How to best store seldom used ProConnect battery

Intex

Pedelecer
Aug 17, 2008
100
0
I am in process of moving, and probably will not be using the new ProConnect S as much as I like, maybe not for weeks at a time.

To best keep the battery, is it best to:
1. Leave it charged in the bike
2. Leave it charged off of the bike
3.Leave it discharged in the bike
4. Leave it discharged off the bike

Thanks
 

Mussels

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 17, 2008
3,207
8
Crowborough
Leave it charged and charge it every three months for a couple of hours, then not in use store it somewhere cool but not below zero C.
I think that's right.
 

Footie

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 16, 2007
549
10
Cornwall. PL27
I think Mussels is right but you will find some useful information on storing batteries at The Battery University
Storing and priming of batteries
May be useful.
I know from my own ebike that leaving the battery in-situ can cause problems with corrosion at the connectors (at the bottom of the battery). So I never store the battery in the bike .... sometimes I don't use my ebike for weeks (work shifts all fall wrong). I also wipe the connectors over with WD40 monthly to keep them corrosion free, as I have been told my ebike design is prone to corrosion at the spring connectors. Bike is now over two years old and still trouble free, must be doing something right :)

-----------------------------------------------
Cougar Mountain Electric Bike 36v 200w Hub motor (Jul07)
fitted with 10 Ah LiFePo4 battery (Apr08)
Maximum range (road/hills - Cornwall) 18 miles
Maximum range (on flat) 25 miles
.
 
Last edited:

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,760
30,348
The Panasonic battery is crucially different from all other types in that it has a sophisticated "sleep mode", When it hasn't been used for a little while it shuts down it's internal BMS (battery management system), which means that quiescent current drain stops. Unlike other cell types, lithium cells do not lose charge over time, the charge that is lost in lithium batteries when standing around is that which the BMS uses, not the cells, so shutting down the BMS automatically puts it into storage mode.

To wake the battery up from the sleep mode the initial conditioning procedure is repeated, i.e. fully charge and then quite fully discharge the battery by running it to near empty.

It's best not to have it fully charged or discharged when it goes out of use, the preferred charge level for storage being around 40%, so if you run the bike for a little over half the range you normally get, that's fine. Then remove the battery from the bike and place it somewhere cool. If it's only the odd two or three weeks at a time that the bike is out of use, you can just store it fully charged if it's not convenient to partly discharge it, but never ever store it discharged.

There's no need to charge it again every three months during longer storage, unlike all other makes of e-bike lithium batteries currently, although doing so does no harm.
.