Bicycle battery overhaul in the Netherlands

In recent years I often see an electric bike or e-bike running on the streets. At first glance, I found it interesting. Although I don’t have it, I am curious enough to google for more information.

E Bike is a regular bicycle with several electrical components added. Those components are an electric motor, a battery and controller. A battery is an important part in the works of a bike. E-bike batteries have an average life of three to five years and the price of a new battery costs around €500.

“When your battery dies, you should buy a new battery from the same supplier, because every bicycle brand has its own type.” Festers bond spokesman Keeps Bakker said “it’s another way to turn a profit”

According to Hans de Loin, a bicycle expert for the ANWB motorbike riders’ association, the battery can last for seven years if the owner takes care of it properly. Some people store their bikes during the winter in a cold warehouse and go unchecked for months. This will damage the battery.

But he agrees that manufacturers are making big profits from new batteries. ‘If an e-bike is five years old, and its battery is worth more than the bike itself. It’s a strange thing.” ANWB said it is looking into whether it is feasible to refurbish the battery so that owners don’t have to keep buying new ones. They plan to publish a list of companies that specialize in reviving old batteries, which can save owners € 250 compared to the cost of new ones.

Huub Schellen, of bicycle manufacturer Accell Nederland, said the high cost of the battery was justified. He added that each manufacturer has a different battery shape to suit different designs. The car battery is located under the hood, but the battery on the bicycle is attached to the frame. That’s why the battery installed is specific to that model. Moreover, each manufacturer makes a different bicycle. “

A new bike battery is not available for every e-bike. Overhauling the bicycle battery can then offer a solution. Overhauling can be cheaper than buying a new bicycle battery, but overhauling also comes with a number of risks. Same here too, cheap can become expensive.

This is how a bicycle battery works

The way a bicycle battery works is as follows: each bicycle battery cell has a wattage consisting of voltage and ampere. A bicycle battery consists of several of these cells and all of them function as one large battery. Most batteries have a Battery Management System (BMS). This system ensures that the value of each cell remains within the permitted bandwidth or turns off the battery to prevent ignition if it is outside the bandwidth.

As time goes by, the battery cells in the bicycle battery can lose performance due to repeated charging and discharging. Bicycle battery works the same as a battery on your phone: when it was new, it lasted longer on a single charge than it does now.

Even if the battery is not used, it will continue to drain slowly. As soon as you store an empty battery without charging it, the battery will gradually continue to drain and cells can be damaged.

Remodel bicycle battery / fietsaccu revisie

By doing fietsaccu  revisie, cells are replaced, sometimes only the battery case is reused and the whole interior is new. If this process is done correctly, the battery will function as if it was new.

Correctly done revision will again ensure that all individual cells remain within the correct bandwidth. It also has to be tested extensively before the battery can be used again. As mentioned above, there is no bicycle battery for every e-bike sold.

Then there are two options remaining: buy a new electric bike or overhaul the bicycle battery. If you are doing an overhaul, pay attention to a few important things:

No matter how useful you are, don’t do it yourself, but hand this over to a professional party.

Make sure the party you are remodeling the battery replaces all the battery cells, not only some cells.

Also replace the battery management system (BMS).

It is important that the cells and BMS match. Cells have a lower limit voltage. If they cross this line, the cells will be drained too deep and they are destroyed. You then talk about the ‘release of depth’

Take advantage of good quality cells. This mainly affects battery life. High-quality cells like Samsung and Panasonic can charge / empty more frequently than cheaper Chinese cells.

The above points are not self-evident for all fietsaccu revisie providers. Therefore, be critical when choosing a batch overhaul and ask about its working method. A damaged battery can increase the risk of fire. While no figures are available, we can imagine that a bad revision will not reduce this risk.

When is the time to replace / recycle / overhaul your bicycle battery?

1. The battery is damaged

If the battery has been dropped violently and / or the outer casing indicates damage, replacement is recommended. As a result of the fall, the battery cells in the battery may shift, causing long-term short circuits, which can cause a lot of smoke and sometimes even a one meter high flame.

2. Reach decreases rapidly

The number of kilometers you can cover with the aid of the assist pedal dwindles rapidly when the battery breaks. This seems like a clear signal, but if you are driving a short distance, it will not be noticed quickly. The battery then shows that it is 100% charged, but the maximum driving distance can no longer be achieved so far.

3. Charging takes longer

Unlike the battery that runs out faster, the fact is that a full battery charge takes longer than before. Over time, this will more or less happen to each battery, but with a battery that is actually functioning properly, charging will take longer.

4. Full charging is no longer possible

Not being able to fully recharge is also a signal. For example, the battery will not exceed 95%.

5. The battery does not charge at all

The clearest signal of all. When all the cables are plugged in properly and the battery is not charging anymore, it means this is the end of your battery workout. Of course, a bad or damaged battery doesn’t mean you have to buy a new electric bike right away.

You have the option to only replace the bicycle battery. It’s an investment of several hundred euros, but it’s always a lot cheaper than it costs for a new e-bike.