Hey, don't take it personally, but I doubt that guy's an expert on batteries. He contradicts himself and confusez voltage for amperage, says that Lithium batteries (Ebike batteries) perform better when they're cold), when nearly all types of batteries perform worse when they're cold.
I think he means with cold that they don’t heat up when in charge. Batteries should not get hot. So I guess he means same temperature as room with cold. Lol
Thanks for all the great reviews! With the rate of change in the electronic world these days, for how long would you think current batteries will stay compatible, or even available? That is, if my battery dies in five years, will I be able to find a compatible one, or will I risk having to look for some retrofit kit?
Battery repacking . I’ve been thinking about this for a long time . It’s a hidden problem with batteries now with all different shapes. Most people using battery assist as well as their own power probably will never get to the end of their battery cycle life. However , I am disabled with a weak leg ,so I use a throttle and pedal with one leg a lot of the time or throttle only . I’ve already gone through one battery and went to buy a new one from the company . They say , of course, that they will always make the parts for their bikes , but if the battery is an odd shape from a smaller company , I don’t believe them ! Anyway , a new battery from my company was 1000$ ..ouch! . Luckily, I was able to find a very knowledgeable guy who repacks batteries into just about any shape case . He used to work for a brand name company and seemed trustworthy and skillful…with a great idea for a small business . He repacked my battery with proper Samsung cells, tested it many times , and charged me $550. Still a lot of money but a significant savings . Obviously , the warranty is an issue. I was well past the 1 year bike warranty , hence I had to buy a battery. He could only offer a 2 month warranty , so with the price difference ,it’s a risk I’m was willing to pay. I had that bike for another 2 years with no problem . Then , as my disability worsened , I required more torque for hills. So I upgraded. So most people do not know that batteries have a limited number of cycles , but I’m guessing for most owners it doesn’t matter . However , if I’m buying a second hand bike , I’d like to know . I wonder if there is a way of finding out , like there is with later model iPhones . I’m guessing it should be on the phone apps that many bikes have now. Anybody know?
This battery thing is maddening. The amount of contradictory statements about how to charge and maintain a lithium ion battery is astounding and every so called professional is equally adamant about their theory on maintaining these batteries . The following is a list of what you should and should not do. Heat will degrade your battery Cold will degrade your battery You should store your battery for extended periods by having it charged to 40% of capacity or 45 to 60 % or 75 and 90 % and 😳 Leave your battery on trickle charge. Don't leave your battery on trickle Run your battery to 10% charge and then re charge it Charge your battery every time you are done riding and on and on and on. WTF.
I agree, you would think that if there were a specific way to increase longevity everyone would agree. Only thing I don't do is just leave it on the charger indefinitely or let it sit at 100% for several days. That's including my car.
My tips is don't charge a 36v battery for regular use to more than 85% and don't discharge to less than 20% - never charge your battery below freezing and apply the throttle gently for the first few min if it is freezing to melt any crystals that may have formed - store battery at 40% and once every 3 months or 50 charges take it up to full voltage to let the BMS bleed balance the cells
Thanks Court - This guy knows some facts about lithium batteries but repeatedly overlooks a very important aspect of extending battery life - DO NOT recharge your battery fully after a ride like he says unless you will use it again very soon. Charge it to 80% capacity. When fully charged it begins deteriorating at an accelerated rate if not used, especially in warm weather. The best lithium chargers all feature a selective 80% or 90% charge cycle to get your pack near but not fully charged. You get maximum life when you only top off your charge shortly before use or use it with a 90% charge consistently. This increases the total number of charge cycles your battery can take before failing. I bought my charger and some good batteries from LunaCycle, their site sells full featured chargers. This video also neglected to remind viewers that the charge rate measured in amps is critical for lithium batteries, a lower charge rate is always better for extending life of the pack. My charger has a variable output from 1 to 5 amps, I use three amps for my 17.5 AH batteries. Only a fairly large 20 AH+ lithium battery will take a 5 amp charge rate without damage that reduces the total number of charge cycles it will provide before failure. In summary, don't recharge your ebike battery when you get home unless it was fully discharged, and ideally you should stop the charge cycle before topped off unless you will ride the bike again the next day. This is even more important in warm temperatures. This applies to lithium, not lead acid batteries which do best when fully recharged immediately.
i will remember that the next day bit but i do get on me bike least once a week i better start timing a full charge and pulling the plug 1/2 hour early but on some rides i will nearly flatten the batteries on long rides .never done it with 22 amps connected to the bike
Popeye Gordon So thank you for the information. I use me e-bike 6-7 days a week,and ride very close to 10 miles at a time.I have been doing this for about a year now. My battery is never completely drained when I get home. Once I get home I have just been plugging it in overnight. Then ride it the next day. So far it seems to be working pretty well. Should I make any changes?
Marks, I did the same thing for 8 years, 10 miles each way. First with lead acid batteries. When I got my EZee bike with lithium pack I finally started having joy and no longer wondered if the heavier bike was even worth it. In my opinion you don't have issues with your daily use, this is more about letting fully charged batteries sit long.
I think with smart chargers, you can charge after every ride. Regular chargers will overcharge the battery and kill your battery quicker. Check ebikes.ca and their Satiator battery charger for a much more detailed explanation
I have lithium batteries for my e-mower and during off season, they are fully charged and the charge indicators keep them in a 'fully charged state'. They never decrease. I hope this is an accurate reading??
Interestingly, where battery reliability and longevity really matters - like the DJI drone up high in the sky, they have intelligent (smart) batteries that bleed the voltage down to 50% after 1 week!
Also if you live in cold or inter-mountain areas charging a frozen Lithium Ion battery or charging below freezing will permanently damage your battery. So bring your battery to room temperature before charging.
I’ve had a byocycle city for 3 years,charge my battery even if I go around the block! It is still as good as new! Why? Because sometimes when you go out it’s reassuring to know it’s full and won’t conk out in the middle of nowhere!
You don't get it. The damage happens when you put it away fully charged. You do it right by only charging before riding. Even a 10% discharge will greatly reduce the rate of storage damage.
Popeye Gordon . After 5years of fully charging my silverfish battery after every use, even going to the shops it’s still showing full and no damage at all!
