Hoping ebikes soon begin moving toward Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries as they will last much longer over time, and can be charged fully to 100% without nearly as much degradation. Their energy density is also improving each year from manufacturers so they will work great for ebike applications. LFP batteries are also much safer from runaway fires and best of all, are less expensive as well. Everyone should push towards LFP batteries if looking for the longest life over time.
My very first ebike was a Prodeco Phantom X2 (36 V 500 W with a 13 A battery ) which uses a LifePO battery and that was in 2013. I gave that ebike to my nephew for his commute to school and it still runs to this day. I don't know why manufacturers haven't mass adopted this type of battery since it is more stable and more reliable than traditional Lithium batteries.
@@hellraizer44 differrence is still too big. lifepo4 with same capacity is almost 2x heavier and bigger. It might be good for some robust commuter but not expensive ebikes with good performance that most people want.
I use a Tapo smart socket & control it through Alexa. I connect the charger & tell Alexa to turn of in what ever time I think it needs to charge to around 80%
While this is very informative, as a bicycle courier I don't have much choice but to use 100% of my battery every single day. I'll keep this information in mind for the future, though.
40-60% is not worth it, cuz you dont gain that much comparing to 20-80% for example. You can buy big battery and use 10-90%. That also helps A LOT. Mine battery is 12 years old already, commuting to work, shopping etc everyday even in winter and still 75% capacity left. I try to not charge and discharge fully and thats all.
The lithium battery on my ioniq hybrid will prefer to cycle itself back and forth between about 1/3 to 2/3. Interesting. I've noticed it will switch to about 65-75% for highway driving. Sounds like a well thought out system.
Wow, that's pretty slick! Sounds like the engineers really put thought into the performance/life of the electrical system. Now I want to dig into the details of their system!
Thanks, great info. I've heard that batteries should be charged to 100% every now and then so that the BMS can balance the cells? true or false. If you're outside the US. 0° F = -17° C 32° F = 0° C 70° F = 21° C 80° F = 26° C 120° F = 48° C
I’ve heard the same thing about topping off, I only briefly mentioned it in the video because I’ve not personally seen the research on it. But I have heard it is recommended. I tend to top off only as needed. When I know I’m going on longer rides, or will be off roading and want the max power output for big climbs etc. I think it naturally evens out that way, but I am not certain how important it is.
Hi, thx for informative video . Pls share 1. Research/ study you refer to 2. Does charging type , low /high (fast) charging current have affect in life. 3. Does this also apply to 4 wheeler battery tech!
All things you can google yourself. 1 The studies are plentiful; it's accepted knowledge by now. 2 Yes fast charging puts more strain on the chemical side of the battery, so for any device, the fast type of charging will degrade the battery faster than the normal/slow charging speed. Does it warrant only slow charging? No, but it also doesn't warrant fast charging all the time. Just use either when it's most suitable for the need (IF you're serious about saving the battery). 3 Yup the ebike batteries use the same tech (18650's and 21700's) and as long as they get improved or better alternatives are developed, most EV tech will benefit. But not if you meant RC 4 wheelers. They generally use LIPO's which are more dangerous but can have a higher discharge rate than 18650's.
Aren’t some batteries designed that 100% on the meter is really 75%, and 0% on the meter is really 25%, to allow the simplest use/charging cycles? Unless it’s deemed that the extra weight for the unused capacity is not a good trade-off for most situations.
The problem I have is that it’s a drag to pull the Aventon Level 1 battery out. So it sits in a Phoenix garage and is used daily 10 miles a day on average. How do I know when I’ve got it at 75%. I usually just charge it every other day.
I feel you. I wish charges came with a voltage meter. Would make things easier to track. For me, I just figured out from my daily rides that when I get home at night, I’m sitting between 20 and 30 percent at times 40 which is fine to sit there overnight and when I wake up early in the morning I plug it in to charge. Most days, by time I hit the road it isn’t fully charged but is sitting around 80 percent. I didn’t plan it, it just kind of happened over time.
@@VoltVlog Hell why didn’t I think of that. Don’t have to fire it up until 10 am, and I am up by 5 to 7. I’ll charge it in the morning and not all the way.
