Electric Bike Battery Replacement: 6 Places to Find Cheap E-Bike Batteries
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Electric bikes, or e-bikes, are now established in the commuting world and can be regularly seen on our streets. If you are a newcomer to cycling or more experienced, the chances are you will have been tempted by pedalling with electrical assistance.
In the UK, sales of electric bikes have maintained a steady growth since 2020. The Bicycle Association, the national trade body for the UK cycle industry, predicts the e-bike share of total bike sales will triple by the end of 2023.
Electric bikes are manufactured both by legacy companies and specialist providers. You can search for e-bikes alongside analogue bikes at most of the well known retailers like Trek, Giant, Raleigh and Specialized or look into the independent electric bike brands like Rad Power, Cowboy, or VanMoof.
The essence of cycling is unchanged by the advent of electrically powered pedal assistance. You’re still outdoors and exercising. You don’t need a special licence if these ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs) are still recognised as pedal cycles. The basic geometry of the bike is unchanged by the technology, although most e-bikes are a little heavier.
You can explore all the roads and trails including some which might have been out of reach. But even if you want to just go to and from work, as a discerning cyclist you can rely on the battery and electric motor combination to sweep you to your destination with effortless ease.
Electric bike batteries are perhaps the most important component of an e-bike. They facilitate the flow of a current to the bike’s motor which provides the power for pedal assistance.
E-bike batteries hold charge which drains from the battery to the motor as it is used. The intensity of the battery use depends on the intensity of motor use. You will use more of the battery’s charge if you ride with more cargo, or need it for every time the road goes uphill.
Most electric bike batteries are portable and simple to recharge. They plug into conventional wall sockets just like your wearables or laptop. Some don’t detach so you’ll plug the whole bike into the wall. Like all components, they are subject to wear and have a lifespan.
Eventually, you’ll need to replace your e-bike battery.
Electric bike battery replacement is straightforward in most cases. Provided the manufacturer still makes the same model it’s a simple swap. But with some estimates of electric bike battery replacement cost being at least one-third of the value of the bike, it can be an expensive purchase.
Let’s have a look at like-for-like electric bike battery replacement and cheaper options available, as well as refurbishment, recycling and a guide to what you can do to delay each swap.
Electric Bike Battery Lifespan
E-bike battery life is measured by the total number of charging cycles of the battery you get and not by distance or years. This is because no two riders have the same requirements from their battery. You’ll hear manufacturers like Bosch, Yamaha and Darfon talking about charging cycles.
If you buy an e-bike, most of the trusted brands use lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Just like the ones in a phone or a Tesla. Cheap new electric bike batteries will be lead-acid or nickel-acid batteries. Think car batteries. Li-ion batteries are more efficient and last longer than lead-acid batteries. Li-ion versions perform better under stress than lead-acid versions.
Regardless of how little you rely on your electric bike battery, it will still have a ‘natural’ life span. It will still lose performance and efficiency over time. How you charge it and store it all influence this shelf life and we’ll look into that too.
Even when dormant, the organised line-up within a battery (grouped together and called cells) react with each other and expend some of their performance. This is called self-discharging.
How Long Do Electric Bike Batteries Last?
It should be a minimum of two years before the average rider needs to look for a replacement electric bike battery. Manufacturers publish in numbers of charging cycles. It’s worth repeating that we all have different requirements for an e-bike, so we can’t be certain how long a battery will last.
Legacy bike manufacturers and niche specialists also refer to frequency of charging cycles to determine how long a battery will last. Once the number of charges is known, Rad Power gives an average of two-and-a-half years for a frequent rider and a minimum of six years for a casual rider.
One charging cycle takes the battery from its discharged state (0%) up to a full charge (100%). 30% to 80% is a half-charge and 35% to 60% is a quarter-charge and so on. The higher quality battery will generate more full charge cycles. Bosch includes a Battery Management System (BMS), which monitors the performance of the individual cells to prolong battery life.
The time between charging cycles is determined by how often the battery is asked to do its work and under what circumstances. If it’s always on and under duress, for example riding up steep gradients, you’ll be recharging more quickly than if you only use it once on each ride to get over a road bridge.
