You’ll want to enjoy that little boost from the electric system as long as possible when riding your cargo bike, both in the support you receive from the system measured in kilometres and in the life of the cargo bike battery itself. So, it’s good to know how to get the most out of your cargo bike battery.
A cargo bike battery consists of many loose batteries. Together, these batteries form a battery pack, which, in addition to the battery, also includes a charging section and a small computer. These batteries are considered Lion batteries. To get the most kilometres and longest life out of your cargo bike battery, it needs to be used properly.
How to care for your cargo bike battery?
If you have a removable cargo bike battery, it is important to remove the battery from your cargo bike before storing the cargo bike for a longer period of time (more than 2 hours). This applies to all system types and brands. Just like TV sets in standby mode, cargo bikes are never completely turned off. By removing the battery from the cargo bike, the battery can slowly reach ambient temperature, the power within the battery will be better distributed and the battery will remain charged.
Make sure not to store your cargo bike battery in full sun. A hot battery can cause the battery capacity and life of the battery to decrease. In addition, it’s best to store the cargo bike battery indoors when it’s cold outside (below 10°C). A cold cargo bike battery will produce 15 to 25% less power. You could actually compare the desired ambient conditions to what an average person likes. Most people will choose room temperature and dry conditions!
Drive a new battery empty a few times
If your cargo bike battery is brand new, it is important to completely discharge your cargo bike battery a dozen times by riding it and then recharge it. This way, you’ll maximise your battery’s capacity. After those dozen times, you can also charge your cargo bike battery intermittently if you are unsure about the power level of your battery. But all in all, to ensure a longer battery life, it is best to ride your bike until the battery is completely discharged once or twice a month and then fully recharge it.
If you won’t be using your cargo bike battery for a long time, it is important to charge the battery beforehand. Still, the battery should be charged at least once every three months. Optionally, you could also charge it once a month, for example, the first Monday of the month.
When do I need to charge the battery on my electric cargo bike?
To extend the life of your Babboe cargo bike battery, it is important not to deplete the battery below 5%, it is preferred to charge your cargo bike when there's about 20% capacity left. If you won't be using your cargo bike for a while, store it with a relatively full battery (50-70%) and often check whether it needs to be recharged.
Cargo bike battery do’s and don’ts
- Never store an empty cargo bike battery, this will cause the battery to fail. So make sure to charge the battery in a timely manner.
- Make sure your cargo bike battery doesn’t get damaged by extreme temperatures, hard shocks or drops.
- When cleaning your cargo bike, always make sure your cargo bike battery stays dry.
- The battery likes being charged and discharged regularly. The best way to do that is to regularly ride your cargo bike.
- Make sure you’re using the right charger to charge your cargo bike battery.
- Keep your cargo bike battery at room temperature. Batteries at room temperature provide the largest capacity. And in turn, this ensures many wonderful rides on your cargo bike!
- Please read your cargo bike’s user manual carefully. If you know all the ins and outs, you’ll get the most riding fun out of your cargo bike.