E-bike batteries are not cheap, which is why many cyclists keep their used batteries at home. However, these spare parts can become a fire hazard if they are not used regularly, checked and, if necessary, disposed of. New batteries also need special attention. Here are the most important questions and answers:
How to extend battery life?
Modern lithium-ion batteries are mimosas. The energy storage devices prefer room temperature, extremely high temperatures (above 50 degrees Celsius) they dislike just as much as particularly low ones (below −10 degrees Celsius). Therefore, the batteries should neither stand in the blazing summer sun for long nor overwinter in an unprotected outdoor area. Heat and cold beyond the specified temperature range can irreversibly reduce the battery capacity and thus the service life.
What should be considered when loading?
Charging stresses the battery, for example if it is constantly charged to 100 percent or discharged to the last bit. During the winter break, for example, a charge level of 40 to 50 percent is ideal.
If the storage tank is discharged very deeply over a period of months, needle-sharp dendrites may form in the cells, which can lead to short circuits. That’s why experts advise caution when charging if the e-bike has not been used for a long time during the winter break. Even discarded bikes that are suddenly activated again can have problems making contact with the socket. The batteries must never be charged with anything other than the original charger, as there is a high risk of overcharging.
What to do if the battery is damaged?
Not only older batteries should be checked regularly by the specialist dealer. Even in the case of stone chipping and heavy impacts, the energy storage device must be professionally measured for damage. Compressions in the cell layers can lead to short circuits and fires. This also applies to defective housing seals, through which water can penetrate into the battery. The batteries must be splash-proof for approval. If the two-wheelers are exposed to constant wet conditions, there can still be problems.
What to do with the old bicycle battery?
Whether for pedelecs, S-pedelecs or e-bikes: the energy storage is always considered a so-called industrial battery. That is the big difference to old household electrical appliances with smaller energy storage devices that can be handed in at any recycling center. In the case of electric bikes, the batteries must first be removed and disposed of separately. Like all energy storage devices, the batteries must never be disposed of with normal household waste, bulky waste or scrap metal.
Who takes back old batteries?
Currently, only about 150 municipal collection points (recycling centers) in Germany take back the batteries from electric bikes free of charge. To do this, they need special containers, in which each battery is stored separately, and trained personnel. In the case of electric bikes with integrated batteries in the frame, a certified bicycle dealer should dismantle the battery for safety reasons. He will also have the gauges to diagnose the condition.
The first point of contact for battery take-back should therefore be the bicycle dealer. This also includes discounters as well as electronics and hardware stores if they have electric bikes on offer. All distributors of e-bikes are legally obliged to take back used batteries from end users free of charge at their sales outlets or in their immediate vicinity. But only if the retail space is over 400 square meters. Then the obligation to take back also applies to storage devices that do not match the range of the distributor.
All dealers of electric bikes from the business size mentioned must also accept used industrial batteries of other brands and designs and dispose of them professionally. For example, the two-wheeler industry association ZIV launched a battery return system (GRS) in 2010 and, together with partners, developed a uniform label for collection points.
How about recycling?
While a statutory minimum collection rate of 50 percent is already prescribed for device batteries that are installed in many old household electrical appliances, a uniform regulation for industrial batteries is still being worked on. In the course of this year, a new European battery regulation is to come into force, which will apply directly in every member state of the EU.
With this, an expanded understanding of the circular economy should also find its way into industrial batteries – from the sustainable extraction of raw materials to the collection rate and recycling. At the moment, however, it looks like this new regulation will only apply to batteries with a capacity of two kilowatt hours or more – i.e. not for the smaller e-bike batteries. However, batteries from recycling centers and private battery return systems will continue to be recycled, as required by the German battery law.