Electric Bicycle Battery Range
Enjoying the ride on your Gazelle electric bike should never be limited by the battery. That’s why we spec all Gazelle bikes with the highest capacity lithium ion batteries available from both Bosch and Shimano. Depending on the model, our electric bike batteries are either mounted on the rear rack or built into the frame. Select models are also dual battery compatible.
The various batteries deliver different amounts of energy, causing differences in the range. Scroll down for range information by battery types. For Bosch battery systems, you can use the Bosch Range Assistant tool to get highly specific and customized information based on inputting your unique riding details.
Bosch Active Line Battery Table
Gazelles with this 400 Wh Bosch electric bicycle battery boast a range of up to 65 miles.
Bosch Active Line Plus Battery Table
Gazelles with this 500 Wh Bosch electric bicycle battery boast a range of up to 90 miles.
How Long Do Bosch Electric Bike Batteries Last?
Bosch is a German company that has been part of the world of technology and engineering since 1884.
It started its battery designing and manufacturing segment in late 1922 and has since been one of the world’s leading and most well-recognized chemical battery producers.
Bosch chemical batteries are extremely popular in e-bikes and e-scooter for their unmatchable quality and longevity.
In general, a Bosch electric bike battery is expected to retain its quality and performance for over a decade, which usually accounts for 1500 to 2000 charging cycles.
To cater to the different kinds of electric bike preferences, Bosch designs and manufactures electric bike battery packs in various sizes, wattages, amperages, and capacities.
The higher a Bosch electric bike battery’s charge storing capacity, the more range and speed it will deliver. As a result, it will have a longer lifespan as it will not have to be charged as frequently.
Although the average lifespan of a Bosch electric bike battery is expected to be between 10 to 15 years, one can prolong or shorten it by how they ride their electric bike and treat the battery.
Continue reading to learn about what a Bosch electric bike battery is, how it works, and what makes Bosch better than most of its competitors.
over, the article will also bring attention to the top practices that can shorten a Bosch chemical battery’s life and highlight golden tips to care for one of these batteries.
What is a Bosch Electric Bike Battery?
Bosch electric batteries are chemical lithium-ion batteries designed to be low weight with an ergonomic design for easier handling.
Bosch has been designing lithium-ion batteries for many appliances and devices, and it started making electric bike batteries as soon as the industry gained popularity.
Today, Bosch is one of the biggest and highest-selling companies for electric bike and scooter batteries.
over, due to the lithium-ion composition, a Bosch electric bike battery can deliver high-quality performance and offer long-lasting durability.
As mentioned above, a Bosch electric bike battery comes with at least 1500 to 2000 charging cycles. This means that the Bosch battery can be fully depleted to 0% and fully recharged to 100% almost 1500 to 2000 times during its lifetime.
As a result, the Bosch electric bike battery can usually outlive the electric bike itself.
Although lithium-ion chemical batteries are notorious for being excessively sensitive to extreme internal and external changes, Bosch has successfully managed to counter this limitation through decades of battery-making expertise and intelligent engineering.
Furthermore, Bosch designs lithium-ion battery packs in various sizes and shapes.
Hence, different electric bike brands can outsource their batteries to Bosch and get the exact size and shape of the battery that will perfectly fit their electric bike’s unique frame.
Continue reading to understand how a Bosch battery works and what makes a Bosch electric bike battery better than all of its competitors.
How to Test if Your eBike Battery is Dead
How Does a Bosch Electric Bike Battery Work?
Bosch designs various electric bike batteries to meet the needs of different e-bike manufacturing companies and brands.
The most commonly found Bosch lithium-ion batteries used in electric bikes usually have 300-Wh, 400-Wh, or 500-Wh sizes.
This battery range allows both heavy and lightweight electric bikes to cover greater distances while traveling at high speeds.
This is how the mechanism of a Bosch electric bike battery works:
- When a person purchases an electric bike with a Bosch lithium-ion battery pack, they must first charge the battery to 100%.
- This allows electric charge to flow through the 40 round cells of a Bosch battery and get stored as chemical energy.
- When the rider begins to pedal their electric bike, the built-in motion sensors detect the rider’s pedaling motion and pass on the signals to the electric motor.
- On receiving the signals, the electric motor automatically turns on and begins discharging the Bosch electric battery of its stored chemical energy.
- The chemical energy is then converted to kinetic energy, with traces of heat energy as a byproduct.
- The newly produced kinetic energy is finally transported to the electric bike’s tires via the built-in energy transmitters; thus, the e-bike picks up speed and gains momentum.
Most electric bikes with Bosch battery packs also come with a regenerative braking system, which allows the excess heat energy to be converted back to chemical energy for further use.
