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How Long Will an Electric Bike Last? Batteries to Brakes!

    • 3280 posts
    December 19, 2022 9:47 PM EST

    Maybe you’re thinking about buying an ebike and wondering how long with this ebike last anyway? How long will the motor last? How long will the battery last? What about the breaks? I had these same questions and wanted to find the answers.To get more news about how long do ebike battery last, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.

    In this article I’ll go through each major component of an ebike and drill down into what I’ve found about the longevity of these components and some tips to help keep these parts running smoothly and last longer. These numbers are more geared toward an urban or commuter ebike user as opposed to an electric mountain bike where wear and tear on components can be different or more severe.
    The cost of an electric bike doesn’t stop at the checkout counter and just like a car, there are ongoing maintenance and replacement costs to consider when using an ebike regularly for commuting or riding around town.
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    For everyday upkeep of your bike, I would recommend this bike maintenance book, I own it myself and find it a very useful reference. It’s not specific to ebikes but is a wealth of information for maintaining every other component of a bike excluding motors and batteries.To get more news about electric mtb, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.

    How long will the battery last?
    The battery is probably the most common component cyclists think about when considering how long an ebike might last. Most components will wear out proportionally to how much you use your bike (number of miles), however, batteries have the added drawback of also losing capacity simply with the passage of time even if it’s seen very little use. So if you buy your brand new battery today and store it in your attic for a year, it won’t be quite the same battery it was when brand new.

    Unfortunately, batteries in today’s ebikes are often about a third of the total cost of the bike, running about $700 +/-. Taking care of your battery properly will help extend its life. Here are three tips for increasing the lifespan of your battery.
    How long do electric bike motors last?
    Electric Bike motors will generally last a long time and some types of motors, like the direct drive hub motor can last upwards of 10,000 miles or more. You’ll probably be replacing brake pads and tires multiple times, chains, cassettes, and the battery before the motor. However, that doesn’t mean that proper care and maintenance can be ignored for your motor. Below are some tips for extending the life of the three main types of ebike motors (Direct Drive Hub, Geared Hub, and Mid-Drive).

    Direct Drive Hub
    A direct drive hub is a motor that is mounted on the front or back wheel and provides propulsion through magnets on the inside surface of the hub and stator windings attached to the axle. This type of motor essentially has no moving parts except the bearings which can be a big advantage in terms of durability.

    Two things that can affect the lifespan of direct drive motors is overheating and rust. By running too much power through a direct drive hub, the motor and components can get too hot and melt, this shouldn’t be an issue with a properly calibrated motor / controller / battery setup.

    Water can be an issue, especially in wetter climates and if riding in the rain. For longer life of the bearings and other components, keeping the motor dry is important or at least drying it out after riding in wet conditions. One interesting method for drying out a direct drive hub I’ve come across is drilling small holes in the casing to allow water and vapor to escape more easily as you ride.
    Geared Hub
    A geared hub motor has a motor that spins faster than a direct drive motor and this energy is transferred to the wheel by using gears to step down the higher speed of the motor into torque for starting and climbing hills. These gears will create friction and wear, which will result in a shorter life span for a geared hub vs a direct drive hub. The gears in the hub will eventually need to be replaced and based on this info I would estimate 3,000-10,000 miles. For serious commuters who put a lot of miles on their ebike it may result in new gears 2-3 times over the life of the bike.

    Mid-Drive
    Mid-Drive motors are connected to the crank and provide power directly to the chain. This type of motor will put more stress on the drive chain, sprokets, and derailleur system since the motor and rider are applying force to the same system and a motor is capable of sustaining much higher sustained power (250W+) versus a typical rider at 100W. This additional stress will wear out these components faster. Many retail mid-drive ebikes will come with upgraded chains due to these issues, but DIY or kits may not have that in the box and result in shorter chain life.