Of course I have an ebike (or two?), but...I also have an EGO 56V lawn mower plus weed-wacker, along with a cordless drill and driver. There are many brands of electric mower that would work just as good as the EGO, but I was specifically sold on their batteries after my initial research. The time is fast approaching when I will mow my lawn for the last time this year, and prepare it for a few months of storage.
SLA / Sealed Lead Acid
Once you add-in the extra life of a lithium battery pack over SLA, then...SLA actually costs more, because you would have to replace the pack more often, in spite of its lower purchase price. The other drawback of SLA is simply the higher weight and volume of a pack, per a given range. Even so, there continue to be tens of thousands of ebikes purchased every year using a SLA pack. When it wears out, I recommend upgrading the battery pack to lithium, but for those ebikers who have a SLA pack right now? We want to help you get the best possible life out of it while you are saving up for the next battery pack.
SLA needs to be charged up fully before setting it aside in storage. This is the major difference between SLA and lithium. Some people even keep their lead acid battery (of all types) hooked up all the time to a low-amperage "float" system. The websites and forums for RV's and boats will have info on the latest models of "battery maintainers" that are affordable and well-regarded.
Lithium 18650 cell packs
There has been a lot of great information available on the web about getting the maximum possible life out of a lithium-based battery pack. However, it has only been recently that I found it, specifically, a lecture by Professor Jeff Dahn...who is now working in a partnership with the Tesla company. Tesla has an unprecedented 8-year warranty on their very expensive battery pack, and even after 8 years, they still reportedly provide at least 80% of their rated new range. That is impressive, especially for a battery pack that is likely to be cycled more often than I use my ebike.
The biggest takeaway from Prof Dahn's lecture is that the pack should be drained to 3.0V per cell, and then it should be stored in a cold place. The precise temperature is not as important as the fact that the battery should not get warm or hot during the storage.
The worst thing you could do to a lithium battery pack is charge it up to 4.2V per cell. Storing a pack in a cold place slows down the chemical reactions that can damage the pack, but if you store it at 4.2V per cell, slowing it down does not stop the fact that after four months, your battery's range will be severely compromised, if the pack even works at all when you try to charge it next spring...
3.0V per cell
36V = 10S X 3.0V = 30V for storage
44V = 12S X 3.0V = 36V
48V = 13S X 3.0V = 39V
52V = 14S X 3.0V = 42V
60V = 16S X 3.0V = 48V
72V = 20S X 3.0V = 60V
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Its currently very rare to find a NiMH or a LiFePO4 pack, but if anyone has any experience of a reference for long-term storage of these chemistries, please post below, and I will add it here and credit you.
SLA / Sealed Lead Acid
Once you add-in the extra life of a lithium battery pack over SLA, then...SLA actually costs more, because you would have to replace the pack more often, in spite of its lower purchase price. The other drawback of SLA is simply the higher weight and volume of a pack, per a given range. Even so, there continue to be tens of thousands of ebikes purchased every year using a SLA pack. When it wears out, I recommend upgrading the battery pack to lithium, but for those ebikers who have a SLA pack right now? We want to help you get the best possible life out of it while you are saving up for the next battery pack.
SLA needs to be charged up fully before setting it aside in storage. This is the major difference between SLA and lithium. Some people even keep their lead acid battery (of all types) hooked up all the time to a low-amperage "float" system. The websites and forums for RV's and boats will have info on the latest models of "battery maintainers" that are affordable and well-regarded.
Lithium 18650 cell packs
There has been a lot of great information available on the web about getting the maximum possible life out of a lithium-based battery pack. However, it has only been recently that I found it, specifically, a lecture by Professor Jeff Dahn...who is now working in a partnership with the Tesla company. Tesla has an unprecedented 8-year warranty on their very expensive battery pack, and even after 8 years, they still reportedly provide at least 80% of their rated new range. That is impressive, especially for a battery pack that is likely to be cycled more often than I use my ebike.
The biggest takeaway from Prof Dahn's lecture is that the pack should be drained to 3.0V per cell, and then it should be stored in a cold place. The precise temperature is not as important as the fact that the battery should not get warm or hot during the storage.
The worst thing you could do to a lithium battery pack is charge it up to 4.2V per cell. Storing a pack in a cold place slows down the chemical reactions that can damage the pack, but if you store it at 4.2V per cell, slowing it down does not stop the fact that after four months, your battery's range will be severely compromised, if the pack even works at all when you try to charge it next spring...
3.0V per cell
36V = 10S X 3.0V = 30V for storage
44V = 12S X 3.0V = 36V
48V = 13S X 3.0V = 39V
52V = 14S X 3.0V = 42V
60V = 16S X 3.0V = 48V
72V = 20S X 3.0V = 60V
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Its currently very rare to find a NiMH or a LiFePO4 pack, but if anyone has any experience of a reference for long-term storage of these chemistries, please post below, and I will add it here and credit you.
