The cycling industry has taken a major place in the mobility sector in recent years with the arrival of electric bicycles or electrically assisted bicycles .
Most people today are very interested in using an electric bike. However, making the right choice for your electric bike requires a little time.
An electric bike for what use? For what autonomy? For what budget? In terms of autonomy, the essential element of an electric bike is the battery.
Future users are therefore not insensitive to these questions concerning the lifespan and recycling of electric bicycle batteries . For this reason, it seems essential to us to clarify things.
Understanding Electric Bike Battery Life
The battery is the essential element of an electric bike. The type of battery, the brand, the autonomy, but above all, depending on the use of the electric bike, on the good habits of storage and charging of a battery, not all batteries have the same lifespan.
Let’s take a closer look at the lifespan and recycling of electric bike batteries.
What is battery life?
The lifespan of an electric bike battery is estimated in number of cycles. Thus the lifespan of a bike battery depends on the cycles.
A cycle corresponds to the charging and discharging of the battery.
In daily use, the lifespan of a lithium-ion battery, which are the most used today, is estimated at between 5 and 6 years. The battery can continue to function beyond this estimate but inevitably, over the years, its capacity will reduce.
It is estimated that the capacity of a battery decreases by about 10% per year. Recharges are becoming more and more frequent, the average recharge cycle is between 500 and 1000 cycles. The average mileage is estimated at between 25,000 and 50,000 km.
What factors influence battery life?
The brand, type of battery, storage and charging of the battery, as well as the use made of the electric bike, are the main factors that determine the life of a battery.
For example, the Samsung brand reports a 10% drop in capacity after 300 cycles, 30% after 700 cycles, in the context of daily use of an e-bike.
Overall, the battery of an electric bike loses its performance after three years, always in the context of daily use, or even intensive use. This can go up to 5 years if the bike is very well maintained.
It is necessary to store the battery of an electric bicycle at room temperature, rather cool, between 10°C and 20°C, in a non-humid environment.
The charge level is also very important, a battery charged to 40% considerably reduces the phenomenon of self-discharge of the battery and thus its lifespan.
Battery brands like Bosch or Shimano have superior warranties. Obviously, good general maintenance of the bike will also play a role in the lifespan of a battery.
What are the types of batteries for electric bikes?
Among the types of batteries available for electric bikes, we find:
- Lead-acid batteries
- NiMH batteries or nickel batteries
- Lithium-ion batteries
Lead Acid Batteries
These are models that tend to disappear more and more. Certainly, offered at reasonable prices, they were very heavy and in terms of maintenance far too restrictive.
NiMH batteries or nickel batteries:
Nickel Metal Hydride Ni-Mh and Nickel Cadmium Ni-Cd are now banned models due to the toxicity of Cadmium.
Lithium-ion batteries
These batteries are therefore widely preferred today for electric bicycles as well as for many other electrical or electronic devices and objects.
These are the recommended models. For an electric bike, you should choose a battery with BMS (Battery Management System), capable of managing the charging and discharging of the battery.
Shimano , Bosch or Yamaha batteries are renowned brands for electric bike batteries.
Also note that the most commonly used VAE batteries are 24, 36 or 48 Volts.
The higher the battery voltage, the greater the battery power.
How to maximize the life of an electric bike battery?
To extend the battery life of an electric bike, it is necessary to follow all the manufacturers' instructions and adopt good habits. For the battery life of a bike in kilometers, everything depends on the use that is made of the bike, frequently or occasionally.
As a general rule, it is useful to respect:
Suitable refills:
- Do not wait until the battery is completely discharged, keep the battery charge between 20 and 80%, avoid charging it completely.
- It is important to connect the charger to the battery first before plugging it into the mains socket.
- Avoid overloading.
- Always wait for your battery to warm up or cool down (depending on outside temperatures) before charging it.
Regular maintenance:
Cleaning the connectors, to do this, remove the battery from the bike so as not to risk short circuits, then using a soft, dry cloth, remove the dust from the battery connectors.
Once the battery is out of the way we can start checking the connections. There are two types of cable layouts depending on the mid-engine or rear-engine.
With a central engine, all the cables are gathered in the same place under a shell that must be unscrewed to access the connectors, the configuration is not the same with a rear engine, the first cables are at the front of the bike and often, a small fabric covers them. The principle of monitoring and maintenance of the connectors remains the same.
To check the status of an electric bike battery charger, the most reliable way is to use a multimeter because this tool measures several parameters and provides clues about the health of the battery.
Before starting the process, the battery must be disconnected from any power source.
Proper storage:
The ambient storage temperature should be between 15°C and 20°C. Ideally, battery charging should take place at room temperature.
If you are not going to use your bike for two months, you should store the battery at between 30 and 60% charge, provided you charge it for at least 30 minutes every month.
The main thing is to maintain a charge level during periods when your bike is not being used.
Driving practices:
To adopt eco-responsible driving on an electric bike, you must first ride with correctly inflated tires, even slightly overinflated.
Always check the suspensions and the chain and if dirty or not sufficiently lubricated this induces wear on the battery.
