Storing E-Bike Through Winter?

[kbaffa]

Hello,

So after a long search I think I've finally decided on an e-bike. The only issue is that it would not ship until mid-january. I live near Philadelphia and would almost certainly not be setting up/riding the bike until Spring. Would there be any issues with keeping the bike in its packaging throughout the winter? It would most likely be staying in my garage. Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

 

[6zfshdb]

I store my three ebikes in an unheated garage. I was also concerned about cold storage so I called the manufacturer. They told me there wouldn't be a problem storing the bikes in sub zero temperatures as long as it is dry storage. They did say to store the batteries in a heated space though.

To be on the safe side, I'd contact your bike maker and ask what they recommend.

 

[rich c]

I’d at least take the battery out and check the voltage. If the battery comes at a low voltage, then sits for a few months, it may go too low and you’ll have a brick in the spring.

 

[harryS]

Depends on your purchase protection plans. Some of them, like Paypal and amazpn, ony give you a brief window after delivery to open a dispute. On the other hand, if the seller is known to honor warranties, less worry.

New batteries are usually shipped at nominal charge (about 50%). They should last that way all winter, It gets complicated if you want to take it out of the box and charge it, because long term storage at full charge will shorten the life. However, that applies mainly in hot weather.

 

[AlanDB]

You could ask the seller if they would "hold" it for you and ship it later (like in March).

 

[sl_duck]

Store the battery at roughly 50% charge, and don't charge it below freezing temperatures. Lithium ion batteries are ok to discharge and store in freezing temperatures if you must, but charging them when they're that cold causes lithium plating and shortens their life.

 

[TForan]

I let my battery sit for two months with a starting charge level of 70% and it never came back to life. Learn from my stupid mistake .

 

[jcanavera]

Here's the advice from RadPower regarding their batteries.

For battery storage longer than two weeks, the battery should be kept at around 75% charged, powered off, and stored in a dry place between 50° F and 77° F. The battery should be checked every month, and if necessary, charged to around 75% charged.

I know my battery was at 75% upon delivery of my new RadCity. Supposedly charging the battery to 100% and leaving it sit for weeks will shorten the life of the battery.

 

[FlatSix911]

Good advice to check monthly.

You will want to remove the battery and keep it charged between 50-80%... don't store the battery above or below these ranges and you will be fine.

 

[Bigal1463]

I stored my batteries in the house over the winter for 3 months at a full charge. When springtime came, I wanted to make sure that the batteries held their charge So before my first ride I attempted to charge them, and luckily they both held the charge.

 

[FlatSix911]

I stored my batteries in the house over the winter for 3 months at a full charge.
When springtime came, I wanted to make sure that the batteries held their charge So before my first ride I attempted to charge them, and luckily they both held the charge.

Good to hear... what was your charge level in the Spring before recharging?

 

[Bigal1463]

Full charge

 

[FlatSix911]

Full charge

Interesting... so no loss of charge over the winter?

 

[Bigal1463]

Not at all.

 

[Bigal1463]

Tell me, should I have lost some charge? This was my very first experience.

 

[FlatSix911]

Tell me, should I have lost some charge? This was my very first experience.

Yes, lithium batteries discharge over time. How did you measure the State of Charge, SOC?
LED bars are not accurate... a BMS with a defined percentage is a more accurate gauge of SOC.

 

[Bigal1463]

I don’t know how to measure the charge. My last ride was mid November and as usual after a ride, I connect the battery to the charger and when it’s fully charged, the light on the charger will show green. in December, I attempted to charge the batteries before I left for Florida, but the charger still showed green. I left for Florida in January and had the house temperature set at 62 degrees. When I returned in April, I again attempted to charge them and the charger showed green. I have been out riding at least eight time, alternating batteries and everything appears to be fine.

 

[FlatSix911]

All good.

Next time, take a look at the display on your bike and see if it has a percentage of battery remaining... the SOC.

 

[Oscar56]

I stored my batteries in the house over the winter for 3 months at a full charge. When springtime came, I wanted to make sure that the batteries held their charge So before my first ride I attempted to charge them, and luckily they both held the charge.

Literature from battery experts say that storing a battery at 100% for a lengthy period of time, even just a few days, will shorten it's life significantly.

 

[harryS]

Literature from battery experts say that storing a battery at 100% for a lengthy period of time, even just a few days, will shorten its life significantly.

I don't think it's that drastic. When we got into ebikes in 2015, the seller told us to charge after every ride. And in wintertime storage, to charge once a month (we didn't do this) . It was not til 2017 that I learned that was poor practice.

For a time, I tried to follow the new rules, but I slipped into my old habits, Recharge after each ride unless I know the battery isn't going to be used for a few days. Store at half charge in winter. My original 2015 batteries probably have less than 300 cycles on them in 2020. The low usage and not running them below 50% probably mitigate the less than perfect storage.