Maximizing Your E-bike’s Battery: Tips to go a Long Way in Just One Charge

Batteries are one of the most critical components of an electric bike. They are the sole reason why you enjoy every bit of your e-bike’s riding experience. Notably, e-bike batteries are expensive and are diverse in production. Most users have complained of not getting the best of batteries; even with the popularity of lithium-ion batteries.

So, how do you maximize your electric bike’s battery? How do you make your e-bike go much farther with a single charge? All these are possible questions you might need an answer to as an e-bike owner. This article will explain to you several ways in which you can easily maximize the range of your e-bike battery.

How to maximize your battery range

First and foremost, before embarking on a long ride, make sure your battery is fully charged. Sometimes, you can easily forget to charge your battery after a tough day at work. Make charging your e-bike battery a priority. It saves you a lot of hassle on the road. Other tips that can help you maximize your e-bike battery range include

Pedal harder and smoothly too

Pedalling is necessary, but we still need to emphasize more on it. One of the best ways to sustain your e-bike battery is by pedalling hard and smooth when necessary. For instance, you may be required to run a few errands with little power left in your battery.

You could easily limit the assist-mode setting, reduce the throttle usage and pedal harder to compensate your battery. With that, you can get your e-bike home easily without draining the battery completely.

Another great tip is to pedal hard at the appropriate time. Accelerating right from a stop consumes a lot of energy, and that always affects the battery’s range. If you pedal hard while moving your e-bike off the line, it’ll help in prolonging your battery range. Also, climbing hilly places often requires a lot of energy. Therefore, pedalling a bit harder while ascending will help improve your ride range.

A smooth and proper pedalling technique will prolong your battery range. Choose the right gears and reel your feet as opposed to hitting hard on the pedals. Note, using a low gear during steep climb puts less load on the motor system and the battery. Also accelerating to top speed from zero puts a serious workload on the battery and therefore reduces your e-bike battery range.

Wind resistance is capable of draining your energy and also battery strength. To maximize your battery range, ride and pedal a bit slower. This will limit the effect of wind resistance on your e-bike battery. Now that you’ve understood the pedalling techniques, you should enhance your riding too. Flow-through different turns rather than hitting them hard. This helps you fight against wind resistance, improving your battery range.

Consider getting a backup charger and battery

If you have a lengthy commute to run errands or work, you may need to spin more range out of your battery than usual. To navigate such a scenario, you could easily get another charger at work to recharge your battery during the day.

If you have a ride route or long trip that you like to do often, you may consider getting a backup battery for added convenience. Additionally, some electric bike manufacturing companies offer an option to purchase a second battery to maximize your range. For better ideas, you can make an enquiry from your e-bike manufacturer or your local shop for more information.

Related article: How should I charge my e-bike?

Use tyres suitable for your commute

For electric bikes, rolling resistance is a vital factor in determining the range you will get from a single charge. This is because of the tyre width, tread pattern, pressure, and tyre compound. In choosing the best tyresthat suit your riding environment, it’s ideal to experiment with pressures to get an efficient balance.

Also, higher pressures will generate less resistance to rolling but may affect control of the bike. Notably, the introduction of solid and semi-solid tyres targeted at combating punctures makes riding experience easier. This can potentially improve the rolling resistance while increasing the battery’s range.

Additionally, the right tyre for your commute will make a huge difference in how much energy is needed for your commute. Low-pressure tyres can make your e-bike a bit slower. For major cities in Canada – such as Toronto, and Ontario, we will recommend a tyre pressure of 50-60 psi. Avoid over-inflating your tyres. It can easily lead to a rough and slow ride. You wouldn’t want that to hinder your morning commute.

Always carry out checks on your battery

Always take proper care of your battery. Adequate maintenance of batteries can easily improve the battery’s lifespan and also enhance the range. Electric bike batteries are better stored at room temperature. Batteries don’t do well with hot or cold temperatures.

Generally, it is better to charge your battery regularly to keep it in good shape. If you’ll not be riding your e-bike during the winter, store your battery at about 30% to 60% capacity. A fully charged battery is at risk of discharging faster.

Also, endeavour to recharge your battery every two (2) months if not in use. It helps to keep the battery safe and active. Avoid leaving your battery pack plugged for more than 24 hours.

Electric bike batteries should not be left in hot sunshine, nor stored above 30˚C temperatures. Rather, it is better to store your battery pack in a cool and dry place within the range 5˚C to 20˚C. They are like your smartphone battery. They need a lot of maintenance and proper care.

As electrical resistance increases, lower temperatures will reduce the battery range for a single charge. Apparently, there is little or nothing you can do about it. You can only maintain the battery by avoiding cold or hot temperatures.

