How to keep your e-bike battery happy (and make it last longer)

If you’ve splashed out on an e-bike, the battery is the single most expensive (and important) part of it. Treat it well, and it’ll keep you rolling for years. Neglect it, and you could be facing an expensive bill sooner than you’d like as a replacement can cost mare than £500. The good news? Looking after your e-bike battery is easy - you just need to follow a few simple steps.

Temperature

Lithium-ion batteries don’t like extreme heat or cold. Think of your battery as a temperamental houseplant: it’s happiest in a nice, stable environment. Leaving it in a hot car or in direct sunlight will shorten its lifespan, while charging it when it’s freezing cold can damage the cells. The sweet spot? Store it somewhere cool (below 20°C) and let it warm up a bit before charging if it’s been out in the cold.

Cold weather affects performance, so don’t be surprised if your e-bike’s range drops on chilly days - it’s totally normal. To help combat this, store the battery indoors when you’re not riding. And remember to avoid charging it when it’s freezing cold- let it warm up to room temperature first.

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Storage 

If you’re not using your e-bike for a while, don’t just shove the battery in a cupboard and forget about it. Lithium-ion batteries slowly lose charge over time, and if they drop too low, they can suffer damage. Ideally, store it with a charge of about 80%, and give it a top-up every couple of months if needed. Some chargers have a special ‘storage mode’ to help with this.

Charging

It’s tempting to leave your battery on charge overnight or whenever you’re not using it, but lithium-ion batteries prefer a little breathing room. Keeping it at or very near 100% for long periods of time may even shorten its lifespan. If you can, unplug it once it’s fully charged and try to keep it in the middle of its charge cycle as much as possible. 

Unlike old-school batteries, lithium-ion ones don’t like to be fully drained. Running your battery down to empty on a regular basis will wear it out faster. Partial discharges are actually better for longevity, so if you’re only doing short rides, it’s fine to charge every few trips rather than after every single ride. 

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This might sound obvious, but always use the charger that came with your e-bike - or one recommended by the manufacturer. Mixing and matching chargers can lead to compatibility issues, reduce efficiency, or, in the worst-case scenario, create a battery fire risk.

Insurance for an e-bike

Our e-bike insurance includes everything you’d expect, like theft, accidental damage and vandalism cover – plus a few things you might not. For example, we have a no-quibble battery theft policy, zero devaluation for life, and if you break down on your electric bike, or run out of battery, you can call us 24/7 and we’ll arrange a rescue. Whether you ride a tricycle, folding, mountain or cargo electric bike, our comprehensive policy has you covered.

Every ETA cycle insurance policy includes the following as standard:

• Theft, accidental damage & vandalism
• E-bike battery theft cover
• Cycle Rescue (breakdown cover for your electric bicycle and you)
• No devaluation of your bike over time
• £2m third party PLUS £20,000 personal accident cover
• Shed and garage storage
• Low standard excess of 5% (£50 minimum)

Read a full list of everything we include as standard.

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