Summer is here, and it's time for a beach ride or a jungle adventure. The speed and passion electric bicycles bring us are beyond our imagination. So what makes it so attractive? The answer is the battery. Batteries power nearly every part of an e-bike, powering them. As one of the essential components, maintenance costs are relatively high. How can we better maintain the battery to prolong its life? What do the parameters of the battery represent? What is the battery life like? Knowing these, electric bicycles can accompany you for a longer time and bring unforgettable riding memories. Today, let's explain them one by one.
First, let's understand the types of batteries.
Lead-acid battery: cheap, reusable, mature technology, but significant, and will cause heavy metal lead pollution, low specific capacity, and temperature requirements.
Nickel-metal hydride battery: stable discharge, strong acceleration and climbing ability, low maintenance cost, recyclable, and low environmental pollution, but due to high price, merchants cannot put it into use in large quantities.
Lithium-ion battery: the most widely used battery on the market. Its advantages are light volume, no memory effect, environmental pollution, wide operating temperature range, sizeable specific capacity, and high specific power.
Second, let's look at the battery parameters. (Example: Cyrusher)
A.H.: It is a unit of battery capacity. There is a difference between rated capacity and actual capacity. Rated capacity refers to the total power provided by the battery in an ideal state; actual capacity refers to a relationship between temperature, humidity, and current speed in a natural state. Under normal circumstances, the exact capacity will be smaller than the rated capacity.
Volts: It represents the voltage of the battery. The larger the value, the stronger the power storage capacity. Standard batteries are 24V, 36V, and 48V, among which 36V and 48V are commonly used. The calculation formula of the storage capacity is rated voltage × battery capacity. Cyrusher XF900 is equipped with a 48V, 17AH waterproof, and a removable lithium-ion battery for power supply. Its storage capacity is 48×17=816W, which is about 0.82 kWh. Coupled with a 750W, 80Nm Bafang motor, the peak value can reach 1500W, and the riding range can get 50-62 miles. It is matched with a 54.6V 2AH smart charger. It takes 5-7 hours to charge the battery fully. The number of charges has reached 800 times, and if properly maintained, the lifespan is 3-5 years. So how should we keep it?
First, we need to know which behaviors will damage the battery.
In summer, there is frequent rain. When charging, pay attention to disassembling the battery or placing the car indoors. Do not directly rain outside. Because the sealing performance of the battery is not very good, it is easy to damage the battery if it is exposed to rain for a long time.
High temperatures are frequent in summer, so be careful to prepare a cool place when charging, and do not charge in direct sunlight. During the charging process, the battery moves and heats up, and the temperature is initially high. If the battery is exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, the battery temperature will rise, and it is easy to short-circuit and catch fire. Suppose the electric bicycle is placed indoors, coupled with the influence of highly high-temperature weather. In that case, the high temperature will melt some plastic materials in the battery, seriously damage the battery's service life, and even catch fire. Therefore, it is hoped that the battery must be removed or the car should be parked in a cool place in hot weather.
Do not overcharge: When the battery indicator light turns red to green, do not unplug the charger immediately, you can charge for an extra hour, but be careful not to overcharge for a long time. Overcharging will cause irreversible changes in the positive active material's structure and the electrolyte's decomposition. A large amount of gas will be generated inside the battery, increasing the battery's temperature and causing the risk of explosion. If you are worried about forgetting the time, you can set the alarm to remind yourself.
Do not charge immediately after riding for a long time: If you ride for a long time because the battery's temperature rises during driving, do not turn on the power immediately when you come back to avoid damage to the battery, which may cause spontaneous combustion in severe cases. It would be best if you waited until the battery had cooled down completely before charging. In summer, the temperature is high, and the time can be appropriately extended.
Do not charge in hot, humid, and enclosed spaces: the best charging temperature is 26°C. Overheating or overcooling will affect the conversion rate of the battery. In real life, it is challenging to meet ambient temperature conditions. When charging, as long as it is in a dry, ventilated, and relaxed environment, and there are no flammable and explosive substances around, it is ok, and do not charge in closed spaces such as public roads and corridors. There are security risks.
Don't drive too much: Each manufacturer lists the maximum capacity of an e-bike on the product detail page. We can all know what its load is. When riding, we can't go to overload driving, which is not only not paying attention to your safety but also seriously damaging the battery. Due to overloaded driving, a more significant discharge is required to support the weight to climb when going uphill.
When to charge is also a concern of many people. Generally, it is best to capture the remaining power at 20%-30%. However, there will be emergencies in the real world. We don't have to wait for about 20% of the energy before charging. The emphasis is below 60%, according to the actual situation. Charging is required. Do not fully drain the battery before recharging, and it is very damaging to the battery.
Battery maintenance tips
How to charge correctly? The most important thing is to choose the matching charger. It is best to use the original one, and the rated voltage and current are suitable, which can maximize the stability of the battery based on charging. The charging time should not be too long, and the power should be unplugged one hour after the indicator light turns green to avoid damage to the battery due to overcharging. At the same time, try to avoid using fast-charging chargers as much as possible, as batteries that use fast-charging regularly will degrade the fastest over time.
Choice of a riding mode
Electric bicycles have three operating modes: pure electric driving, pure pedaling, and a combination of electric and pedal methods. During the riding process, we try not to use purely electric power. Keeping it in a discharged state for a long time will affect the battery's performance to a certain extent. When people with limited mobility are running on pure electric power, try to keep driving at a constant speed and do not amplify the damage of electric power for a long time. The combination of power and pedal mode is an ideal operating state for the battery.
Be careful to keep dry
Often riding an electric bicycle or idling, dust and dirt will adhere to the surface. Pay attention to keeping the battery box clean and dry. If you ride often, you can wipe the exterior of the battery case with a damp sponge every few days and then dry it with a dry towel. This is to avoid that if there is too much dust, it will entering the inside of the battery and affect the performance of the battery. If it has been idle for a long time, it can be cleaned according to the actual dust situation.
Be careful to check the battery level
Suppose you cannot ride an electric bike often due to weather or seasonal reasons. Then when storing, we should pay attention to the battery's state. Long periods of inactivity, even when not in use, will reduce battery power. Therefore, we need to check the power every two months. If the power is below 50%, we need to charge it in time to prevent the battery from running out of control. A power deficit means that there is no energy in the battery. If you do not use it for a long time and do not replenish the power in time, it will affect the charging effect and reduce the cruising range.
Ride in the right weather
Please don't go out and ride in extreme weather, and it's not very friendly to you and the e-bike. When people ride in hot weather, the human body consumes energy quickly during exercise. If it is not replenished in time, it will cause heat stroke or other physical problems. If the battery temperature is too high, it is more likely to be damaged. The battery itself will heat up during operation. The battery temperature will continue to rise, which will cause a short circuit explosion; when riding in low-temperature weather, the battery capacity will be reduced because the temperature is too low, and the power consumption will be fast. Therefore, it is best to choose a suitable temperature when riding and not go out in extreme weather.
These alerts and reminders draw attention to what actions can damage the battery. What steps protect the battery? As long as you stay away from these dangers and maintain them properly, the potential of the battery is far more than the hundreds of discharges, and it can even accompany us for a few more years on incredible adventures.
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