Battery maintenance

[Ryan71]

Hey all,
I cant seem to find any consistent advice on the proper way to maximize battery life & keep it functioning at best.
I currently have a 2019 radrover a little over 2 months old. I had some range issues with the original battery so was issued a replacement under warranty. I now have two battery packs. The original still works however it will only deliver maybe 15 miles on full charge with lots of peddling & flat, paved roads hence the replacement. Obviously this is not normal however it still works for short runs around town so I want to use it until it quits completely. With that being said what would be the best way to store the replacement battery for extended periods of time without negatively effecting it? Should I be using both batteries, say like every couple of days swap them out, charge the other & repeat this process or do I store the new battery until the original just doesn't work anymore?
Also is it better to fully charge your battery after each use or should I be charging it only when needed? There are occasions, due mostly to weather, when the bike will not be ridden for a day or two. This will probably become more frequent when winter sets in.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.....also I read somewhere about something I may purchase to measure battery capacity %....can anyone recomend a specific product, that's not expensive & what would be the technical name for such a device?
Thanks again!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Hey all,
I cant seem to find any consistent advice on the proper way to maximize battery life & keep it functioning at best.
I currently have a 2019 radrover a little over 2 months old. I had some range issues with the original battery so was issued a replacement under warranty. I now have two battery packs. The original still works however it will only deliver maybe 15 miles on full charge with lots of peddling & flat, paved roads hence the replacement. Obviously this is not normal however it still works for short runs around town so I want to use it until it quits completely. With that being said what would be the best way to store the replacement battery for extended periods of time without negatively effecting it? Should I be using both batteries, say like every couple of days swap them out, charge the other & repeat this process or do I store the new battery until the original just doesn't work anymore?
Also is it better to fully charge your battery after each use or should I be charging it only when needed? There are occasions, due mostly to weather, when the bike will not be ridden for a day or two. This will probably become more frequent when winter sets in.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.....also I read somewhere about something I may purchase to measure battery capacity %....can anyone recomend a specific product, that's not expensive & what would be the technical name for such a device?
Thanks again!

Here is a battery guide for you: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/e-bike-battery-guide.24443/

 

[FlatSix911]

Here is a battery guide for you: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/e-bike-battery-guide.24443/

Excellent guide on maximizing battery life... same for EV batteries that Tesla produces

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Excellent guide on maximizing battery life... same for EV batteries like Tesla produces

Thanks.
Since I work on battery materials every day, I get to see and hear all the amazing innovations happening in the space. I feel very lucky and grateful.
The whole automotive world is transitioning towards clean energy technologies and its important we disseminate best practices and methods so we help newcomers feel comfortable.
There is so much FUD out there and it's in the hands of folks you and me to help people embrace the battery technology.

 

[Ryan71]

Thanks.
Since I work on battery materials every day, I get to see and hear all the amazing innovations happening in the space. I feel very lucky and grateful.
The whole automotive world is transitioning towards clean energy technologies and its important we disseminate best practices and methods so we help newcomers feel comfortable.
There is so much FUD out there and it's in the hands of folks you and me to help people embrace the battery technology.

Thank you for sharing this article.

 

[Ryan71]

Thank you for sharing this article.

@ Ravi Kempaiah,
Can you recommend an inexpensive device I may use in conjunction with my stock charger that would allow me to measure the percentage of charge on my battery?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

@ Ravi Kempaiah,
Can you recommend an inexpensive device I may use in conjunction with my stock charger that would allow me to measure the percentage of charge on my battery?

There are two ways to do it. If you want to see battery state of charge with higher resolution, you may get one of the upgrade displays for your RadRover. Get one of those that shows voltage and you will be able to monitor the battery's SOC more accurately. This site also has LED headlight, tail lights and upgrade for motor controller.

Area 13

boltonebikes.com

Another way is to measure how much electricity you are pumping into the battery. If you use a wattmeter in conjunction with the stock charger, depending on which you end connect it to, you can see how much the charger is pulling from the source or how much the charger is pushing into the battery.

Luna Cycle Watt Meter

Luna Cycle watt meter our watt meter that we get to you at an inexpensive price with accurate readings on how much is left in your battery

lunacycle.com

I do not know how long they hold up but for less than $30, these are thing you can try.

 

[Ryan71]

There are two ways to do it. If you want to see battery state of charge with higher resolution, you may get one of the upgrade displays for your RadRover. Get one of those that shows voltage and you will be able to monitor the battery's SOC more accurately. This site also has LED headlight, tail lights and upgrade for motor controller.

