Warm weather and sunny days are the perfect time of the year to break out your e-bike and take a ride. Exploring new areas, at your own speed, on a brisk summer day is what dreams are made of when it comes to electric biking. Although the weather may be optimal for a nice ride, it is important to note that this type of weather is when you should be focused on maintaining and caring for your bike. E-bikes and hot weather aren’t typically friends as the batteries need more maintenance to ensure that it does not overheat. In this blog, we will dive into some tips and tricks on how to best look after your e-bike and its battery in these upcoming hot months.
Why is heat detrimental to the battery?
Like many electric bikes, VanderVolt e-bikes use lithium-ion batteries. These specific types of batteries are very sensitive to heat and high temperatures. When these types of batteries are overexposed to heat, their lifespan and performance are reduced.
Heat can also speed up the chemical reactions that naturally occur within the battery’s cells. When the temperature rises, the internal chemical processes can be disrupted which can lead to the battery losing charge more quickly and degrade the battery’s capacity over time.
Setting the temperature
The standard temperature to keep your e-bike battery at is below 30°C. When it comes to the bikes themselves, they can be stored in a location with a temperature ranging from 10°-20° C.
Of course, in the summer, these temperatures may be exceeded, but for as long as possible, these should be the storing requirements for the best performance results from both your bike and its battery.
Avoid direct sunlight
It is important to note that even though your battery may be stored in a location with a temperature below 30°c, you should avoid leaving it in the sun.
Surfaces surrounding the battery can heat up quickly and can expose it to greater temperatures, impacting it significantly in terms of performance and longevity.
Wait until the battery cools to charge
After you have just taken your bike for a ride in the heat, it is important to give your battery time to cool down before you charge it.
Charging a warm battery can cause damage to the battery as the lithium-ion cells are quite sensitive. VanderVolt’s Scrambler bikes use lithium-ion batteries, so this is especially important to consider if you are looking to charge the battery on one of our bikes.
Make sure you provide the battery with enough time to cool off on its own, without any interference from cooling methods, and then you are all set to begin charging it.
Inevitably, in the summer, bikes and batteries will heat up due to sunlight exposure and being in warm temperatures. As long as you are not overexposing your bike and battery to the heat consistently and taking care of it, there should be no long-lasting or harmful effects. Ensure that you understand which type of battery your bike has so that you know the best and most efficient way to take care of it.
