The battery is the most expensive component on an electric bike, so naturally, people are curious as to how many years their ebike battery will last before it needs to be replaced.
The lifespan of a lithium-ion battery cannot be measured in years, because some people use their electric bikes more frequently – and therefore charge their batteries more often – than others.
So, the lifespan of a lithium-ion battery is typically measured in charge cycles. A charge cycle is defined as using all of the battery’s capacity, but this doesn’t necessarily mean a full charge from 0% to 100%. For example, using 50% of the battery’s capacity twice would
count as one full charge cycle.
The number of charge cycles a lithium-ion battery can sustain depends on various factors such as the quality of the battery, how it’s used, and how it’s maintained. Generally, good quality lithium-ion batteries, such as those from Samsung and LG, can last for around 500
charge cycles before their capacity drops to around 80% of their original capacity.
How you use and maintain your lithium-ion battery can also affect its lifespan. Avoiding deep discharges and protecting the battery from extreme temperatures, can help prolong its lifespan.
Here are some useful tips to help prolong the lifespan of your electric bike battery:
- Avoid full discharges: Don’t let the battery drain completely before recharging. Partial discharges of 20-80% are better for the battery’s long-term health.
- Don’t let your battery get too hot or too cold: Heat is one of the biggest enemies of lithium-ion batteries. Avoid exposing the battery to high temperatures, such as leaving it in a hot car. The ideal storage temperature range is between 15-25°C.
- Reduce overcharging: Don’t leave your device plugged in once it’s fully charged. (Take note, those of you who plug your batteries in overnight!) Unplug it once it reaches 100% to prevent overcharging.
- Use the right charger: Always use the original or recommended charger for your device. Using incompatible chargers can stress the battery and reduce its lifespan.
- Store the battery properly: If you’re not using the device for an extended period, store the battery at around 50% charge in a cool, dry place. Avoid storing it at 100% or 0% charge.
- Avoid frequent full charges: Try to avoid doing a full 0-100% charge cycle every day. Instead, do partial charges when possible.
- Calibrate the battery: Occasionally do a full discharge and recharge cycle to help the battery gauge its capacity accurately.
- Use battery saving modes: Enable battery saving modes on your devices to reduce power consumption and put less strain on the battery.
Did you really mean to ask: “How far can I ride before my ebike battery runs out of power?”
If so, see our blog, “Electric bike range: Answers to the 5 most common questions.”
About MeloYelo E-bike Batteries
A couple of important things to note about the batteries we use:
1. All of our battery cells come from either LG or Samsung, the two most reputable suppliers of Lithium-Ion batteries;
2. The battery packs on MeloYelo ebikes are larger than most. Many electric bikes are equipped with battery packs that are 500 watt-hours. MeloYelo battery packs are 630 watt-hours – 26% larger than most. There are two benefits of this:
a. You can ride further, without having to worry about running out of juice;
b. Your battery pack will last longer because it won’t need to be recharged as often as a smaller battery pack.