Area 13

boltonebikes.com

Another way is to measure how much electricity you are pumping into the battery. If you use a wattmeter in conjunction with the stock charger, depending on which you end connect it to, you can see how much the charger is pulling from the source or how much the charger is pushing into the battery.

Luna Cycle Watt Meter

Luna Cycle watt meter our watt meter that we get to you at an inexpensive price with accurate readings on how much is left in your battery

lunacycle.com

I do not know how long they hold up but for less than $30, these are thing you can try.

 

[AHicks]

I would say that other than your charger, a volt meter is the most important tool there is when talking battery maintenance. You're just making wild guesses if you don't have the batteries exact voltage to work with.

I had one for a bit, but honestly don't remember if the OEM RAD display will supply a digital readout. If not, even the least expensive digital VOM's from Harbor Freight or Amazon will get the job done.

 

[AZOldTech]

I've heard for long term storage (4-6 months or more), store the battery at 50%. However the Voltage definition of 50% of 4.2V batteries I've seen varies (I've seen 3.85V, 3.8V, 3.5V etc..). So anyone want to chime in what is the correct voltage of a 48V battery to be at 50%? Thanks in advance.

 

[PDXzap]

I've heard for long term storage (4-6 months or more), store the battery at 50%. However the Voltage definition of 50% of 4.2V batteries I've seen varies (I've seen 3.85V, 3.8V, 3.5V etc..). So anyone want to chime in what is the correct voltage of a 48V battery to be at 50%? Thanks in advance.

The type of cell in the battery pack needs to be known in able to determine the correct voltage for a 50% charge. 50% isn't really the "magic percentage" charge for the longest battery life but it's been found to be a "safe area".

If you'd like to narrow it down and know what cells are in your battery you could use the CHARGE SIMULATOR at Grin Technologies to find what voltage you would need for 50%.
Use the Battery Settings on the left of the simulator to pick your packs characteristics or a close approximation. Once you've input the information for your pack and set the % of charge you'd like just multiply the calculated cell voltage by the number of series cells in your pack.

 

[Ryan71]

Very informative...thank you so much for sharing

There are two ways to do it. If you want to see battery state of charge with higher resolution, you may get one of the upgrade displays for your RadRover. Get one of those that shows voltage and you will be able to monitor the battery's SOC more accurately. This site also has LED headlight, tail lights and upgrade for motor controller.

Area 13

boltonebikes.com

Another way is to measure how much electricity you are pumping into the battery. If you use a wattmeter in conjunction with the stock charger, depending on which you end connect it to, you can see how much the charger is pulling from the source or how much the charger is pushing into the battery.

Luna Cycle Watt Meter

Luna Cycle watt meter our watt meter that we get to you at an inexpensive price with accurate readings on how much is left in your battery

lunacycle.com

I do not know how long they hold up but for less than $30, these are thing you can try.

@

There are two ways to do it. If you want to see battery state of charge with higher resolution, you may get one of the upgrade displays for your RadRover. Get one of those that shows voltage and you will be able to monitor the battery's SOC more accurately. This site also has LED headlight, tail lights and upgrade for motor controller.

Area 13

boltonebikes.com

Another way is to measure how much electricity you are pumping into the battery. If you use a wattmeter in conjunction with the stock charger, depending on which you end connect it to, you can see how much the charger is pulling from the source or how much the charger is pushing into the battery.

Luna Cycle Watt Meter

Luna Cycle watt meter our watt meter that we get to you at an inexpensive price with accurate readings on how much is left in your battery

lunacycle.com

I do not know how long they hold up but for less than $30, these are thing you can try.

@ Ravi Kempaiah ...thanks again for all your help.
The Bolton display upgrade looks pretty interesting. Have you had any personal experience using one? I'm wondering how difficult it is to install on the 2019 rad? Would I have to swap out anything else to make it work with the existing stock parts?
Also it looks like it adds some power to the bike as well. Can you elaborate on how that works? I dont know that I understand the principle behind this.....its still a 750 watt rear hub drive motor. Wouldn't you have to upgrade to a more powerful hub drive moter to see an increase in performance/speed?

 

[harryS]

I've heard for long term storage (4-6 months or more), store the battery at 50%. However the Voltage definition of 50% of 4.2V batteries I've seen varies (I've seen 3.85V, 3.8V, 3.5V etc..). So anyone want to chime in what is the correct voltage of a 48V battery to be at 50%? Thanks in advance.

About 3.6V is half charge on a 4.2V cell, in my opinion. That would put your 13S 48V pack around 47 volts. Give or take a volt, it's not really a big deal.

