Can You Use Electric Bikes Without a Battery?
With everything going electricl, it’s no surprise that e-bikes are also surging in popularity. But can you use electric bikes without a battery?
Maybe you just want the exercise, or maybe the battery died and you’re still far away from your house – in such cases, what do you do?
Electric bikes work pretty much the same way normal bicycles do when the battery is off, so riding your e-bike wouldn’t be very different from a traditional bicycle. That said, you may face a bit of difficulty when riding an e-bike without the battery that you wouldn’t with a regular bicycle.
If e-bikes were exactly the same as regular bikes, they wouldn’t be e-bikes at all, so it’s understandable that there is a difference. From the extra weight of the battery tohow to actually ride a bike without battery, there are plenty of things to consider.
While looking into e-bikes, we found a lot of useful information about e-bikes, especially when it comes to the issue of riding without a battery. Let’s take a look at some of these.
Riding an Electric Bike Without the Battery
One question you may have could be: why would anyone want to ride an electric bike without the battery? After all, e-bikes are not very easy on your wallet, and if you spent all that money on them, you would want to actually be able to use the electronic function, right?
This is true, but many bikers do prefer to have pedal assistance where possible, and sometimes riders will even prefer to not use the bike’s electronic functions as well. This could be for any reason, but the important thing is that since you spend so much money on an e-bike, having the flexibility to switch is also useful.
Why Would You Ride an e-bike without the Battery?
There could be a number of reasons. Let’s consider some of them:
Air Travel
Airlines usually aren’t very excited to have battery-powered items on board. This is because there is always the risk of these batteries exploding in the cargo area where there is no pressure, and causing trouble. Sometimes, they may let you carry the battery with you in the pressurized cabins, or you can rent one from your destination. In any case, if you’re traveling with your bike, you may have to ride it without the battery for a while.
Mountain Biking
If you’re into mountain biking, then you’d want to head to the fun parts of the mountain where your biking adventures will be more exciting. For this, you usually have to use a chairlift, but these come with weight limits. If you’re just the slightest bit ahead of the weight limit, the most likely option is that you’d remove the battery, since it’s the easiest part of your e-bike to remove.
Dead Battery
This is probably the most common reason bikers go without their batteries. Maybe you forgot to charge it before you left the house and ran out midway. Or, perhaps, you may have thought you had it with you but had actually forgotten it at home. Either way, if you ran out of battery and still have some biking to do, you can switch to the pedals, but you’d want to remove the battery first.
This is because the battery adds significant weight to the bike, and without the electronic assistance, you’d just be hauling around some dead weight as you pedal. It’s best to remove the battery.
Fitness
Another reason to ride without the battery is simply the fitness factor. While the assistance makes it a lot easier to ride your bike, if you’re biking for health purposes, it’s actually not helping you out much. That’s why a good portion of the biking community removes the battery so they can get some traditional biking done, while having the option to switch to assistance when needed. Whatever your reasons may be, riding your e-bike without the battery will definitely contribute towards your health.
Can You Ride an Electric Bike Without The Battery?
You can ride an e-bike without the battery with very little difference. If you’re concerned about damage, you can rest assured that removing the battery from your e-bike will not harm it in any way. The motor and the bike remain unchanged.
That said, while riding your e-bike isn’t necessarily very different from riding a traditional bike, there are some differences. For example, the e-bike has some extra parts that make it an ‘electric’ bike, and these have weight. The main components which contribute to the weight are the battery, the frame and the motor.
Battery
The battery for an e-bike will usually weigh somewhere between the 7 and 12 lb range. This doesn’t sound like too much when you think about it, but the weight becomes very noticeable when you’re pedaling over longer distances. Depending on the bike and your needs, a lighter battery may also work, in case you want to ride without it frequently without removing the actual battery.
Frame
Electric bikes usually have frames made of aluminum alloys, because of the strength and affordability. These are also relatively lighter than frames made of steel, which makes them much easier to ride if you aren’t using the assistance from the battery.
