Bring the battery inside, store it partly charged in a dry room at room temperature, and check the charge every few months. Shimano’s manual warns that a battery stored too cold or too hot loses performance and won’t last as long.
How full to leave it
| Maker | Storage charge | Top-up |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch | 30–60% | Keep it in that range |
| Shimano (7K00A series manual) | About 70% | Charge at least every six months so it never empties |
For other brands, check the owner’s manual.
Sources: Bosch eBike help centre, Shimano STEPS user’s manual.
Where to keep it
Bosch says to store the battery at room temperature in a dry room, away from anything flammable, in a room with a smoke alarm. Shimano’s manual recommends a cool indoor spot out of the sun at about 10–20 °C. Health Canada also says to store lithium-ion batteries at room temperature.
The bike itself can stay in a garage or shed, but take the battery out. Shimano lists −20 °C as the lowest safe storage temperature for its batteries, and unheated garages in much of Canada go colder than that.
Riding through the winter
Cold cuts range, and batteries have a minimum charging temperature.
- Shimano’s manual lists 0–40 °C as the charging range, and says a battery charged at 5 °C or colder gives a shorter range.
- The same manual lists −10 °C as the lowest temperature for riding on the battery.
- Bosch recommends, below 0 °C, charging and storing the battery at room temperature and putting it in the bike just before you ride.
If the battery has been outside below freezing, let it warm to room temperature before you charge it.
In spring
Check the battery before the first ride. Don’t use or charge a battery that’s swollen, cracked or leaking. Health Canada says never to use a damaged battery. Our guide to charging an e-bike battery safely covers the warning signs, and each city page lists shops that test or replace batteries.