It’s a similar story with range. If you use a smaller battery constantly for long commutes of 40km each way, expect to charge each evening, if not more often. If you use it only for a long, quiet stretch of 5 kilometres on flat roads, you won’t be charging as frequently as that.
Stages of Electric Battery Life
An e-bike battery should gradually lose performance over time. The rate at which performance suffers will increase as you move closer to end of life.
General day-to-day issues with performance – diminished range, the bike stuttering under load, or temporary cut-outs of power – are not necessarily symptoms of a soon-to-be-expired battery. The battery may just need charging.
We’ll talk below about the perfect environment to run and maintain a battery. But assuming you do this, at least the first 300 charge cycles of all battery types should see it operating at peak capacity and performance.
Nickel and lead battery performance will diminish after this point, sooner for lead. Li-ion will continue to go on strong before it hits a threshold at around 500 cycles. It’s thought that lithium-ion ebike batteries are good for up to 1,000 charge cycles in total though. Cheap electric bike batteries will need replacing sooner than the more expensive Li-ion versions.
As your battery reaches a threshold, it is going to perform at less than 100% of its maximum capacity. Somewhere like 80% of maximum capacity is expected. This just keeps going down over time. My 18-month-old smartphone battery is currently running at 83% of its maximum capacity and I don’t notice any drop in performance.
It will be the same for the next couple of hundred e-bike battery charge cycles; you won’t notice any diminished battery performance. However, over time, you’ll eventually have to increase the rate of charge cycles or adapt your riding if you want to charge less often.
You will find the day-to-day problems happen more frequently and decision day on a replacement will come around sooner.
When to Replace Electric Bike Battery?
Eventually, your e-bike battery will provide you with symptoms at the end of useful life. It might start making strange sounds, or overheat in normal conditions, discharge more quickly or take longer to charge up. Remember your warranty if you think something may be faulty. Two years is standard.
How Do I Know if My E-Bike Battery is Healthy?
You’ll know because the performance of the bike is within the manufacturer’s tolerances. The charge cycle will take the amount of time it says it should. The range is as you expect for the conditions you are riding under. When needed, the battery will keep providing smooth power under duress.
How Often Do Electric Bike Batteries Need Replacing?
Bike batteries need replacing after a minimum of 500 charge cycles if you have bought a cheap lead or nickel acid battery. A lithium-ion battery will see you reach 1,000 charge cycles before considering a replacement. How intensely you use your e-bike determines how often you deploy a charge cycle.
The intensity of use is a personal or professional choice. For example, a cycle courier uses a bike as a tool of the trade and relies on speed and consistent power to schedule jobs. They may want a longer range for all day use or a larger motor in case of fatigue. They might charge every day or more frequently.
Someone new to cycling who wants the reassurance of a pedal-assisted power on a long day out for five or ten minute bursts of one 30 minute ride a day might only need to charge three times a week. A daily commuter who has a couple of hills to get over might need less.
The power generated by the motor is a very important consideration in charge cycle frequency too. E-bike motor power is a selling point and top speeds can be eye-watering. If you want to travel up to 40mph and with a throttle you can.
It’s imperative that you check your state, or country’s classification of e-bikes before you choose your motor size and before you go out on the roads. Some of these motors change the classification of an e-bike to a motorbike. With all of the insurance, licensing and safety regulations that owning a motorbike entails.
E-Bike Battery Replacement
The most straightforward option is to replace the battery on a like-for-like basis. Pay a visit to the retailer where you bought the bike and hey presto!
Designers of e-bike batteries continue to work on weight and housing of the unit as areas of improvement and innovation. Commonly seen on the downtube of the frame, they have moved to a rear rack, or integrated / enclosed within the frame.
Making batteries lighter and more aerodynamic certainly improves the weight and aesthetics of an e-bike but can restrict the choices available. Rear-rack mounted batteries are common in Europe and replacements are easier to find than the frame-enclosed types. This frame-enclosed version requires the expertise of your local bike shop to inspect.
Battery manufacturers should keep a supply of your battery type in stock because they know the shelf-life. They’ll balance their inventory and should look to offer more advanced batteries with new tech that still slots into your charger and bike frame.
This will most likely be your most expensive option. But could you consider replacing it via a different source? What about recycling and sustainability? After all, electric cycling promotes environmental good deeds. And then how do you dispose of your old battery safely?