This way, the Bosch battery’s charging level goes up as the rider hits the brakes of their electric bike.
Bosch Electric Bike Battery Comparison. Powerpack vs. Powertube
The table below demonstrates how much power each Bosch electric bike battery can offer, along with highlighting its average charging duration.
What Makes Bosch Better than Other Competing Brands?
Almost a Century of Battery Making Expertise and Experience
Buying an electric bike with a Bosch battery pack gives consumers great relief and satisfaction because of the significance and reputation the name Bosch holds.
A Bosch electric bike battery comes with a century of battery-making expertise and experience that not many brands can claim to offer.
The company has had ample time to correct all operational and technical flaws to produce an electric bike battery that delivers unmatchable levels of durability, resilience, and range.
Bosch Electric Bike Batteries Are Long Lasting and Highly Durable
One of the most outstanding qualities of a Bosch electric bike battery is its high durability and long lifespan.
In general, most electric bike batteries can maintain their quality and performance for 5 to 7 years.
On the contrary, a Bosch battery retains its charge storing capacity and performance for almost 10 to 15 years.
Due to this extensive lifespan, the battery can usually outlive the electric bike and a rider can reinstall the same battery into a new electric bike.
over, due to the battery’s resilience and low sensitivity, an electric bike owner is saved from having to incur expensive battery repair and replacement costs.
Bosch Electric Bike Batteries Are Found in Different Shapes and Sizes
Most electric bike manufacturing companies prefer getting their chemical batteries manufactured by Bosch as they can get a battery made precisely the way they want.
Electric bike manufacturers can choose a frame battery, a rack battery, an integrated battery, or a dual battery.
over, Bosch batteries come in unique shapes, such as cylindrical or triangular, to fit into all kinds of electric bike frames.
Bosch’s Intelligent Battery Management System (BMS)
One key quality that separates a Bosch electric bike battery from its competitors is the Battery Management System (BMS).
Unlike regular lithium-ion batteries that can sustain a lot of damage by poor charging practices, the BMS of a Bosch battery allows the battery to detect any potential systematic errors to protect the battery cells from overloading.
Hence, an occasional mishandling or improper charging incident will not significantly impact a Bosch electric bike battery’s quality or lifespan.
Bosch’s DualBattery Packs
To offer an electric bike owner an unparalleled range to make intercity traveling possible, Bosch has designed DualBattery packs that include two high-wattage batteries integrated to perform as one.
This battery pack doubles the electric bike’s charge storing capacity, increases the e-bike’s top and average speeds, and allows the rider to cover longer distances without worrying about finding a power source to recharge the battery.
over, the Bosch DualBattery packs can drastically decrease a rider’s range anxiety.
As a result, more people have started preferring electric bikes over gasoline-powered personal cars or public transport for their everyday commuting.
Bosch Batteries Come with Long Warranties
Lastly, all Bosch electric bike batteries come with a one-to-three-year warranty, allowing e-bike owners to get free battery repairs if unexpected damage or error arises.
STEP 1 Connect the Multimeter
The battery will need a full charge for this process– about 6 to 8 hours at least. If your battery pack cannot disconnect from your bicycle’s frame, make sure that the bike is steadied in place. Insert the multimeter into the connector or adapter port. Be sure not to force it or apply excess pressure, as this could damage either device.
Most standard multimeters have an AC/DC readout function and a ‘test load battery’ feature. Set your multimeter to DC. It is generally not advised to use AC, as it could overload your e-bike battery. This reading is not just the ability for the battery to turn on, but the energy density required to communicate with the motors and other applications of the entire bike.
STEP 3 Test the Voltage
Run your battery voltage test by switching the multimeter to the volts function. Consult with the manual to find what the voltage range is for your brand. If you’ve charged it for several hours, your voltage should match the listed figure in your manual. When your electric bike battery goes below a specific voltage reading, it will usually shut off to prevent damage to the device. That is when you’d receive a prompt to recharge. If the voltage is too low – usually ten or more volts below the figure listed in your manual- but the bike is still on, then the Bike Monitoring System may need attention.
Next, you’ll be testing the current. The current is how much energy and charges your e-bike battery can hold and the amount of power discharged per hour. You’ll be looking at the longevity of your battery life here. Compare the reading on the meter to that of your manual. If you find that you’ve been running out of power too quickly on rides, it could be that there is excess discharge from your e-bike’s battery.