Motor
The motor is another major contributor towards the overall weight of the bike. An average bike motor will weigh approximately 10 lb – similar to the battery. Crank or direct drive motors will usually weigh less than hub motors.
If you’re riding without the help of the battery, these three factors will affect the weight of the bike. If you know that you’d be using your bike without the battery on occasion, you can keep these in mind before you make your purchase.
But if you’ve already made your purchase, then the only difference between riding your e-bike and riding a traditional bike would be that e-bikes are a bit more strenuous to ride. Because they have at least two to three times the weight of a regular bike, not having the assistance from the battery and motor would be very noticeable.
Despite any tips to ride an e-bike without a battery, there’s no way you can get around the issue of weight, so you’d have to stick through. While it can be harder, it’s not impossible, and you’d be able to get from point A to point B. You may find yourself quite tired when you get there, though.
Tips on Riding an e-bike Without Battery
While it is a bit harder to ride an electric bike than a traditional bike, there are ways to make the experience smoother than it would be otherwise.
If you’re dealing with an unexpected flat battery, you may have to lug around some dead weight, but if you have the space to store it – like a car, or your house – you should do so.
You can also try different gears to help you ride smoothly, even if you don’t have the assist option. Also make sure to keep the space your battery goes clean, because any debris on the surface when the battery connects again later can cause problems.
Make sure to leave your battery on charge if possible, so that when you can ride with assistance again, your battery is ready to help you out.
At the end of the day, a bike is a bike. Some bikes are meant to be ridden differently, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to ride them the way you’re used to. While riding an electric bike is a bit tough, you can very much do so without the battery.
About THE AUTHOR
Mountain biking is more than just a hobby for me. it’s a way of life. I love the challenge and excitement that comes with it, and I’m always pushing myself to go faster and ride harder. Some people might think that mountain biking is dangerous, but I see it as the only way to live.
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Electric Bikes from other brands are not allowed on airlines due to their batteries!
The manufacturer is re-designing as the world wide chip shortage has caused enough problems to motivate them to design a battery that is not reliant on those parts. The new LIGO batteries are expected early 2023.
This couple has arrived in Isreal ready for a bike adventure. They do not have electric assist on their bikes yet but we can retrofit their bikes any time and they will still pack into their suitcase.
The Battery: The LiGo by Grin Technology
Note: LiGo batteries not available until 2023 due to chip shortage
Yes, these batteries really can be carried on passenger aircraft in carry-on luggage. Both we and our customers have clocked hundreds and hundreds of flights with LiGo batteries going through security without any incidents. Aaron, from Grin, even caught on video what happens when LiGo batteries go through the scanning belt. We recommend removing the LiGo packs from your baggage and plugging the pair of Anderson connectors on each pack into each other so that there are no exposed terminals and each pack is clearly individually contained. Airport personnel has been well trained at looking for the watt-hour rating lithium batteries and seeing if they are compliant or not.
While most airlines do not have a firmly defined maximum number of batteries under 100 Wh that can be brought aboard, we’d suggest traveling with no more than 4-5 LiGo’s per person in order to avoid extra scrutiny. Grin has had customers travel by air with as many as 12 LiGo modules on them, but we wouldn’t recommend that as a matter of course.
Travel with the LiGo powered E-Bike Friday:
Bike Friday E-Bike packed and ready for travel photo: Ruth K.
Bike Friday E-Bike almost ready to ride photo: Ruth K.
Bike Friday E-Bike ready to ride after being unpacked photo: Ruth K.
Front Hub Drive:
The motor replaces the front hub in the front wheel with a specially designed Bafang motor which is optimized for our wheel size. It is the quietest front hub motor you can buy and works effortlessly.
– This system is compatible with all Bike Friday models –
- No motor resistance when coasting or without power and very quiet!
- Very light! Adds only ~ 10 lbs to your bike
- Fits both 20-inch wheel and 16-inch wheel Bike Fridays
- LiGo travel battery option makes for a light electric-assist bike that is legal to fly with.
