How to Charge Ebike Battery to 80 Percent (%)?

An electric bike works great only when its battery is charged and in great condition. Now you must be thinking about how you can charge your ebike battery properly in order to keep it healthy.

Experts recommend only charging the battery to 80 percent is enough for the battery’s health and can extend its lifespan. So let’s learn how to charge ebike battery to 80 percent.

Along with that, I would also explain the benefits of charging your ebike battery to 80%, mistakes that you should avoid while charging the battery, how long to charge your ebike battery, and some important faqs at the end.

Don’t miss any part of this article if you want to charge your ebike battery to 80% properly.

Must read: How long to charge a 48v ebike battery? Don’t overcharge

Topics Covered

How Much to Charge an Ebike Battery for its Long Life?

An electric bike has many parts, but the battery is one of the most expensive and crucial. As it provides needed power to the motor and helps the rider run the bike forward. Most e-bikes have lithium-ion batteries because of their advantages over other types of batteries.

The charging level (percentage) of the battery plays a crucial role in the ebike battery when it comes to performance. Higher charging percentage have more voltage and low charging level has less voltage.

Before going for a ride, make sure you have at least a 50% battery charge level so that your motor and battery properly coordinate and perform accordingly. Because the ideal percentage to charge an e-bike battery is 80 percent.

As per the experts charging an ebike battery to 80% to 90% is the best practice in order to maintain the battery’s health and increase its lifespan. Because a 100% charged battery has more voltage than its nominal volts and the battery’s temperature increases.

Even most battery manufacturers state in their instruction manual that do not charge the battery till 100 percent as it is not safe. Lithium-ion batteries are highly reactive and may catch fire if it’s extremely hot.

For instance, if you charge your 36v battery to 100%, it will have around 42 volts of voltage which will be more than enough for a 36v ebike motor. So there is no need to charge your 36-volt battery to its full if the battery level goes beyond 80%, and it starts heating.

However, if you are charging the battery for the first time, charge it to 100% (around 8-12 hours). If you do, each and every part of the cell would be charged and activated properly to supply the power to your ebike.

Benefits of charging an electric bike battery to 80%

Charging your e-bike battery to 80 percent has so many benefits such as:

One of the major advantages is that, when you charge the battery to only 80 percent, it slows down the degradation process of the battery.
Charging the battery up to 80 percent takes much less time as compared to charging the battery completely or up to 100 percent.
It’s a good practice to increase the battery’s lifespan in the long run and also reduce the chances of a dead battery on an ebike.
It reduces the stress on the battery because charging the battery to 100 percent can be more stressful for the battery.

How to Charge Ebike Battery to 80 Percent?

First of all, you must have a good-quality charger that is compatible with the battery and suggested by the manufacturer in order to charge it to 80%.

There are 3 methods by which you can charge your ebike battery to 80 percent or any other level that you intend to and they are:

Method 1: Charging with a smart charger

It’s one of the simplest ways to charge your electric bike battery up to a percentage level (60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, etc). You just need a smart charger or an advanced charger for the same.

These smart chargers manage the charging smartly and allow you to charge the battery to a specific percentage by setting it. You can easily set up the charging voltage, time, and percentage.

However, these chargers are expensive so everyone can’t afford them. If you don’t have a smart charger, you can still charge it to a specific 80 percent by calculating the charging time for your battery to 80%. Let’s see how?

Method 2: By setting up an alarm with the help of the formula

Whether you charge your ebike battery to any level, it takes time. Charging time depends upon two factors i.e., Battery AH, Current charge level, and Charger’s Amp.

Here is the formula that I followed to calculate the ebike battery charging time to 80% (you can keep it 100% or any other number).

{Battery’s AH x (80% – current charge %)} / Charger Amps

For instance, I have a 48v battery with 20 Ah capacity at 40% current charge level and I am charging it with a 4 amp charger. Let’s see how long would it take to charge to 80 percent.

= {20 Ah x (80% – 40%)} / 4 Amp

= (20 Ah x 40%) / 4 Amp

= 2 hours

As you can see, I have to charge my battery for 2 hours to reach 80%. It may vary depending on the battery quality, charger maker, etc.

You can also calculate how long to charge your battery to a certain percentage level using the above formula and set up an alarm for disconnecting the charger after the calculated time.

Method 3: Charging by record keeping

Basically, you have to make a record of how much your ebike battery charges in 1 hour. It could be any number 10% or 20% or something in between. It all depends on your charger Amps and Battery capacity (Ah).

Once you know the charging percentage of your battery in one hour, you can multiply it accordingly.

For example, I have a 48v battery with 20Ah capacity at a 30% current charge level. And I am charging it with a 3 amp charger. I plugged it into charging and charged it for 1 hour and noticed a 15% increase in charging level.

