Are Ebike Batteries Waterproof? [Know Before You Ride]

Battery is the most expensive and sensitive part of an e-bike. And when it comes to riding your e-bike in the rainy season, you must wonder if it’s cool to ride during rain or if it’s harmful to the battery? If you can’t ride an e-bike on a rainy day, what’s the point of spending a hell of money on an e-bike? Today I will answer all these questions and take you out of the confusion.

Are ebike batteries waterproof?

E-bike batteries aren’t waterproof but they are water-resistant.

Now you have to acknowledge the difference between waterproof and water-resistant to understand it clearly. Waterproof means the product is completely safe from any level of water. On the other hand, water resistance means the product is safe from a certain amount of water. And when that amount is reached, the product will no longer be safe and can get damaged!

How Can I Know If My Electric Bike Can Get Wet?

Every e-bike comes with an IP rating or Ingression protection rating. This rating determines how water and dust resistant your ebike is. It contains two numbers where the first number determines the dust level and the second one determines the water level.

Usually e-bikes come with IP60 to IP 68. IP 60 has no water-resistance ability whereas IP68 shows the highest level of resistance. Let’s see the chart below that defines all the IP ratings for both dust and water.

	First Number (Dust resistance)		Second Number (Water resistance)
0	No protection	0	No protection
1	Denies entry of 50.0 mm object	1	Safe vertical water drops
2	Denies entry of 12.5 mm object	2	Safe against 15° tilt water
3	Denies entry of mm object	3	Spraying water at a 60-degree angle
4	Denies entry of 1.0 mm object	4	Splashing water
5	Dust-protected	5	Jetting water
6	100% Dust-tight	6	Powerful jetting water
		7	Temporary immersion for 30 minutes at 1-meter depth
		8	Continuous immersion greater than 1 meter

Is it safe to ride an electric bike in the rain?

Safety of riding an electric bike in the rain depends on two things- level of the rain and IP rating of your ebike. If the rain isn’t too hard and your ebike’s IP rating is between 64 to 66 then it is safe to ride.

If the water dripping level is higher than you need an ebike with a higher level of IP rating between 66 to 68. So before riding your precious ebike in the rain, calculate the dripping level with your bike’s IP rating.

Tips to Ride Electric Bicycles in the Rain

We sometimes really need to go to places in the rain. Therefore, there is always a bit of risk involved in such situations. To minimize them you should follow below tips.

Use Bike Fenders or mudguard

Fenders give better protection than the mudguard. If you can install fenders then it would save you from water splash and muds from tyres.If you can’t have a fender in your e-bike then at least install mudguards to get the protection.

Cover Your Battery and Display

As you already know, ebike batteries aren’t 100% waterproof. Therefore you need to wrap them with waterproof covers. You can easily find one at your nearest shop or online. Also don’t forget to cover the display. 

Weatherproof Clothings

If you don’t want to catch a cold, you must wear weatherproof clothing. It will keep you safe from the cold. 

Protect your belongings

Do you need to bring something with you? Then, like yourself, you should also protect your belongings from water. Hence, you need to carry a waterproof bag with you. 

Lower the Tire Pressure

It’s wise to put off some air pressure from your tires in the rain. It will help you to ride safely on the slippery roads.

Use Headlight and Taillight

In the heavy rain, vehicles don’t get longer vision. To keep yourself out of collision with other sorts of vehicle, it’s necessary to power up the headlight and taillight.

Ride slowly

That’s the most important thing you should always keep in your mind while riding your e-bike in the rain. Never ride too fast! Riding at a high speed in the rain could engage you in accidents.

Brake Early

On rainy days, the roads get slippery. Hence, you should brake slowly and early to make sure your tires don’t slip. 

Carry the bike where needed

Ow! Don’t get intimidated! You surely don’t need to carry your bike except if there is a flooded road where water could submerge the motor and battery. If that’s the case, you shouldn’t take the risk of riding through.

What should I do after I ride in the rain

First thing first, change your wet clothes. Then inspect the bike for any issues. Then follow these tips.

What about washing an electric bike?

Washing an electric bike isn’t similar to washing a regular bike. You can easily wash a regular bike with a pressure washer. But you can’t do this to an ebike. It needs extra care start to finish. 

It is wise to detach the battery before washing. You can wipe down the battery with a rag. Besides, you need to dry the whole ebike after washing it. 

How to waterproof ebike battery

Like I said, electric bike’s batteries aren’t waterproof but water-resistance. Yet, is there any other way to make them 100% waterproof? Well, I won’t guarantee you the 100% waterproofing but I can give you a tip that will add an extra layer of protection to the battery.

You may buy a waterproof cover for your ebike battery such as Yasco Ebike Battery Protective Cover. There are different designs, colors and shapes available on Amazon. Buy one that fits your battery. 

FAQ

Conclusion 

Ebike batteries aren’t completely waterproof. Yet they have different water resistance levels depending on the brands. If you plan to ride your e-bike on rainy days, make sure you buy one with the highest resistance level. And don’t forget to follow my tips for riding on rainy days.