Taking Care of Your Ebike Battery: The Ultimate Guide

How to Charge an Electric Bike Battery

To charge your electric bike battery properly, take a look at your bike’s user manual. Depending on your ebike, you may be able to simply plug the charging cord into an outlet and into a charging port on the bike frame. This port may be covered by a protective cap, but you can find where it is by reading your manual.

If your ebike has a removable battery, you can charge it off the bike as well. You’ll also want to use the charger provided by the bike manufacturer to ensure the voltage and amperage is compatible.

How Long Does It Take to Charge an Ebike?

On average, ebike batteries can reach a full charge in about three to four hours. How long it takes to charge your ebike battery will depend on the battery capacity and the capabilities of the charging adapter.

How Often Should You Charge an Ebike Battery?

If you regularly ride your ebike, most experts recommend charging your battery after every ride. That ensures you always have maximum range available. If you ride less often or only take frequent, short rides, you can charge it when you notice the battery level is around 20% or lower.

Lithium Ion Battery Charging Tips

Here are a few electric bike lithium ion battery care tips to protect battery health and lifespan:

• ✓ Don’t charge your ebike in direct sunlight or in extreme temperatures (both when it’s very hot or cold). Instead, charge your ebike indoors at ambient room temperature in a dry space.
• ✓ Unplug your bike from the charger when it has reached a full charge to reduce the risk of fires and damaging the battery.
• ✓ Newer li-ion batteries don’t have to be totally depleted to be charged, so top up when necessary.
• ✓ If you’re storing your ebike for a while, charge it to 50% to prevent it from dropping down to 0% before you can ride again.

Should an Ebike Battery Be On or Off When Charging?

Most bike manufacturers suggest turning off your ebike while it’s charging. This enhances safety by ensuring accidental water damage doesn’t pose an electrocution hazard.

How to Test an Ebike Battery

You need to use a multimeter to test your ebike battery. This tool features a probe that measures voltage and current. Charge your battery to 100%, and remove it from your ebike. Let it sit at a full charge for six to eight hours, and then insert the multimeter probe into the battery port.

Here’s how to check your bike battery’s energy density. Use the DC mode on the multimeter, and compare the readout to the DC rating in your battery manual. (A healthy battery won’t deviate much from the manufacturer’s number.)

To test the current on your bike battery, use the voltage mode on the multimeter. Compare this to the voltage amounts listed in your bike battery manual. If you see low readings, your battery is likely losing efficiency and you should consider replacing it.

How to Balance an Ebike Battery

Ebike batteries are made up of individual cells that are combined together to create the larger ebike battery you’re familiar with (called a battery management system, or BMS). These cells sometimes pull power and voltage differently—this often happens after storing a bike—so they need to be balanced. Even the best battery cells for ebikes (like the LG and Samsung cells Aventon uses) need to be balanced occasionally.

To balance your ebike battery:

• 1. Fully charge the battery.
• 2. Take a ride and drain the battery to around 20%, or when there’s one battery bar remaining.
• 3. Charge the bike battery back up to 100%, and leave it plugged in for eight to 12 hours.
• 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 (riding to 20% battery life and then fully charging) three times.
• 5. Your battery should be balanced, and you can repeat this process once a month for regular maintenance or after each time you store your bike for long periods of time.

Aventon Ebike Battery Charging Tips

It’s best to charge your Aventon battery in a temperature-controlled environment, preferably indoors, between 32° F and 104° F (or 0° C and 40° C). If charging indoors, it may mean removing the battery from your ebike.

Always charge your battery on a hard, flat surface (think: concrete or metal). It’s best to avoid charging your battery on wood floors or carpets.

Overcharging your battery can weaken its cells, leading to a loss in capacity to hold charge and thus lowering range. As part of the best electric bike battery maintenance practices, stay within the ebike manufacturer's recommended charging time and unplug your battery as soon as your charging indicator light shows it’s completed. This will help prevent damage and maintain a better battery charge level.

Charging Your Second Battery

If you have a second battery as a backup, whether you’re getting ready to store it or making sure it’s ready for your on-the-go needs, combine the best ebike battery care practices from the above two sections:

• 1. Charge the extra battery in a temperature-controlled, indoor, environment (also keeping the charging surface recommendations in mind!).
• 2. If storing, charge your extra battery to a 75%-80% range, and check in on it monthly to ensure it doesn’t drop under 75%.
• 3. If using regularly, simply repeat the charging best practices on an as-needed basis while ensuring you store your extra battery in a dry, climate-controlled, indoor location when not in use.

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Ebike Battery Maintenance

By performing regular ebike battery maintenance, you’ll ensure your battery lasts for years. Maintenance isn't time-intensive or expensive, but it can be easy to forget to do it, so schedule a time every month or two to go through a few maintenance items.

