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 still goes 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 to 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, manufacturers shared a number of recommendations with CR for prolonging battery life.

Don’t drain the battery completely. Bike manufacturers use software to make sure batteries are not 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. Redwood Stephens, chief product officer at 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 partially charged. If you’re not going to ride your electric bike for a few weeks or longer, Bosscher says, it’s better to store the bike 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’s say 75 percent, and Specialized at roughly 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 your 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. Trek, Specialized, and Rad all say that riding in the cold won’t harm an e-bike’s battery, though you could see reduced range. However, your best bet is to start a ride with a battery that has been stored and charged in your heated home, 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 or cleaned by 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 an electric bike fires.

• Buy an electric bike that is 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.
• Always use the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter made specifically for the bike.
• Do not 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, and it is safe to do so, move the device away from anything that can catch fire and call 911.
• Keep batteries and devices at room temperature. Do not place them in direct sunlight.
• Store batteries away from anything flammable.
• Do not use aftermarket batteries.
• Do not charge an electronic device under your pillow, on your bed, or near a couch.
• Do not block your primary way into and out of the building with an electric bike.
• Do not 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 e-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. Since bike sales have boomed, so have bike thefts. Removing the battery from an e-bike is an easy deterrent because that superhot 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 that battery, either—and, again, will make your bicycle a that much less enticing to criminals.