- Easily add more Ligo Batteries to increase your range.
- Comes standard with pedal assist
- With a second front wheel and 3 minutes you can take off all but one lb of the weight (removing motor and battery) and have your light non-assisted bike ready to ride
- Disc brake compatible
- Balances weight of bike over both wheels.
Contact us and a bike design expert will help you with your questions and find the best electric system for your situation.
For retrofitting older Bike Fridays into E-Bikes with an electric assist there are additional steps. Contact us for details.
What You Need to Know About E-bike Battery Safety
It’s no secret that here at Liv we’re huge fans of electric bikes. Just the mere mention of our women’s E-bike range breaks us out in a big smile.
But. we’ll also put on our serious face and discuss electric bike battery safety with you. Because we know that E-bikes, with their high-tech batteries, can sometimes feel complex.
That’s why we’ve broken it down in this article. So read on to discover :
- What’s inside an electric bike battery (the techy stuff)
- How we ensure the highest battery safety standards on our Liv E-bikes
- The 13 must-know best practices for ultimate E-bike battery safety
The techy stuff: What’s inside an E-bike battery?
E-bike battery packs consist of individual battery cells containing lithium-ions. These battery cells store the energy to power the motor.
E-bike batteries are made with either cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch-shaped cells. The shape of these cells is really important. High-quality E-bike battery suppliers like Panasonic, Shimano, and Bosch use cylindrical cells because they handle higher temperatures without deforming.
Aside from the individual battery cells, a critical component inside an E-bike battery is the battery management system (BMS).
The BMS is hugely important as it regulates the individual performance of each battery cell. Regulation is important because even when they’re installed at the same time all the individual batteries don’t drain, deteriorate or perform at the same rate. Some cells last longer than others, some cells will drain slower than others and some will glitch out and cause more problems than others.
Left to their own devices, with so many cells acting independently, you’d encounter performance and safety issues with your E-bike.
So the BMS helps to provide your E-bike battery with long-term consistent performance.
We like to think of the BMS as the competent ride leader overseeing a group of different riding abilities and working to keep everyone together on the trails.
How we ensure the highest battery safety standards in our Liv E-bikes
At Liv, we take your safety VERY seriously. That’s why our E-bike batteries have been co-developed in partnership with the biggest and best battery manufacturer available – Panasonic.
Although other brands may purchase Panasonic batteries Liv has gone the extra mile. or two.
Firstly, we work closely with Panasonic to co-develop our batteries. The output is an e-bike battery that’s completely proprietary to us and designed to the highest safety standards.
Secondly, not only does Panasonic manufacture the cells and the battery management system on our E-bikes but they also assemble and test them for us.
So by investing in a Liv E-bike you can feel totally confident you’re getting a safe, reliable, and high-performing battery that’s developed, assembled, and tested by industry leaders. You won’t find our e-bike battery on any other e-bike on the market.
Liv’s EnergyPak E-bike battery is also distinct from other brands because it has individual separators (rooms) inside. This helps prevent heat from spreading from one cell to another.
Our BMS – aka the capable ride leader – monitors the battery pack and individual cells to make sure each cell is regulated for maximum efficiency and to prevent overheating.
While your Liv E-bike is charging, Liv’s Smart Charger continuously communicates with the battery to ensure individual cells are charged at the optimum rate. Also, in extremely hot or cold weather conditions the Smart Charger will adjust the charging voltage for optimal battery efficiency.
simple do’s and don’ts for ultimate E-bike battery safety
E-bike battery safety: The Do’s
- Do purchase your E-bike from a reputable e-bike brand.
- Do always use the battery and charger that originally came with your E-bike.
- Do go to an authorized dealer if your battery is damaged so they can check it before your next ride.
- Do remove your battery when transporting your e-bike to protect it from damage.
- Do store the battery at room temperature in a moisture-free environment to avoid unnecessary damage to the cells.
