The running costs for electric assistance are calculated as shown below:
A new battery costs approximately Euro 600.
You can travel around 40 km (25 miles) on a single charge. You can charge
the battery approximately 500 times.
500 charges at 40 km (25 miles) each = 20,000 km (12,500 miles)
Euro 600 / 20,000 km (12,500 miles) = 3 Euro-cents / km
(or approx. 5 Euro-cents per mile)
Fully charging the battery consumes around 0.3 kWh. Based on an electricity
price of 20 Euro-cents / kWh, a full charge for 40 km (25 miles) of cycling
costs just 6 Euro-cents.
Based on a minimum range of 40 km (25 miles), the price per kilometre
amounts to 0.15 Euro-cents (or 0.24 Euro-cents per mile).
Consequently, the costs for consumption and the battery itself add up to just
3.15 Euro-cents per kilometre (or 5.25 Euro-cents per mile).
6. What needs to be observed when charging?
Interesting information about the battery
Your battery is a Panasonic lithium-manganese battery, the most advantageous
type of Li-ion battery for this application.
One of the main advantages of this type of battery is its low weight in relation to
its large capacity. Li-ion batteries weigh only half as much as comparable nickel-
metal hydride or nickel-cadmium batteries. You save weight, but still have more
output.
Simple charging.
There is no memory effect. Therefore, you can fully recharge your battery
immediately after every journey - that way you are always ready to go.
If not used, the battery only needs to be recharged after 6 months at
the latest.
High security through battery management.
It is no longer possible for a short circuit to damage the battery.
The battery management system would then switch off the battery.
Over-charging is prevented. You can simply leave the battery in the charger.
No danger comes from a damaged battery.
Simple storage.
If you do not need your battery for a longer period of time, store it at
10 °C with a three-quarter charge level.
In order to avoid deep discharge, the battery switches itself to a
so-called ‘sleep mode’.
The battery is specially matched for use with front wheel drive. A highly effective,
adapted battery management system makes these advantages possible.
The following information could be useful to you for the use of your Pedelec:
Make sure that the battery is fully charged before using your Pedelec for the
first time or if it has not been used for a longer period of time. To this end, the
battery must be charged for five hours.
On your first three journeys, ride until the battery is completely flat. That way
you will achieve the maximum capacity of your battery.
The battery is not fully charged in the delivery condition, but is in ‘sleep mode’.
The sleep mode ensures that the battery discharges itself as little as possible.
Uncontrolled self-discharging over a long period of time leads to a deep
discharge that will damage the battery. To ‘wake up’ the battery, just place it
in the charger for a minute.
If any problems occur with the battery, first place it in the charger for a
minute. A so-called reset is performed: for example, the battery management
system cancels the sleep mode and the battery works again.
It is best to charge the battery at temperatures between +10 and + 30 °C.
The charging time is prolonged at lower temperatures, whilst the battery won’t
be charged at all at temperatures above 30 °C. If outside temperatures are
low, it is recommended to charge and store the battery in the house or in a
warm garage and only to install it shortly before use.
A charge level of 75 % and a temperature of 10 °C are ideal for
long-term storage.
7
Minimum voltage
for battery operation
(switch-off voltage)
Optimum temperature range
for the charging procedure
Battery could be
damaged
-10°C 0°C 10°C 20°C 30°C 40°C 50°C
Long charging times