What You Need to Know About E-bike Battery Safety

It’s no secret that here at Liv we’re huge fans of electric bikes. Just the mere mention of our women’s E-bike range breaks us out in a big smile. 

But...we’ll also put on our serious face and discuss electric bike battery safety with you. Because we know that E-bikes, with their high-tech batteries, can sometimes feel complex. 

That’s why we’ve broken it down in this article. So read on to discover:

  • What’s inside an electric bike battery (the techy stuff)
  • How we ensure the highest battery safety standards on our Liv E-bikes
  • The 13 must-know best practices for ultimate E-bike battery safety

Ready? Let’s get rolling...

a woman riding an e-bike in a city

The techy stuff: What’s inside an E-bike battery?

E-bike battery packs consist of individual battery cells containing lithium-ions. These battery cells store the energy to power the motor.

E-bike batteries are made with either cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch-shaped cells. The shape of these cells is really important. High-quality E-bike battery suppliers like Panasonic, Shimano, and Bosch use cylindrical cells because they handle higher temperatures without deforming.

graphic of the individual battery cells inside a Liv E-bike battery

Aside from the individual battery cells, a critical component inside an E-bike battery is the battery management system (BMS).

The BMS is hugely important as it regulates the individual performance of each battery cell. Regulation is important because even when they’re installed at the same time all the individual batteries don’t drain, deteriorate or perform at the same rate. Some cells last longer than others, some cells will drain slower than others and some will glitch out and cause more problems than others.

Left to their own devices, with so many cells acting independently, you’d encounter performance and safety issues with your E-bike.

So the BMS helps to provide your E-bike battery with long-term consistent performance.

We like to think of the BMS as the competent ride leader overseeing a group of different riding abilities and working to keep everyone together on the trails.

graphic of the battery management system inside a Liv E-bike battery

How we ensure the highest battery safety standards in our Liv E-bikes

At Liv, we take your safety VERY seriously. That’s why our E-bike batteries have been co-developed in partnership with the biggest and best battery manufacturer available – Panasonic.

Although other brands may purchase Panasonic batteries Liv has gone the extra mile...or two. 

Firstly, we work closely with Panasonic to co-develop our batteries . The output is an e-bike battery that’s completely proprietary to us and designed to the highest safety standards.

Secondly, not only does Panasonic manufacture the cells and the battery management system on our E-bikes but they also assemble and test them for us. 

So by investing in a Liv E-bike you can feel totally confident you’re getting a safe, reliable, and high-performing battery that’s developed, assembled, and tested by industry leaders. You won’t find our e-bike battery on any other e-bike on the market.

Liv’s EnergyPak E-bike battery is also distinct from other brands because it has individual separators (rooms) inside. This helps prevent heat from spreading from one cell to another.

Our BMS – aka the capable ride leader – monitors the battery pack and individual cells to make sure each cell is regulated for maximum efficiency and to prevent overheating.

While your Liv E-bike is charging, Liv’s Smart Charger continuously communicates with the battery to ensure individual cells are charged at the optimum rate. Also, in extremely hot or cold weather conditions the Smart Charger will adjust the charging voltage for optimal battery efficiency.

a woman riding an E-bike on a trail

13 simple do’s and don’ts for ultimate E-bike battery safety

E-bike battery safety: The Do's

  1. Do purchase your E-bike from a reputable e-bike brand.
  2. Do always use the battery and charger that originally came with your E-bike.
  3. Do go to an authorized dealer if your battery is damaged so they can check it before your next ride.
  4. Do remove your battery when transporting your e-bike to protect it from damage.
  5. Do store the battery at room temperature in a moisture-free environment to avoid unnecessary damage to the cells.
  6. Do keep the battery away from children and pets.
  7. Do stop the charging procedure immediately if you feel concerned.
removing an e-bike battery

E-bike battery safety: The Don'ts

  1. Don’t modify your E-bike or let your ‘helpful’ friend tinker with it either. For maintenance, always go to an authorized dealer for your E-bike brand.
  2. Don’t charge your E-bike around flammable materials.
  3. Don’t store your E-bike battery in a damp place.  
  4. Don’t subject the battery or charger to high-impact eg. by dropping them
  5. Don’t cover the battery or charger or place objects on top of it.
  6. Don’t leave your battery at full charge if you’re storing it for a month or more. It is also best to remove the battery from the bike and store it at 60% of its capacity. You can make use of Liv’s Smart Charger which has a useful 60% charge function to ensure safe storage.

Now let's look at the bikes...

OK. Battery tech talk–done. Serious face–gone. Now for the fun stuff because it’s time for you to start drooling over our awesome range of women’s E-bikes.