E-bike Battery: Avoid excessive heat and cold during loading and storage

Is the bike loaded in full sun, or are you loading it outside at frost? Loading indoors, at room temperature. A battery that is charging in the burning sun or in the freezing cold loses capacity faster, and in frost it often loads worse.

E-bike Battery: Always use the original charger

Have you lost a charger and bought or borrowed another (non-original) charger? A wrong charger is a known cause of charge and overvoltage failures. Do you doubt if your charger is original/fit, ask before charging.

E-bike Battery: Range drops noticeably faster than a few months ago

Do you drive about the same routes and support mode as before? Compare the distance indicated by the app. A gradual decline is part of aging. If the range falls strongly back in a short time, then a check of the battery (and not just the engine) is worth considering during a service.

E-bike Battery: Battery feels hot while charging, more than before

Compare with how the battery used to feel at the same time. This may indicate a cell balance problem. If the charger itself stays hot, test the charger separately first, a defective charger is cheaper to replace than a battery.

E-bike battery: Engine cuts off when pulling up or climbing, returns to flat

Does this happen especially in the case of bridges, slopes or heavy kicks? This is typically a stress drop of obsolete cells under load. At a high mileage this indicates a strong direction of the battery.

E-bike Battery: Loading time becomes noticeably longer

Does full load take noticeably longer than the original loading time of the manufacturer? This is also part of the loss of capacity over time. No need to panic, but a signal to take the other habits on this page seriously.

Battery

Keep E-Bike Battery Healthy

Q: E-bike Battery: Do not charge to 100% and leave full

Charge the bike every night and leave it on the charger until the next ride? A lithium battery wears faster if it stays at 100% for a long time. Remove the plug as soon as it is full, or load up to about 80-90% if you don't need the bike that day.

Q: E-bike Battery: Never leave the battery completely empty for weeks

Is the bike going into the storage or barn for a longer period of time (holiday, winter stop)? Turn the battery away around 40-60%, not full and not empty. With a long empty battery, the security (BMS) intervenes and sometimes refuses to charge afterwards, which usually means a new battery pack.

OnTheRoad5 min reading time Updated 1 August 2026

Monteur is working on an e-bike in front of the door.

Applies to every brand, Cowboy, Tenways, VanMoof, Veloretti and the rest. A lithium-ion battery doesn't break suddenly, it wears gradually. With a few habits you stretch the lifespan considerably; the signals below show when wear turns into "to replacement."

Rule of thumb: young, used or old

No precise measurement, but a convenient frame at mileage of the bike:

Less than 5,000 km: young battery, still almost full capacity.
5,000-10,000 km: used battery, normal wear noticeable in range.
Over 10,000 km: old battery, capacity loss clearly noticeable, replacement appears more often.

Habits that care for years

Do not always load to 100% and leave full

Check: Do you charge the bike every night and leave it on the charger until the next ride?

Advice: A lithium battery wears faster if it stays at 100% for a long time. Remove the plug as soon as it is full, or load up to about 80-90% if you don't need the bike that day.

Avoid excessive heat and cold during loading and storage

Check: Is the bike in full sun loading, or are you loading it outside at frost?

Advice: Load indoors, at room temperature. A battery that is charged in the burning sun or in the freezing cold loses capacity more quickly, and when it is frosted it often loads worse.

Never leave the battery completely empty for weeks

Check: Is the bike going to the stable or barn for a longer period of time (holiday, winter stop)?

Advice: Put the battery away around 40-60%, not full and not empty. With a long empty battery, the protection (BMS) intervenes and sometimes refuses to charge afterwards, which usually means a new battery pack.

Always use the original charger

Check: Have you lost a charger and bought or borrowed another (unoriginal)?

Advice: A wrong charger is a known cause of loading and overvoltage failures. Do you doubt if your charger is original/fit, ask before charging.

Signals that the battery is obsolete

Range drops noticeably faster than a few months ago

Check: Do you drive about the same routes and support mode as before? Compare the distance indicated by the app.

Advice: A gradual decline is part of aging. If the range falls sharply in a short time, then a check of the battery (and not only the engine) is worth considering during a service.

Battery feels warm while loading, more than before

Check: Compare with how the battery used to feel at the same charging moment.

Advice: This may indicate a cell balance problem. If the charger itself remains hot, test the charger separately first, a defective charger is cheaper to replace than a battery.

Engine cuts off when pulling up or climbing, comes back flat

Check: Is this especially happening with bridges, slopes or heavy stairs?

Advice: This is typically a voltage drop of obsolete cells under load. At a high mileage this indicates a strong direction of the battery.

Load time becomes noticeably longer

Check: Does full loading take considerably longer than the original loading time of the manufacturer?

Advice: This is also part of the loss of capacity over time. No need to panic, but a signal to take the other habits on this page seriously.

Recognize brand-specific malfunction? Check out the Cowboy Guide, Tenways fault codes or VanMoof failures. If you doubt about your battery, we will look at it honestly during a service, maintenance €45 all-in. Book an appointment

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