How to Take Care of an Ebike Battery and How to Make an Ebike Battery Last Longer

The following is a list of general best practices one should always follow when caring for their ebike battery and ensuring it lasts as long as possible:

• ✓ Don’t use your ebike battery if it’s hot: Take a break and let it cool down to protect the battery’s health and longevity.
• ✓ Unplug it when it’s fully charged: Leaving your bike battery plugged in results in electric loads that can strain the battery.
• ✓ Store your battery at room temperature: Leaving your battery in a cold garage or in the baking sun can cause damage.
• ✓ Keep your battery dry when possible: Most ebike batteries are weatherproof, but they’re not designed to be submerged or ridden in consistent rain.
• ✓ Remove the bike battery when hauling it: Whether you use a bike rack or want to ship your bike to take it on vacation, remove the battery to abide by safety regulations and prevent damage from the elements.
• ✓ Use the charger provided by the manufacturer: Battery chargers use different volts and amps to juice up your battery. Using one that’s too powerful can damage your battery.
• ✓ Inspect and maintain the electrical contacts between the battery and the controller (the connection where you plug the battery into the bike) on a regular basis: Make sure the prongs aren't bent. If the interface becomes contaminated with grit, mud, or snow, clean it before connecting your battery.
• ✓ Never charge your battery overnight: This is the quickest way to deplete its cells!

Temperature Impacts on Batteries

Like any other device that uses a lithium-ion battery, the range and performance of your ebike can be dramatically affected by temperature changes. Have you noticed that your iPhone or Android battery life goes down while skiing or hiking on cold days but returns to normal when you go back inside? Temperature plays a big role in the effectiveness of the battery.

Since ebikes can be ridden in very hot and very cold temps, it's important to keep your battery in mind when riding, charging, or storing in extreme conditions. A couple of things to be aware of:

• ✓ Don't leave your Aventon ebike in the trunk of a hot car (think Phoenix in July) with the battery attached. Remove the battery and carry it with you instead.
• ✓ Riding your Aventon ebike in cold temperatures will have an impact on range reduction. If you park your ebike outside overnight, bring your battery inside with you. Only take the battery back outside when you are ready to ride. This helps minimize the impact of temperature on the range.

Batteries and Water

Aventon ebikes are built to the IPX4 water-resistant standard, meaning that your ebike, and the battery attached therein, are resistant to water splashes from any direction. Riding in light rain or leaving your ebike in rainfall is acceptable. Raindrops or spray from a wet road will not harm your bike or battery.

Although it's fine to ride most e-bikes, including Aventon ebikes, in the rain, you should always dry the contacts on the battery to prevent corrosion and oxidation. An electrical contact cleaner can be used to keep that connection clean if needed.

In extreme weather (for example, in a community where roads are salted in winter), you can apply battery terminal grease as a preventative. But, if you live in an area with extreme weather, it’s equally important to know that your Aventon ebike and battery are not intended to be submerged or subjected to harsh rainfall or pressurized washers.

What Do I Do If My Battery Is Submerged?

Neither Aventon ebikes nor batteries are rated for water submersion. While they’re made of superior quality and are certified to the UL standard through TUV (more information on this below), they’ll lose potency if submerged in water and, not to mention, could pose a significant hazard when the electric components are exposed to water.

If your Aventon ebike was in a flood, you dropped your battery in water, or you experienced any event in which your ebike or battery was met with at least 1 meter of water, do not attempt to use it. Water may have entered the electrical systems.

Keep your ebike and the battery off. You’ll want to inspect your battery’s casing for burn marks, fried areas, and such if you can. The likelihood of your ebike running successfully post-submergence is very low, and while it is ultimately up to you to determine if your battery is safe under the conditions you know it was exposed to, you can seek expert advice for confirmation.

How to Store an Ebike Battery

To care for your ebike battery, it’s important to know how to store it properly. Storing your bike battery in the wrong place or at the wrong temperature can drastically reduce its lifespan.

Follow these steps when storing your Aventon battery for short or prolonged periods of time:

• 1. Always ensure your battery is off and the bike is not on.
• 2. Store your battery in a dry, climate-controlled, indoor location between 32° F and 104° F (or 0° C and 40° C). Water, humidity, and damp conditions are not good for any electrical device.
• 3. Lithium-ion batteries should never be stored on an empty charge. Before you store your ebike for the long term, charge the battery to a 75%-80% range. Check on it every month to make sure the percentage of the battery's energy doesn't drop under 75%. This will help you to extend the battery's life.
• 4. Do not leave the battery attached to the bike frame for a prolonged period of time. Remove it from your ebike when storing long-term.

Best Way to Store an Ebike Battery

The best way to store an ebike battery is to put it in a cool, dry place. Pick a spot that’s easy to remember and access so you can use your bike as often as you need to. Make sure to store it away from water, direct sunlight, and other hazards like flammable materials.

