Claudia Wasko is General Manager of Bosch eBike Systems Americas. Claudia can be reached at [email protected].
From: https://www.bosch-ebike.com/us/experience-ebike/stories/bosch-ebikes-battery-blog/
Here’s the thing, though: There’s no simple answer to how far an eBike battery will take you per charge, because there are so many factors involved, including:
- Assistance level: A rider who keeps the pedal-assist at its highest setting (Turbo) – meaning they pedal less and the bike does more of the work – will naturally drain the battery faster than a rider pedaling in Eco mode – where the rider does most of the work.
- Terrain: Uphill jaunts on an eBike tax the battery more than cruising the flats, so whether you’re riding in San Francisco or Iowa makes a difference.
- Rider Weight: Just like pulling a loaded wagon uphill, heavy riders will drain a battery faster than lightweight riders.
- Ground conditions: Gravel, sand and paved bike lanes affect all bikes differently, and for an eBike, tough ground conditions translate into shorter battery life.
- Wind: A rider’s legs – and their bike battery – need to put in more or less effort depending on which way the wind is blowing and how breezy it is.
- Tire pressure: Tires that aren’t inflated to their optimal pressure may grip the road better and give you a little softer ride, but they take more energy to turn.
However, some best practices can ensure optimal battery range:
Shift those gears. Pedaling cadence between 60-80 rotations per minute optimizes the efficiency of the drive unit. Your bike’s wide range of gears helps you keep in a high cadence no matter what speed or slope you encounter. Ideally, start off and take inclines in a low gear, then shift to a higher gear in accordance with the terrain and speed. If your eBike has an Intuvia display, keep an eye on the arrows in the top-left corner – Bosch’s gear shift recommendation keeps things simple by telling you when to up shift and down shift, just like in modern stick-shift cars.
Extra baggage. If long range is the goal, keep the total weight of any additional carry-ons from being unnecessarily high.
Stay in the flow. As with a car, frequent starting and stopping is less “fuel-efficient” than pedaling long distances at a nearly constant speed.
Remember climates change. As outside temperatures decrease, the efficiency of a rechargeable PowerPack goes down, since the electrical resistance increases. In winter, riders can thus expect a reduction in the normal range.
Treat your PowerPack like a pet. To get the longest service life out of a battery, bring the battery indoors on a cold winter’s night, keep it out of the blazing hot sun, and recharge it at room temperature. If storing for several months, extra care goes a long way: make sure its charge level is 30-60%, and place it in a dry environment free from direct sunlight at room temperature.
An eBikes’s range can be anywhere from 15 miles (24 kilometers) to 140 miles (230 kilometers) on a full charge, with the factors we’ve outlined affecting that range. For help planning a trip, the B
osch range assistant takes into account the different factors and gives you an idea of how far you can expect to travel in the conditions that you specify.
https://www.bosch-ebike.com/us/news/11-questions-about-the-ebike-battery/
1. What is special about lithium-ion batteries?
Thomas Raica: Lithium-ion batteries are among the most up-to-date and common eBike batteries around. Thanks to their high energy density they can store more energy and are relatively light in weight. We rely on lithium-ion technology for all of our Bosch eBike batteries – our PowerPacks. Bosch batteries weigh about 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) and are among the lightest on the market. They also have the highest energy density.
2. How long does a battery last?
Thomas Raica: Lithium-ion batteries are not only light; they also have a long service life. Bosch PowerPacks are designed for many tours, distances and years of use. The smart electronic Bosch battery management system protects lithium-ion batteries from too high of temperatures, overloading and deep discharging. A precise life span is impossible to forecast, however. The battery’s service life will depend mainly on the nature and duration of the stress to which it is subjected.
3. How can you influence the service life?
Thomas Raica: To get the longest service life out of a battery eBikers need only to follow a few simple rules in respect of protection, transport and storage. They include storing the battery in a dry environment and protecting it from direct sunlight at a room temperature of around 59°F (15°C) to 68°F (20°C).