Great advice thanks much liked and shared .... *PLEASE HELP* Ok so my bike still has enough power so my bike will drive .... (Which means my battery is still ok right ?) But it is low .... And my battery chargers lights red and green light are both on solid when I'm trying to charge but it's not charging ...... Any advice on what's going on ? My fuse is also fine as far as not blown... So in the case your battery is still good but so low the bms is not powering up to charge what do you do ?
My garage is extremely hot in the summer. I always remove my battery when returning from a ride and bring it in the house. I only charge the battery the night before a ride.
I use this practice, anytime i use my bike i charge the battery, the problem is this can take 3 to 4 hours, so if i go for a morning ride i am screwed till latter in the day. I am looking at going to grin Tech. here in Vancouver to get a spare batt for my rose ave bike, and maybe their cool charger too.
From comments here it sounds like time for a video just on batteries. My question would be about interchangeability. Are any of them designed so the batteries are common in size and plugs, etc. and be used beyond manufacturers?
I charge my battery to full after each ride, but I read where it is important that if the battery is hot, because of using a the high assist level or just the throttle, then it should be allowed to cool down before charging. That rarely happens to me, since I pedal a lot, but it has heated up quite a bit during days in the 90s, and then I allow it to cool inside before charging. Gee, I've never been concerned with storing it in cooler temperatures, as long as they are above freezing. I may have to rethink that. But yeah, I' always have poorer range in below freezing temperatures. The best performance for me is in temps between 50 and 75F.
I connect a timer ⏲ to my ebike charger 🔌 every 30 minutes it charges the battery 🔋 15% for example if the battery is at a 75% charge I set the timer on a one hour of charge and that will charge the battery to about 90%. You should not charge your battery to 100 % even though the electronics should stop 🛑 it, but the bike is in my house 🏡 so I am unwilling to take the risk of over heating the battery because of faulty electronics. I always wait one hour after riding my ebike to allow the battery’s to cool before recharging them. This is not a Tesla that has a cooling system the battery’s need to cool down before charging. The system is not perfect and the tech is still evolving so be careful having great power requires great responsibility.
Uh oh! I got an e-bike about 3.5 years ago when I started having problems with chronic fatigue syndrome. I rode it once or twice, but the last three years I became too sick to ride, and it’s been stashed under the house unused. I just dug the battery out of storage, but the bike is in a difficult spot to get to! Have I done irreplaceable damage by leaving it for 3 years uncharged? How will I check?
I did plug it in after getting the battery out of storage, and the light was red (charging). When I looked 1-2 hours later it was already green (not charging). Can’t say exactly how much time it was charging for.
Hey Court just bought a Raleigh Retroglide electric bike and the manual says in bold print to always connect the charger cord to the battery first, then plug the other end into the electrical outlet. Is this standard practice???
@@Krytern We too have had this Raleigh since last June, and we've always plugged the charger into the battery, and then plugging the charger into the household 110 outlet. But just in the past month of UA-cam watching all all saying to plug charger to wall outlet first, then plug it in to the battery. What's the truth?
@@kippywylie Plug it into the battery first, always. I forgot most places outlet is 110, my house outlets are 240v so we notice it more. Plug into the wall last, always, or ask yourself why your countries wall outlets don't have switches on them and change yours so they do.
@@Krytern Thank You. That's how I have always charged for many years, but just over the past 2 weeks I've seen many UA-cam videos claiming that plugging into the battery last is best. I also have a $4000US Li Ion e-surfboard battery where I connect to the wall outlet last.
@@kippywylie All of our plugs have a fuse in them and in most plugs it is easy to replace. Plugging it into the wall last and having the surge/spark happen there and blowing that fuse is better than it blowing the battery. I've no idea where this recent "plug into the battery last" has come from.
Charge battery only to 80% and only when you need long range charge 100%. Don t discharge less than 20% when possibile.So keep battery between 20-80% charge. Dont charge it when cold, less than aprox 10degrees C , and keep battery away from heat.
What about those that live in cold climates where you won't be using the electric bike for 5 months over the winter... they used to recommend a trickle charger (Battery Tender) on a motorcycle battery over the winter...would that help on a bicycle battery or the supplied charger be good enough??? Thanks for all your great videos!!
I’m needing some advice,I’ve got a 1000w 36 v scooter and I want to make it so I can charge the batteries while they are not plugged into the scooter( storage has no power and I can’t carry the scooter up to my flat) do I need to connect the control box or can I just make a wire with the necessary plugs at each end) thanks in advance of a reply
To people that dont know how electric bikes perform , here is a little info . They do not perform like other battery powered devices , most other electronic gear will stay at the same performance and will seem the exact same right up until they just stop working . With an electric bike the power , the performance will gradually decline as the battery drops in capacity . I have got a 52v , 21.5 ah , which can actually be charged to 58.2 v . At full capacity I can go 30 mph , when capacity is down to say 52v it only goes 25 mph and so on . If you want full power/speed as much as possible , it's a good reason to charge it to 100%.
There are two types of Lithium ion and LIPO.... They are not the same chemistry.. if a fire starts, there are two types of extinguisher that work.. both have a type C and D have powder base.. this is for electrical fires. for Lithium-ion use a ABC extinguisher.. for LIPO you must have a D extinguisher.. these are extremely hot fires and extremely difficult to put out. It is rare, but having the correct extinguisher for your type of battery is critical.
Just a question for you. Yo charge my 48v 17√5 Sh Jsio h battery. Takes approximately 5 and a half hours. Then the green light comes on and the charger stops charging. Fine. But after only 2 hours. When you press the button on the battery. It shows up as fully charged or 1 red light and 3 green lights . The same as 4 and half hours. Is the battery charged after 2 as shown or do I need to wait till it switched off and disregard the battery.rsninh after 2 hours is it undercharged. Thanks
Any one please help. I have Propehete Rex Graveler 6.9 mid drive 48v, 250watts, 8.8ah ebike. I want to upgrade my battery for more mileage. I have checked one on ali express. Seller states its 48v 20ah 1000watts would it be compatiable for my ebike has i have spend nearly $2000 on this bike and dont want to ruin it
How can you tell if you're bike is charged up and ready to go without checking the charging light??well my handy hint for everybody is simply find yourself an old AM radio switch it on turn the tuning dial so it's between radio stations and place near your ebike charger you will hear static from your charger through radio speaker when the static changes you will know that your battery is charged , you can have your radio volume as loud or as soft as you like , it works try it, also prevents overcharging your battery,
I live in Arizona and keep my bike in the garage…. Temp probably gets close to 85 - 90 in summer. Should I be concerned? Bike is too big and heavy to bring inside
My ebike will shut down randomly while riding. If I unplug the battery for a few hours it will be fine until the next time it shuts down. It seems to happen on very hot days. Can it be battery protection in the BMS?
fully charged lithium 36v 10.4ah goes ok for less than a mile then dead cuts out then switch battery off then on again and ok for less than a mile done this 6 times. I connect my other battery goes fine. It seem cut after same distance each time. Any suggestions where I should look for the problem.
