How fast should the battery drain while not in use?

[citivas]

Just got my new Como 4.0 yesterday. Battery came fairly close to drained (about 12 percent). Charged it last night, did my first ride this morning. It started at 100%. It was at 94% when I finished (and had just barely turned from 95% as I stopped) and turned it off this morning.

This evening I turned it on to setup the Mission Control app. It had been stored in 70-something degrees during the hours in between and it was probably about 10 hours of a gap. Battery when I turned it on was at 91% Is losing 3% in 10 hours of storage in moderate temperate a day about what I should expect? Or is the loss ratio greater because it was still charged to such a high percentage when storage began (I did a 17 mile ride but tried to be conservative about use because exercise was the goal).

Thanks.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is too fast a drain. Don't draw the conclusion too early though. Give your Como a couple of weeks so you both could know each other better. When the things are new to us, we simply care too much. Been there, experienced that

Enjoy your Como! Ride on!

 

[MikeDD]

How accurate is the percentage on Mission Control? Who knows. On my turbo levo I look at the lights. I agree, ride it. What's 3 percent? When my bike gets below 50 percent I charge it depending on the length of the planned ride.

 

[Sierratim]

After letting my Vado 'cool down' after a ride the battery charge level is often ~3% less than when I just finished the ride. I believe this is related to the battery temperature more than anything else.

I stored both of our batteries in the house over the winter starting with ~70% charge. They were both still within a percent or two of their initial charge after a month so. No real issues with the batteries self-draining when stored as far as I can tell.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

After letting my Vado 'cool down' after a ride the battery charge level is often ~3% less than when I just finished the ride. I believe this is related to the battery temperature more than anything else.

A good point.
Sometimes the battery of my Vado charges to 98% only on some days and to 100% on the other. Same with my Trance E+. Has to do something with the temperature. Or, it is really unimportant.

 

[Sierratim]

A good point.
Sometimes the battery of my Vado charges to 98% only on some days and to 100% on the other. Same with my Trance E+. Has to do something with the temperature. Or, it is really unimportant.

I have noticed that at times my Vado will report 100% charge, but the charger is still 'red', i.e. charging. If I disconnect the charger in this condition the battery will 'droop' to ~98% charge in a short time. If I leave the charger connected until its indicator turns green ('done'), the battery stays at 100% charge. I believe the charger is going through its cell balancing procedure when this happens. Disconecting too early leaves a few cells at less than optimum capacity, so the battery droops. Leaving the charger connected corrects this.

 

[Handlebars]

I have noticed that at times my Vado will report 100% charge, but the charger is still 'red', i.e. charging. If I disconnect the charger in this condition the battery will 'droop' to ~98% charge in a short time. If I leave the charger connected until its indicator turns green ('done'), the battery stays at 100% charge. I believe the charger is going through its cell balancing procedure when this happens. Disconecting too early leaves a few cells at less than optimum capacity, so the battery droops. Leaving the charger connected corrects this.

My battery drops 6% most times when I unplug it during charging. It also can gain 2 % after a ride, similarly to how it sometimes gains back a lot after large drops during high power usage. When the battery is charging and nearly full, it will drop only 2 % if unplugged before charger indicates full by turning off. My 1 amp charger will charge the battery a bit more after my 3 amp charger will not charge more

 

[tomjasz]

I bought an EM3ev 36V 17Ah. Spaced out and forgot I had it. When stored it was at 45%. A year later it won't charge. A change in BT BMS used meant the replacement didn't fit. An expensive door stop.

 

[TomD]

1+ year old topic, but for long term battery health I've read it's not good to charge above 80% unless you plan to ride soon (definitely would avoid storing it above 80%).

 

[Allan47.7339]

It's easy to forget to check the battery if you're not currently using that bike.

The Como 2020-2021 support page (same as in manual):

2020-2021 Como Battery Maintenance

support.specialized.com

2020-2021 Como Battery Maintenance
There are a few small things that help prolong the life of the battery:
Long term storage:
Store at 50-75% state of charge (SoC)
Keep in moderate temperatures (above freezing and below hot summertime temps)
Check SoC and briefly charge every three months (or according to manual)
Frequent use:
Let battery sit for at least two hours after a full charge (this allows for SoC calibration)
Keep battery at room temperature in extreme weather
Ensure system is turned off before unplugging battery
For use in below-freezing weather, keep the battery (or entire bike) inside at room temperature before riding. All Li-ion batteries act as if the SoC is very low when the cells are cold. Start with a warm battery to ensure full range. When riding, the battery can maintain a warm temperature

 

[kahn]

I guess I just don't want to worry about the entire battery charge/discharge process. I don't now if I will use the bike tomorrow or how far I might go. I don't want to be caught short. I just want to ride the damn bike. I am also not going to babysit the charge cycle and figure out 60, 70 or 80 percent and intervene. I will not treat this like that social experiment where you have to cuddle the doll or feed it on time or take care of the egg. That is my simple take on battery health.

 

[TomD]

If you don't have enough battery for a 20% cushion on your ride it may not make sense for you. I don't find it particularly hard to do, actually easier than other basic maintenance. When I get home I plug in the charger, estimate how long it will take to charge back to 80% (easy to ballpark after some trial and error), and set a timer on my phone to unplug.

 

[john peck]

Just got my new Como 4.0 yesterday. Battery came fairly close to drained (about 12 percent). Charged it last night, did my first ride this morning. It started at 100%. It was at 94% when I finished (and had just barely turned from 95% as I stopped) and turned it off this morning.

This evening I turned it on to setup the Mission Control app. It had been stored in 70-something degrees during the hours in between and it was probably about 10 hours of a gap. Battery when I turned it on was at 91% Is losing 3% in 10 hours of storage in moderate temperate a day about what I should expect? Or is the loss ratio greater because it was still charged to such a high percentage when storage began (I did a 17 mile ride but tried to be conservative about use because exercise was the goal).

Thanks.

D´ja check the plug that goes into the charger? Probly not yur issue, but one with the same symptom.
They can work loose; the light will go green, but the juice ain´t quite all there, heat loss.

 

[AleksR]

Just got my new Como 4.0 yesterday. Battery came fairly close to drained (about 12 percent). Charged it last night, did my first ride this morning. It started at 100%. It was at 94% when I finished (and had just barely turned from 95% as I stopped) and turned it off this morning.

This evening I turned it on to setup the Mission Control app. It had been stored in 70-something degrees during the hours in between and it was probably about 10 hours of a gap. Battery when I turned it on was at 91% Is losing 3% in 10 hours of storage in moderate temperate a day about what I should expect? Or is the loss ratio greater because it was still charged to such a high percentage when storage began (I did a 17 mile ride but tried to be conservative about use because exercise was the goal).

Thanks.

It shouldn't drain much at all.