If you have been using your e-bike battery for a while, it is most likely to deteriorate little by little. This means that it will not give you the same range anymore. That means your battery pack is old and it’s nearing the last phase of its charge cycle. We will recommend replacing your battery with a new one once the range gets too low. Our experts can help you with choosing a suitable battery for your e-bike.

Use the regenerating brake feature

There are some e-bike systems that come with a regenerative braking feature. This feature turns the motor system into a power generator to put a little charge in the battery during braking. Usually, this is activated by an installed sensor on the brake levers – mostly the rear brake lever.

Please take note that the total amount of charge generated during this process is still unknown. However, charges regenerated can vary with the braking period.

Use the right mode at the right moment

If you ride your electric bike around all day in turbo mode all day, you’re bound to exhaust all the power on the battery. You can be sure your battery isn’t going to last all day. If you’re going out for a few hours or more, then it is better to switch through the e-bike’s speed modes. This is better for maximum effectiveness and complete fun.

Although modes and naming vary by manufacturer or system, you can go through the user’s manual for more information. While riding on busy roads, faster sections of trail, and connections; use the mid and lower settings.

For rough route and climbs, hit the turbo. Also, some e-bike systems provide on-screen power supply readings, but sometimes, riders find it hard to keep track while tackling challenging terrain. Try to monitor your bike’s power settings as much as possible. This will help you manage your bike’s batteries.

Always ride with less weight

Machine and rider weight is perhaps the most critical factor affecting the e-bike battery range. While there are no instant fixes for your weight, reducing your backpack weight by removing unnecessary stuff will be helpful.

The significance is most notably during climbs. In this process, the motor system and the battery are working hard to drive you. This is unlike riding on flatter routes, where the motor system and batteries are only working to maintain rider speed. Either way, riders with less weight will always get more out of a single charge.

Ride a variety of terrain

Lots of hilly climbs and the rough single track will diminish your battery strength in fewer kilometres than flowing turns and gradients. As much as possible try to vary the kind of terrain you ride your e-bike on.

Do not jet wash the motor system or battery

Unlike other e-bike parts, you should not point a jet wash at an e-bike battery or motor. A little spray of water directed at your battery terminals will limit corrosion potential. This will disrupt your battery’s energy transfer systems, decreasing its functionality and ultimately, its range.

Always apply grease on your chain.

Applying grease on your electric bike chain will enhance your pedalling efficiency. Most especially if your e-bike has a motor system that kicks start through the bike’ cranks.

It will improve your e-bike motor system effectively too. After applying the grease on your e-bike chain, leave it for a few minutes before wiping off the excess with a clean rag. An efficient motor system consumes less power and therefore increases your bike range.

Related article: Tips for Electric Bike Beginner

How to take care of your Electric Bike Battery

To take care of your e-bike battery correctly, the first thing to do is to dismiss some myths that are prevalent. Nowadays, 80% of all manufactured electric bikes come with lithium-Ion batteries. You do not have to discharge modern lithium-ion batteries down to zero (0%) to keep them active and healthy.

Also, charging your battery always and leaving it fully charged is terrible. If a single charge is enough to take you down to work and back, avoid charging while at work. It is better to charge the battery on getting home when its power is at 10% to 20%. This will enhance the overall performance of the battery and also maximize the battery’s lifespan.

Avoid leaving the battery unused for a long period.

Batteries need to be put to use regularly. This enhances their ability to keep a charge. Keeping your e-bike battery idle for extended periods will reduce the battery effectiveness.

Also, avoid leaving your battery completely dead. The internal battery regulator needs a little juice to do its job correctly. Therefore, if the battery is totally drained, the regulator will not be able to work and might damage the battery.

Charging your battery correctly

While charging your e-bike battery, do not stay away from it for too long. Although original chargers often do a good job regulating surges, it’s ideal to always check on your battery while charging.
Avoid charging the battery with a fast charger when possible. Fast charging often shortens the battery lifespan.
As a good charging habit, always plug the battery pack into the charger first before connecting the charger to the mains. After charging, unplug the charger from the mains before disconnecting the battery pack from the charger.

Finally, ensure you charge your electric bike batteries before storing them. However, do not charge the battery to 100 percent. Charging the battery to 100 percent and leaving it unused will reduce the overall performance of the battery. It is ideal to keep it at about 60% to 80% charge. If you cannot set the voltage level, then go for a little ride after fully charging your batteries and you should be good.

Related article: Are e-Bikes really Economic?

Summary

All of these tips should help you maximize the range of your electric bike with less effort. Recall that electric bike batteries are expensive and replacing them can be challenging. So, it is better to maximize your e-bike’s battery lifespan the easy way and enjoy your riding experience. However, if you have the money and also want to enhance your electric bike battery range, you can easily get a backup battery. Our experts can help you buy the best battery for your e-bike. Contact us