How to Discharge an Ebike Battery for Storage

The best way to discharge an ebike battery for storage is to take it out for a spin. Ride around the block, hit the trails, or cruise through town until the battery is depleted.

Where to Store an Ebike Battery

You should store your ebike battery in a cool, dry space that stays close to room temperature (never below 32° F or above 104° F). Ensure your lithium ion batteries have a charge between 75% and 80% and are removed from the bike before storing it long term.

How Long Do Ebike Batteries Last?

Ebike batteries generally last for three to five years. Most manufacturers list the lifespan of bike batteries in charging cycles (typically between 500 and 1,000 cycles). The exact lifespan will depend largely on how often you use the battery and how well you take care of it.

How Much Do Ebike Batteries Cost?

Electric batteries vary in cost, but most cost between $400 and $1,000. Many bike manufacturers offer promotions with discounts for bike batteries or packages that include a second bike battery with the purchase of an ebike.

Where to Buy an Ebike Battery

The best place to buy an ebike battery is from the manufacturer of your ebike. Don’t buy a cheap ebike battery as a replacement. Cheap batteries may not be as efficient as reputable brands, reducing range and battery life long term. Second-hand batteries for ebikes are also a bad idea. You don’t know how well they were cared for, how old they are, or if they’ve been damaged.

Why Are Ebike Batteries So Expensive?

Lithium batteries are relatively new and more efficient, which is why they cost more than other ebike batteries. Ebike batteries power the bike system and are among the most critical components of an ebike, meaning they’re more expensive than other components.

Ebike Battery Safety

Ebikes have electrical components that require safe handling. Here are some top considerations for ensuring ebike battery safety when using or storing your bike.

What Causes Ebike Battery Fires?

Ebike battery fires can be caused by a wide range of factors. Lithium ion cells are susceptible to temperature and pressure, which can cause them to release flammable gasses. These gasses can ignite and cause fires that burn longer and hotter than other battery fires.

The most common causes of ebike battery fires include:

• ✓ Overcharging
• ✓ Overheating
• ✓ Design flaws that cause batteries to bulge or warp
• ✓ Faulty parts

What Is UL 2849?

UL 2849 is an electrical safety standard that certifies a bike’s electrical components, circuits, motor, and battery management system are designed to prevent fire risks, electrical shocks, and short circuiting. Some states like New York require all ebikes to meet these safety certifications.

UL 2849 requires an electric bike’s drivetrain, battery, and charger system to undergo rigorous testing. Within the UL 2849 certification, electric bikes can also meet the UL 2271 standard for battery safety and UL 62368-1 standard for battery charger safety, among other component standardizations.

Aventon electric bikes and their batteries are TUV certified in compliance with the UL 2849 standard. This means Aventon's ebikes, their batteries, and various other electrical components have been put through rigorous testing to ensure the highest quality of safety for riders.

List of Certified Ebikes

All Aventon ebikes are TUV certified to UL standard, including:

• ✓Abound
• ✓ Aventure.2
• ✓ Ramblas
• ✓ Level.2
• ✓ Pace 500.3
• ✓ Sinch.2
• ✓ Soltera.2

More About Ebike Batteries

Want to learn more about ebike batteries? Here we’ll explain how ebike watts work, cover the battery charge cycle, and highlight whether you can ride an ebike without the battery.

Ebike Watts Explained

Ebike batteries are commonly rated by wattage, which indicates how much consistent amperage and voltage the battery can handle. This is different from ebike motor wattage (commonly 250-watt, 350-watt, 500-watt, or 750-watt), which indicates how much power the motor delivers to the rider. Ebike batteries range from 300 watt-hours to 1,000 watt-hours.

What Is a Battery Charge Cycle?

A battery charging cycle is the process during which a battery goes from a full charge to a complete discharge. The term is usually listed to describe how many charging cycles a battery is rated for before it needs to be replaced.

Can You Ride an Ebike Without the Battery?

Yes, you can still ride an ebike if the battery dies or if you want to remove the battery from the frame. Without the battery, you won’t have motor power, so you’ll need to put in full pedaling effort, just like on a traditional bike.

Stay on Top of Ebike Battery Care

If you can't remember all of the specific ebike battery care suggestions we covered above, keep in mind this rule of thumb: "If it's too hot or too cold for YOU, it's also too hot or too cold for your battery." Your battery is comfortable at the same temperatures you are!

If you’d like more information on storing your ebike and battery or additional ebike battery charging tips, check out our Ebike Storage and Use article. Or, if you’re looking for some additional information on safety when actually riding your ebike, check out our guide on how to ride an ebike.  

With these tips in mind, your e-bike and battery will live a long, healthy life. Happy riding!

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