Can You Upgrade an E-Bike Battery?
You might be unhappy with the range provided by your e-bike battery or the rate at which it can feed power to the motor. Therefore you might consider upgrading. The voltage of the upgraded battery must be compatible with the motor and controller of your e-bike.
Check with the manufacturer before you consider an upgrade. Remember that your warranty may expire the moment that you make an upgrade. You should only replace with kit from the same manufacturer. Non-original replacements could create serious risks and hazards to you and other users.
Where to Buy Replacement Electric Bike Battery?
The first place would be from your e-bike retailer. As well as like-for-like swaps their FAQs might have upgrades or replacements for older models. Some push you to the battery manufacturer. Most of the specialist sites which offer replacements for non-branded batteries have compatibility charts so you can check what options are available to you.
Then you can look at eBay, Amazon, forums and other sites. But you will be carrying some risk if you don’t investigate compatibility and compliance fully.
As you might expect of an electric product, you should check that any battery you buy meets regulatory standards. For example: BS EN 50604-1, UN38.3 and IEC.EN62133, UL 2849. Charging and storing e-bike batteries comes with a fire safety risk. Catastrophic failure can lead to explosions.
Where to Buy Cheap Electric Bike Batteries?
| Retailer that you bought the e-bike from |
| Branded battery manufacturer |
| eBay, reselling sites and forums |
| Amazon |
| Recelling and specialists in unbranded e-bike battery refurbishment |
| Bike manufacturer |
Amazon offers an abundance of unbranded ebike replacement batteries which are cheap. There are thousands on offer for less than £300 / 355, which is usually the base price for branded models. You could look at reselling sites like eBay for part used branded batteries. But ask lots of questions. Rear rack models are the most popular type of cheap electric battery.
E-Bike Battery Refurbishment
Branded e-bike battery manufacturers are clear. Their models should not be refurbished. There’s a lot of science going on inside the case that they don’t want you to risk looking at. There are plenty of recognised international safety standards they comply with that you don’t.
Some recelling companies don’t work on batteries of certain branded battery manufacturers either. As we’ve discussed further up the thread, certain original unbranded batteries can be upgraded and refurbished by improving the quality of the individual cells inside the pack.
Can Electric Bike Batteries Be Refurbished or Rebuilt?
If you don’t have a branded battery, refurbishment is possible by improving the quality of the technology inside the battery case. This is NOT a DIY job for you. But there is a cottage industry only a few clicks away which can offer to upgrade the brains of your battery.
Recelling will swap out the older individual cells for new ones and snap them back inside the original case. This might boost the performance you had achieved with the older cells.
Once again, check carefully before going down this path. The warranty of your bike will almost certainly be voided by refurbishing your battery.
Upgrades to the BMS board are offered by recelling companies too. So you can boost the performance of a non-branded battery and some branded batteries. You must check that all of the other components on the bike can cope with the upgrades. Frames and wheels should be OK, but brake performance should be closely reviewed.
Where to Refurbish E-Bike Battery
In the UK, the aptly named Electric Bike Battery Repairs offers a recelling service. In the US, you could look at E-Bike Marketplace or FTH Power. Cells which go by the title 18650 are listed as being of higher quality than many of the cells installed in original unbranded batteries.
You should also look to the original e-bike battery manufacturer for refurbishing options.
Electric Bike Battery Repairs
If you think your e-bike battery is faulty, contact your manufacturer. Don’t try to fix it at home. Raleigh gives some good advice on potential battery failure here.
The market leaders in the branded bike batteries say faulty, old or ‘worn out’ batteries should not be repaired. They cite safety concerns.
As we’ve highlighted with the upgrade options above, there are many online options for battery repair you could consider. Some of these include battery testing options first and some give a warranty.
What Can I Do with Old E-Bike Batteries?
E-bike batteries should be disposed of carefully and not tossed into regular bins. Branded e-bike battery manufacturers talk about checking with local authorities or returning it to your bike dealer. There are recognised recycling facilities in the USA and the UK has joined the recycling revolution.
People for Bikes in the USA recognises a scheme called Call2Recycle. Retailers in the UK via the collective body The Bicycle Association is setting up a battery collection and recycling function. It has partnered with the European Recycling Platform.