I purchased a Radpower bike. They recommend the first three rides to charge it for 12 hours even if the light is green to extend the life of the battery. Is this true? I thought there is no current going to the battery if the light is green.
I have a PO4 battery in my E-Moded . I will not ride it in the winter . Can I just charge it and live it in a shed for 3 month. Cand the battery store in -20c weeks ? Or do I have to bring the battery inside for the winter?
I have an electric bike, it has a switch on the battery which is under my sead, in the handle bar I can't switch the battery on and off, it only can change the speed of the electric, it has 3 speed choose on it, if I just want to paddle the bike without the electric, it is very hard for me to reach the switch on the battery, how can I add a switch on and off on the handle bar, then I can choose use paddle or electric when I was ridding on my bike. please let me on this question, thank you so much.
Look!, I have got an eBike that has a 1600W mid-drive gear ⚙️ motor OK But when I go to charge the battery 🔋 which is a Pirez Rechargeable Li-ion battery Spec:52V 16.8 AH the LCD display does not show me 100% full charge after more than an hour whilst it had being charging when the battery % had being drained to 68% after I had gone for a bike ride, & with the side switch of the battery 🔋 pack itself that is in the ‘OFF POSITION’ as I was advised by the bloke who built me the eBike! The power mode on the charger 🔌 is a showing a stable Red & the charge mode is a stable Green light 💡 I’m really baffled as to not knowing if the battery pack is fully charging to 100% on the Bafang LCD screen when I go to turn it on again etc ?? Pls help ! 😨😰
If you want your battery to last twice as long , get a smart charger and only ever charge it to 80% , ...what ? ...I know that sucks , so get the biggest battery possible . If you know you are doing a huge ride you can always still charge it to 100 % . I generally charge mine to 100 % , because I sometimes work delivering and I don't want to be stuck 10 miles from home pedalling a 75 pound bicycle with my legs at the end of a long day. If you are a DIY builder I thoroughly recommend the DireWolf from Lunacycle . 21.5 Ah , sealed in resin with redundancy 2x charger XT60 ports and 2 x XT90 power ports lunacycle.com/52v-luna-direwolf-ebike-battery/
Hey Larry, I'm in NYC right now testing ebikes without issue... the confiscation was for throttle operated delivery bikes. Ebikes are legal in the City as long as they are Class 1 pedal assist. But yeah, I'd like to see the law clarified and maybe relaxed here in the future so more people could enjoy the technology :D
Well looks like i may have damaged my battery! I have a Haibike Xduro Hardseven with the Bosch 400WH battery. I've had it stored at full charge for about 18 months. Topped it up yesterday as i'll be riding my bike soon. Just checked the instructions and it says to charge the battery to about 60% before putting it into storage. Time will tell. See how the ride goes and see how fast it discharges. Great video Court cheers mate!
Put a hand warming pack (the chemical kind) in a pair of wool socks 🧦 and attach it to the top of the battery during really cold weather with a bungee cord. Remove periodically to prevent over heating or extra shielding with a bread bag to reduce windchill cooling. Common sense judgment required
So its means i can recharge eagain and again. Examples i go to store using my escooter then i chrge in then i go home and then u charge it again. Its okay pls let meknow comment below
please help , i have 7 Bosch EBIKE Powerpack battery 36v all the BMS board are defect how and where i can find new BMS board to replacement , thank you
A smart get me home mode would be awesome kinda like gas light in a car either reduce power automatically an allow enough power to ride back home how many of us have been new to this an gone to far to fast an had to ride home with a dead battery its not fun depending on system an weight of bike
I charge mine even if I go out for an hour, but I heard it’s a good idea to let the battery run almost empty every couple of months. Not totally sure on it there’s so many arguments on how to do it properly.
My battery life strategy is that I've adjusted my "42 volt" charger down to 40.6 V (charging a 36V nominal pack) which gives me about 85% charge when the light turns green, chosen per the charge graphs for the particular cell I have. Then I ride down to no less than 40%, getting away with this because I only have a short commute (to the pub.) I always charge immediately after returning home so it's always ready to go. Random battery fires concern me a lot, especially as e-cigs and phones are currently a hot topic. My (cheapish) bike has the cells permanently installed inside the rectangular thin-wall aluminium down tube but I'll bet that would not contain a catastrophic failure, and the only BMS present is what the charger itself provides - that is checking for a minimum voltage (31-ish?) before commencing charge.
No can I use a battery pack that has an outlet to it. I have an electric moped and I can only go 25 mil per charge. How do I get around this so that I won't be stuck can I curry a charger with a booster outlet?
Well, that's nice of you to say... I know most of my videos could be a lot better but I try to film and share regularly. I'm still learning, trying to offer different perspectives and an open conversation :)
i put my bike together 1 month ago everything worked well, i drove it around for a mile. i charged it fully and when i went out to ride it it wont turn on, the lights work but nothing else will turn on. can you help me where can i take it to be fixed. i called but no one gets bake to me.
Just got into e bikes I have looked for episode on the gears I have radcity and I feel I don't need the gears in peddling mode is that true and could you do show on gears and recombinant breaking some of us seniors are new to more than 3 speeds. Love the series
Hi George, many of the ebikes I review that are aimed at an older audience do indeed have fewer gears, have you seen this one: electricbikereview.com/izip/e3-go/
Hey Court. I recently read an article on ebike batteries in freezing weather. Advice was don't charge a frozen batter, bring it inside and let it come up to room temperature before beginning charging.. I've noticed that my range on freezing days dropped like you said, I'm having some neoprene rubber sleeves made that have velcro down one side to wrap around the pack for insolation. The article said this would help increase the range by keeping the battery a little warmer on cold days. Hope you are well.
