Everything you need to know about e-bike batteries

The battery is one of the essential components of an e-bike and one of the most expensive. The battery is a critical deciding factor for the range (how far you can ride on a single charge), top speed, and power of your e-bike. If you consider purchasing an e-bike, you should first know all about the different available types of batteries. Here is everything you need to know about e-bike batteries. 

Size Matters. As a rule of thumb, a bigger battery capacity (size), measured in Watt-hours (Wh), means more range and power for your e-bike. The lowest class for e-bike battery size is typically 250 Wh. This is suitable for bikes that are primarily used for flatland cruising and will reach a top speed of around 20 mph. An e-bike with a 250 Wh battery will have a tough time going up hills or over rough terrain without a lot of additional pedaling. On the other hand, a 750 Wh battery will give your e-bike better acceleration, a top speed of around 30 mph, and good hill-climbing performance. This is also a good capacity for heavier riders.

Structure Matters. The structure (cell chemistry) is an important factor for the performance of an e-bike’s battery. There are three primary battery structures used with e-bikes.

• Lead-acid batteries are the oldest type of battery, are very cheap, and are being used less and less for e-bikes. They weigh a lot, charge slowly, and have a short lifespan and a low capacity.
• Nickel-cadmium batteries have a higher capacity than lead-acid batteries and can last longer. Nickel-based batteries, however, are expensive, have a low power density, and can lose power very quickly.
• Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular and cost-effective battery type used for e-bikes today. These durable batteries weigh less and have the highest capacity and power output of all available battery types. The drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries are that they can be sensitive to extreme temperatures and overheating.