- Do keep the battery away from children and pets.
- Do stop the charging procedure immediately if you feel concerned.
E-bike battery safety: The Don’ts
- Don’t modify your E-bike or let your ‘helpful’ friend tinker with it either. For maintenance, always go to an authorized dealer for your E-bike brand.
- Don’t charge your E-bike around flammable materials.
- Don’t store your E-bike battery in a damp place.
- Don’t subject the battery or charger to high-impact eg. by dropping them
- Don’t cover the battery or charger or place objects on top of it.
- Don’t leave your battery at full charge if you’re storing it for a month or more. It is also best to remove the battery from the bike and store it at 60% of its capacity. You can make use of Liv’s Smart Charger which has a useful 60% charge function to ensure safe storage.
Now let’s look at the bikes.
OK. Battery tech talk–done. Serious face–gone. Now for the fun stuff because it’s time for you to start drooling over our awesome range of women’s E-bikes.
Replacement Electric Bike Batteries Guide
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A good e-bike battery should last for hundreds of cycles. With average use, this means several years. Eventually, electric bike batteries need to be replaced as their life cycle comes to an end.
You can tell when a battery is nearing the end of its life when it does not provide you with much range. Some high-quality batteries that come on the top e-bikes such as a Bosch battery have a battery management system (BMS) integrated into the battery that actually tells you the current capacity and also how many charge cycles it has gone through.
But no matter what type of battery you have you’ll sooner or later be asking yourself the all-important question: how can I replace my e-bike battery?
Down below Electric Bike Report dives into this question and more in greater detail.
Are E-bike Batteries Interchangeable?
In general, the answer is no – you should only replace a battery with one that comes from the same manufacturer and is of exactly the same spec.
The reason is that the original e-bike or kit manufacturer has the responsibility to ensure that the battery pack, charger, and e-bike all work safely together, and using a ‘non-original’ replacement pack potentially introduces all sorts of uncontrolled risks.
It’s a little more complicated than this in some situations. For example, some Bosch batteries of different capacities are explicitly made to be interchangeable and there will be many instances where an original supplier and/or manufacturer of the e-bike cannot be traced or has gone out of business – in such cases we look at your options below.
As an important side note: you should always, if possible, use a charger that comes from the original manufacturer too. The one that comes with your battery should sync up well and not overload the battery. Pairing your battery with a different charger adds in risk of malfunction during charging.
Let’s first look at the basics of getting a replacement battery for your e-bike, then we will look at some of the major manufacturers of e-bike batteries and some of the main e-bike manufacturers to see which common battery types are still replaceable. Let’s consider the options for replacement in terms of desirability.
Where Should I Go to Get a Replacement E-Bike Battery?
On this last point it may help to note that there are a couple of manufacturing standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes. Although it’s not a legal requirement, it may be that one of the standards is actually marked on the battery itself.
The standards are BS EN 50604‑1 and UN38.3, the latter required for lithium-ion battery transport by air, sea or land. Just because these standards are not marked on a battery doesn’t mean it does not comply with them – but it is a reassuring sign if a battery does bear one or both of these marks.
Note that using a replacement battery that does not come from the original manufacturer (whether a dealer is involved or not) may void the warranty of your electric bike or kit. Check with the e-bike or kit company to understand what their policy is regarding the use of aftermarket replacement batteries.
Replacement Batteries from Original Manufacturers
Bosch E-Bike Batteries
Only Bosch manufactured batteries will be used on any new Bosch e-bike – this has always been the case and so it makes advice on interchangeability a little more straightforward than with the likes of Shimano and Brose who have both allowed the use of third party batteries with their mid-drive motor systems.
There have been four basic designs made by Bosch over the years (good online overview here):
- Rack mounted batteries: PowerPack in 300, 400, and 500 Wh versions which are all interchangeable with each other.
- Down tube mounted batteries: PowerPack in 300, 400, and 500 Wh versions, current versions of which are all interchangeable with each other.