For me, storage happens in an un-heated garage that will range from 10F to 50F from November til April. I can store at 100% without much loss at those ambients, and that's what I did for two winters from 2015 thru 2016 with my first batteries. The memo on storage at 100% being bad didn't reach my desk until 2017.


.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Have you had any personal experience using one?

I do not own a RadPower bike but I have ridden them and know the bike well.

I'm wondering how difficult it is to install on the 2019 rad?

It is not very difficult as the controller is mounted outside near the seat tube.
I would contact the owner of Bolton Bikes. He is responsive and has sold hundreds of them.

I dont know that I understand the principle behind this.....its still a 750 watt rear hub drive motor.

The principle is simple.
Motor gets the power from the battery but how much power is sent to the motor is regulated by the controller. you may have heard of MOSFETS. These MOSFETS in the controller regulate much electricicty is fed into the motor. Now, you replace 15A controller with 25A, you are essentially increasing the current limit that flows through the controller and hence the motor receives more power. You should be careful however, too much excessive power can damage the motor but the Bolton upgrade kit is known to work with the existing motor.

The same motor will put out close to 1250watts of power in short bursts. Take a look at this graphic and I hope this helps...

 

[Feliz]

Very informative...thank you so much for sharing

@

@ Ravi Kempaiah ...thanks again for all your help.
The Bolton display upgrade looks pretty interesting. Have you had any personal experience using one? I'm wondering how difficult it is to install on the 2019 rad? Would I have to swap out anything else to make it work with the existing stock parts?
Also it looks like it adds some power to the bike as well. Can you elaborate on how that works? I dont know that I understand the principle behind this.....its still a 750 watt rear hub drive motor. Wouldn't you have to upgrade to a more powerful hub drive moter to see an increase in performance/speed?

It took me 10 minutes max and makes a significant difference, well worth it. I've done this on my other rear hub drives with good results.

 

[AHicks]

Very informative...thank you so much for sharing

@

@ Ravi Kempaiah ...thanks again for all your help.
The Bolton display upgrade looks pretty interesting. Have you had any personal experience using one? I'm wondering how difficult it is to install on the 2019 rad? Would I have to swap out anything else to make it work with the existing stock parts?
Also it looks like it adds some power to the bike as well. Can you elaborate on how that works? I dont know that I understand the principle behind this.....its still a 750 watt rear hub drive motor. Wouldn't you have to upgrade to a more powerful hub drive moter to see an increase in performance/speed?

Ryan, there's a ton of info on Bolton's conversion kit in several different places. Though I'm a huge fan of the components he uses, it's sort of off topic here in this string. Suggest that there are several other fans that are regular contributes here, and your questions could be answered t any level you desire by opening a new topic in the RAD section, or here:

Radrover Controller & Display Upgrade Kit

Well I just installed and tested out my Radrover Upgrade kit from Boltonebikes.com. It's a 35a controller and I also chose the KT-LCD8H color display. My 500W Canadian 2018 Radrover absolutely flies up hills now. I recommend this to any Radrover owner who wants more power, especially if you...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Ryan71]

It took me 10 minutes max and makes a significant difference, well worth it. I've done this on my other rear hub drives with good results.

@ Feliz.....when you say significant difference are you referring to power/torque or speed or both?
If it increases overall speed ....approximately how much increases can one expect to see?

 

[Ryan71]

Ryan, there's a ton of info on Bolton's conversion kit in several different places. Though I'm a huge fan of the components he uses, it's sort of off topic here in this string. Suggest that there are several other fans that are regular contributes here, and your questions could be answered t any level you desire by opening a new topic in the RAD section, or here:

Radrover Controller & Display Upgrade Kit

Well I just installed and tested out my Radrover Upgrade kit from Boltonebikes.com. It's a 35a controller and I also chose the KT-LCD8H color display. My 500W Canadian 2018 Radrover absolutely flies up hills now. I recommend this to any Radrover owner who wants more power, especially if you...

electricbikereview.com

@ AHicks, thank you for that suggestion.
I appreciate the feedback.

 

[Feliz]

@ Feliz.....when you say significant difference are you referring to power/torque or speed or both?
If it increases overall speed ....approximately how much increases can one expect to see?

I don't know how fast I ride, if I look at my display it's to see the wattage. I generally ride slow, 20 mph is good enough. With double the wattage going to the motor I would assume torque would increase proportionally. My Radrover is a budget bike, if I were going to break speed records it certainly wouldn't be on a Radrover, I value my life, I have other bikes for going fast. The bike comes with budget power so consequently has budget brakes. Gee, for $100 or whatever try it.