Battery Deterioration & How Long Will They Last?

[6zfshdb]

Batteries are arguably the most expensive part of an e-bike. Most manufacturers warranty them for between 2 and 5 years. The necessity of spending $400 to $800 for replacements in that period of time is cause for concern. Many here have been riding for several years now. As an e-bike newby, what deterioration can I expect to see over time? Short of outright failure, has anyone actually experienced this yet?

The experts say that over time, lithium batteries slowly loose capacity. This is due to many factors including the number of charge discharge cycles, temperature, how deeply the batteries are discharged, the state of charge during storage etc. There are several excellent posts here on ways to prolong the life of our batteries. Assuming they are followed, what can we all expect to experience in the future? How long before we won't be able to trust our batteries to get us around the block?

I realize this is a complicated issue and everyone will have a different experience. Any real world input would be appreciated.

 

[Athena]

It also depends on the climate. Either extremely hot as in Arizona, or extremely cold as in N. Dakota will affect the life of a battery. There are trickle chargers that can be used to keep lead batteries alive when the bike is not used for any length of time. I currently have 3 year old lead batteries that are surprisingly still functional.

 

[Bicyclista]

Batteries are arguably the most expensive part of an e-bike. Most manufacturers warranty them for between 2 and 5 years. The necessity of spending $400 to $800 for replacements in that period of time is cause for concern. Many here have been riding for several years now. As an e-bike newby, what deterioration can I expect to see over time? Short of outright failure, has anyone actually experienced this yet?

The experts say that over time, lithium batteries slowly loose capacity. This is due to many factors including the number of charge discharge cycles, temperature, how deeply the batteries are discharged, the state of charge during storage etc. There are several excellent posts here on ways to prolong the life of our batteries. Assuming they are followed, what can we all expect to experience in the future? How long before we won't be able to trust our batteries to get us around the block?

I realize this is a complicated issue and everyone will have a different experience. Any real world input would be appreciated.

As I noted on another thread, after two years and about 4,500 miles on my 2016 Haibike AllMtn Plus, I estimate that I have lost about 5 to 10% of my range compared to when the battery was new. My range was about 40 miles of mixed terrain (mostly asphalt, some dirt, downhills, uphills, level terrain, light crosswind, into a moderate wind, and with a moderate wind, upright riding position, with panniers and heavy professional photographic equipment), using the HIGH level of assist. Now I get about 36 to 38 miles on the same route.

All in all, not bad considering that I have not babied the battery (a Yamaha 36V 11Ah). At first I simply charged it to full. Lately, I have been using a timer to charge it to approximately 80%. I almost always have more than 20% charge remaining after a ride.

 

[tomjasz]

It’s really in your hands. Heat is enemy one. Smaller rated batteries being pushed to constant limits can stress battery by internal heating. Constant maximum charge, or storing under full charge are also culprits. I have 36v original batteries supplying 16A to mid drives with 4 years and thousands of miles each. There is some loss, but still perform nearly as new.

Take care and your battery will take care of you.

I think buying the best charger one can afford can play a big part. $3000+ bikes with $20 chargers seem to be the norm.

 

[JRA]

Certainly for longest life studies as well as real world data say that a 20%-85% cycle life is optimum.

However this means you only have 65% of the ah’s your battery is rated for severely affecting range. The way to solve this is to go to a larger ah battery.

Just do the best you can with the methods mentioned and your range goals in mind.