- Frame integrated batteries: PowerTubes in 400, 500, and 625Wh versions, with the 400 and 500 units being interchangeable with each other. The 625Wh may be retrofittable but it needs a compatible frame with a big enough space to house it (400 and 500 units are the same physical dimensions but 625 is bigger). 500 and 625 Wh units are used on the Dual Battery system to give a capacity up to 1250Wh.
- Frame Integrated ‘Smart’ Option batteries: This is a new 750Wh option for 2022 and will be only compatible with 2022 e-bikes that feature the Bosch ‘Smart’ system and will not be compatible with other Bosch e-bikes that are ‘non-Smart’. Similarly, other types of PowerTube batteries (400, 500, and 625Wh versions) will not be compatible with e-bikes featuring Bosch’s ‘Smart’ system.
Some third-party batteries compatible with Bosch systems are available as detailed in the section below.
There are some suppliers of batteries that will fit older models, in some cases dating back to 2011 when the Bosch e-bikes first entered the market, for example, The Holland Bike Shop in Europe sells some batteries compatible with much older Bosch-powered models.
Shimano E-Bike Batteries
Shimano produces its own brand batteries for use on their systems, but you may also find new e-bikes powered by Shimano motor systems with batteries manufactured by their licensed partners Darfon and SMP. These third party batteries are not interchangeable with any Shimano batteries.
Shimano’s current range includes rack-mounted, downtube-mounted and frame-integrated batteries from 418Wh to 630Wh. You can see a brief overview with detailed links to each battery on offer here.
It’s important to note that each battery model has a limited number of specific battery mounts it will work with, so it is important to replace an old battery with one that is compatible with the mount on your e-bike. You can check out detailed compatibility info here and here.
Shimano says that ‘the oldest current battery we have is the BT-E6000 and the corresponding battery mount BM-E6000. These are compatible with all five of our current drive units (DU-EP8/E8000/E7000/E6100/E5000), but not earlier systems. For reference, DU-E8000 is the oldest in that list – it was introduced in 2016.’
Brose E-Bike Batteries
The only battery listed on Brose’s own website is a 630Wh frame-integrated option.
However, Brose systems are widely used by other manufacturers who also spec own-brand or third-party batteries. These include the likes of the widely respected battery manufacturer BMZ and well-known brands like Scott and BULLS.
For example, Specialized’s ‘full power’ range use Brose-based mid drives and a range of their own brand frame-integrated batteries. Although information on interchangeability is scarce, a Specialized FAQ page, in response to the question ‘Can I increase range by using the 604Wh aftermarket battery in any Turbo Vado/Como?’ says yes, all Vado batteries are cross-compatible as long as you are running the latest firmware (by implication so are Como and Turbo full power batteries are cross-compatible too).
The above appears only to address compatibility on current Specialized models and battery availability for older models appears a bit more complex with lots of debate online over the matter.
The fact that the latest Specialized e-bike batteries contain a Bluetooth chip to communicate with the latest Mission Control App certainly suggest both backward compatibility and availability of third party batteries will be very limited. Current e-bike batteries available from Specialized can be found here.
Yamaha E-Bike Batteries
Yamaha has integrated, rack-mounted and frame-mounted options ranging between 400Wh and 600Wh but information on backward compatibility is rather hard to find. Their systems appear on Haibike models and in the US on their own brand models too.
Giant use Yamaha motor systems but apparently have their own brand of battery – the EnergyPak range. The standard EnergyPak comes in rack-mounted and frame-integrated options whilst the Smart Compact variant allows for faster charging.
Finally, there is the Giant EnergyPak Plus, for use with the Smart Compact – a range extender style battery that fits onto the frame and effectively increases the capacity of the main Plus battery.
Giant’s Service web page states that there are EnergyPaks with 300, 360, 400, 500 and 625Wh capacities and also states ‘Giant EnergyPaks are interchangeable’.
