Low temperature affecting battery

[ragtopjoek]

I went for a ride on my Turbo Levo Saturday when the temperatures were in the mid 20's and was shocked when I arrived home. Normally I ride 20 miles and when I return home the battery has 5 lights lit when the temperature is 47 degrees or warmer. That was not the case on Saturday. I had one light blinking red. That is a big difference. Is this common? And if you are wondering, I always use the highest power setting. If it is that cold out again, would changing to a lower power setting give me much more milage?

 

[Ann M.]

Possibly, I would suggest that you store the battery inside your home until you go to ride to help keep it a bit warmer. Some cold weather riders here use a neoprene cover or other type of insulator wrapped around the battery during winter rides. In any case, the lower power setting will consume less energy no matter what the temperature.

 

[Embra]

I don't yet have bike battery experience to draw on, but I leased an all-electric car for 3 years (Nissan Leaf). There was about a 20% hit on range for those batteries in our relatively mild winters in southern Pennsylvania...so I'm not surprised by your report. If we ever had days in the single digits, it was much worse. Those Li-ion batteries like the same temperatures we do.

 

[ragtopjoek]

Possibly, I would suggest that you store the battery inside your home until you go to ride to help keep it a bit warmer. Some cold weather riders here use a neoprene cover or other type of insulator wrapped around the battery during winter rides. In any case, the lower power setting will consume less energy no matter what the temperature.

I do keep the Turbo Levo in my living room always. It is like a piece of art it is so beautiful. I did read once about someone wrapping the battery in neoprene in cold weather. It sounds like a good idea, I'll put it on my To Do List. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[Over50]

I purchased the neoprene sleeve (ordered from the UK) for my Bosch battery. It definitely helps at least if you aren't letting the bike sit idle in the cold for long periods. The first time I noticed the cold weather penalty: I had the bike inside just prior to riding. Rode 4 miles to the coffee shop. The bike sat outside about 45 minutes to 1 hour in about 32F weather. Noticed estimated range quickly reduced on the return trip. I think there was another thread here with some empirical evidence/test results confirming the benefit of the neoprene. Maybe you can rig something up for your bike if there aren't any ready-made options. My Bosch instructions just warn to be careful to remove when charging or not to use with temps above a certain level (I think 50F but would have to refer back to my other thread to confirm).

 

[J.R.]

Here is some information on the effects of cold and using a cover.

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/winter-battery-cover-flir-one-measurements.3457/

I used a homemade cover on my first ebike and now use the factory cover on my current ebike. I've noticed range reduction below 45°F and significant range reduction below freezing. The cover helps, but not as much as warm spring days. I use the cover whenever temperatures are below ~60°F.

 

[eagamer80]

I rode several times on -10c (14F) and no problems for me with the standard battery. The problems with batteries usually arrive with high temperatures, not with low. But the manufacturer recommends not to use it with less than -20c (-4). If there's a huge difference in performance with less than 300 charging cycles the first 2 years, you should check the battery with your dealer because it would require to make a replacement. Get it checked.

 

[ROJA]

Glad I found this thread from a couple of years ago! I'm experiencing this as well (although it's not that cold here, high 30s F, which is around 3-4 C).

Here's more info: https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/news/safely-through-the-winter-with-the-ebike/

Although I don't know about you guys - I get just as hot riding my ebike as a regular nono-e bike!

 

[barakthecat]

I’ve definitely noticed a hit. After a few weeks of 10-20° f riding it hit 60° f in New England and I used a full bar less on my 11 mile commute in both directions. That’s with the battery being stored and charged indoors. I never thought to use a sleeve to insulate it, that’s an interesting idea.

 

[Ebiker01]

I do keep the Turbo Levo in my living room always. It is like a piece of art it is so beautiful. I did read once about someone wrapping the battery in neoprene in cold weather. It sounds like a good idea, I'll put it on my To Do List. Thanks for reminding me.

I pedal fast (75-85rpm)in order to keep the circuits warm. I use to wrap it in neoprene but i observed that by pedalling fast is better.