A good e-bike battery can be cycled hundreds of times and generally has a life cycle of several years.
If your electric bike battery isn't giving you a more extended range, it means your battery needs to be replaced. But when you return the battery, you must ask yourself: how can I replace my e-bike battery?
Different Types of Electric Bike Lithium Batteries
The first thing to consider when replacing the battery for your e-bike is the type of battery. There are three main types of Lithium batteries on the market today: ternary lithium battery, manganate battery, and iron phosphate battery.
The ternary lithium battery is a secondary battery with three transition metal oxides of nickel, cobalt, and manganese as the positive electrode material. It combines the excellent cycle performance of lithium cobaltate with the high specific capacity of lithium nickelate and the high safety and low cost of lithium manganate. The theoretical life of a lithium battery is about 800 cycles, which is medium among commercially available rechargeable lithium batteries. The current use of the esoulbike is a ternary lithium battery.
A lithium manganate battery is a battery whose positive electrode uses lithium manganate material with low cost, good safety, and low-temperature performance. Common problems are battery bulging and flatulence, and the most serious is the outflow of electrolytes.
Lithium iron phosphate battery, high-efficiency output, good performance at high temperatures. After 500 cycles, its discharge capacity is still greater than 95%; the battery pack cycle life should be 800 to 2000 times.
You can consider what type of battery you choose according to your budget, needs, and more.
Estimate how far you will be able to go on the battery you choose?
The primary function of the battery of an electric bicycle is to provide the maximum riding range. Its capacity is in Amp-hours or Ah. Amp-hours corresponds to the measure of current the battery can deliver in one hour at a usable voltage or the power your battery has. In short, the higher the amp-hour number, the farther you can drive.
It's worth noting that there's no standard way to accurately measure a battery's range. However, we've given you a way to estimate the range, and you can extrapolate the approximate capacity of your battery from a formula.
All batteries have voltage and Amp-hour ratings, and multiplying the two will give you watt-hours. The watt-hour is an objective measure of the actual energy stored by the battery.
Volt x Amp-hours = Watt-hours
This mathematical equation can help you estimate the distance you have traveled on an e-bike, but to calculate the exact number of miles, divide the result from this formula by 12-14 watt-hours, and you can get estimated miles. Because many external factors can affect the driving distance of an electric bicycle battery, such as riding on many hills, heavy objects on the electric bicycle basket, or into a headwind, etc., these will affect the cruising range of the battery. In addition, pedal assist settings, outdoor conditions for riding, the age of your battery, and the bike's condition are all essential factors in battery range, so we expect 12-14 watt-hours per mile. But remember that this is only an estimate, and this number is subject to change as other factors change.
|
Battery |
Watt Hours |
Estimate Range |
|
36V 17.5Ah |
630 Watt Hours |
45.0-52.5 miles |
|
48V 14.0Ah |
672 Watt Hours |
48.0-56.0 miles |
|
36V 24.5Ah |
882 Watt Hours |
63.0-73.5 miles |
|
48V 17.5Ah |
840 Watt Hours |
60.0-70.0 miles |
|
36V 17.5Ah |
630 Watt Hours |
45.0-52.5 miles |
|
48V 14.0Ah |
672 Watt Hours |
48.0-56.0 miles |
|
36V 25.0Ah |
900 Watt Hours |
64.3-75.0 miles |
|
48V 20.0Ah |
960 Watt Hours |
68.6-80.0 miles |
When you should change the battery of the e-bike?
The ebike Battery life depends on the type of battery. The battery should be replaced when your battery no longer provides more riding range. You can continue to use your e-bike after changing the battery, so when is the right time to change your e-bike battery?
If you're unsure if your e-bike battery needs to be replaced, the most straightforward way is to take it to the nearest repair shop and test it to see if it is working correctly or needs to be replaced.
There are several signs that your battery is deteriorating, such as slow charging, damaged battery, reduced mileage, etc. If your battery has one of these conditions, it means you need to replace your battery. Let's discuss these indicators one by one.
Lower Mileage
You need to know that the average battery life is 3-5 years, and this life will also change depending on how you maintain it, but no matter how well you keep it, your e-bike battery needs to be replaced after its service life is over. One of the great signs that the battery life is ending is when the battery is fully charged, the driving range is significantly less than before. If this happens, it means you need to replace the battery.
Physical damage
During long-term riding, you may encounter various roads. The bumpy road will bring vibration to the e-bike. The significant vibration may cause the battery to shift from its original position, which will shorten the cable or damage the battery case. In addition, it might cause terminals to get into contact with a conductive surface, which leads to overheating and maybe even fire. In the event of such physical damage, the battery should be replaced immediately.
Failed charge
Another sign that the battery needs to be replaced is a failed charge. Under normal circumstances, your battery is dead and only needs to be charged and can be used, but when your battery fails to charge, you need to replace it with a new one.
Other
There are other situations that mean you need to replace the battery, such as your e-bike battery has swollen, in some cases, the battery becomes overheated, or the battery is giving off an unpleasant smell, etc. The battery needs to be replaced immediately.
Where Should I Go to Get a Replacement E-Bike Battery?
You can go back to the original retailer and buy it. If you own a complete bike, you should try to buy replacement batteries for your e-bike from the original retailer. Usually, you can buy batteries from your local dealer or contact the e-bike company directly to purchase batteries. The same goes for e-bike kits. Try to buy replacement batteries from the original retailer first.
If the original retailer is no longer in business or cannot provide replacement batteries, you can source batteries by looking for the original manufacturer.
Suppose the original brand of battery is no longer available. You can look for a compatible battery with your e-bike, but consult a specialist store and choose a reputable company.
It is worth noting that replacement batteries that do not apply to the original manufacturer may void the warranty of your e-bikes or electric bicycle conversion kits. You need to consult the e-bike or kit company for specific operations to understand their policy on using after-sales replacement batteries.
What Should I Do With My Old E-bike Battery?
When you've replaced your battery, you'll think about what you should do with your old battery. To avoid polluting the environment, it is worth thinking about how to deal with old batteries.
The ideal solution, if possible, is to take the old battery back to the dealer where you bought it, and the dealer will recycle it.
In the U.S., e-bike batteries are establishing their own recycling program. It was organized by People for Bikes and will be directly coordinated under the auspices of Call2Recycle. There will be a network of battery drop-off locations from the nation's roughly 3,000 independent bike shops. Both manufacturers and retailers can register here.
The consortium brands are funding a battery recycling service, which will be offered to customers for free. Of course, consumers will still have to pay for battery replacements.
There is already such a ready-made recycling network in continental Europe, and the U.K. is just starting to build one.
This e-bike battery replacement guide hopes to give you more information about the battery. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you have more news, please leave a message and let us know!
