What Happens When E-Bike Battery Dies [Tips and Hacks]

While riding an electric bike and cruising down the road with speed is fun, having the battery die on you is quite the opposite. All the components in an e-bike are manufactured to provide long-lasting performance, including the battery. But with time, the health of the battery deteriorates, resulting in the e-bike battery being dead. 

In order to get a proper idea about what happens when the e-bike battery dies, stay with me till the end of the guide. Here, I will talk about the details of the e-bike battery along with other relevant factors.

What Happens When E-Bike Battery Dies?

Once the ebike battery dies, you have to dispose of it and replace it with a new one. The electric bike battery will not give up on you all of a sudden.

Every ebike battery has its own charging cycle and when it is about to reach the maximum, it will start to show issues. One of them is, the range covered by the battery will decrease. 

If the battery finally dies in the middle of your riding, you have to operate the electric bike by relying on the pedals. But the problem with pedaling without any power from the motor is it requires more effort than usual. On top of that, riding on rough terrains or uphill roads becomes difficult when the battery dies.

Causes Of An E-Bike Battery Death

As I mentioned earlier, the electric bike battery does not die all of a sudden. There are certain causes that result in the death of an e-bike battery. Take a look at the reasons behind the electric bike battery death. 

Overuse

One of the most common causes that result in e-bike battery death is overuse of the battery. The health of the battery decreases significantly and at a faster rate when the battery is being overcharged or drained completely. 

Many riders wait for the battery to drain completely before plugging it in for charging. On the other hand, leaving the battery plugged in for a long time can also impact health, which in turn affects the performance. 

Incorrect Storage

Incorrect storage of the e-bike battery often causes the battery to die easily. The battery of the electric bike requires a normal temperature to ensure its power and health is in good shape. Leaving the battery out in extremely cold or hot temperature conditions will reduce the battery power. 

It is essential to ensure that the battery is stored in a cool and dry place. However, you can still ride the bike on days when the temperature is too cold or hot, but only for an hour or two. 

Old Age

Getting old is another cause of decreasing the battery’s life. Over time, the health of the battery degrades. Typically, electric bike batteries come with a charging cycle of 500-1000 cycles. Every time the battery is fully charged from zero, one charging cycle is met. This in turn reduces a small amount of the battery health along with the performance offered. 

What To Do When The Battery Dies?

When the battery dies, you will have to replace the dead battery with a new one. However, before purchasing and installing a new battery on your electric bike, make sure to check the battery properly. 

Plug the battery in with the right charger and check whether it charges or not. Check for loose wire connections along with charging components properly. Take the charging cycles of the battery into consideration and check whether the battery is repairable or not. Install a new battery on your electric bike if the old one is irreparable. 

How To Prevent An E-Bike Battery From Dying?

Electric bike batteries are a luxurious electrical component. Preventing the battery from dying is not possible as the health will decrease and ultimately reach zero over time. However, proper care of the battery will extend the lifespan; thus, allowing the battery to last for a longer time. 

How To Extend The Lifespan Of Your E-Bike’s Battery By 30% Or More?

While preventing the electric bike from dying is impossible, there are ways in which you can extend the battery life. Let’s take a look at the ways of extending the battery’s capacity and lifespan. 

What Are The Most Common Problems With E-Bike Batteries?

Electric bike batteries encounter a few common problems during their lifespan. Solving these problems whenever they arise is important to ensure proper performance and a longer lifespan. Here is a list of some of the most common e-bike battery problems. 

Battery isn’t Charging

Charger defects, outlet problems, and high battery temperature may result in the battery not charging. To solve the issue, wait for the battery to cool down before plugging it in. Then ensure that you are using the right charger and make sure that the outlet works properly. 

Charge Running Out Fast

It’s a sign of deteriorating battery health. Most of the time it happens because the battery’s charging cycle is about to finish. 

The Bike isn’t Powering On

That’s probably because you didn’t switch on the bike. If that’s not the case check if the battery is properly attached in its position. Still if the same issue persists then it means either your battery isn’t charged or dead permanently.

Not getting enough speed

When the battery’s charge level decreases, you may face a decrease in the speed too. It’s not a major issue at all. 

Swelling Of The Electric Bike Battery

Overcharging is responsible for swelling. If you see any swelling on your battery, immediately discharge it from charging. If the swelling is small, you may still use it by cooling it down in the fridge. If the issue again persists, then unfortunately you have to dispose of the battery.

How Do I Know If My Ebike Battery Is Bad?

Let’s understand the result

After measuring the voltage, resistance, and current of the battery, record all the recordings properly. If the voltage is low compared to the original voltage of the battery, it is an indication that the battery health is decreasing. If the voltage is close to zero then it means you lost the battery already!

If the resistance of the battery is too high, then it will not allow the current to flow through. Compare the resistance reading to the user manual of the battery and check whether it is too high. A high resistance refers to a battery health degradation. 

Similar to voltage, a low current reading with a high resistance results in a low battery health. Compare the current reading with the user manual to understand the health of the battery properly.

FAQ

Conclusion 

Riding the electric bike when the battery is dead requires more effort compared to a regular bicycle. While the death of the battery is inevitable, you can prolong the lifespan of the battery by taking proper care. 

Make sure to follow all the tips for taking care of the e-bike battery perfectly. Even though electric bike batteries are expensive, keeping an extra battery comes in handy when one of the batteries dies.