The European e-bike marketplace is much more mature than in the UK. For example, in 2018 over half all adult bikes sold in the Netherlands were electric. As a result, the number of batteries reaching the end of their serviceable life is significantly greater.
In Sweden and Norway, two companies have joined forces to recycle batteries and hopes to process Norway’s entire annual requirement.
A quick chat with your local bike shop or view of the local authority’s recycling programme will be your best guide.
E-Bike Battery Care Guide
You can take some really simple steps and get into good habits to prolong the life of your e-bike battery. Some of them are daily jobs and some part of a longer term regime. Most of these won’t break the bank.
- Cleaning – use a damp cloth
- Storage temperature – avoid extreme temperatures (keep at between 0°C – 20°C) and be especially careful in winter – bring the battery indoors
- Store in the dry and don’t charge a wet battery
- Park bike in the shade
- Remove the battery when transporting the bike – avoids damage by bad weather and road debris
- Keep some charge at all times – especially during prolonged storage – between 30% and 60% is recommended
- Invest in an automatic charger with cut-off
- Avoid constant overloading of the battery – lighten the load if you can
- Never use a charger which did not come with your battery
- Never overcharge
- Keep the discharge contacts clean and grease them very occasionally
- Clean the battery separately and carefully, avoid splashing water on the contacts and avoid power washing
Bosch eBike Systems sets new benchmarks in battery safety
Stuttgart/Reutlingen. Bosch eBike Systems continuously optimises its products, and processes, to ensure high component quality. The same applies to battery production. This is because lithium-ion batteries are complex, finely tuned systems with a high energy content, whose ingredients can, in principle, be flammable in certain circumstances. For this reason, eBike batteries must undergo extensive legally prescribed tests and may only be brought to market once they have passed these. Bosch eBike Systems goes beyond the already stringent legal requirements, paying special attention to the issue of battery safety at every point along the value chain: Bosch sets new benchmarks in battery safety with a combination of various technological safety mechanisms, additional tests, and a high degree of automation in manufacturing.
Bosch eBike Systems sets new benchmarks in battery safety
Bosch eBike Systems sets new benchmarks in battery safety
Bosch eBike Systems sets new benchmarks in battery safety
Bosch eBike Systems sets new benchmarks in battery safety
Combined safety features: BMS, mechanical, electrical and thermal isolation
A Bosch battery consists of numerous high-quality lithium-ion battery cells arranged within a robust housing. A seal prevents the ingress of splash water and dust to an extent that the battery is prevented from any resulting damage. Bosch batteries are equipped with a Battery Management System (BMS). This continuously monitors the battery, detects potential fault sources and protects the cells from overloading. If the system detects a problem, such as excessive temperature, it automatically shuts down the battery.
The BMS is combined with other safety technologies built into the battery, such as mechanical, electrical and thermal isolation.
The individual cells of an eBike battery from Bosch eBike Systems are encased in flame-retardant plastic. the mechanical isolation. In the rare event of a short circuit within a cell, this casing provides protection for the other cells. The electrical isolation serves as an integrated fuse. It provides electrical interruption if the current flow between the cells becomes too high. The individual cells are also protected by thermal isolation. The fully encased cells, and additional separators, reduce the risk of both overheating in the battery and a potential thermal chain reaction between the individual cells. This enables a controlled process in the event of gas evolution in the battery: The gas is able to escape in a controlled manner via a predetermined breaking point, preventing it from spreading to further cells.
tests, more automation in production: How Bosch optimises battery safety
Furthermore, numerous test procedures and safety tests are employed, which have been tried and tested, and continuously expanded over many years. Here, Bosch eBike Systems tests the batteries in-house and, in some cases, more stringently than required by law. Among other things, they are tested for short-circuit protection, protection against overcharging and resistance to external mechanical stresses. Bosch also tests the batteries without BMS, despite this not being a legal requirement. Safety tests are also carried out by suppliers along the value chain.
The result: Bosch eBike Systems batteries set high benchmarks for quality and safety. Not only do they comply with the legal requirements, but also exceed them in many respects. In the case of the batteries for the latest-generation Smart system, the degree of automation has also been further increased in production. This further enhances precision in the production process.
