You finally gave in to the urge of buying an e-bike. The odds are simple. Unpack the bike, reattach a few screws here and there, and plug in the charger. Unplug and get going.
Easy, right?
Well, technically no. Not everyone knows how to charge an electric bike battery properly.
Sometimes you may end up overcharging the battery system, ruining the charge cycle in the process. On the other hand, a half-charged battery isn’t too great for the mileage.
Most e-bike batteries do turn off charging when the battery is fully charged. However, don’t you want to play it safe with your lovely ride?
An electric charge timer can help there. It will restrict any access current flow to the battery every time.
Today, we will see all the processes on how we can charge an e-bike battery safely and efficiently. Hopefully, premature e-bike battery discharge will be a thing of the past after this.
How Long Does It Take to Charge an Electric Bike Battery?
An electric bike battery takes anywhere from 3 hours to 8 hours to charge completely. However, the charging speed depends on the amp-hours of the battery.
Higher amps mean the battery will take more time to charge all the way to 100%. Then again, the e-bike charging system of Bosch, Aventon, Raleigh, etc. has fast charging enabled.
What Is the Best Way to Charge an E-Bike Battery?
Using the inbuilt charger is the best way to charge an e-bike battery. You can also try e-bike battery charging without a charger with a power supply, car battery, generator, and even solar panels.
However, the other processes shouldn’t be an option if you have a working e-bike battery charger.
“Ways to charge an e-bike battery”
The table below shows the ways you can charge your electric bike, along with their charging time, cost, and associated safety:
| Methods | E-bike battery charging level | Components | Charging time | Safety | Cost |
| Regular charging brick | 0 to 100% | The inbuilt e-bike charger | 3-8 hours | Totally safe | Inbuilt charger |
| Using a variable power supply | Up to 100% | A variable power supply | 3-8 hours | Fairly safe (with the right settings) | $50 minimum |
| Solar charging | Up to 100% | Solar panel, resisting diode, Solar Charge Controller | About 5 hours | Totally safe | $100 minimum |
| With a car battery | 25%-100% | A working car with battery, inverter, and power supply | 3-8 hours | Safe | About $150 |
| Power generator | Up to 100% | A decent generator, power supply | 3-8 hours | Safe only if you have a spare charger | $600 minimum |
| Charging station method | Up to 100% | Just an adapter cable or nothing at all | 2-3 hours | Fairly safe | Depends on the location |
| Portable charger | Up to 100% | Portable e-bike charger | 4-10 hours | Totally safe | 20-40 dollars |
| Pure pedal power | Up to 15% | Pedal charging enabled | Depends on the model | Safe | Inbuilt design |
How to Charge an E-Bike Battery: Let’s Find Out
If you are reading this portion, chances are, you want to know every detail there is about e-bike battery charging. Well, you are in the right place. Here we have covered all the possible ways to safely charge an e-bike. The processes will fit all e-bikes ranging from 350w to all the way 750w onces:
Regular Brick Charger
When it comes to charging, e-bike charging stations come in three distinct ways. Either you need to open the battery, leave it as it is, or can do both. Each of them has its own charging time, speed, and charge restrictor.
Let’s see the process on the go.
Non-Removable Battery Charging
To charge a non-removable battery e-bike, all you need to do is:
- Get any regular electric charge timer.
- Now, shove the charger power pins into the timer and place it in the main power grid.
- Make sure to turn the timer on to about 4 hours first.
- Afterwards, see the battery level. If the battery level is at 80%, leave it for two hours more.
- Always calculate the charging time, and don’t leave the battery on charge overnight.
- Finally, after calculating the total charging time, set the timer according to it.
Removable Battery Charging
Sometimes, you need to remove the battery of an e-bike to charge it. The steps are pretty similar to the non-removable battery method.
- First, you need an electric charge timer and set it to the maximum charging time.
- Now, attach the charging pins to the timer and to the power grid.
- Take out the battery and insert the charging adapter into the battery’s charging port.
- Wait for the battery to fully charge and put it back into the e-bike.
Hybrid Charging
This is just a combination of the removable and non-removable charging methods. You can either remove the battery or leave it in place. Follow any of the steps above without worrying.
With a Variable Power Supply
What if you don’t have a working e-bike charger? Or let’s say the battery is dead and needs a jumpstart. A variable power supply can help you with that.
Go through the steps below:
- Find a variable power supply and connect it to the on-grid station.
- Do the voltage, and amp setting according to the bike charger you have.
- Now, set the current mode to DC.
