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REPAIRING AN E-BIKE BATTERY – YES OR NO?


One day, the life of every battery will come to an end. But what options do you have if your e-bike battery suddenly drops? In this blog post, we will explain to you when it's worth repairing e-bike batteries, and how you can give your e-bike battery a second life.

HOW LONG IS THE LIFE OF AN E-BIKE BATTERY?

25'000 kilometers or even significantly more – the life of e-bike batteries is already so long that there are only a few e-bikers who see their e-bike batteries through to the end of their life. Nevertheless, it is scientifically proven that lithium-ion batteries (like other batteries) lose capacity and performance over time. On average, we are talking about ten per cent every year. However, the exact life of an e-bike battery depends on many factors: battery storage, protection, riding style, and general handling of e-bikes all play a role. For FIT e-bikes, we therefore recommend switching to a new battery after around four to five years.

HOW CAN I EXTEND THE LIFE OF MY E-BIKE BATTERY?

So it’s safe to say that an e-bike battery will reach the end of its life at some point. However, there are a few tricks you can do to extend the life of your e-bike battery, including transporting the battery carefully at all times and storing the e-bike securely. An e-bike battery feels much more comfortable in a dry environment and should also be protected from direct sunlight. In general, a room temperature of 0-23°C for SDI cells and -20-20°C for LG cells degrees Celsius is ideal for storage. The same applies to charging the battery. The battery's state of charge also has a positive effect on its life. We recommend maintaining a state of charge of 40 to 60% when the e-bike is not in use – for example, if you’re not using it for several months over the winter. For long-term storage, even a battery level of 20-30% is recommended.

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HOW CAN I TELL IF MY E-BIKE BATTERY IS FAILING?

There are certain signs that indicate that your battery is nearing the end of its life. The most obvious of these is the range. If you have stored your e-bike for a longer period of time during the winter and, come your first tour in spring, you no longer get as far as you did before, that the battery capacity has decreased. There may be various reasons for this, such as low tire pressure or a problem with the e-bike motor. You can do this at your nearest workshop using the FIT e-bike analysis tool.

REPAIR OR NOT – WHAT DO I DO WHEN MY BATTERY IS NEARING THE END OF ITS LIFE?

Once your battery has reached the end of its life, you are faced with a question: should I have the battery repaired or should I replace it? At first glance, the former makes sense in terms of sustainability, but several trade associations have now expressly warned against accepting any cheap repair offers for e-bike batteries. In December 2021, for example, the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) issued a major position paper on the topic of e-bike battery repairs. Its message: serious safety concerns, problems with liability, difficulties in complying with laws and technical standards, and complex certification would make battery repairs too complex. For this reason, it is better to replace the entire battery. The General German Automobile Club (ADAC) also recommends avoiding battery repairs.

E-BIKE BATTERY – CHANGE NOT REPAIR

Professional associations instead suggest replacing the e-bike battery. If you want to replace your e-bike battery, it is important that you always buy the right one. In recent years, the increasing popularity of e-bikes has led to many low-cost suppliers offering cheaper versions to the market. For this reason, you should always contact the relevant manufacturer or specialist retailer if you are planning to replace an e-bike battery. FIT e-bike offers you a range of suitable batteries for your e-bike: our lithium-ion batteries are high-performance batteries specially designed for e-bike use and offer the ideal balance between capacity, performance, weight, and durability. It’s also important to note that we always recommend using original products to avoid problems.

HOW CAN I GIVE MY E-BIKE BATTERY A SECOND LIFE?

Replace instead of repair – your old e-bike battery doesn’t have to be thrown away. After all, you can also give it a second life in other ways. For example, there are now companies that don’t fully repair the battery, but instead swap the failing cells out to give it a boost. There are also suppliers who use the lithium-ion cells of an e-bike battery for other purposes – for example, for power banks. This doubles the lifetime of the battery cells and reduces the carbon footprint. Find out what else you need to know about your e-bike battery in the following blog post:

Everything about FIT e-bike batteries

23.08.2022