Despite the higher safety requirements that Bosch eBike Systems places on its batteries, a battery could still become damaged. Risks can be further minimised through careful battery handling. Batteries should not, for example, be stored near heat sources and should not be cleaned with a direct water jet or even a high-pressure cleaner. Nor should the batteries be opened under any circumstances. All information on the correct handling of Bosch eBike Systems batteries can be found in the Battery Guide.
Robert Bosch GmbHTamara WinogradHead of Marketing and Communication Bosch eBike SystemsTel.: 49 (0)7121 35-394 64Tamara.Winograd@de.Bosch.com
Basic information
Bosch eBike Systems is shaping the future of eBike mobility with innovative products and digital services ranging from highly efficient drive systems to the first production-ready ABS for eBikes and Connected Biking solutions. On the daily routes through the city, on leisurely rides through the countryside or for sporting adventures in the mountains: Bosch eBike Systems offers eBikers the right drive system (drive unit, battery, display, and app) for every requirement and every area of use, ensuring a unique riding sensation. Today, more than 100 of the world’s leading bicycle brands trust the perfectly coordinated, modular product portfolio. As an independent division within the Bosch Group, Bosch eBike Systems also makes use of the Group’s technology and manufacturing expertise. For healthy, safe and sustainable mobility that is fun.
For more information please visit www.Bosch-ebike.de
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 421,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2022). The company generated sales of 88.2 billion euros in 2022. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for Smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT Cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. With its more than 400 locations worldwide, the Bosch Group has been carbon neutral since the first quarter of 2020. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 85,500 associates in research and development, of which nearly 44,000 are software engineers.
Bosch unveils new 2020 e-bike motors and batteries, but are the updates enough?
Bosch’s electric bicycle motors and batteries have been leading the market for years without seeing many significant advancements. Now the company is hoping to change that with the release of its new line of upgraded motors and batteries.
Bosch’s new 2020 motors and batteries
It turns out we were correct, as Bosch’s new lineup includes the previously spied new motor casings and larger batteries. And now we are getting a better look at what Bosch has to offer in its first major hardware update in years.
Bosch’s previous motors were divided into two main classes: the smaller and quieter Active Line and the larger, more powerful but louder Performance Line. For 2020, the majority of the Performance line will be mounted in a smaller case similar to the current Active Line. It will feature an adequate 65 Nm of torque and offer a 300% pedal assist boost.
There are also two special variations of the Performance Line motors: Bosch Performance Line CX and Bosch Performance Line Speed.
Both are getting their own new magnesium casing to shave off weight. Both will also offer larger chainrings. The Bosch Performance Line Speed will have a higher top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). That’s an increase over the 20 mph (32 km/h) limit on most of the other Bosch motors in the US. In Europe, the other motors have a lower top speed of 15 mph (25 km/h).
Bosch also showed off a new Cargo Line of motors designed for electric cargo bikes. The motor is available in its standard form or as a Cargo Line Speed model, which increases the speed to 28 mph (45 km/h).
Bosch’s Powertube batteries also received an update. The previous models maxed out at 500 Wh, but now the batteries have been increased to 625 Wh. The company will also offer a 400 Wh battery in the same 625 Wh case. That’s likely a nod towards affordability and could make the notoriously expensive Bosch system a bit more palatable to price-sensitive riders.
Updates to the display line
The Bosch Kiox display is also getting an upgrade. The company says that it will be able to wirelessly communicate with a specific Fox shock absorber to dynamically adjust shock performance. The feature isn’t available yet though, and Bosch didn’t have any demos available during its unveiling in Germany.
The Kiox display will also offer a new motor lockout feature where the motor is made inoperable when the magnetically attached display is removed. That allows riders to disable their bike’s motor as an anti-theft feature while the bike is parked in public. However, Bosch is requiring riders to pay an additional fee to access the software lockout feature.
Electrek’s Take
It’s great to see Bosch coming out with a new line of products. There haven’t been any substantial hardware updates in years, with the exception of the Kiox display’s unveiling nearly a year ago. I’ve still never seen that display on a bike in the wild, and have only experienced it on a demo bike at the company’s booth at the Interbike 2018 trade show.
The update to the motor and battery line is welcome, though I’m a bit underwhelmed. It feels like Bosch is playing catch up with other large manufacturers. Specialized has had 600 Wh in-tube batteries for years and even unveiled 700 Wh in-tube batteries last year.
