wondering about this too. I went back and checked the NFCC guidance material which reads:

• Do not overload socket outlets or use inappropriate extension leads (use un-coiled extensions and ensure the lead is suitably rated for what you are plugging in to it).

Which I think makes more sense.

 

[Bones]

Well that's me fecked up then as I'm using two chargers on my extension lead this weekend. Thankfully not at my house

 

[Gamer73]

Same advice they tell us about mobile phones. But 99% of all ppl charge their phones on their nightstand when they sleep. As do I.

I also leave the charging plugged in at all times so that it’s ready when I want to use the bike again. This is mostly for my e-bike commuter, since it’s used most weekdays.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

@Bones Good extension power strips are generally rated for 16A (230V) so plugging in 2 chargers that draw 4A each for example may be just fine.

If you're not sure, it wouldn't hurt to verify the max Amps ratings of your setup and home eletrical installation and obviously not exceeding it.

 

[Alexbn921]

It's a 42v 4 amp output.
At 115v it's less than 2 amps even after factoring in loses.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Interested in good battery care for safety reasons, I came across the guidance sheet below from the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association). A quick read with some useful tips in my opinion .

Do you have any tips or feedback about battery safety when it comes to charging, use, storage, disposal, etc?

Anything you do, or NOT do, to keep your eMTB running safely as far as the battery and other electrical parts are concerned?

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

From what I've been reading, catastrophic e-bike battery fires have generally been associated with faulty charging equipment, improper charging practices, and overloaded electrical circuits.

This tells me that the risk of battery fires could be significantly reduced (and hopefully avoided ) with the use of a proper charger and by following basic charging rules.

 

[randycpu]

From what I've been reading, catastrophic e-bike battery fires have generally been associated with faulty charging equipment, improper charging practices, and overloaded electrical circuits.

This tells me that the risk of battery fires could be significantly reduced (and hopefully avoided ) with the use of a proper charger and by following basic charging rules.

I think that most fires are associated with using recycled cells and other bad building practices (see "hover boards"). I doubt that any modern commercial ebike batteries catch fire.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

You bring up an interesting point about bad battery building practices being a fire hazard. I could certainly understand that. In which proportion though?

When we hear the NFPA or NFCC, they seem to emphasize causes like improper and unsafe charging, use of faulty aftermarket chargers, etc, but don't say much about poor quality components in batteries or building malpractice. It's not clear to me.

 

[randycpu]

You bring up an interesting point about bad battery building practices being a fire hazard. I could certainly understand that. In which proportion though?

When we hear the NFPA or NFCC, they seem to emphasize causes like improper and unsafe charging, use of faulty aftermarket chargers, etc, but don't say much about poor quality components in batteries or building malpractice. It's not clear to me.

There was a time when new, quality cells were difficult to obtain and expensive. Many people recycled cells from retired battery packs (think laptops and scooters) to make upscaled packs. Some of those upscaled packs went into bikes.
Upcycled cells are never well-matched. Even if you magically find 40 or 52 cells that are the same brand and model, their histories are never matched because they came from different packs used in different usage profiles.
Making packs using unmatched cells is somewhat dangerous. Many of the assumptions we use related to parallel and serial electrical connections assume similar cell electrical behavior. In many ways, the entire pack is limited by the behavior of a few "bad" cells. Overloading and stressing these cells can cause them to overheat and break down.
Then there were the really bad-quality Chinese cells made while they worked out their process and quality control. Many of those became counterfeit name-brand cells to fill the same void created by the shortages mentioned above.
Lastly, generally bad building practices created a wealth of opportunities for electrical shorts. These include using counterfeit nickel strip, poor spot welding, and generally bad electrical insulation.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

@randycpu, thanks for elaborating.

Digging more into this, the Fire Protection Research Foundation (affiliated to the NFPA) seem to indicate that while accidents are generally rare, the battery remains a potential fire hazard if not treated with care.

They gave a number of reasons including:

• Manufacturing defects, design flaws, battery made with low quality components.
• Improper use, like placing a battery near a heat source or leaving it in intense sunlight for an extended period of time, leading to the battery overheating.
• Penetrating a battery in a way that causes a short circuit, like an accident with high impact causing damage to the battery.
• Using chargers that are not appropriate for the battery.

This is somewhat reassuring. Risk of fires should then be very low if using quality batteries, proper chargers, and following guidance for good battery care.

 

[randycpu]

Yeah, I forgot the obvious "damage to the cells" problem. Any Lithium Ion cell that has its casing compromised is a potential bomb that needs to be treated with caution and care. Put it outside. Do not use it.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Yep, definitely want to replace a battery that was physically damaged or has overheated, and safely dispose of it.

I also heard that If the battery or e-bike was involved in a flooding situation, the battery should be considered as permanently damaged and should never be charged again to avoid fires.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Concerned about riding in rainy weather this fall, I was wondering about water ingress on my ebike battery (and motor) and how to best protect them from water damage

I found out that the IP (Ingress Protection) rating of the Bosch Powertube batteries as defined by the IEC is IP 54.

Meaning that the battery's ingress protection is :

(5) Dust protected
(4) Protected against splashing water from any direction against the enclosure

Would an IP54 rating be sufficient for riding under intense, heavy rain, which would be more than just water splashes!

Should the battery and electrical connectors be protected with some kind of waterproof cover to prevent water ingress damaging the bike? What's your experience?

 

[jimbob]

Should be absolutely fine. If an integrated battery it shouldn't ever see splashes as protected by the bike frame.

There also aren't any moving parts on the battery which is generally the challenge when sealing items. Even if there was water ingress to the inside of the battery, I would expect the electrics to be conformaly coated (lacquer over the eletrics) which would waterproof the parts susceptible to damage.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback! Over 170+ posts in this thread, and so many different views and experiences on e-bike battery care!

Some of you are willing to put extra care and caution into handling your ebike batteries, some do the bare minimum, and some do absolutely nothing about it.

Besides the unavoidable safety rules, it feels like tangible benefits/outcome from good battery care (to maximize lifespan and usable capacity, to minimize cost of ownership) seem to be rather difficult to quantify.

Some questions remain

-How significantly can you extend the lifespan of a battery when it's well taken care of?

-What difference does good battery care make for "lifetime" riders looking to keep their ebikes for a very long period of time? I'm still riding a 25-year old Trek SL 8000 that I plan to keep.

-How much can you save on battery replacement cost with proper battery care?