Charging your eBike battery to 100% is a good idea in most cases, as newer bikes have batteries that will stop charging once they reach 100% capacity.
Although a full battery is not ideal for the long-term storage of an electric bike, charging 100% does not lead to many problems.
This article will discuss everything you need to know about charging your eBike battery to get the most out of your purchase:
Here’s Whether Charging eBikes to 100% Is a Good Idea:
In most cases, it’s a good idea to charge your eBike 100%. Newer bikes have batteries that will stop charging when they reach 100% capacity. But a full battery isn’t ideal for the long-term storage of an electric bike.
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Is Charging Electric Bikes to 100% a Good or Bad Idea?
Charging an electric bike to 100% shouldn’t lead to any problems.
If anything, it means you’ll have a longer range that you can ride before you need to pedal completely on your own.
In the past, charging to 100% was a bit risky, especially if you couldn’t remove the charger immediately. Overcharging could damage batteries and reduce their lifespan or even lead to fires.
However, batteries and chargers have gotten smarter.
Now, this isn’t as much of a concern, so you can safely charge most eBike batteries to 100% without worrying about the drawbacks.
How Often Should You Charge Your Electric Bike to 100%?
You can charge your electric bike to 100% as often or infrequently as you want.
Many batteries now shut off charging when they reach 100%, making it safer for you to leave your ebike plugged in.
If you ride your eBike a lot and use much of its battery daily, you should charge it to 100% every evening.
On the other hand, you may only want to charge the bike to 100% once or twice a week if you’re more of a casual rider. Think about how much battery you use each day.
Then, you’ll know how many days you can go between full charges. Even if you only use 10% of the battery daily, you can charge it up to 100%.
Each charge would then equal one-tenth of a charge cycle, so charging your bike more often won’t make a huge difference.
What Happens If You Charge the Battery to 100% Daily?
Nothing bad happens if you charge your electric bike to 100% every day.
Of course, if it’s your primary mode of transportation, giving it a full charge more frequently is necessary.
On the other hand, if you haven’t ridden it that much, you don’t need to charge the bike daily. You can charge it daily if you want to stick to a routine.
However, you should consider how long the battery will take to reach 100%. That way, you can take the bike off the charger shortly after it reaches 100% to avoid overcharging.
It’s not a huge risk anymore, but it can still happen if you aren’t careful.
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Is It Better to Charge Up to 80-90% Instead of 100%?
Charging your electric bike to 80% or 90% isn’t any better or worse than 100% in most cases.
The main exception is if you don’t plan on riding the bike for many days.
Before storing the bike, it’s better not to fully charge it because the battery can degrade faster when stored at 100%.
But if you’ll be riding the bike in the next few days, there’s no reason not to charge it to 100%.
A full charge means you’ll have a bigger range, so you can take your electric bike all over town.
Does It Really Matter How Much You Charge Your Battery?
How much you charge your eBike battery doesn’t really matter.
The most important thing is to have enough battery to get you where you need to go until you can charge the battery again.
Of course, charging the battery to 100% will allow you to ride the bike more between charges.
If you rarely ride your bike or only do short rides, you can get away with charging it to 80% or so.
Remember your riding habits, and pay attention to the battery percentage.
Then, you’ll know if you need to start charging your battery to a higher percentage or to charge it more often.
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9 Tips to Increase Battery Range
Whether you’re on your first electric bike or have recently upgraded, you should consider how to increase the range of a single charge.
Here are some tips you should try:
Start With a Full Charge
It sounds simple and obvious, but the best way to get a longer battery range is to start with the battery as close to 100% as possible.
Consider charging your electric bike overnight if the battery is much lower than that.
Then, when you wake up, you should have 100% of the battery charged and ready to go. You can ride your bike to work or use it to run errands.
If you can’t get your bike to 100%, at least try to charge it to 90%.
The range may be a bit lower, but it’s better than starting from 50% to 60%, especially if you must ride the bike a lot that day.
Pedal Manually
Try to only use the eBike motor when absolutely necessary.
Pedal yourself more to conserve battery when riding downhill or on a flat surface.
