How long does the battery of an electric bike last?

If you want to know how long the batteryof an electric how long the battery of an, this post will interest you. This is undoubtedly one of its most important elements. In fact, 50% of the price of most electric bicycles is determined by the material their battery is made of.

From lead to graphene: changes in electric bicycle batteries

Since the first urban electric bicycle came onto the market, the material from which batteries are made has been changing for the better. The first ones were made of lead. This had two major drawbacks. First of all, they did not allow a large amount of energy to be stored. They also made the bikes too heavy and therefore difficult to handle.

Later came the nickel cadmium batteries, which solved the problems of autonomy and manageability. However, its cost was too high.

With the use of lithium batteries, all these aspects have been significantly improved. These models have a higher tolerance to recharge cycles, weigh about four times less than lead-acid batteries and have a much higher storage capacity. In addition, another great advantage is that it is not necessary to wait until the battery is completely depleted to recharge it again.

Currently, the R&D&I departments are working with another material: graphene, which offers very interesting features. Among its benefits, we can highlight that it will be possible to increase the energy density that can be assumed by the battery and that production costs will be much lower. However, this is not definitive and there is still some time to go before the first electric bikes with this type of battery are available. urban electric bicycles with this type of battery.

How long does the battery of an electric bike last?

To adequately answer this question, several factors must be taken into account. First, the more Wh a battery has, the greater the distance it can travel without recharging. Models on the market today range from 300 Wh to 700 Wh, although the best-selling electric bicycles are those with 400 Wh batteries.

The most widely used lithium batteries tend to be those with a range of 80 km in an urban environment. However, if the circulation is on roads or in a rural environment (where more power is required), this distance is reduced. In other words, this vehicle is perfect for covering medium distances without having to make a great effort. This feature makes them especially useful for older people or for those who have an injury that prevents them from doing too much strenuous physical exercise.

If we focus on the average battery life of electric bikes, we can establish that it is around 4 years. A large number of manufacturers claim that their batteries can exceed 1000 recharge cycles, but you should know that this is not entirely true. This calculation implies that the user charges with the battery completely empty. And we know that this is almost never the case.

How do you know when to replace the battery of your electric bicycle?

Due to successive recharging, battery life is reduced over time. In general, almost all manufacturers offer a two-year warranty for batteries with a degradation of more than 20%. In this regard, experts indicate that those with higher storage capacity take longer to degrade. They can even reach ten years of use without replacement.

Another very important aspect for the correct maintenance of the lithium battery is that it can be greatly affected by sudden changes in temperature. According to various studies, the optimum temperature for the proper operation of this type of vehicle is approximately 20 °C. When it drops several degrees, up to 30% of autonomy can be lost.

As a guide to help you identify when to replace the battery of your electric bicycle, it is estimated that this moment has arrived when it has lost 70% of its capacity.

How can you extend the life of your electric bicycle battery?

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, the battery is probably the element that most increases the final price of an electric bicycle. This means that, if you manage to extend its useful life, you will be saving a lot of money. Here are some tricks that will help you achieve this:

• Always use the charger indicated by the manufacturer. Don’t forget that this one is specially designed for the needs of that particular model, so it is the best option.
• Wait until the battery is completely empty to recharge it. Yes, it is true that we have mentioned that lithium batteries can be recharged before they are empty, but this is only one possibility. The best way to extend its useful life is to recharge it from scratch.
• Do not abuse the battery. Although this means of transport offers you the possibility of using it whenever you need it, remember that it is a bicycle and not a motorcycle. For this reason, the ideal is to carry out most of the route by pedaling.
• Use the bike on a regular basis. Not using the vehicle for long periods of time can also have a negative effect on the battery. In this case, our recommendation is that you use it at least once a week.
• Avoid sudden temperature changes. In this way, the battery will remain in optimum condition for longer.

We hope you are now clearer about how long the battery of an electric bike lasts. If you have decided that this is going to be your new means of transportation, remember that in Biciclásica we have a wide and complete catalog of electric bicycles. We are sure you will find the model that best suits your needs and interests. Enter our website!