Here are 5 tips from Propel’s lead eBike technician on how to properly take care of your eBike battery. The better care you take so it will continue to perform efficiently over time.
1. Unplug your battery when it’s fully charged
Your eBike battery shouldn’t be charged more than it needs to be and should be unplugged soon after it’s fully charged. If you’re charging your batteries on the bike, make sure your eBike is off and not charging before you remove a battery.
2. Avoid small charges overnight or when the battery is unattended
Charging overnight is usually okay, but you shouldn’t be “topping off” your battery overnight, as in charging it from 90% to 100%, or even 80% to 100%.
It’s okay to occasionally charge your battery from 90% or 80% to 100%, but ideally, you should be present to unplug the battery once it’s fully charged.
3. Discharge your battery below at least 80% before charging back up again
For convenience and weekly planning, overnight charging is usually non-negotiable for a lot of our customers. In the case of overnight charging, a good rule of thumb is to make sure the battery is getting discharged below 80% before charging it back to 100%.
4. Make sure your battery gets enough “exercise”
To add more of an explanation, the batteries need to be “exercised” through the range of charging and discharging whenever possible. This keeps the battery’s cells in better condition, and capable of discharging more power overall, compared to a battery that is only run through the top 10% to 25% of its charge capacity.
Your battery doesn’t have to be depleted to 0% all the time, but it should at least be getting discharged down to 70% or lower before getting charged again, in an ideal scenario.
For dual battery eBikes
5. Do not charge your batteries with one of them removed from your eBike.
When you’re charging your batteries on the bike, make sure both of them are, you guessed it, on the bike. Additionally, do not remove a battery while your system is charging, or when the system is on and not charging. Your eBike needs to be off and not charging before you remove a battery.
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Questions or concerns? We’re here to help. Contact a Propel Matchmaker here.