Brose’s own magnesium mid-drive motor is not only a year more advanced than Bosch’s, but it is significantly more powerful too. And it uses belts instead of gears, making it whisper quiet.
Shimano’s mid-drives and displays are competitive with Bosch’s new 2020 models, but were unveiled in mid-2018.
Yamaha’s PW series of mid-drive motors offer more torque than Bosch’s and have also been on the market for some time now.
Then there is the Chinese standout Bafang which we are seeing on more and more lust-worthy ebikes. The Ultra mid-drive is a chain-melting 1.5 kW.
Basically what I’m saying is this: Bosch’s new 2020 updates are quite nice and it is great to see them fighting to maintain their large market share, but these products are either comparable or behind offerings from nearly every other major competitor. Plus Bosch components are the most expensive option out there by a significant margin. Even bikes known for their affordability, such as Schwinn models, suddenly cost over 3,500 or more with a Bosch setup. And yet Bosch somehow still holds the lion’s share of the retail e-bike component market.
I’m not quite sure why that is. Perhaps because Bosch is a huge company, they can afford the marketing and production capacity required to shore up market share. Perhaps as an early entry into the field, they have simply become a legacy brand and are relying on the network effect to keep retailers coming back to Bosch parts around which companies have already invested in building frames. Whatever it is, it absolutely working for them. The company continues to grow its market share, even while its product offerings are slow to match that pace.
The next few years will be very interesting in the e-bike industry, that’s for sure.
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Can You Buy Replacement Electric Bike Batteries? How Much Do They Cost?
That was the humorous answer I received just the other day when I went to an electric bikes’ shop for my Mama and asked, “Can you buy replacement electric bike batteries? If so, how much do they cost?”
Now, if there is anything my late pappy warned me about, it’s salesmen who are too familiar, funny, and full of jokes.
“Son, such salesmen are dangerous, always put your guard up when dealing with their kind!” Pappy had warned me at his last breath.
You can therefore understand when, immediately after the salesman had responded in such fashion, I, as they say, “turned and ran” out shouting,
“I will be back, I just need to go and ask the professor-by which I meant Google, of course!
Below were the professor’s responses to my questions.
Can you buy replacement electric bike batteries?
Without perhaps being as familiar as the salesman at the electric bike shop had been, Prof Goggle treated the question as if I was asking whether the sea contains fish?! As a result, he could not wait to get to my next question.
Anyway, in a nutshell, Prof. responded with a loud, YES, you can buy replacement electric batteries-that’s why they are apparently called-R-E-P-L-A-C-E-EM-E-N-T!
Though you should not be in a hurry to buy one of your electric bike’s (also known as an e-bike), the battery has not yet started to give you problems or play up. This is because, on average, a good quality e-bike battery should and can last for hundreds of cycles. If used averagely, this could mean several years.
However, as with most man-made things under the sun, in due course, electric bike batteries need and must be replaced, especially as their life span nears its end.
Finding all this not only the most informative, but interesting as well, I asked one of the questions I know must be foremost in some of your minds- cost?
How To Tell When To Replace an Electric Bike Battery?
Fast as lightning, the response came back.
Signs that your electric bike’s battery is about to bid you farewell or reaching the end of its life-span is mainly when it and you can’t reach the distances you used to cover together. Fortunately, certain high-quality batteries like B—-h come with a battery management system (BMS) fitted in the battery. This BMS will usually keep you informed and updated about your electric bike’s battery current capacity as well as how much charge cycles it has gone through.
Should you happen to have access to the UK’s electric bikes network, then you can have your e-bike’s battery examined and assessed. It offers battery diagnosis (refundable against a replacement battery or recell if required). The ETS reports that it has stocks of Battery Management System chips that can be used on certain packs, usually on older e-bikes. So, should your e-bike be first-generation like Mama’s, then get in touch with the ETS and enquire.
That question satisfactorily answered, I next turned to the all-important question when it comes to new technologies-the cost of e-bike replacement batteries!
How Much Do They Cost?
Cheap Means Cheap Quality
While the battery on any electric bike will need replacement after some time and use, but if you take care of your battery to extend its useful life as long as possible, you’ll find shopping for a new e-bike battery is a very rare occurrence.