You can rely more on the motor when you need to pedal uphill or as you start to get tired of pedaling. Now, it can be more difficult to pedal an electric bike due to the increased weight.
However, it can give you a good workout and help you manage battery usage. That way, you can ride where you need to go without running out of power.
Learn How to Shift
Shifting gears on an electric bike can be tricky, but doing it strategically could do wonders for your range.
When you’re starting from a complete stop, be sure to use lower gears.
They can still help you speed up and get going, but they’ll use less power than higher gears.
You should also try not to put so much pressure on the pedals when shifting gears to keep from overworking the battery.
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Check the Tire Pressure
Before you set out on your next ride, check the tire pressure.
You should be able to find the ideal PSI on the side of each tire, so you can compare that to the actual pressure.
Use a tire pressure monitor, and then fill the tires with air if the pressure is too low. When the tire pressure is right, it can reduce the rolling resistance and make riding smoother and more comfortable.
Keep a bike tire inflator in your garage whenever the pressure changes.
That way, you won’t have to use a battery to get to a gas station with an air pump.
Use Eco Mode
Some electric bike manufacturers, such as Giant, offer an Eco mode.
This mode reduces the amount of pedaling support the bike gives while still helping you a little bit.
Eco mode is a nice compromise between the full assistance of the motor and full manual pedaling. If you buy an eBike with the feature, you can use it to save on battery.
Then, you’ll have a longer range, so you can easily ride to work or go to the grocery store.
You’ll need to work a bit harder to pedal, but it can help you save energy compared to riding a regular bike.
Coast When Possible
You don’t always have to press the gas when driving a car. An electric bike is similar because you don’t always have to use the motor.
As you approach a stop sign or stoplight, you can coast for the last few seconds of that portion of your ride. If you have to stop a lot during a ride, you could save a significant amount of battery.
You can also coast when riding down a hill since gravity can take over.
Coasting can also keep you from overusing the brakes and needing to replace them more often.
Pedal When Accelerating
After you’ve been sitting at a stop, you should prepare to pedal as you accelerate.
Getting faster takes a lot of battery, so any work you can do to help will reduce the strain on the battery.
You don’t have to pedal continuously, but a few seconds could make a world of difference. It may reduce your battery usage by about half, so you could have a much larger range.
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Ride More Slowly
It can be tempting to try to ride as fast as the cars around you are driving.
However, slowing down can be a great way to save on battery usage and get a bigger range.
You don’t have to slow down by half to see results. Sometimes, all it takes to save energy is decreasing your speed by two or three miles per hour.
If you aren’t in a hurry, try riding at a slower speed to extend the battery range. Also, don’t forget to stay safe and ride fast enough if you’re riding around a lot of car traffic.
Get a Second Charger
If you ride your bike to and from work, consider keeping a second charger at the office. That way, you can put the bike on the charger when you get to work to top off the battery.
You won’t have to worry about using up all of the charges on a one-way ride. You can also maintain the battery even if you forget to charge your bike at home.
If you want to do this, make sure you buy your battery from the manufacturer. There are a lot of cheap, knock-off chargers that could damage your battery, and the lower cost isn’t worth the risk.
Can You Check the Health Status of the Battery?
You can check the health status of your eBike battery by using a multimeter. Another option is to purchase an external battery pack tester.
These tools can help you make sure the battery is able to hold a charge. Lights will come on if the battery is fine; they’re a sign that power is going through.
If you don’t want to check your health status yourself, take your electric bike to a bike shop.
A professional can check the status for you and tell you if it’s time for a new battery.
Final Thoughts
Charging an eBike to 100% is perfectly safe whether you ride every day or a few times a week.
The only time it’s not a good idea is if you’ll store your bike for more than a few days.
Instead, store your bike at 80% or 90% battery so that the battery doesn’t wear down as fast.
Either way, consider how you can extend the range, such as by pedaling more, so that you can make the most of your electric bike.
Sources
How to Increase Range on your eBike
How to Increase Your Ebike’s Range
How to Check Electric Bike Motor and Battery Before Buying a Used Electric Bike