Ive had my level 1 for three yrs now. Love it. I’m usually out recreationally 2x a week and put on approx 15 miles per ride. I don’t charge it after the first ride but after my second ride, approx 30 miles total I’ll then pull the battery and give it a full charge which is usually bout 4 1/2-5 hours. This has been working quite nicely for me and the bike runs really great.. I estimate I should get 40-43 miles on a full charge. Riding rail to trail paths Im usually running power level 2, 7th and 8th gears. 👍
I charge my bike battery to 100% every time I charge it! But i bring it down to 20 to 30% before doing so. Do you see anything wrong with that? This is what i was told to prolong the battery life.
So if your ebike can go 100 miles on a charge and the battery can get 800 full cycles which would equal 80,000 miles why are you worried about getting more partial cycles? there is no way the ebike motor is gonna last more than 10,000 to 15,000 miles and you are changing tires about every 1,000 to 2,000 miles anyway unless you get motorcycle like tires. I think the most important thing is to store the battery between 20-70 percent charge and in an air conditioned building and just once a month charging it to 70 percent when not using regularly. If I had an ebike and was going more than just down the road I'm charging to 100 percent. Also the only way you are getting a 100 miles out of a normal sized battery is PAS at 15 mph. My distance driving would be 20-60 miles at 25-40 mph. If trying to have a real commuter ebike you need 2kw to 3kw battery. 20 ah isn't gonna get you very far. Well at least not at any real speed.
I’ve heard people do this with smaller batteries like laptop batteries. They take great care to ensure they will stay dry. But I can’t get over the concern with moisture. Moisture working its way into one of these batteries would almost certainly result in a fire. At the very least, it would be disastrous for the battery. Plus, I just don’t think it’s necessary or worth that risk…even if it’s a small risk. Unless you are storing it for years, I don’t know that it would really make a real world difference?
Regarding usage...or running 50% between 25% capacity and 75% capacity...easier said than done without a shunt/readout in place. I agree with your points but it's just hard to manage with a bike display as lithium has such a flat discharge cycle. One of my bikes has a voltage readout (so I can guestimate with a discharge chart) ...the two others do not, so I'm stuck with the little battery display.
Agreed, it is a challenge to know what charge percentage the battery is actually sitting at. I’ve not found a good way. I’ve just settled on guesstimating, and knowing I’m going to only be in the ball park based on percentage and miles traveled.
I am trying too stay awake remember I am old as dirt seriously dirt I do understand you my brain 🧠 is not broken it’s just slow. I use the bike to maintain blood 🩸 flow in my legs and heart ❤️ sort of like a very ,very, very old truck 🛻 that sometimes halls horse poop 💩 for my garden 🪴. Now I am sleeping 😴.
I am trying too stay awake remember I am old as dirt seriously dirt I do understand you my brain 🧠 is not broken it’s just slow. I use the bike to maintain blood 🩸 flow in my legs and heart ❤️ sort of like a very ,very, very old truck 🛻 that sometimes halls horse poop 💩 for my garden 🪴. I am at 1300 miles on my Ebike new set of tires new controller I have two batteries two motors and yes I am old and I ride as fast as I can when I ride it’s like having the Zumiez when I ride got to get the blood 🩸 flowing and then I rest smoke 💨 a cigar and then walk my dog 🐕 with my Ebike it’s a lot slower my dog 🐕 loves walking with the Ebike 7 to 8 miles per hour for about 1 1/2 mile gets the zumiez out of him and all of the poop 💩 and pee 😂😂😂.
If you're a Nissan Leaf owner, don't hate me! It was a joke. :-) Sorry!
A joke, but a good point, actually.
So don't discharge or fully charge the battery? Just trying to simplify things. Also will it hurt it to take it to ii ts limits once in a while?
Hoping ebikes soon begin moving toward Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries as they will last much longer over time, and can be charged fully to 100% without nearly as much degradation. Their energy density is also improving each year from manufacturers so they will work great for ebike applications. LFP batteries are also much safer from runaway fires and best of all, are less expensive as well. Everyone should push towards LFP batteries if looking for the longest life over time.
My very first ebike was a Prodeco Phantom X2 (36 V 500 W with a 13 A battery ) which uses a LifePO battery and that was in 2013. I gave that ebike to my nephew for his commute to school and it still runs to this day. I don't know why manufacturers haven't mass adopted this type of battery since it is more stable and more reliable than traditional Lithium batteries.