Good question, I don't think about it much and have avoided kits and aftermarket stuff except from larger companies like BionX and Rechargeable Power Energy because I know they have fuses and really stress safety. This isn't a knock on others, just not what I'm focused on as much so I don't want to pretend I know :)
My ebike battery keeps cutting out and every time I try and put it on charge, it doesn't charge... I tried to pedal in hope that the motor will generate some power and after I done that I put the bike on charge and it charged but only worked for one trip. I'm guessing it's a voltage problem, any suggestions please??
I smoked a charger once doing that, I ALWAS unplug from my bike first,but I use lead acid batteries which has a higher discharge rate than the dry cells.Hope this helps.
Geoff , " good advice " Yeah , just one more person with so called good advice that is contradicted by a multitude of professionals . Do a search on you tube for how to maintain LI batteries and your head will explode . I don't know who to believe anymore.
I think you can get a battery repaired or re-packed with a service from a company called Renewable Power Energy: ebikemarketplace.com/pages/ebike-battery-rebuild-section
Yeah, it's interesting to get into voltage, c-rating and battery chemistry. I was just speaking with a rep from Rechargeable Power Energy about this the other day because they were repacking an ebike battery for someone in the forums. Apparently Lithium-Polymer works better for fast charge/discharge
Also those purpose built frames appear require a particular battery configuration. Are you stuck with a proprietary battery that could get discontinued. The standard frames appear to be able to accomadate a wider variety of battery configurations.
I believe companies like Rechargeable Power Energy can repack batteries. This is why I usually pay more for standard packs by Bosch or Yamaha that have been around for a long time. They are easier to replace :/
Absolutely and I do , in fact I have made a sleeping mat into a all round blanket for my battery with a set of 3 panniers as in bag on top also , then rain cover over the lot it helps to keep battery a little wormer at least for longer my other battery lives in a padded case in the top bag I think it also helps with once collision
Looks like this guy wants to sell new batteries to his customers, and as we know, e-bikes (and other) batteries are expencive. Lithium ion batteries should be stored halfway charged, ideally at 40%, in practice about 50% to account for losses which should be no more than 1% SOC per month, depending on the BMS. They should also be stored cold, like in a shed or something, however dry, if not used for a long time. So the only thing he got correct, was the warning against storing the battery in a warm car. What I do, is charging my bike batteries via a smart plug, then I can easily turn on the charging from my phone, or preset a timer the day before I plan to bike. Oh, another thing that wasn’t mentioned, not only charging full, but depleting the battery, will also shorten its life. This is where EVs shine, as the BMS hides capacity both in the top and in the bottom, to prolong its life. We can do that with our cell phones, bikes, electric tools etc. - we are talking about getting the equivalent of many thousand cycles, instead of a few hundred cycles or even less. That is worth that little extra moment of planning if you really need to charge fullt or not, using a smart plug or even those one click timers to insert 15-30-45-60 minutes of charging for that short trip or whatever.
My sondors battery has a big warning on it stating to plug the charger into the battery first then the charger into the wall or damage will occur. Only thing I've ever had that said that.
Hey, don't take it personally, but I doubt that guy's an expert on batteries. He contradicts himself and confusez voltage for amperage, says that Lithium batteries (Ebike batteries) perform better when they're cold), when nearly all types of batteries perform worse when they're cold.
I think he means with cold that they don’t heat up when in charge. Batteries should not get hot. So I guess he means same temperature as room with cold. Lol
They lose range when cold
Thanks for all the great reviews! With the rate of change in the electronic world these days, for how long would you think current batteries will stay compatible, or even available? That is, if my battery dies in five years, will I be able to find a compatible one, or will I risk having to look for some retrofit kit?
Ditto
Battery repacking .
I’ve been thinking about this for a long time . It’s a hidden problem with batteries now with all different shapes. Most people using battery assist as well as their own power probably will never get to the end of their battery cycle life. However , I am disabled with a weak leg ,so I use a throttle and pedal with one leg a lot of the time or throttle only .
I’ve already gone through one battery and went to buy a new one from the company . They say , of course, that they will always make the parts for their bikes , but if the battery is an odd shape from a smaller company , I don’t believe them !
Anyway , a new battery from my company was 1000$ ..ouch! . Luckily, I was able to find a very knowledgeable guy who repacks batteries into just about any shape case . He used to work for a brand name company and seemed trustworthy and skillful…with a great idea for a small business .
He repacked my battery with proper Samsung cells, tested it many times , and charged me $550. Still a lot of money but a significant savings . Obviously , the warranty is an issue. I was well past the 1 year bike warranty , hence I had to buy a battery. He could only offer a 2 month warranty , so with the price difference ,it’s a risk I’m was willing to pay. I had that bike for another 2 years with no problem . Then , as my disability worsened , I required more torque for hills. So I upgraded.
So most people do not know that batteries have a limited number of cycles , but I’m guessing for most owners it doesn’t matter . However , if I’m buying a second hand bike , I’d like to know . I wonder if there is a way of finding out , like there is with later model iPhones . I’m guessing it should be on the phone apps that many bikes have now. Anybody know?
This battery thing is maddening.
The amount of contradictory statements about how to charge and maintain a lithium ion battery is astounding and every so called professional is equally adamant about their theory on maintaining these batteries . The following is a list of what you should and should not do.
Heat will degrade your battery
Cold will degrade your battery
You should store your battery for extended periods by having it charged to 40% of capacity or 45 to 60 % or 75 and 90 % and 😳
Leave your battery on trickle charge.
Don't leave your battery on trickle
Run your battery to 10% charge and then re charge it
Charge your battery every time you are done riding and on and on and on.
WTF.
I agree, you would think that if there were a specific way to increase longevity everyone would agree. Only thing I don't do is just leave it on the charger indefinitely or let it sit at 100% for several days. That's including my car.
Thank you sir!
