How to Make Your Electric Bike Last Longer

There are two common kinds of electric bikes: mid-drive, in which power from the electric motor helps turn the pedals and gets routed through the bike’s gearing, and hub-drive, in which the motor sends power directly to the rear wheel. (Pedal power from your legs also turns the rear wheel through the bike’s gearing.)

An e-bike’s battery can be one of its more expensive components, so it’s a good idea to care for the battery properly to ensure its long life and safe operation. The manufacturers we talked with said you can expect your bike’s battery to last for roughly five years. A lot will depend, of course, on how often you use the bike, where you store it, and how often you charge it.

Regardless of how you ride, it’s important to keep your e-bike’s battery in good condition. The three bike manufacturers shared several recommendations with CR for prolonging battery life.

Don’t drain the battery completely. Bike manufacturers use software to make sure batteries aren’t damaged during charging or discharging. But don’t let the battery get below 10 percent too frequently. Most electric bikes have an LCD display or an indicator on the battery itself, so you can keep track.

Charge regularly. A spokesperson from Rad Power Bikes says you should recharge your battery after each ride, but then unplug the bike once it’s fully charged. Trek’s Bosscher says don’t let the battery get below 20 percent before recharging it. “Partially discharging and then charging will extend the service life of a battery significantly,” he says.

Store it partly charged. If you’re not going to ride your electric bike for a few weeks or longer, Bosscher says, it’s better to store it at less than fully charged. “Storing a battery at 100 percent charge is actually bad for its longevity,” he says. Trek’s guidelines recommend storage at between 40 and 80 percent charge. Rad says 75 percent, and Specialized says about 60 percent. Bosch, the German multinational engineering and technology company that makes a lot of the mid-drive bike components, recommends a 30 to 60 percent range. Consult the owner’s manual for specific guidance for your bike.

Cold is the enemy. As with anything powered by a battery, extremes of heat and cold will hamper the range. If storing an electric bike in an unheated shed during winter is your only option, take the battery indoors if you can and charge it separately at room temperature. Rad, Specialized, and Trek all say that riding in the cold won’t harm an electric bike’s battery, though you could see reduced range. But your best bet is to start a ride with a battery that has been stored and charged in your heated home and then inserted in your bike before departure.

Wash with care. While electric bike batteries and related wiring are generally well-insulated from even heavy rain, they’re not designed to be submerged in water or cleaned with a high-pressure washer. Rad recommends removing the battery from the frame, wiping down the battery case and tray with a damp cloth, and allowing everything to dry completely before reassembling. This is consistent with Bosch’s guidance and that of other manufacturers. Wash a bicycle with a sponge and soapy water rather than a garden hose to prevent forcing water past delicate grease seals, which hold components (like bearings) that need to stay sealed and well-oiled. 

Although electric bike fires are relatively rare, their number and intensity have been on the rise as e-bikes have proliferated—particularly in New York City, where delivery riders and commuters have been using them for years already. Here are some tips from the New York City Fire Department about how to prevent electric bike fires.

• Buy an electric bike that’s certified by a qualified testing laboratory.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and storage.
• Always use the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter made specifically for the bike.
• Don’t leave an electric bike unattended while it’s charging, and don’t leave it charging overnight.
• If a battery overheats or you notice an odor, a change in shape or color, leaking, or odd noises, stop using it immediately.
• If the battery reacts in an alarming way, move the device away from anything that can catch fire it is safe to do so, and call 911.
• Keep batteries and devices at room temperature. Don’t place them in direct sunlight.
• Store batteries away from anything flammable.
• Don’t use aftermarket batteries.
• Don’t charge an electronic device under your pillow, on your bed, or near a couch.
• Don’t block your primary way into and out of your house or apartment building/condo with an electric bike.
• Don’t leave an electric bike in a child’s room or in any sleeping areas.

A chain or U-lock is absolutely necessary if you’re going to park your electric bike on the street. See CR’s bike lock ratings and reviews for more information. Always lock through a part of the frame and one of the wheels to a fixed structure. Worst case: Lock it to something that’s a chore to move. Electric bikes are relatively heavy, so moving both the bicycle and another object would deter most thieves. Always remove the battery, too. Because bike sales have boomed, so have bike thefts. Removing the battery from an electric bike is an easy deterrent because that super-hot commodity doesn’t look so appealing to a thief if it’s missing one of its most expensive parts. 

It’s a good idea to remove the bike’s battery even if your e-bike is locked to a rack on your car or RV because exposure to weather and extremes in temperature isn’t great for the battery, either—and, again, will make your bicycle that much less enticing to criminals.