Last Updated on February 12, 2023 by Umer Malik
We review the concepts to take into account when choosing a battery for an electric bike, which should serve as the basis for choosing one.
We review the concepts to take into account when choosing a battery for an electric bicycle, which should serve as the basis for choosing one. Here you can see an updated list of the best-selling electric bike batteries: https://batteryempire.co.uk/145-chargers-for-electric-bikes.
Table of Contents
Battery power indicators for electric bicycles
Volts are the power of the battery. We can find 24, 36, 48 and 72v versions. The higher the voltage, the higher the power. Most electric bicycles use 36V batteries, as it offers a good cost / effectiveness ratio. On the other hand, 72V batteries are much more expensive, and their high power could turn our electric bicycle into a moped, since so much power could make us exceed the 25km /h. The amperes / hour indicate the autonomy: the distance that we will be able to travel with our engine. The higher the amperage, the greater the autonomy. In the case of electric road bike uk, it is very relative because it depends on the level of pedalling assistance that we use, the weight of the bicycle, our own weight, the pressure of the tires, our way of driving and the type of route that we use. the weight of the bicycle, our own weight, the pressure of the tires, our way of driving and the type of route that we use. Let’s do it (flat, downhill, and uphill) so the range of autonomy of an electric bicycle battery can vary a lot: from 20km to 70km. The most common are 10AH.
Watts / hours are the combination of volts and amps / hours. This indicator to compare batteries of different voltages and amperages when deciding on one. A 24 volt 20AH battery will perform the same 480 watt hours as a 48 volt 10AH battery. It will behave the same.
Battery capacity for electric bikes
Thus, to determine the capacity of an electric bicycle battery we can take the watts / hour as a reference: multiplying volts and amps, as we have seen before. As an example, a 24V 8Ah battery is 192 watt / hour in size, while a 36V 10 Ah battery would have twice the capacity: 360 watt / hour.
Price / range ratio in electric bicycles
Once we are clear about the type of electric bicycle we want, we must consider the price / range ratio. We want our battery, which is the most expensive component of the electric bike, to take us as far as possible. By following the tips for battery care, we will also make it last longer.
How long does an electric bicycle battery last?
Batteries are subject to wear. Over time the batteries store less electricity (and charge more quickly) and therefore will have less autonomy.
This chemical process of wear, which begins from the moment of its manufacture, increases with use. The number of refills indicated by the manufacturer is an indicator, but we also have to consider that it is not the only valid indicator since time is a relevant factor as well. On average, an electric bike battery has a useful life of between 2 and 4 years depending on how we use it.
From that moment on, they will begin to lose autonomy. This does not mean that we should change it immediately, but that the charging cycles will be shorter and they will lose energy storage capacity.
This wear will occur earlier in those cyclists who use the accelerator intensively, accelerating quickly and without pedalling hard simultaneously. This type of driving will cause large and deep discharges to the battery and will lead to further deterioration.
How to take care of an electric bicycle battery
Apart from the indications of the manufacturer of your battery, we suggest some general guidelines for the maintenance of batteries for electric bikes.
- It is always appropriate to use the charger provided by the manufacturer for that battery, they are precisely adapted for that model.
- We must bear in mind that batteries degrade over time, even if they are not used. The no-charge times make them lose effectiveness, therefore it is not a good idea to have a spare battery if we do not plan to use it.
- If indicated by the manufacturer, the full charge and discharge periods should be performed periodically.
- As always advised, direct exposure to the sun and very hot conditions do not favour the life of the battery.
- Ideally, use the electric bike battery as a complement to pedalling, not use as a reduced speed motorcycle.
