What is best for long term battery life?

[tommaguzzi]

I am three weeks in using my ebike conversion now and so i am starting to get into a routine. I usually do two days commuting then charge the 13 a/hr 36v battery until i get a green light on the charger, this takes 2 to 3 hours. The LCD battery display on the bike has never dropped to less than 3 out of 4 bars during use.
So my latest question for all you Ebike gurus is what is best for long term battery life?
Should i let the battery run almost flat or charge it at every opportunity.
Also I have read that these batteries are good for about 1000 charges, but does that mean any charge or just empty to full and do the little charges i have been doing only count a a quarter charge?
Any opinions will be appreciated, thank you.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The type of cells they use in E bikes are perfectly okay with being run completely down, then recharged fully, repeatedly. This is the most efficient way of doing it.

 

[ChrisV]

I had a lithium battery in a golf cart and was advised to top it up after every use. Although I remember reading about letting it run down. Or that may have been a lead battery.

That was no use to you whatsoever. I just wanted to take part in a discussion really, this seemed as good a one as any.

 

[raleighnut]

I recharge mine after every ride but only because I want a full charge in it every time I go out. One thing I have noticed is the 'protection circuit' means that there is little warning of the battery going flat, one minute it's fine the next no power especially in the cold weather.

 

[numbnuts]

Caring for your Electric Bike Battery - bottom of the page
http://www.electric-bike-conversions.co.uk/acatalog/electric_bike_questions.html

 

[tommaguzzi]

Thanks that's just what i wanted

 

[Pale Rider]

I am three weeks in using my ebike conversion now and so i am starting to get into a routine. I usually do two days commuting then charge the 13 a/hr 36v battery until i get a green light on the charger, this takes 2 to 3 hours. The LCD battery display on the bike has never dropped to less than 3 out of 4 bars during use.
So my latest question for all you Ebike gurus is what is best for long term battery life?
Should i let the battery run almost flat or charge it at every opportunity.
Also I have read that these batteries are good for about 1000 charges, but does that mean any charge or just empty to full and do the little charges i have been doing only count a a quarter charge?
Any opinions will be appreciated, thank you.

A charge cycle is deemed to be from full to empty.

The 1,000 full cycles is only an estimate, but it would take several years to reach that part-charging two or three times a week

As said, lithium batteries have no memory effect and are best used well-charged.

Conclusion is to carry on as you have been doing.

 

[keithmac]

With the Gtech I let it get down to 25% then charge it to full again, done 1000 miles total and it seems fine treating it like this.

 

[Davidc]

The link from @numbnuts post #5 agrees closely with what I was taught on a seminar from one of the lithium battery manufacturers about 4 years ago.

The only other thing they said, which probably applies to some ebike battery systems, was to recharge from nearly flat about every 20 to 30 charges* if you're using a smart charging system, to let it recalibrate for the inevitable loss of capacity. Not sure what they meant by smart and didn't ask. The systems they were on about were mainly in IT kit.

They emphasised that recharging after each use, so that the battery was kept as fully charged as possible, gave best life on that generation of batteries - as in @numbnuts linked advice for the current ones.

* they said that by a charge they meant replacing the full capacity of the battery. I.E. recharging from 75% remaining then from 50% then from 85% then from 90% would count as one charge. Boring. As was much of the seminar.

 

[Pale Rider]

The only other thing they said, which probably applies to some ebike battery systems, was to recharge from nearly flat about every 20 to 30 charges*

Most IT fellas say it does no harm to, er, cycle the battery occasionally by letting it run flat and fully recharging it.

I do the same with my ebike batteries, although the controller cuts power to the motor before the battery is fully discharged.

Just as well, because full discharge is the one thing lithium cell packs do not like.

 

[KnackeredBike]

Best way for lithium batteries is never to fully charge or discharge it. The ideal is no more than 80%, no less than 40%, although electric cars do 80/20. The advice to fully charge and discharge is from nickel-based batteries.

 

[tommaguzzi]

hello again E bikers
my ebay 250w ebay kit fitted onto a cheapo mountin bke rescued from a skip has just completed 1200 miles comuting around the hills where i live.
it has been faultless and all the miles it has done i would have had to do i my car.
Consdering fuel and parking i believe it has paid for its self already.

it is the ultimate pub shopping bike.

i can go anywhere around town and it's no effort.

i love it.

the only down side is

i when get on my regular road bike i think the brakes are binding or something.

 

[keithmac]

I run mine from full to empty then repeat, done two years already and no loss in capacity.

The batteries have a built in controller, making it impossibly to discharge them far enough to damage the cells.

The chemistry shows you can destroy a battery by discharging it too far but the battery controller won't allow it to happen..

 

[jann71]

I run mine from full to empty then repeat, done two years already and no loss in capacity.

The batteries have a built in controller, making it impossibly to discharge them far enough to damage the cells.

The chemistry shows you can destroy a battery by discharging it too far but the battery controller won't allow it to happen..

I know I can get 4 days out of my battery, scared of doing a 5th in case I run out of battery on the way home. It wouldn't be much fun trying to ride home with no assistance.