E-BIKING IN SUMMER – HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BATTERY ON HOT DAYS
High temperatures and good weather – summer is the perfect time for tours by e-bike. This applies both to weekend excursions to bathing lakes as well as to long trips on holiday. It is not for nothing that more and more tourism regions are focusing on e-bikes in their summer campaigns. But there are a few things to consider when it comes to caring for your e-bike, especially when it’s hot. In particular, the battery does not always feel comfortable in an environment that is too warm. In this blog post, we’ll explain how you can protect your electric bike’s battery on hot days.
AN E-BIKE AND HEAT ARE NOT THE BEST OF FRIENDS
Steep inclines on any surface, stop-and-go traffic in the city or transporting heavy luggage – e-bikes can do a lot. What causes electric bikes to stumble, however, is extreme temperatures. This applies in particular to the battery, as both icy cold and scorching heat can damage your e-bike battery and shorten its lifetime. This is due to the sensitive lithium-ion cells, which work best in terms of functionality and capacity within certain temperature windows. This is why manufacturers of e-bike batteries warn against letting them lie in the blazing sun or in a parked car that is heating up.
TIP #1: KEEP THE BATTERY AT A COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE
A good rule of thumb here is to always store the e-bike battery below a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. By way of comparison, the ideal storage temperature for e-bike batteries is between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. So it makes sense to keep the battery within this temperature range for as long as possible. Of course, it’s not that easy outdoors – especially in summer. However, as soon as the thermometer rises above 30 degrees, you should try not to expose the e-bike battery to this heat for too long.
TIP #2: DON'T STORE THE BATTERY IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT
This brings us straight to the second tip – even at temperatures below 30 degrees, you should try not to leave your e-bike and e-bike battery in the blazing sun. This is because surfaces can become very hot when exposed to direct sunlight. Even when temperatures are around 25 degrees, the battery can quickly be exposed to greater heat if it is directly exposed to the power of the sun.
TIP #3: DON'T LEAVE THE BATTERY IN A HOT CAR IF POSSIBLE
When it comes to temperature, a car standing in the sun also has a similar effect to direct sunlight. If you leave your car outside with the windows closed in summer, the interior can quickly heat up to over 40 degrees. This heat is not only unpleasant for us humans when we return to the hot car after shopping – it is also anything but good for e-bike batteries. So if you’re transporting your e-bike in your car, try and park in the shade if possible. Your e-bike battery will thank you.
TIP #4: WAIT TO CHARGE IF THE E-BIKE BATTERY IS WARM
If your e-bike battery has heated up in the summer, you should always wait to charge until the battery has cooled down again. Battery charging can cause damage if it is too cold or too hot. Again, this is due to the sensitive lithium-ion cells. You should give the battery time to cool down and not try to cool it down faster by applying sources of cold. This protects the technology.
TIP #5: BATTERY CHARGING IN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOMS
Our fifth tip follows on from the fourth tip – basically, the ideal temperature window for charging an e-bike battery is between 10 and 20 degrees. For this reason, we recommend charging e-bike batteries in air-conditioned rooms in summer – or at least indoors. This also applies when you're on multi-day tours. If you’re riding from hut to hut on your mountain e-bike, for example, the inside of a hut is a better place to charge than out in the sun. A covered area under a balcony or under a terrace is also very suitable.
HOW TO PROTECT THE E-BIKE BATTERY FROM HIGH TEMPERATURES – SUMMARY
It’s clear that e-bikes are fun in summer. As you can see, even extreme heat is no reason to stop you from enjoying your e-bike – at least when it comes to the technology. However, it is vital that you follow certain basic rules and treat your e-bike battery as gently as possible, to protect it during the warmer months of the year.
For more tips on e-biking in summer temperatures, see the following blog post:
06.09.2022