E-Bike Battery
Next to the motor, the battery is the most important component in your e-bike. Especially for your e-bike drive, there are also suitable batteries from well-known manufacturers such as Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha, Giant - these are usually only compatible with the appropriate drive.
The most important indicator for e-bike batteries is the specification "watt hours (Wh)" - this ranges in current models from ~300 watts (light e-bikes) up to 750+ Wh in e-mountain bikes or in combination with a second battery already more than 1000 Wh.
What should you look for in a battery?
- The higher the capacity in watt hours (Wh), the greater the range compared to other batteries of the same design. Batteries between 250 and 600 Wh are common.
- Charging time: A full charge cycle can last between 1.5 to 5 hours.
- Positioning: The battery is optionally installed in the frame (often in the down tube), on the outside of the frame (down tube, seat tube) or under the luggage carrier. It should be noted that external batteries are usually somewhat smaller and lighter. This also has a positive effect on the price.
- The support levels of each motor determine how much you are supported by the motor when pedaling. If there are several, the lowest level is the most battery-efficient and the highest is designed to make climbs easier to master.
- Generally, the higher the capacity and thus the power of the battery, the higher the purchase cost. Also, an integration of the battery into the frame will be noticeable not only in the style, but also in the higher price category.
How many kilometers will my battery last?
However, the actual range with one battery charge can differ, because it depends on numerous factors:
- Capacity of the battery (e.g. 300 or 500 Wh)
- Motor
- Rider weight
- selected support level (e.g. Eco, Tour, Sport, Turbo)
- Wind (headwind, tailwind)
- Starting frequency
- surface (road or terrain)
- frequency and length of uphill sections
- Bike type
- Posture on the bike
- Tire tread
- Cadence
- gearing
- connected electronics, like bike light or on-board computer
- age and use of the battery
How can I ride as far as possible with my battery?
- Use the highest assistance level only on climbs and when starting off.
- Start with an easier gear and shift smoothly to the next higher gear when accelerating.
- Check your tire pressure regularly, if it is too low, the rolling resistance is too high.
- Check your riding position, sometimes it is enough to adjust the height of the saddle to reduce the wind's effect.
- Avoid heavy gears on climbs, shift to a lighter gear in time.
- Avoid extra weight in the form of too full bags and backpacks, every kilo less saves energy.
- Ride with foresight, brake more carefully and accelerate more smoothly
- Use paved roads and avoid bumpy roads
- If possible, ride faster than 25 km/h, because then the motor assistance is omitted
How can you extend the life of your battery?
- Store the battery in a dry place and at a temperature between 0 and 20 degrees.
- Do not park the e-bike in the blazing sun
- Do not leave the e-bike outside in sub-zero temperatures
- Always use the manufacturer's charger
- If possible, recharge the battery after each ride
- Run the battery in: it can be helpful at the beginning to run the battery completely empty several times (3-5 times) in order to be able to use the full performance in the long run.
- Try to discharge the battery completely as seldom as possible after the break-in period
- Charge the battery at least once within 6 months
- Observe the optimal battery state during storage of 30-70%.
- Store a removable battery indoors when used in winter
- Never immerse the battery in water and never clean it with a strong water jet
- Clean the battery regularly from dirt with a damp cloth
- Keep the contacts clean
What e-bike battery positions are there?
Next to the motor, the battery is one of the heaviest elements on an e-bike. Depending on the position of the battery, the center of gravity of the e-bike changes. This can have a major impact on the handling characteristics, but also on the appearance.
- E-bike battery integrated into the frame
In the integrated variant, the batteries are most often installed in the down tube, rarely in the top tube or seat tube of the frame - either fixed or removable. Packing the battery into the frame makes any e-bike look almost like a regular bike. The visual disadvantage that an e-bike looks too clunky is thus eliminated.
E-bikes in which these batteries are installed: E-mountain bikes, E-trekking bikes, E-city bikes, E-race bikes, E-load bikes.
- E-bike battery on the down tube
A very common variant is the positioning of the battery on the down tube. In this case, the battery sits in the frame triangle.
E-bikes in which these batteries are installed: E-mountain bikes, E-trekking bikes, E-city bikes, E-race bikes.
- E-bike battery behind/before the seat tube
On some e-bikes, the battery is located in front of or (more commonly) behind the seat tube. This allows the front part of the bike to be designed as desired, for example with a low step-in. Often, this design is chosen for particularly compact e-bike models that are primarily intended for urban traffic.
E-bikes in which these batteries are installed: E-citybikes, E-load bikes
- E-bike battery under the luggage carrier
Batteries installed in the luggage carrier are found almost exclusively on city bikes. Because the battery does not have to be placed in the front part of the frame, these bikes can be designed with deep entrances.
E-bikes in which these batteries are installed: E-Citybikes