@@hellraizer44 differrence is still too big. lifepo4 with same capacity is almost 2x heavier and bigger. It might be good for some robust commuter but not expensive ebikes with good performance that most people want.
I use a Tapo smart socket & control it through Alexa. I connect the charger & tell Alexa to turn of in what ever time I think it needs to charge to around 80%
While this is very informative, as a bicycle courier I don't have much choice but to use 100% of my battery every single day. I'll keep this information in mind for the future, though.
40-60% is not worth it, cuz you dont gain that much comparing to 20-80% for example. You can buy big battery and use 10-90%. That also helps A LOT. Mine battery is 12 years old already, commuting to work, shopping etc everyday even in winter and still 75% capacity left. I try to not charge and discharge fully and thats all.
Very helpful, thank you! I just got an Addmotor etrike and was looking for ways to get the most out of my battery. This info is gold ... Thanks!
Great video much appreciated
Just got a ebike thanks for the video will definitely help.
The lithium battery on my ioniq hybrid will prefer to cycle itself back and forth between about 1/3 to 2/3. Interesting. I've noticed it will switch to about 65-75% for highway driving. Sounds like a well thought out system.
Wow, that's pretty slick! Sounds like the engineers really put thought into the performance/life of the electrical system. Now I want to dig into the details of their system!
Keep those draining and charging cycles and rest times consistent!
Thanks, great info. I've heard that batteries should be charged to 100% every now and then so that the BMS can balance the cells? true or false.
If you're outside the US.
0° F = -17° C
32° F = 0° C
70° F = 21° C
80° F = 26° C
120° F = 48° C
I’ve heard the same thing about topping off, I only briefly mentioned it in the video because I’ve not personally seen the research on it. But I have heard it is recommended. I tend to top off only as needed. When I know I’m going on longer rides, or will be off roading and want the max power output for big climbs etc. I think it naturally evens out that way, but I am not certain how important it is.
If you have a 36V battery, using a charger going up to 41.5V instead of 42V will increase by about 50% the lifetime of your battery.
Good info. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
This is the nerdy shit I like to know about, thanks
if i just use 50 % .. how often should i top them up for balancing??
Hi, thx for informative video . Pls share 1. Research/ study you refer to 2. Does charging type , low /high (fast) charging current have affect in life. 3. Does this also apply to 4 wheeler battery tech!
All things you can google yourself. 1 The studies are plentiful; it's accepted knowledge by now. 2 Yes fast charging puts more strain on the chemical side of the battery, so for any device, the fast type of charging will degrade the battery faster than the normal/slow charging speed. Does it warrant only slow charging? No, but it also doesn't warrant fast charging all the time. Just use either when it's most suitable for the need (IF you're serious about saving the battery). 3 Yup the ebike batteries use the same tech (18650's and 21700's) and as long as they get improved or better alternatives are developed, most EV tech will benefit. But not if you meant RC 4 wheelers. They generally use LIPO's which are more dangerous but can have a higher discharge rate than 18650's.
And here I am working on a LiFePO4 ebike battery.
Aren’t some batteries designed that 100% on the meter is really 75%, and 0% on the meter is really 25%, to allow the simplest use/charging cycles? Unless it’s deemed that the extra weight for the unused capacity is not a good trade-off for most situations.
The problem I have is that it’s a drag to pull the Aventon Level 1 battery out. So it sits in a Phoenix garage and is used daily 10 miles a day on average. How do I know when I’ve got it at 75%. I usually just charge it every other day.
I feel you. I wish charges came with a voltage meter. Would make things easier to track. For me, I just figured out from my daily rides that when I get home at night, I’m sitting between 20 and 30 percent at times 40 which is fine to sit there overnight and when I wake up early in the morning I plug it in to charge. Most days, by time I hit the road it isn’t fully charged but is sitting around 80 percent. I didn’t plan it, it just kind of happened over time.
@@VoltVlog Hell why didn’t I think of that. Don’t have to fire it up until 10 am, and I am up by 5 to 7. I’ll charge it in the morning and not all the way.
Yup, same for me. Some mornings it gets a bit more juice because I woke up earlier.