- Detach the adapter cable from the charger and attach it to the power supply.
- Finally, join the adapter pins to the battery’s charging port.
Note: There is a way to charge/jumpstart the e-bike battery without a cable. For it, you need to open the battery housing and expose the output pins.
Now, connect the power supply and the battery’s output pins with alligator clips. The positive pin should be set with the positive one and vice versa.
Solar Charging
You can also charge an e-bike battery with a solar panel. It acts kinda like an off-grid powerhouse. So, how to charge an e-bike battery with a solar panel? See the steps below for more:
- The first thing you need is a minimum of 250w solar panel.
- Next, configure it in a place full of sunlight.
- Take a solar charge controller, and set it up near your e-bike charging place.
- You need to attach a restricting diode so that the electricity doesn’t flow in reverse.
- In the solar charge controller, you will see outputs like amps, voltage, and AC/DC.
- Finally, attach an adapter cable with the controller and start charging the e-bike battery.
Note: At high temperatures, solar panels tend to produce less energy. So, keep the panels cool while using them.
Using a Car Battery
Are you worried about a dead e-bike battery? Well, don’t be. There is a way to charge an e-bike battery using a regular car battery. The way it works is that the battery acts as a channel for the car engine to flow power to the e-bike battery. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Pick up a few equipment like an inverter, power supply, alligator clippings, and some tape.
- Using the alligator clippings, attach the inverter with the car battery.
- Now, join the inverter with the power supply.
- Afterwards, you can insert the e-bike charger and let your battery charge.
Note: This method only works with e-bikes with removable battery charging.
Generator Charging
You don’t always need an on-grid power source to charge an e-bike. A power generator works just as great. Simply power up your generator and shove an e-bike charger in the power ports. You can also use a power supply and adapter cable to charge the battery.
The generator will work as the on-grip power source. However, for the power supply option, you need to know how to configure it according to the battery’s power current input capacity.
On a Charging Station
Nowadays, charging stations are the new norm for riders who love riding mountains, off-roads, and so on. You can charge the battery anywhere from 30% to 100% charging stations. Just go to the charging station, set the timer, and wait for your e-bike to charge completely.
Using a Portable Charger
A portable charger is exactly like your regular charger, but way smaller. It has a low charging speed but will do the job perfectly during long drives. The steps of using a portable charger are the same as using a regular charger. However, due to the low charging speed, you don’t need a charging timer.
Pure Pedal Power
Surprised to see this method over here? So were we. However, this method is only for e-bikes that support reverse charging. You can literally pedal your way and get about 15% battery life regenerated.
Then again, this can’t charge your battery a whole lot so, the power just boosts up your top speed. The bike uses regenerative braking to crank up power to the battery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Charge Electric Bike Battery at Home?
Charging an electric bike is just like charging a cell phone. They have the same li-polymer battery but with bigger battery life. To charge your e-bike at home, simply plug the charger and wait for the battery to reach maximum charge. You can add a charging timer to make sure the battery doesn’t get overcharged.
When to Charge the Electric Bike Battery?
You should charge your e-bike battery every time it hits a 10% charge. However, there isn’t any initial limit on what should be the charging percentage. Try charging the battery every day, to avoid premature battery discharge.
How to Charge e-bike Battery to 80 Percent?
To charge an e-bike battery to 80 percent, all you need to do is connect the charger and leave it for a couple of hours. Use an electric charging timer to set the time to your desire. If your e-bike supports fast charging, the charging time will decrease dramatically. You can reach anywhere from 70-80 percent in 3 hours tops.
How Far Can an Electric Bike Go on One Charge?
An electric bike can go anywhere from 10 miles to 30 miles on a single charge. Some 500w electric bikes have 48V 13ah Lithium batteries, giving them more than 40 miles of mileage. The best part is that you don’t have to use the PAS mode to have this mileage.
Should I Charge My ebike After Every Ride?
You shouldn’t charge the e-bike after every ride if your battery doesn’t reach a 10% battery life. Keeping an e-bike at a low battery will damage its internal circuitry. However, if you just came from a joy ride and have about 70% battery, you don’t have to charge the e-bike.
End Note
Hope now all your doubts on charging e-bike batteries are all cleared out. Rule of the thumb, don’t overcharge the battery, and especially leave it at zero percent.
You can try using a charging timer every time you charge. Just set the timer as you please and keep it charging. The best part is that an electrical charging timer will stop any excess electricity that may damage the battery.
Well, this is all for now. Let’s hit the sack. Have a good day.