Buying Guides and Advice

Electric Bike Batteries And Motors Everything You Need To Know

Not all e-bike batteries are made the same and it is important to realise what you want from your electric bike so that you get the e-bike with the battery power you need. You need a battery that has enough power to handle your riding needs so that you never get stuck with a flat e-bike. Batteries tend to be one of the most expensive parts on an electric bike, so it makes sense that as the price gets higher, the battery gets bigger. A bigger battery obviously gives you more range on a single charge but also improves the overall life of the battery as you will reduce the number of charge cycles, which reduces the battery capacity as time goes by. When it comes to battery brands, Shimano and Bosch tend to make their own batteries for their respective e-bike drive systems, while some of the more value-oriented bike brands such as XDS or Velectrix will use a mixture of reliable batteries from Panasonic and third party. Find The Right Bike, Battery & Motor For You Unsure of what electric bike is right for you? It can be overwhelming choose a traditional bike let alone an e-bike which has the added specifications of battery models, different motors, display and more! Use Bosch's range assist calculator to find what will best suit your needs. Bosch Electric Bike Calculator Electric Bike Battery & Motor Comparison Hungry for more details? See the table below for more battery and motor specifications for both Bosch's and Shimano's batteries. Battery 1 Faster chargers available for purchase will decrease above times. Motor 2 Based on factory settings What type of battery should I look for? Most e-bike batteries these days are made with lithium-ion batteries as their high energy density means that they can store a lot of power while remaining lightweight. Battery capacity is often measured in Watt Hours (Wh) and a lot of e-bikes come in between 400wh and 500wh and the greater the number of watt-hours the longer the range when you're comparing similar bikes. What is the range of my Battery and e-bike? It is impossible to give an exact answer when it comes to the range for an e-bike as there are so many variables that affect the range. As a general guide most lower end e-bikes will give you 30-60km range, while higher-end brands like Bosch can last up to 120km on a single charge. All of which can be impacted by the surface, rider weight, cargo weight, weather, incline and battery age. For these reasons it is important that you get a battery that has a slightly larger capacity than you might ordinarily need as you won't always have control of the conditions and just like your phone battery, as the battery ages, performance will slowly deteriorate. For a more precise guide, Bosch has created a handy tool to help you determine the range of their batteries based on all of the associated variables. How can I extend the range of my e-bike? Reduce what you're carrying as this will weigh your bike down Drive units typically operate with greater efficiency when you keep your cadence above 50 RPMs Stopping, starting and braking all requires power so this will sap your battery if you have to stop frequently Make sure you have tyres that are ideal for your terrain and ensure that you are appropriately inflated Hilly and slow terrain will require more power to overcome the increased resistance, so try and stick to smooth and flat surfaces to extend your e-bike battery range. How long does an e-bike battery last? Lithium-ion batteries are built to last and give you reliable performance for years to come. For example, Shimano's own STePS batteries are guaranteed at least 60% capacity after 1000 charge cycles, which means that your bike will have a reasonable capacity for several years. While a study from Bosch found that they could get up to 1500 charging cycles and almost 57,000km before the battery was no longer practically functional. It is hard to pinpoint an exact lifespan for a battery as there are a variety of factors such as charging frequency, heavy load use, storage and maintenance which can have a significant impact over time. What can I do to improve the life of the battery? If you want to extend the overall life of your battery you should try to: Minimise the load on your bike Store in an area with a temperature between 0 and 20 degrees celsius Park in the shade or undercover as often as possible Store at between 30 - 60% charge status How long does it take to charge an e-bike? This varies based on the size of the battery and the quality of the charging cable. A brand like Bosch has 3 different types of charging cables which can reduce the charge time for their smallest battery from 3.5 hours down to 2.5 hours, while their powerful PowerTube 625kw takes 4.9 hours to charge. While XDS bikes which typically run a Panasonic Lithium-Ion battery have a maximum charge time of 4 hours. How often can I recharge my battery? You can charge a battery regardless of its current charge level, it's just important to remember that batteries have limited charge cycles so you don't want to charge your battery at any chance you get. Bosch Electric Bike Range Assistant Interested In Learning More? Check out our massive range of electric bikes to learn which one is best for you. Also if you would like to continue reading about Shimano and Bosch electric bikes see more readings below: Bosch Performance Line CX Bosch Electric Batteries Shimano e6100 Shimano e8000