Ive had my level 1 for three yrs now. Love it. I’m usually out recreationally 2x a week and put on approx 15 miles per ride. I don’t charge it after the first ride but after my second ride, approx 30 miles total I’ll then pull the battery and give it a full charge which is usually bout 4 1/2-5 hours. This has been working quite nicely for me and the bike runs really great.. I estimate I should get 40-43 miles on a full charge. Riding rail to trail paths Im usually running power level 2, 7th and 8th gears. 👍
25%-75% equals more life cycles
More miles.
I charge my bike battery to 100% every time I charge it! But i bring it down to 20 to 30% before doing so. Do you see anything wrong with that? This is what i was told to prolong the battery life.
Watch the video. He explains best practices.
@@Sam_splatter I did, can't figure EXACTLY what he's saying! Therefor the question to HIM!!
@@ibbob31 ok you didn’t listen. He said it’s best not to charge to 100% every time. Charge to 75 or 80% most of the time. Drain to 25 or 30%.
@@Sam_splatter Like I said, question was for HIM!!
@@ibbob31 glad I could help!
So if your ebike can go 100 miles on a charge and the battery can get 800 full cycles which would equal 80,000 miles why are you worried about getting more partial cycles? there is no way the ebike motor is gonna last more than 10,000 to 15,000 miles and you are changing tires about every 1,000 to 2,000 miles anyway unless you get motorcycle like tires. I think the most important thing is to store the battery between 20-70 percent charge and in an air conditioned building and just once a month charging it to 70 percent when not using regularly. If I had an ebike and was going more than just down the road I'm charging to 100 percent. Also the only way you are getting a 100 miles out of a normal sized battery is PAS at 15 mph. My distance driving would be 20-60 miles at 25-40 mph. If trying to have a real commuter ebike you need 2kw to 3kw battery. 20 ah isn't gonna get you very far. Well at least not at any real speed.
Should I keep my battery in a fridge ?
I’ve heard people do this with smaller batteries like laptop batteries. They take great care to ensure they will stay dry. But I can’t get over the concern with moisture. Moisture working its way into one of these batteries would almost certainly result in a fire. At the very least, it would be disastrous for the battery. Plus, I just don’t think it’s necessary or worth that risk…even if it’s a small risk. Unless you are storing it for years, I don’t know that it would really make a real world difference?
Regarding usage...or running 50% between 25% capacity and 75% capacity...easier said than done without a shunt/readout in place. I agree with your points but it's just hard to manage with a bike display as lithium has such a flat discharge cycle. One of my bikes has a voltage readout (so I can guestimate with a discharge chart) ...the two others do not, so I'm stuck with the little battery display.
Agreed, it is a challenge to know what charge percentage the battery is actually sitting at. I’ve not found a good way. I’ve just settled on guesstimating, and knowing I’m going to only be in the ball park based on percentage and miles traveled.
I am trying too stay awake remember I am old as dirt seriously dirt I do understand you my brain 🧠 is not broken it’s just slow. I use the bike to maintain blood 🩸 flow in my legs and heart ❤️ sort of like a very ,very, very old truck 🛻 that sometimes halls horse poop 💩 for my garden 🪴. Now I am sleeping 😴.
Without saying what 0% is all this os pointless. I.e. is 0% the controller switch off voltage or 0 volts at the battery?
I am trying too stay awake remember I am old as dirt seriously dirt I do understand you my brain 🧠 is not broken it’s just slow. I use the bike to maintain blood 🩸 flow in my legs and heart ❤️ sort of like a very ,very, very old truck 🛻 that sometimes halls horse poop 💩 for my garden 🪴. I am at 1300 miles on my Ebike new set of tires new controller I have two batteries two motors and yes I am old and I ride as fast as I can when I ride it’s like having the Zumiez when I ride got to get the blood 🩸 flowing and then I rest smoke 💨 a cigar and then walk my dog 🐕 with my Ebike it’s a lot slower my dog 🐕 loves walking with the Ebike 7 to 8 miles per hour for about 1 1/2 mile gets the zumiez out of him and all of the poop 💩 and pee 😂😂😂.
Never bring, store, or charge the battery in a house.
Where do you get your information. The numbers don't make sense.