If you own an electric bike, you’re worried about charging it. How do you charge an electric bike at home? Are you supposed to set up an electric bike charging station?
Or do you need a lot of complex equipment? Read on because the process is far easier than you might think.
How Do You Charge an Electric Bike at Home?
The easiest way to charge your electric bike at home is to use your home’s power socket. An electric bike needs a 240v power supply that provides it with an alternating current (AC). Your power socket fits this description perfectly.
All you have to do is connect your bike to your charger and plug the charger into the power socket. How do you charge an electric bike at home? The same way you charge any other electrical appliance. Most e-bikes come with a straight-to-the-plug charger, so all you gotta do is find a standard socket and plug that charger in.
Should I Charge My E-bike After Every Ride?
You should not charge your e-bike after every ride, especially if the battery hasn’t dropped beneath 50%. Sadly, electric bikes do not have extremely good ranges. Even bikes with the longest ranges can go up to 4 hours only. This means you’re going to burn through your bike’s charge fast.
Charging your battery after every use ensures that your bike is always ready for your next outing. Additionally, leaving your battery flat can damage it in the long run. As a rule of thumb, you should keep your battery charged at around 60% even if you don’t intend to use the bike for a long-time.
Always recharge your battery if it drops below 30%, even if you don’t need the bike. This will prolong your battery’s lifespan and save you both the cost and hassle of getting a new one.
However, if you only take your bike out for a couple of minutes and are only burning through 10%-15% of your battery at a time, you can probably get away without charging it. We strongly recommend you wait for the battery to get under 40% before plugging it in.
Leaving your battery empty can damage it, but so can charging it too often without need. If you keep charging your battery needlessly, it will lose its ability to retain charging.
What Is the Cost of Charging an Electric Bike at Home?
Charging an electric bike costs you a few cents at most. To calculate the exact amount, you can go look at the KWh rating of the bike. Most bikes require 500-800Wh to charge. You can simply multiply that by the KWh cost in your area to get your estimate. This estimate won’t be accurate though, because some electricity will be lost. Still, the estimate will prove to be pretty close. Finally, the monthly cost of charging your bike at home will depend on how often you drive your bike. However, the cost of charging your bike at home is less than a gasoline-powered bike. How do you charge an electric bike at home? By now, you have all the answers you need.
Also read: Are E-bike Charging Stations Worth It?