I have decided to not get too Charged up over the situation and go for - the battery will last as long as it lasts approach. 😂
Sirios Star you have the right idea. If my batter takes a dump,I’ll just b up a new one.
prinsadaa my battery is $300... Letting it fail/ die early due to laziness is not an option for me. Electric Bike Mountain Network
My tips is don't charge a 36v battery for regular use to more than 85% and don't discharge to less than 20% - never charge your battery below freezing and apply the throttle gently for the first few min if it is freezing to melt any crystals that may have formed - store battery at 40% and once every 3 months or 50 charges take it up to full voltage to let the BMS bleed balance the cells
Thanks Court - This guy knows some facts about lithium batteries but repeatedly overlooks a very important aspect of extending battery life - DO NOT recharge your battery fully after a ride like he says unless you will use it again very soon. Charge it to 80% capacity. When fully charged it begins deteriorating at an accelerated rate if not used, especially in warm weather. The best lithium chargers all feature a selective 80% or 90% charge cycle to get your pack near but not fully charged. You get maximum life when you only top off your charge shortly before use or use it with a 90% charge consistently. This increases the total number of charge cycles your battery can take before failing.
I bought my charger and some good batteries from LunaCycle, their site sells full featured chargers. This video also neglected to remind viewers that the charge rate measured in amps is critical for lithium batteries, a lower charge rate is always better for extending life of the pack. My charger has a variable output from 1 to 5 amps, I use three amps for my 17.5 AH batteries. Only a fairly large 20 AH+ lithium battery will take a 5 amp charge rate without damage that reduces the total number of charge cycles it will provide before failure.
In summary, don't recharge your ebike battery when you get home unless it was fully discharged, and ideally you should stop the charge cycle before topped off unless you will ride the bike again the next day. This is even more important in warm temperatures. This applies to lithium, not lead acid batteries which do best when fully recharged immediately.
Thanks for this input, I was wondering this and trying to get some feedback with the "half charge" for long term storage. Glad you shared :)
i will remember that the next day bit but i do get on me bike least once a week i better start timing a full charge and pulling the plug 1/2 hour early but on some rides i will nearly flatten the batteries on long rides .never done it with 22 amps connected to the bike
Popeye Gordon So thank you for the information. I use me e-bike 6-7 days a week,and ride very close to 10 miles at a time.I have been doing this for about a year now. My battery is never completely drained when I get home. Once I get home I have just been plugging it in overnight. Then ride it the next day. So far it seems to be working pretty well. Should I make any changes?
Marks, I did the same thing for 8 years, 10 miles each way. First with lead acid batteries. When I got my EZee bike with lithium pack I finally started having joy and no longer wondered if the heavier bike was even worth it. In my opinion you don't have issues with your daily use, this is more about letting fully charged batteries sit long.
I think with smart chargers, you can charge after every ride. Regular chargers will overcharge the battery and kill your battery quicker. Check ebikes.ca and their Satiator battery charger for a much more detailed explanation
I have lithium batteries for my e-mower and during off season, they are fully charged and the charge indicators keep them in a 'fully charged state'. They never decrease. I hope this is an accurate reading??
Interestingly, where battery reliability and longevity really matters - like the DJI drone up high in the sky, they have intelligent (smart) batteries that bleed the voltage down to 50% after 1 week!
Also if you live in cold or inter-mountain areas charging a frozen Lithium Ion battery or charging below freezing will permanently damage your battery. So bring your battery to room temperature before charging.
When you charge a battery should it be on or off? Or does that depend on? Who makes the battery
How long do I need to charge my 500 watt electric moped?
I’ve had a byocycle city for 3 years,charge my battery even if I go around the block! It is still as good as new! Why? Because sometimes when you go out it’s reassuring to know it’s full and won’t conk out in the middle of nowhere!
You don't get it. The damage happens when you put it away fully charged. You do it right by only charging before riding. Even a 10% discharge will greatly reduce the rate of storage damage.
Popeye Gordon . After 5years of fully charging my silverfish battery after every use, even going to the shops it’s still showing full and no damage at all!
Great advice thanks much liked and shared ....
*PLEASE HELP*
Ok so my bike still has enough power so my bike will drive ....
(Which means my battery is still ok right ?)
But it is low ....
And my battery chargers lights red and green light are both on solid when I'm trying to charge but it's not charging ......
Any advice on what's going on ?
My fuse is also fine as far as not blown...
So in the case your battery is still good but so low the bms is not powering up to charge what do you do ?
You had to pull every question out of him, would have been better if you just gave some tips instead of filming this guy
My garage is extremely hot in the summer. I always remove my battery when returning from a ride and bring it in the house. I only charge the battery the night before a ride.
I use this practice, anytime i use my bike i charge the battery, the problem is this can take 3 to 4 hours, so if i go for a morning ride i am screwed till latter in the day. I am looking at going to grin Tech. here in Vancouver to get a spare batt for my rose ave bike, and maybe their cool charger too.
I store batteries with at least 60% and give them a charge once a month if not using the ebike.
From comments here it sounds like time for a video just on batteries. My question would be about interchangeability. Are any of them designed so the batteries are common in size and plugs, etc. and be used beyond manufacturers?
I charge my battery to full after each ride, but I read where it is important that if the battery is hot, because of using a the high assist level or just the throttle, then it should be allowed to cool down before charging. That rarely happens to me, since I pedal a lot, but it has heated up quite a bit during days in the 90s, and then I allow it to cool inside before charging. Gee, I've never been concerned with storing it in cooler temperatures, as long as they are above freezing. I may have to rethink that. But yeah, I' always have poorer range in below freezing temperatures. The best performance for me is in temps between 50 and 75F.
I connect a timer ⏲ to my ebike charger 🔌 every 30 minutes it charges the battery 🔋 15% for example if the battery is at a 75% charge I set the timer on a one hour of charge and that will charge the battery to about 90%. You should not charge your battery to 100 % even though the electronics should stop 🛑 it, but the bike is in my house 🏡 so I am unwilling to take the risk of over heating the battery because of faulty electronics.
I always wait one hour after riding my ebike to allow the battery’s to cool before recharging them. This is not a Tesla that has a cooling system the battery’s need to cool down before charging. The system is not perfect and the tech is still evolving so be careful having great power requires great responsibility.