It means my battery is charging by 15% in one hour and I would reach 80 to 90% in 4 hours. It’s very simple to calculate the charging time by using record keeping. I would set up a reminder alarm for the same time.

Some of you might not know how to charge an ebike battery properly, follow the below-mentioned steps:

Step 1: Turn off the battery, and if it’s removable, remove the battery from the bike for charging it.

Step 2: Connect and join the charging adapter and power cord together. Now plug the power cord into the electrical outlet.

Step 3: Now insert the charger into the charging port of the battery until the charger turns on, which indicates they are connected and charging.

Step 4: Most importantly, set up a reminder alarm for after a few hours so that you don’t forget to disconnect the charger and you succeed in charging the battery to 80 percent.

Step 5: When the alarm rings, check the battery level if it is around 80 to 90 percent, turn off the charging. And if it is around 70% or less, set up another alarm for around 40 minutes to 1 hour and let your battery be charging for the same.

Step 5: Once your battery is charged to 80%, disconnect the battery and charger. Place your battery in its position on your bike again to be able to ride it.

Must know: How much does it cost to charge an electric bike?

How long does it take to charge an e-bike battery to 80%?

There are so many factors that influence the charging time of an e-bike battery to 80 percent such as the current battery percentage level, battery’s capacity (Ah), charger Amp, battery’s health, current type, and so on.

Keeping all the factors favorable, we have come up with a formula to calculate how long to charge an ebike battery to 80 percent i.e.,

Charging time = {Battery AH x (80% – current charge level)} / Charger Amp

For example, a 52v battery with a 20Ah capacity at 30% current charge level is charged with a 4 amp charger. Let’s calculate the charging time.

= {20 Ah x (80% – 30%)} / 4 Amp

= (20 Ah x 50%) / 4 Amp

= 2.5 hours

As you can see in the above-mentioned example, the charging time is 2.5 hours. You can also calculate your charging time using the same. You will get approximate results.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Charging an Ebike Battery

Using any third-party charger that is not recommended by the manufacturer is not good. This mistake can destroy your battery and its lifespan.
While charging your e-bike battery, ignoring unusual changes you are seeing, such as bad odor, strange sounds, and loose wires, can be bad for your battery’s health.
Leaving your e-bike battery charged overnight and forgetting to unplug it when it’s charged—this mistake sounds silly, but this can drastically reduce the battery’s life.
Charging the e-bike battery in extreme environmental conditions can also affect the battery adversely and reduce its lifespan.
You must take all the precautions necessary to maintain your e-bike and its battery while charging.

Best Practices to Follow When Charging an Ebike?

Below are a few ebike battery charging tips that you can follow to extend your battery life.

Charging your e-bike battery after every ride. Don’t let the battery discharge completely. Lithium-ion batteries work great when charged regularly.
Charging your e-bike battery at a normal temperature, not too hot or cold, is a good practice. Just like us humans, batteries also like to stay at a normal temperature.
Always charge your e-bike battery in a dry, open area, away from any kind of flammable object, to make sure that your battery won’t catch fire.
While charging your e-bike battery, inspect and check the battery and its wires. Check if something is not looking or working normally or smells strange.

Must know: Is it possible to charge an ebike while riding?

Conclusion About Charge Ebike Battery to 80%

Yes! It’s possible to charge the ebike battery to 80% using a smart charger or by setting a timer. Even the experts suggest that you should always charge your e-bike battery to 89 to 90% and sometimes to 100% when going for long distances.

I hope you have understood the importance of charging an electric bike battery to 80%. If you liked this article, do share it on your social handles with your friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I charge my ebike battery to 90?

There are three methods by which you can charge your ebike battery to 90 percent such as using a smart charger (you can set the percentage level), setting up a reminder alarm using the above-mentioned formulae, and lastly by record-keeping. Read the full process here.

Is it okay to partially charge a ebike battery?

Charing the ebike battery to 80% or 90% is a good practice in order to maintain the battery’s health. But when you charge your battery partially (from 20% to 60%), it reduces one charge cycle of the battery which is not good for the battery’s health in the long run.

Should I charge my e-bike after every ride?

You can charge your ebike battery after every ride only when the battery level is around or less than 30 percent. Also, give your battery a little bit of rest (at least 30 minutes) to cool down, and plug it to charging if you want to keep it healthy.

Related Posts:

Sources:

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/how-to-keep-your-e-bike-battery-in-top-shape/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWd5Pu5FW98
https://evelo.com/blogs/learn/5-electric-bike-charging-tips-for-long-battery-life/

Charging an Ebike Battery to 80 Percent (%): Why & How Explained