The ideal charging level for a battery is between 30% and 60%. Ideally, the battery should be recharged at room temperature. When transporting an eBike it is important to remove the battery from the bike and store it safely in the car.
4. How long does it take to charge a battery?
Thomas Raica: The charging time depends on the battery’s capacity. Using the standard charger (for a half charge) the PowerPack 400 takes about 1.5 hours and the PowerPack 500 roughly 2 hours. A totally depleted PowerPack 400 takes 3.5 and a PowerPack 500 roughly 4.5 hours.
5. How far can you travel on one battery?
And which factors affect the battery’s range? Thomas Raica: For many eBikers these are crucial questions to which there are, however, no generally valid answers. The answer can differ enormously – from less than 12 miles (20 km) to well over 62 miles (100 km) on a full battery charge. Many different factors affect the range. They include the assistance level, cycling behavior, air resistance, the cyclist’s weight, tire pressure and, of course, the terrain. What are the ground conditions? Am I cycling on a paved road, a farm track or a forest trail? Does my route include ascents or consist solely of flat and open country? All of these factors influence the battery range. If you are planning a tour, a visit to
www.bosch-ebike.com is highly recommended. The website includes a
range assistant that takes the different factors into account and gives you an idea of how far you can expect to travel in the conditions that you specify.
6. What precautions should be taken in winter?
Thomas Raica: A general rule is that cold weather reduces battery performance. That is why, in winter at below-zero temperatures,
it is advisable to wait until just before you set out before attaching to your eBike a battery that has been charged and stored at room temperature. If you have not used the eBike for quite a while – in winter, for example – the battery should be stored in an environment that is dry and cool at about 30% to 60% of its charge capacity.
7. What must be kept in mind when cleaning the battery?
Thomas Raica: A pressure washer is unsuitable for cleaning an eBike, especially its electronic components. We recommend wiping the battery with a damp cloth. Do not use strong detergents that might affect the surface and always remove the battery before cleaning the eBike. Its plug connectors should also be cleaned and lightly greased from time to time.
8. How are batteries best charged?
Thomas Raica: PowerPacks with their lithium-ion cells can be charged for as short a period as you like irrespective of their charge status. The PowerPack’s integrated battery management system, combined with a Bosch charger, protects the battery from overload when charging. Interrupting the charging process does the battery no harm. An important point to bear in mind is that eBike batteries should only be charged with the right charger because irreparable damage might otherwise result and warranty or guarantee claims might become invalid.
9. How often can a battery be recharged?
Thomas Raica: Even after 500 full charges the battery will still retain a high capacity—60 to 70% of the original capacity will then still be available. In an ADAC test carried out in autumn 2015 a Bosch eBike battery was fully discharged and
recharged 1,515 times before it retained only 30% of its original capacity and was no longer of any real use. This means that the battery would have been sufficient for up to
35,400 miles (57,000 km) – or one-and-a-half times around the globe.
10. Where can batteries be repaired?
Thomas Raica: High-quality lithium-ion batteries like the Bosch PowerPacks are complex, finely-tuned systems the repair of which requires special expertise and elaborate production facilities. That is why a defective battery must in nearly all cases be replaced. We recommend the following procedure. First, let the dealer check whether the battery really is defective and has, for instance, a fault in its electronics. That is something the dealer can check using the battery management system and the diagnostic tool. If the battery is defective, the dealer will dispose of it with due regard for the safety regulations.
11. How do you dispose of an old battery?
Thomas Raica: The dealer will ensure that a Bosch PowerPack is disposed of in an environmentally sound way free of charge. Disposal in the United States is handled by CALL2RECYCLE at (877) 723-1297.
The red highlighted text are some of reasons why I am buying an extra PowerPack 500w battery. I do not want the battery charge to fall below 30%. I plan to ride 5,000 to 10,000 per year, using my eBike as a car replacement.
Also, The PowerPack is enclosed inside the frame, so it is not directly exposed to cold temperatures, that degrade performance.