Fazua E-Bike Batteries
This lightweight German-made system uses a frame-integrated 250Wh design and there have been two types of battery, Battery 250 and Battery 250X, the latter having the ability to be switched on and off remotely.
The latest Fazua Evation 250X battery is compatible with all Fazua electric bikes from 2019-22.
GRIN and Cytronex E-bike Kit Batteries
Canada’s GRIN is a true expert in producing a wide variety of e-bike kits. Whilst they do several designs of batteries, one of their best options from a replaceability point of view is their own brand LiGo batteries.
LiGo batteries are very unusual in being modular so that you can easily connect together as many as you like to increase or decrease battery capacity at will. They are particularly suitable for lightweight and folding bikes (I use them on a GRIN Brompton kit) and also for those who want to air travel with e-bikes as the individual battery units are only 98Wh and so are generally allowed on passenger aircraft (disconnect them from each other for travel and reconnect them on landing to make a useful e-bike battery).
The design has been around for several years and is backward compatible.
The UK’s Cytronex produces both European and US spec lightweight kits which use a unique own-design of ‘bottle battery’.
Cytronex says all their lithium bottles are compatible forwards and backward from the first version in 2017. They have different firmware for the new Bluetooth variant but both this and the non-Bluetooth version allow you to use the new 2-way – 5 level Boost Button or the previous one-way 3 level button.
In fact, if you have old and new kits on two bikes you can switch the bottle between both and it will recognize the two different button types automatically.
E-bike Manufacturers Own Brand Batteries
There are hundreds of e-bike manufacturers in the more budget space so it’s way beyond the scope of this guide to cover the options for each one; rather we’ll take a look at a couple of the market leaders.
Rad Power Bikes E-Bike Batteries
Rad Power Bikes first started producing e-bikes for the North American market in 2015 and now claims to be the US market leader. Their website lists several replacement batteries and their current lineup of bikes uses one of two battery designs.
There is the External Battery Pack (with the option for the smaller pack specific to the RadMission) which is compatible with all 2018 and newer model ebikes except the RadRover 6 Plus and RadCity 5 Plus, which use the Semi-Integrated Battery Pack.
Rad Power Bikes does offer legacy options for bikes older than that 2018 ‘cutoff’ and although some of these legacy batteries are currently out of stock Rad says they have plans to restock them.
The battery packs are consistent across their main sales areas of Canada, US and Europe.
The Rad Power website has a great filter system so you can track down the compatibility of what batteries are in stock against all current and previous models, right back to the original 2015 RadRover. All e-bike manufacturers’ websites should provide this service!
Pedego E-Bike Batteries
A longstanding US manufacturer with a clear set of battery specs for current models here. However, there doesn’t appear to be any info about legacy batteries or backward compatibility.
Interestingly, and it seems uniquely amongst the mainstream manufacturers, Pedego have recently introduced a serviceable battery (pictured above) – designed to be easily maintained at the local Pedego store. It features a rear light, brake light and indicators to boot.
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!
What is an electric bike and how do they work?
Whether you’re ditching the car by cycling to work or want an easier ride to the top of trails, an electric bike can offer many of the benefits of a non-assisted bike, with motorised power on tap when you need it.
Electric bike technology has advanced at a pace in recent years and you can now find pretty much any type of bike with a motor. We have guides to the best electric road bikes, best electric gravel bikes and best electric mountain bikes.
If you don’t want to buy a whole new bike, the best electric bike conversion kits will transform your purely pedal-powered bike into an electric bike. In this general guide to electric bikes, we’ll explain exactly what an ebike is, how an electric bike works, how to ride an ebike and answer some of the key questions you may have before buying.
What is an electric bike?
An electric bike has a built-in motor and battery to assist your pedalling. Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
An electric bike, or ebike, is a bicycle equipped with an electric bike motor to assist you when you’re pedalling. The motor will get its power from a rechargeable battery mounted on the bike. To classify as an ebike, the motor has to help you rather than propel you on its own. As a result, you need to pedal to get that assistance. How much power the motor delivers is regulated based on how hard you are pedalling and the level of support you have selected. Electric bike systems offer a number of modes to choose from, allowing you to balance the amount of power supplied through the pedals with range and battery life.