Uh oh! I got an e-bike about 3.5 years ago when I started having problems with chronic fatigue syndrome. I rode it once or twice, but the last three years I became too sick to ride, and it’s been stashed under the house unused. I just dug the battery out of storage, but the bike is in a difficult spot to get to! Have I done irreplaceable damage by leaving it for 3 years uncharged? How will I check?
I did plug it in after getting the battery out of storage, and the light was red (charging). When I looked 1-2 hours later it was already green (not charging). Can’t say exactly how much time it was charging for.
Hey Court just bought a Raleigh Retroglide electric bike and the manual says in bold print to always connect the charger cord to the battery first, then plug the other end into the electrical outlet. Is this standard practice???
For everything, yes! If you plug something into a wall and then plug it into whatever it is you're charging have you never seen a spark?
@@Krytern We too have had this Raleigh since last June, and we've always plugged the charger into the battery, and then plugging the charger into the household 110 outlet. But just in the past month of UA-cam watching all all saying to plug charger to wall outlet first, then plug it in to the battery. What's the truth?
@@kippywylie Plug it into the battery first, always. I forgot most places outlet is 110, my house outlets are 240v so we notice it more. Plug into the wall last, always, or ask yourself why your countries wall outlets don't have switches on them and change yours so they do.
@@Krytern Thank You. That's how I have always charged for many years, but just over the past 2 weeks I've seen many UA-cam videos claiming that plugging into the battery last is best. I also have a $4000US Li Ion e-surfboard battery where I connect to the wall outlet last.
@@kippywylie All of our plugs have a fuse in them and in most plugs it is easy to replace. Plugging it into the wall last and having the surge/spark happen there and blowing that fuse is better than it blowing the battery. I've no idea where this recent "plug into the battery last" has come from.
Charge battery only to 80% and only when you need long range charge 100%. Don t discharge less than 20% when possibile.So keep battery between 20-80% charge. Dont charge it when cold, less than aprox 10degrees C , and keep battery away from heat.
What about those that live in cold climates where you won't be using the electric bike for 5 months over the winter... they used to recommend a trickle charger (Battery Tender) on a motorcycle battery over the winter...would that help on a bicycle battery or the supplied charger be good enough??? Thanks for all your great videos!!
what about vibration damage?
I accidentally inserted a key into the prong side of my e-bike battery and it caused it spark. Will I still be able to charge the battery again.
I’m needing some advice,I’ve got a 1000w 36 v scooter and I want to make it so I can charge the batteries while they are not plugged into the scooter( storage has no power and I can’t carry the scooter up to my flat) do I need to connect the control box or can I just make a wire with the necessary plugs at each end) thanks in advance of a reply
You can but the company I bought it from advised against charging it while not in the scooter,anyway I sold it and bought a xiaomi m365
Hi I need battery for ariv meld by General Motors e-bike do you have?
To people that dont know how electric bikes perform , here is a little info . They do not perform like other battery powered devices , most other electronic gear will stay at the same performance and will seem the exact same right up until they just stop working . With an electric bike the power , the performance will gradually decline as the battery drops in capacity . I have got a 52v , 21.5 ah , which can actually be charged to 58.2 v . At full capacity I can go 30 mph , when capacity is down to say 52v it only goes 25 mph and so on . If you want full power/speed as much as possible , it's a good reason to charge it to 100%.
Fast charging kills batteries. A lot of people don’t want to believe this but it’s true. I know from personal experience
Sorry Hailing battery
It had s 1000w motor
Dude did not want that high five at the end..lol
ya and that e bike review guy even made a weird noise at the end. I like his overviews of bikes but hes an odd guy lol.
There are two types of Lithium ion and LIPO.... They are not the same chemistry.. if a fire starts, there are two types of extinguisher that work.. both have a type C and D have powder base.. this is for electrical fires.
for Lithium-ion use a ABC extinguisher.. for LIPO you must have a D extinguisher.. these are extremely hot fires and extremely difficult to put out. It is rare, but having the correct extinguisher for your type of battery is critical.
Just a question for you. Yo charge my 48v 17√5 Sh Jsio h battery. Takes approximately 5 and a half hours. Then the green light comes on and the charger stops charging. Fine. But after only 2 hours. When you press the button on the battery. It shows up as fully charged or 1 red light and 3 green lights . The same as 4 and half hours. Is the battery charged after 2 as shown or do I need to wait till it switched off and disregard the battery.rsninh after 2 hours is it undercharged. Thanks
Any one please help. I have Propehete Rex Graveler 6.9 mid drive 48v, 250watts, 8.8ah ebike. I want to upgrade my battery for more mileage. I have checked one on ali express. Seller states its 48v 20ah 1000watts would it be compatiable for my ebike has i have spend nearly $2000 on this bike and dont want to ruin it
How can you tell if you're bike is charged up and ready to go without checking the charging light??well my handy hint for everybody is simply find yourself an old AM radio switch it on turn the tuning dial so it's between radio stations and place near your ebike charger you will hear static from your charger through radio speaker when the static changes you will know that your battery is charged , you can have your radio volume as loud or as soft as you like , it works try it, also prevents overcharging your battery,
I live in Arizona and keep my bike in the garage…. Temp probably gets close to 85 - 90 in summer. Should I be concerned? Bike is too big and heavy to bring inside
I need a new battery for my phantom electric bike
How bad does this affect your light bill??
Dont worry about it , you cant afford one anyway , obviously.
Real answer, my electric bill only went up about $3Usd per month.
nice! this guy REALLY knows his stuff. Learned a lot here.
My ebike will shut down randomly while riding. If I unplug the battery for a few hours it will be fine until the next time it shuts down. It seems to happen on very hot days. Can it be battery protection in the BMS?
fully charged lithium 36v 10.4ah goes ok for less than a mile then dead cuts out then switch battery off then on again and ok for less than a mile done this 6 times. I connect my other battery goes fine. It seem cut after same distance each time.
Any suggestions where I should look for the problem.
I purchased a Radpower bike. They recommend the first three rides to charge it for 12 hours even if the light is green to extend the life of the battery. Is this true? I thought there is no current going to the battery if the light is green.
