Electric bike battery charger: how do I choose?
Your electric bike charger no longer works, but you're at a loss to know which product to choose. To find the right charger, you need to check these essential facts.
The technology
For your new charger to work with your battery, the technology must be identical. You can find this information on the label on the back of your electric bike charger.
If it says "Pb" or "Lead-Acid", your E-Bike charger is a lead-acid battery, so you need to choose a lead-acid battery charger.
NiMH" or "NiCd" means your charger is nickel-metal hydride or nickel-cadmium. To replace your NiMH charger, choose a NIMH charger with the same connectors (male or female).
Finally, if you find the indication "Li-on" or "Li-po", then your charger is a lithium charger, compatible with a lithium battery.
The voltage
The voltage of an electric bike charger and battery must be identical, as must the technology. This information, like the technology, can be found on the label on the back of the charger or battery.
If you find the indication 24 or 29.4V, then your charger is a 24-volt charger.
28.8 or 33.6V means your charger is a 28.8-volt charger.
The indication 36 or 42V indicates that your charger's voltage is 36 Volts.
48 or 54.6V means your charger is 48 Volts.
End caps or connectors
When purchasing a new charger, it is essential to check that it is identical in every respect to your original charger.
For example: your old charger has 5-pin male connectors, so you'll need the same number of pins for your new charger.
The 4 main connector types are :
- XLR is a hollow, round connector with 3 pins.
- The Jack connector is the most common family of connectors. If your connector looks like a headphone or computer charger tip, it's a Jack connector!
- The 18M3P connector
- Finally, the RSA connector is round and wide, like the cables on old radios.
Other types of connectors exist and stand out for their uniqueness:
For :
- Douze Cycles E-bike battery,
- Gazelle E-bike battery,
- Scott E-bike battery
- Kalkhoff E-bike battery.
Charging time
Charging time is measured in A (Ampere), not to be confused with Ah (Ampere-hour). The higher the A (Ampere) rating of your charger, the shorter the charge time.
Depending on your usage, charging time is a factor in getting more free time to ride!
If your battery has a high capacity (Ah and Wh), recharging your VAE battery will take longer.
Take the Bosch Powerpack 745Wh, one of our most powerful batteries. With an amperage of 20.7Ah and an average range of 95km, a 2A charger would take 10h, while a Bosch-compatible 7A rapid charger would only take 3h.
The different charger categories on the market
For a Bosch electric bike charger you have :
- Compact chargers: lightweight, practical and sturdy, ideal for sporty rides!
- Standard chargers: the right compromise between power, size and weight.
- Fast chargers: the fastest chargers on the market, ideal for recurring trips.
For standard E-bikes:
- Fast chargers
- Communicating chargers: specific to certain Phylion or Kalkhoff batteries requiring the same discharge pins.
- Simple chargers
- 60% chargers: charging stops at 60% to extend battery life and facilitate regular maintenance.
Charger - electronic board compatibility
Some batteries with an intelligent BMS (electronic board) only work with the same-generation, dedicated, compatible charger.
These constraints may be due to the fact that the battery models are too old (need to develop new batteries 100% compatible with a new electronic board), or may depend on the manufacturer.
Choosing your E-Bike charger: what you need to know
Unsure about the compatibility of your electric bicycle battery charger? Make sure you can answer these 4 steps.
Example:
1. I have a Gitane Organ e-bike
2. The label on the back of my battery says Li-ion 36V 14Ah
3. My battery has 5 charging pins
4. I want my battery to be fully charged in 6 hours maximum.
Result: I've found the charger I need on your site, the Phylion 36V 5-pin charger!
And if you still can't find the right charger, don't worry! Doctibike always has an alternative solution for you.
