Tips for Battery Maintenance in Winter

 Winter is coming. Lots of people like to ride their e-bikes to go outside to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Electric bikes are convenient transportation tools for touring, but please take care of the batteries. Most e-bike batteries make from lithium-ion that is very sensitive to extreme weather. A too cold and too hot environment will cause it harm. The terrible temperature will not only reduce its riding range by as much as 25% but also deteriorate its life span. Since the battery is the most expensive component of the bike, every e-bike user must know how to protect and maintain the battery in winter.

Storing the Batteries Inside

In cold winter, the temperature outside is typically low. If you leave your bikes outside, you will soonly find out that the working capacity of the e-bike becomes worse while the battery works poorly. It is advisable to keep the battery indoors with a temperature between 14℉ to 104℉ or 10℃ to 40℃, such as your house, garage, basement. Some e-bike batteries are removable. For example, all of the e-bike batteries of Heybike are easy to detach. Therefore, the users of Heybike electric bikes only need to bring the battery inside and leave other parts of the bike staying outside, which saves lots of man effort and space. Also, please do not charge the battery immediately as soon as you bring it into the room. It is necessary to wait for around two hours to charge the battery when it is at room temperature.

Tips for Charging the Batteries

I will introduce how often to charge the battery in winter at first, and then I will put up with some precautions that we should not forget when charging the battery.

For the frequency to charge to the battery, firstly, if you frequently use the electric bike, you do not have to charge up to 100% for every time. Charging it within 30% to 80% is recommended for these ranges can extend the lifespan. If you need to ride it long distances, you charge it up to 80% level. While if you use it in a short distance, more than 30% charge level is appropriate. Secondly, if you will not use the e-bike for more than half a month, you should charge the battery within 30% to 60%. The battery in full capacity will deteriorate the battery itself and decrease the range over time. Thirdly, if you leave your electric bike away for a long time, like a whole winter. You should store the bike in a dry and clean environment and keep the battery between 50% to 80%. It is advisable if you can charge the battery once a month. For the Heybike users, our battery experts suggest an easier operation if you will not use the e-bike for a long time. Our customers only need to charge the battery to 48 Voltage. At that time, the battery indicator shows the state of one less grid of electricity. Then you turn off the electric power and store the bike in a dry and clean place. And you recharge the battery every three months.

Concerning the precautions of charging the battery in winter, first, please do not expose your battery to direct heat. Some users may think that waiting for the cold battery to warm is wasting lots of time. They try to warm the battery by placing it around the fireplaces or heaters. These behaviors are dangerous because direct heat can cause a fire or explosion. Also, if the electric bike battery is exposed to temperatures more than 90 Fahrenheit, its functionality will be destroyed. Second, do not charge the battery over 12 hours, and do not leave when you charge the battery in your rooms. It is wise to install a working smoke alarm and a fire extinguisher. And it will be better if you buy fire-resistant bags to put your battery to avoid fire risk. Third, you must preserve the battery in dry condition, especially when you want to charge it. In winter, the snow melting becomes a pond of water, and it makes the battery wet. Despite the waterproof rating of the Heybike electric bike is IP X4 which means it can resist most of the rainy weather and humid environment, but if the charging port is wet, it will be dangerous when you charge the battery since it may cause a fire, or even worse, cause an explosion. Therefore, please dry your battery before charging it.

In winter, it is absolutely a joy to ride while viewing magnificent sceneries. The batteries of Heybike electric bikes can successfully work on the temperature between -20℃ to 55 ℃. Our bikes have removable batteries that can satisfy you to ride in winter and save lots of effort to bring the battery into your rooms when you finish riding. Heybike Mars 2.0 Folding Fat Tire Electic Bike and Heybike Ranger Step-Thru Electric Bike are strongly recommended in winter use as they are both equipped with 4-inch-wide fat tires that have more contact on the ground than traditional bikes. This design provides enhanced traction, stability, and a smoother ride. However, when enjoying riding bikes in winter, do not forget to maintain the battery to prolong its service life with tips I mentioned for maintaining electric bike batteries in winter. And I hope you have a nice riding experience! If you want to find more information about e-bike, please visit https://www.heybike.com/.