STEP 5 Check the Resistance
Finally, test the resistance. Resistance is the amount of restriction a battery has and will directly impact the current. It should be the final setting on your meter. If you find your resistance is high, this could be the reason for overheating issues.
s:
- Some experts predict that e-bikes featuring lithium-ion batteries will account for about 60% of all e-bikes sold in 2023. (juicedbikes.com)
- The ideal charging level for a battery is between 30% and 60%. (Bosch–ebike.com)
Batteries for Out-Dated Motor Systems
There are a number of older motor and battery systems that are either not used or little used these days but there are still some suppliers out there who may be able to help out and if you are in this position a bit of internet research might just turn something up. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
BionX E-Bike Batteries
BionX operated between 1998 and 2018 and were once one of the leading e-bike system manufacturers in North America, with the likes of Trek and Kalkhoff using their systems.
There are still limited stocks of spare parts available here and there, including batteries, for example on this Ohm webpage.
Heinzmann E-Bike Batteries
German company Heinzmann had a great reputation for quality and produced the now obsolete Classic system and the newer Direct Power system. At various times both were available as kits or fitted to off-the-peg e-bikes.
In the UK Electric Vehicle Solutions are the main stockist of complete Direct Power kits and of spare parts for the Classic system.
What About Non-removable Frame Integrated Batteries?
A relatively small number of e-bike batteries are incorporated into the frame and not designed to be removed by the rider – they must be charged on the bike. Whilst perhaps inconvenient for some, the system has the benefit of a sleeker and simpler design and keeps the battery cells well-protected.
The Ebikemotion X35 system is one example of the most common lightweight systems out there to feature a frame-enclosed battery.
When it comes to replacing these batteries, to be clear, our official advice is that this is a job for the dealer, or expert shops to do only.
DIY in this area can get tricky in a hurry. Looking into service options to replace batteries in an integrated system is something to consider before purchasing the bike.
Third-Party Replacement E-Bike Batteries
For some older batteries – or even some current ones – there may be manufacturers other than the so-called OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) who made the original batteries. These third-party companies are not recognized by the original e-bike manufacturers so if possible it is always best to go back to your dealer or the manufacturer directly to source an original battery.
However, third-party batteries may be a solution where no original batteries appear to be available.
There are a growing number of companies that provide third-party batteries and here we take a look at a couple of the bigger operations.
Please note that on e-bikes that are still in their warranty period, replacing the battery with one from a third-party manufacturer will most likely void the warranty.
FTH Power has a good amount of experience in the electronics business and has diagnostics and assembly capabilities. They look to have good stocks of popular far eastern battery brands such as Reention (used by the likes of Juiced and Surface 604) and Hailong. They also have this handy battery/model finder to see if they have batteries for your particular model of e-bike.
Third-party battery provision (and recelling services) appear to be bigger business in mainland northern Europe than in the U.S. It makes sense, this is where e-bikes have been around much longer and where the average value of e-bikes is higher. The need to keep older bikes going longer is greater. For example, Heskon is a major supplier of replacement batteries to dealers and Fiets Accu Revisie is the part of Heskon that sells direct to customers.
The UK’s Electric Transport Shop network offers battery diagnosis (refundable against a replacement battery or recell if required). The ETS says they also have stocks of Battery Management System chips that can be used on certain packs, usually on older e-bikes.
The ETS also says ‘There are so many shapes of e-bike batteries now that we cannot guarantee that we have cell packs to fit them all and it is usually cheaper to buy a factory-built replacement than to hand-build a replacement pack in the UK so we usually recommend buying a battery from the original supplier if the diagnosis proves that’s what is needed. If their supplier is no longer available to supply a replacement pack in this instance we will help people find a suitable replacement or as a last resort we will offer to wire in an alternative pack which may be in a different position on the bike.’
What Should I Do With My Old E-bike Battery?
If at all possible the ideal solution is to take it back to the dealer you bought it from who will send it on for recycling.
In the US the industry is in the midst of setting up its own recycling scheme. It was organized by People for Bikes and will be directly coordinated under the auspices of Call2Recycle. There will be a network of battery drop-off locations from the nation’s roughly 3,000 independent bike shops. Manufacturers and retailers can sign up here.
The batteries will be sent on to ‘processing partners’, four of which are domestic and two of which are foreign—one in South Korea and one in Belgium.
The consortium brands are funding the recycling service, which will be free to riders; of course, consumers will still have to pay for replacement batteries. There are also plans for a consumer-direct mail-in recycling option in the summer – EBR will keep you posted on its development.
There are already such ready-made recycling networks in mainland Europe and the UK is just beginning to establish such a network.
This guide to replacement electric bike batteries hopefully covered the basics of what is out there for you. It’s certainly just the tip of the iceberg though. If there is anything else that wasn’t covered here, let us know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below and we’ll update this guide with the info our readers are looking for!