I have a PO4 battery in my E-Moded . I will not ride it in the winter . Can I just charge it and live it in a shed for 3 month. Cand the battery store in -20c weeks ? Or do I have to bring the battery inside for the winter?
I have an electric bike, it has a switch on the battery which is under my sead, in the handle bar I can't switch the battery on and off, it only can change the speed of the electric, it has 3 speed choose on it, if I just want to paddle the bike without the electric, it is very hard for me to reach the switch on the battery, how can I add a switch on and off on the handle bar, then I can choose use paddle or electric when I was ridding on my bike. please let me on this question, thank you so much.
Look!, I have got an eBike that has a 1600W mid-drive gear ⚙️ motor OK But when I go to charge the battery 🔋 which is a Pirez Rechargeable Li-ion battery Spec:52V 16.8 AH the LCD display does not show me 100% full charge after more than an hour whilst it had being charging when the battery % had being drained to 68% after I had gone for a bike ride, & with the side switch of the battery 🔋 pack itself that is in the ‘OFF POSITION’ as I was advised by the bloke who built me the eBike!
The power mode on the charger 🔌 is a showing a stable Red & the charge mode is a stable Green light 💡
I’m really baffled as to not knowing if the battery pack is fully charging to 100% on the Bafang LCD screen when I go to turn it on again etc ?? Pls help ! 😨😰
If you want your battery to last twice as long , get a smart charger and only ever charge it to 80% , ...what ? ...I know that sucks , so get the biggest battery possible . If you know you are doing a huge ride you can always still charge it to 100 % . I generally charge mine to 100 % , because I sometimes work delivering and I don't want to be stuck 10 miles from home pedalling a 75 pound bicycle with my legs at the end of a long day. If you are a DIY builder I thoroughly recommend the DireWolf from Lunacycle . 21.5 Ah , sealed in resin with redundancy 2x charger XT60 ports and 2 x XT90 power ports lunacycle.com/52v-luna-direwolf-ebike-battery/
I read somewhere that the cops in New York City confiscated many e-bikes the other day via De Blasio's command - it's hopeless in New York.
Hey Larry, I'm in NYC right now testing ebikes without issue... the confiscation was for throttle operated delivery bikes. Ebikes are legal in the City as long as they are Class 1 pedal assist. But yeah, I'd like to see the law clarified and maybe relaxed here in the future so more people could enjoy the technology :D
Larry Russell That’s what you get for living in a communist city
Haha it's more like De Blasio is useless in New York 😂
@@ElectricBikeReview That sucks about throttle, My Fortis (Australia doesn't have throttle, I have un hid the higher PAS to go 35kph
Well looks like i may have damaged my battery! I have a Haibike Xduro Hardseven with the Bosch 400WH battery. I've had it stored at full charge for about 18 months. Topped it up yesterday as i'll be riding my bike soon. Just checked the instructions and it says to charge the battery to about 60% before putting it into storage. Time will tell. See how the ride goes and see how fast it discharges. Great video Court cheers mate!
Super informative...👍👍👍
Put a hand warming pack (the chemical kind) in a pair of wool socks 🧦 and attach it to the top of the battery during really cold weather with a bungee cord. Remove periodically to prevent over heating or extra shielding with a bread bag to reduce windchill cooling. Common sense judgment required
So its means i can recharge eagain and again. Examples i go to store using my escooter then i chrge in then i go home and then u charge it again. Its okay pls let meknow comment below
Thanks Gordon for the sound advice
please help , i have 7 Bosch EBIKE Powerpack battery 36v all the BMS board are defect how and where i can find new BMS board to replacement , thank you
The same place where you posted this comment , The Internet.
A smart get me home mode would be awesome kinda like gas light in a car either reduce power automatically an allow enough power to ride back home how many of us have been new to this an gone to far to fast an had to ride home with a dead battery its not fun depending on system an weight of bike
Our e bike is overcharged and it's not working what to do?
Can you charge the battery while it’s connected to the bike?
I charge mine even if I go out for an hour, but I heard it’s a good idea to let the battery run almost empty every couple of months. Not totally sure on it there’s so many arguments on how to do it properly.
can i charge electric bicycle battery at the time of cycling with a spare same voltage battery pack?
Should the charger viberate? It have not dropped it and it just started viberating...
My battery life strategy is that I've adjusted my "42 volt" charger down to 40.6 V (charging a 36V nominal pack) which gives me about 85% charge when the light turns green, chosen per the charge graphs for the particular cell I have. Then I ride down to no less than 40%, getting away with this because I only have a short commute (to the pub.) I always charge immediately after returning home so it's always ready to go. Random battery fires concern me a lot, especially as e-cigs and phones are currently a hot topic. My (cheapish) bike has the cells permanently installed inside the rectangular thin-wall aluminium down tube but I'll bet that would not contain a catastrophic failure, and the only BMS present is what the charger itself provides - that is checking for a minimum voltage (31-ish?) before commencing charge.
That white ebike looks pretty. What kind is it? How much does it cost?
lithium loses charge when cold bud
No can I use a battery pack that has an outlet to it. I have an electric moped and I can only go 25 mil per charge. How do I get around this so that I won't be stuck can I curry a charger with a booster outlet?
as usual court, the best info on e bikes on the net! thanks!
Well, that's nice of you to say... I know most of my videos could be a lot better but I try to film and share regularly. I'm still learning, trying to offer different perspectives and an open conversation :)
Outdoor furnace
How do you know how much battery 18650 to install on a ebike
Are you suppose to fully charge your ebike when you get it ? Or can you just ride it without messing up the battery
give it a 4 hr charge, new batts are half charged
i put my bike together 1 month ago everything worked well, i drove it around for a mile. i charged it fully and when i went out to ride it it wont turn on, the lights work but nothing else will turn on. can you help me where can i take it to be fixed. i called but no one gets bake to me.
i got the problem that i got a battery that is not charging (0 power charger not seeing the battery) how can i fix it
Handyman
Just got into e bikes I have looked for episode on the gears I have radcity and I feel I don't need the gears in peddling mode is that true and could you do show on gears and recombinant breaking some of us seniors are new to more than 3 speeds. Love the series
Hi George, many of the ebikes I review that are aimed at an older audience do indeed have fewer gears, have you seen this one: electricbikereview.com/izip/e3-go/
What amp hours would I need for 4 twelve volt 1000 watts for an ebike converter wheel ?