Electric bike assistance is restricted to 15.5mph in the UK, EU and Australia. Russell Burton / Our Media
Electric bike laws on how much help the motor can provide, and the speed at which assistance cuts out, vary around the world. But in general the motor is limited to 250 watts output and must cut out when your speed reaches 25kph/15.5mph, except in the USA where it can continue to work up to 20mph. You can go faster than that, of course, but only under your own effort – the bike’s motor will no longer provide assistance.
- must have a maximum power output of 250 watts
- should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph
How does an electric bike work?
An electric bike will typically have a motor housed either centrally on the bike (often referred to as a mid-drive motor, powered through the cranks) or on the front or rear hub.
Whereas a hub-based motor will push the wheel around directly, an axle-mounted motor will work through the ebike’s chain and gears.
When you pedal, a torque sensor will measure how much effort you are putting in and match that to the motor’s power output.
The idea is that the motor won’t completely take over; instead, you should get consistent power delivery that won’t send the bike lurching forward.
Therefore, one of many benefits of riding an electric bike is you still have to press on the pedals and get exercise. Riding an electric bike for fitness is eminently possible.
Power comes from the battery, which might be mounted on the outside of the frame or hidden within it.
Many batteries can be removed for charging, although others need to be charged on the bike. If that’s the case, you need to have somewhere to park the bike near a power socket.
There will be a controller for the motor, usually mounted on the handlebar or integrated within the frame, that lets you decide how much assistance you want, and to keep an eye on the battery level. Some will include a screen with navigation and other functions too.
Electric bike motors are held either in the middle of the bike, as shown here, or in one of the wheel hubs. Russell Burton / Our Media
Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha, Specialized, Mahle, FSA and Fazua all make popular ebike motors. Specifications can vary significantly and the type of motor found on a bike will depend on its price and the type of riding intended.
For example, an electric road bike is more likely to favour a lightweight system with smooth power delivery, whereas a motor on a high-spec electric mountain bike is likely to offer more torque for off-road capability.
How do you regulate motor power?
You can usually alter the level of assistance with a frame-mounted button, as pictured here, or a controller on the handlebar. Russell Burton / Our Media
An electric bike will usually have between three and five levels of assistance, selected via its controller.
These can give you anything from a gentle push to lots of power for tackling steep off-road climbs, depending on the specifications of the bike’s motor.
Some will also have a ‘boost’ button, which you can use to increase the power output for short bursts of additional power.
Many bikes also offer a walk-assist mode, to make it easier to push when you’re off the bike.
You can change between assistance levels as you ride and there’s usually the option to switch the motor off completely and ride under pedal power alone.
Many ebike motors are designed to be drag-free when switched off, but there is still the additional weight to overcome.
How much weight do the motor and battery add?
Electric bikes are heavier than non-assisted bikes and there’s a wide variation in the weight of ebike motors and batteries.
The lightest systems come in at less than 4kg and are typically found on electric road bikes, but most systems weigh around 6 to 8kg – and sometimes more.
The additional mounting points and frame reinforcement required on an electric bike can add some extra weight, too.
The weight of your system will depend partly on budget, but also the intended use of the bike.
Bikes that require lots of power, for example, an electric cargo bike or e-MTB, are more likely to have a heavier motor and battery package.
An electric road bike requires less assistance and will prioritise lighter weight.
The latest e-road bikes are near-indistinguishable from non-motorised bikes, thanks to the sleek, integrated design of the motor and battery.
The extra weight associated with electric bikes is worth bearing in mind if you need to lift or carry your machine anywhere.
If that’s the case, consider how much extra weight you can comfortably handle.
However, for day-to-day riding, the benefits of having a motor should trump any extra weight, particularly when it comes to climbing… unless you run out of battery.