However, “Forewarned is forearmed”. Instead of beginning with a list of the of e-bike replacement batteries, Prof started by warning me about the cheap batteries and their places of origin.
According to Prof. Goggle, “There are many cheaper battery options through direct sellers from China, but these batteries will be of lower quality and could have some of the following issues”:
- Although Japan, South Korea, and to some extent Taiwan, try to manufacture quality products, reportedly China is unknown for quality especially 18650 cells.
- Apparently, most so-called “name brand” cell packs coming from out of China are sometimes, in fact, made up of clones that perform badly cells or re-wraps.
- Such rewrapped batteries will normally not last for very long.
- BE WARNED, rewrapped or low-quality batteries can also have a higher potential fire hazard.
Given the above, “Buyer beware” or you will pay dearly for what you cheaply paid for!
The battery on an electric bike is one of the most expensive components to replace. Compromising quality for affordability will generally result in lower quality, shorter lifespan of the battery, and lower performance.
That said, Prof. turned to some of his picks when it comes to some of the best e-bike replacement batteries on the market.
Whether in the market to replace an old e-bike battery, as with almost everything these days, knowing its cost is vital. How much do e-bike replacement batteries cost? Let’s look at Prof’s chosen few.
Yamaha E-Bike Batteries
Yamaha has integrated, rack-mounted and frame-mounted options ranging between 400Wh and 600Wh. Their systems appear on Haibike models and in the US on their own branded models.
Bosch brand battery packs are some of the most expensive, with ranging from 670 – 920, with an average cost per Wh of capacity around 1.70/Wh.
Shimano STEPS batteries range in price from 500 – 800, with an average cost per Wh of capacity around 1.40/Wh.
Last but not at all least, off-brand batteries with high-quality cells (Panasonic or Samsung typically, or sometimes LG) have an average cost per Wh for a capacity of around 0.80/Wh.
Normally, new high-quality electric bike replacement batteries will cost anywhere between 500 to 900 plus depending on the brand and capacity. Usually, this would be for a battery with a capacity of around 400wh to 700wh. Name brand battery packs are characteristically more expensive when looking at cost per Wh of capacity versus high-quality off-brand battery packs.
Remember, should you buy your e-bike replacement battery online, always add additional shipping costs to the final total. Shipping batteries, especially Lithium-ion batteries, are complicated and will usually increase your shipping costs by an additional 40-50 depending on the destination amount. Most battery packs only have a 1-year warranty, so think carefully about where you purchase your e-bike battery from.
My primary research over, and with some time to spare before returning to the e-bike shop and its familiar salesman, I googled some Frequently Asked Questions to test the salesman.
When I thought I had been informed enough about e-bike replacement batteries, I this time went to interrogate the salesman. The visit went something like this….
Frequently Asked Questions and Salesman’s Answers.
Q1. Which battery is best for an electric bike?
A. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the best option for e-bikes. Although lead-acid batteries are significantly cheaper, they’re three times as heavy as their li-ion equivalents.
Q2. Range, how far can you go on a full charge?
A. Range Estimates! Every company, website, and salesperson struggles with this. On one side, you have the desire to claim the best-case scenario as it makes the best sales pitch, but on the flip side, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is. The fact is this, expect typically 20 miles / 32 Km from an average 6 to 8 Lb Lithium battery, that is the universal truth and pretty much the most honest statement a company can make.
Q3. How can you influence service life?
A. To get the longest service life out of a battery, eBikers need only to follow a few simple rules in respect of protection, transport, and storage. They include storing the battery in a dry environment and protecting it from direct sunlight at a room temperature of around 50°F (10°C) to 68°F (20°C). The ideal charging level for a battery is between 30% and 60%. Ideally, the battery should be recharged at room temperature. When transporting an e-Bike, it is important to remove the battery from the bike and store it safely in the car.
Q4. How do you dispose of an old battery?
The dealer will ensure that Bosch Power Packs are disposed of in an environmentally sound way free of charge. Disposal in the United States is handled by CALL2RECYCLE at (877) 723-1297.
Feeling that all my FAQs had been more than satisfactorily and professionally answered, I bought Mama’s electric bike a replacement battery.
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