Take the most aerodynamic position possible to avoid wind resistance. The cyclist should engage eco mode as early as possible, on flat sections and during descents on his route.
Pedaling continuously without forcing and keeping the same pace, a practice called grinding, is effective on an electric bike, it avoids changes in rhythm and tempo which wear out the battery.
How to identify a battery at the end of its life?
One of the most obvious indicators of a bicycle battery reaching the end of its life is reduced range.
If you notice that your electric bike is no longer covering the same distance, if you have the impression that the charging capacity is decreasing, it may well be that your battery is at the end of its life. Among the most common signs of battery fatigue we distinguish:
- Battery does not turn on
- Loss of autonomy
- The lights remain off
- Battery turns off and on again after full charge
- The electric bike battery no longer recharges
What to do with a used battery?
The lifespan of lithium-ion batteries is also limited.
Very often, at the end of its life, the performance of the bike decreases over time. It is therefore not uncommon to have to, at one time or another, consider replacing the battery of your electric bike.
However, before considering replacement or recycling , it is useful to ensure, as is necessary, that the battery is actually defective.
Importance of recycling
The importance of recycling is undeniable because lithium-ion batteries contain heavy metals, so for the proper preservation of the environment and the limitation of health risks, it is crucial to consider responsible recycling.
Proper recycling begins with proper storage in containers designed for this purpose. This is followed by the collection and sorting of batteries which are sent to specialized recycling centers for dismantling.
In fact, all the elements of a battery are separated and purified for reuse in new manufacturing.
This process helps to limit all the impacts and nuisances that hazardous waste can cause.
Electric Bike Battery Recycling Options
Some major brands have planned an exchange or take-back program for your electric bike battery, this is particularly the case with Bosch, so you should inquire about this with your electric bike manufacturer, seller or reseller.If you are an individual, you must find out about collection points or recycling centers that accept electric bicycle batteries. Some large brands have planned this collection.
If you are a company or professional with a large number of used batteries, you should call on service providers specializing in the recycling of electronic waste.
The reference battery brands and their performances
The manufacturing quality of an electric bike battery is a crucial point, some brands stand out from the crowd and are therefore among the best references, among these, we find:
Bosch:
Proven reliability and good durability of Bosch PowerTube 500, 625, 750 batteries, capacity of 500, 625 and 750 Wh.
The PowerTube 500 battery allows you to drive up to 120 km depending on the conditions of use.
These batteries are compact and lightweight, they fit perfectly into the bike frame.
Recharge times vary from 4 to 5 hours for the 500, over five hours for the 625 and 6 hours for the 750.
Shimano:
Shimano offers a robust 630 Wh battery. It is ideal for lovers of long rides. Its fast charging and large capacity make it an excellent choice for demanding cyclists.
This is a battery with a power of 630 Wh, a weight of 3.5 kg, a recharge time of 6 hours. The performance of this battery is the same for road bikes and mountain bikes.
Other manufacturers:
Yamaha 500 Wh
The Yamaha 500 Wh battery is perfect for those looking for a balance between performance and price. Although it is not the most powerful, it is more than enough for daily urban commutes and weekend rides.
- Power: 500 Wh
- Weight: 3 kg
- Charging time: 4h
Conclusion
Things are now clearer, you will have understood, the lifespan of an electric bike battery depends on different factors. Of course, it is still advisable to choose a trusted brand for your bike battery. It is also important to consider in your choice the recycling conditions of this battery when it becomes unusable.
Usually, even bicycle dealers in addition to manufacturers are well aware of the reference brands of batteries to give you the best advice.
The life of a battery also depends on the care the user takes of his bike and on compliance with all the instructions that must be followed to charge the battery, under the recommended conditions and according to the use you make of your bike.
To go further, for a pleasant discovery, see the models of electric bikes with high-performance and durable batteries , offered by the Swiss brand Batoo .
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an electric bike battery last?
The lifespan of a lithium battery is highly variable, and this is directly related to the actions performed by the assembler, distributor, manufacturer, and finally the user of the battery.
Typically, for a regular user, a battery will start to wear out after six years, but that's just a rough estimate.
How long do Bosch electric bike batteries last?
Very often, a bicycle battery has undergone more than 500 charge cycles before these two years.
So for many, the battery is starting to wear out, at Bosch, the batteries are designed to last for 8 to 9 years, but everything will depend on the care and attention of the user, as well as the use that will be made of the bike.
How to know if an electric bike battery is dead?
If you notice that your electric bike no longer travels the same distance, if you have the impression that the charging capacity is decreasing, it may well be that your battery is at the end of its life.
Signs of end of life are often, the battery does not turn on, loss of autonomy, lights remain off, the battery turns off and turns back on after a full charge, the electric bike battery no longer recharges
How to regenerate an electric bike battery?
Start by measuring the discharge voltage of the battery using a multimeter, then check the condition of the discharge fuse. If it is defective, it will have to be replaced by a 25Ah maximum fuse, this is one of the solutions to regenerate a battery but there are others.
The battery regeneration process uses a technology that involves applying a pulsed electrical charge to the battery, this dissolves the sulfate crystals and restores the battery's capacity.