How do you ride an electric bike?
Riding an electric bike is pretty much like riding a non-motorised bike of the same type.
You switch on the motor, select the assistance level you want using the controller, and then pedal. The motor will make initial acceleration much easier and then help you keep up to speed, particularly when you need to climb a hill.
However, because of the extra weight from the motor and battery, an electric bike may handle a bit more sluggishly than a non-assisted bike.
It may also have wider tyres to carry the extra weight and provide more grip, and it will usually have disc brakes because there’s more mass to slow down and stop.
What range will an electric bike have?
The motor type and battery capacity, plus your riding style and the terrain, all influence the range. Russell Burton / Immediate Media
Batteries on electric bikes can give you a range of anything from 20 to 100 miles or more on a full charge, depending on their capacity (measured in watt-hours and abbreviated to Wh). Batteries are expensive, so an ebike with a longer range will, in general, cost more.
You’ll usually get a battery-level indicator, while some control systems will give you an estimated range as you ride or regulate the power output to let you achieve your planned ride distance.
Some ebikes let you plug in a second battery, which might fit in a bottle cage, to up range. You can also lower the assistance level during a ride to help conserve the battery and extend the bike’s range.
While many brands will offer an estimated range for a particular model of bike, and it is possible to gauge a bike’s theoretical range based on its motor power and battery capacity, ultimately it depends on the level of assistance you’re using and the terrain.
Fully recharging the battery from the mains can take anything from around three hours up to nine hours, or more depending on the model, charger and battery capacity.
What types of electric bike are there?
We’ve got a separate guide to electric bike types, but you can find almost any kind of bike with a motor.
The most common types of electric bikes are hybrids and mountain bikes.
The best electric hybrid bikes have flat bars and chunky, puncture-resistant tyres, useful for biking to work, shopping and more leisurely rides.
They may also have mudguards (or the eyelets to add full-length mudguards), a rack and lights, and sometimes have a step-through frame design to make it easier to hop on and off the bike.
Electric mountain bikes normally have a beefy motor with a high torque output to help you get up loose off-road climbs and over obstacles. Once you get to the top, the motor can be turned off to enjoy the downhill ride.
There’s also a growing number of electric road bikes. With drop handlebars, they’re designed to ride fast and are usually relatively lightweight (as far as electric bikes go), to help with handling and hill climbing.
Electric gravel bikes are designed to be capable off-road and fast on tarmac. Russell Burton / Our Media
There’s an increasing number of electric gravel bikes, too. With wider tyres to enable you to ride off-road with confidence and drop handlebars for road speed, e-gravel bikes are designed to offer the versatility to really broaden your riding.
The best electric folding bikes will be designed for versatility and compact size. They can be folded up to take on public transport or for easier storage at home/work, so they could be the best bike for commuting for many people.
There are also electric cargo bikes, designed to carry loads for deliveries around town and other day-to-day tasks where they can replace a car or van.
Whichever electric bike you choose, we suggest you read our guides to electric bike insurance and electric bike maintenance to look after what’s likely to be a sizeable investment.
In short, if you want a helping hand on your ride, you can find an electric bike to suit your needs.
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Paul Norman
Paul has been writing about bike tech and reviewing all things cycling for almost a decade. He had a five-year stint at Cycling Weekly and has also written for titles including CyclingNews, Cyclist and BikePerfect, as well as being a regular contributor to BikeRadar. Tech-wise, he’s covered everything from rim width to the latest cycling computers. He reviewed some of the first electric bikes for Cycling Weekly and has covered their development into the sophisticated machines they are today, on the way becoming an expert on all things electric. Paul was into gravel before it was even invented, riding a cyclocross bike across the South Downs and along muddy paths through the Chilterns. He dabbled in cross-country mountain biking too. He’s most proud of having covered the length of the South Downs Way on a crosser and fulfilling his long-time ambition to climb Monte Grappa on a road bike