Electric bike and its battery - how do you take care of your electric bike when winter comes?

Electric bikes mostly have lithium-ion batteries. This type of battery provides the best overall power for the bike, weighs little and lasts a long time. Lithium-ion batteries are used in many different rechargeable devices, such as phones and cameras. The battery can be said to be the heart of the electric bike, and just like the human heart, if you take good care of it, it will last for many years. One of the few things that can negatively affect the operation of lithium-ion batteries is the cold, so you should be especially careful with lithium-ion batteries in winter.

With a few simple measures, you can protect your battery and extend the life of your e-bike battery. In this article, we will tell you how cold weather affects electric bike batteries and how to store, maintain and charge an electric bike battery.

Store the battery indoors in cold weather

If you leave your bike outside in a garage or cold shed in the winter, the battery must be brought inside if the frost is above -10 °C, even if the bike is left outside. This applies regardless of whether you ride your bike every day or if your bike is in storage over the winter.

If you don't plan to ride the bike until spring, first charge the battery to about 70%, and once that's done, remove the battery from the bike. The battery must be stored indoors in a place with a stable temperature between 10-20 °C. To ensure that the battery stays in good condition, charge it to about 70% once in the winter and fully charge it before you ride your bike for the first time in the spring. If you take a longer break from cycling, you should charge the battery to 70% about every six months.

Do you ride your e-bike in cold weather?

E-bikes are not just for summer time. Cycling in winter is just as much fun, whether it's commuting or recreational cycling. On a bicycle - also an electric bicycle - you always do enough work to keep your body warm and maintain your fitness even in winter. But even if the cold is not dangerous for the bike or the battery, it can mean that you have to charge your batteries a little more often. Lithium-ion batteries drain faster in cold weather, so if you pedal your way to work in the winter, for example, you'll need to charge the battery much more often than in warmer seasons.

If the battery is charged at a temperature below 5 °C, the maximum distance per charge is shorter. However, this is a temporary inconvenience, and if the battery is charged next time at room temperature, the distance driven by charging will return to normal. Cycling in cold weather is possible and won't harm the battery in the long run.

The electric bike battery is best charged at room temperature

If you've cycled outside in cold weather, bring the battery indoors when you return to ensure safe charging. Charging the battery when cold can damage it, so if the battery has been very cold outside either in storage or while cycling, it must be warmed up to room temperature before charging. This must be done slowly and at room temperature. Do not try to heat the battery faster by placing it directly next to a heat source. A battery stored at room temperature also works better the next time it is used when it is cold outside.

With winter care and attention, your electric bike and battery will last better in cold weather and can keep you and your bike moving until spring.