Hey Court. I recently read an article on ebike batteries in freezing weather. Advice was don't charge a frozen batter, bring it inside and let it come up to room temperature before beginning charging.. I've noticed that my range on freezing days dropped like you said, I'm having some neoprene rubber sleeves made that have velcro down one side to wrap around the pack for insolation. The article said this would help increase the range by keeping the battery a little warmer on cold days. Hope you are well.
Like a little doggy coat!
@@xbeanx3000 great idea.. :)
my electric bike slows down say when theres about 2 cells of power left before i charge the battery? is this normal?
Johanna. you have a very beautiful name. no worries. mine's the same. its normal.
Keep it pure
What do you think about all the aftermarket batteries that seem popular with a lot of Sondors owners? Some seem home made.
Good question, I don't think about it much and have avoided kits and aftermarket stuff except from larger companies like BionX and Rechargeable Power Energy because I know they have fuses and really stress safety. This isn't a knock on others, just not what I'm focused on as much so I don't want to pretend I know :)
Would a 1500 watt battery overload my 350watt Moter?
I got ebike week ago, done 330 miles on it, how many more miles i have before something goes wrong?
Eat dreams , seriously?
E bikes are like women , you will never know in advance when something is about to go wrong. 😂
My ebike battery keeps cutting out and every time I try and put it on charge, it doesn't charge... I tried to pedal in hope that the motor will generate some power and after I done that I put the bike on charge and it charged but only worked for one trip. I'm guessing it's a voltage problem, any suggestions please??
get any help yet?
Jeff Perteet not yet, no
sam jim try keeping the charger off any plush surfaces, such as carpet or blanket, that's my tip
It's save life lol 😁
I unplug it from the ac outlet First, then from the charger. Is that safe?
I smoked a charger once doing that, I ALWAS unplug from my bike first,but I use lead acid batteries which has a higher discharge rate than the dry cells.Hope this helps.
is it bad to let the battery die completely?
yes.
Good stuff!
Help, I can't find your video about a bike that comes with a programable charger that can stop at 80% thanks.
Here is a link to a place that sells them and can help you with what you/ lunacycle.com/batteries/chargers/
You can also get one on Amazon but they seem to be selling only one kind a high end one which costs a much as the battery itself.
what about those who live in an area that has long winter. Does it hurt the battery to not be charged over the winter?
Not if you don't let the battery completely discharge. Just give it a 20 minute boost charge half way through winter.
Its christian bale
when the dude said rock on i thought it was comedian david spade talking. lol. here it again and tell me i'm wrong.
Good advice, thanks
Geoff , " good advice " Yeah , just one more person with so called good advice that is contradicted by a multitude of professionals .
Do a search on you tube for how to maintain LI batteries and your head will explode . I don't know who to believe anymore.
Hi
Need a battery pack do u know we're can I find a good battery 72v 20A please let me know thanks
I think you can get a battery repaired or re-packed with a service from a company called Renewable Power Energy: ebikemarketplace.com/pages/ebike-battery-rebuild-section
That is an unusually high voltage. Try LunaCycle, their prices are good and they may be able to make you one from two 36 volt packs.
go to endless-sphere.com/forums
It would be great to have a discussion of interchangeabilty of batteries between different bike setups. Both voltage and attachment setups.
Yeah, it's interesting to get into voltage, c-rating and battery chemistry. I was just speaking with a rep from Rechargeable Power Energy about this the other day because they were repacking an ebike battery for someone in the forums. Apparently Lithium-Polymer works better for fast charge/discharge
Also those purpose built frames appear require a particular battery configuration. Are you stuck with a proprietary battery that could get discontinued. The standard frames appear to be able to accomadate a wider variety of battery configurations.
I believe companies like Rechargeable Power Energy can repack batteries. This is why I usually pay more for standard packs by Bosch or Yamaha that have been around for a long time. They are easier to replace :/
cool
Shame when the guy who works for the company cant even pronounce its name correctly
Tomato!
It's worse in France. Here they pronounce it RALEGG!!!
Hi court you certainly do lose a lot of Range in freezing conditions , good information thanks .
We can get more out of our batteries in cold weather by charging and keeping them indoors in the winter.
Absolutely and I do , in fact I have made a sleeping mat into a all round blanket for my battery with a set of 3 panniers as in bag on top also , then rain cover over the lot it helps to keep battery a little wormer at least for longer my other battery lives in a padded case in the top bag I think it also helps with once collision
That is warmth and collision damage if bike is dropped
Lead acid
👍
Hi can anyone tell me that why wont battery work but it charge
Because cant use my bike I hv ti do something on bike yo ride on battery only
my tip get a bigger battery are put to onto the bike like i have done :)
Looks like this guy wants to sell new batteries to his customers, and as we know, e-bikes (and other) batteries are expencive.
Lithium ion batteries should be stored halfway charged, ideally at 40%, in practice about 50% to account for losses which should be no more than 1% SOC per month, depending on the BMS.
They should also be stored cold, like in a shed or something, however dry, if not used for a long time.
So the only thing he got correct, was the warning against storing the battery in a warm car. What I do, is charging my bike batteries via a smart plug, then I can easily turn on the charging from my phone, or preset a timer the day before I plan to bike. Oh, another thing that wasn’t mentioned, not only charging full, but depleting the battery, will also shorten its life. This is where EVs shine, as the BMS hides capacity both in the top and in the bottom, to prolong its life.
We can do that with our cell phones, bikes, electric tools etc. - we are talking about getting the equivalent of many thousand cycles, instead of a few hundred cycles or even less. That is worth that little extra moment of planning if you really need to charge fullt or not, using a smart plug or even those one click timers to insert 15-30-45-60 minutes of charging for that short trip or whatever.
What happens if you drop a lith-ion e-bike battery? Will it still function?
Hi..i have 250watts ebike.. can i plug it to 220 volts...??
No
After charging, does one unplug from the bike first, and then unplug from the wall ?
My sondors battery has a big warning on it stating to plug the charger into the battery first then the charger into the wall or damage will occur. Only thing I've ever had that said that.