If you’ve read our 12 Best Electric Bike Solar Charger Options article, you’d have a pretty good idea about all the clean charging options you can get for your bike. But can you use a power bank to charge an electric bike? How does it work?
Most electric bikes can go 50 miles or more on one charge, but knowing when and where to recharge the battery is a good idea.
You can charge an electric bike on the go by using a car battery and a 12V socket in the car. Alternatively, you can hook up a 1000-watt inverter to a solar panel or a battery bank to charge the eBike’s battery. A typical ebike controller draws 15 amps at 36 volts for 540W an hour.
But can a power bank charge an electric bike? Read on to find out
How Do Power Banks Work?
To give you a better idea how a power bank would charge your electric bike, let’s talk about how power banks work in general.
We’ve come to a point where most of us can’t live without our portable power banks anymore.
So long as battery technology doesn’t improve drastically, we’ll still run out of power when we need it. So we’ll depend on power banks more and more.
But did you ever wonder how they work?
Chargers like power banks and portable chargers work by first drawing power from an external source, such as a wall outlet.
It converts this power into electrical energy and stores it in a battery. The device then uses the stored energy to charge or power up the internal battery of other electronics like a smartphone or a tablet, thus draining its own battery.
How Many Amps Does An Electric Bike Draw?
An electric bike typically draws 15 amps, so you need a battery bank that meets these demands. Calculate the wattage by multiplying the amps by volts, so you know what size power bank you need to charge the bike’s battery.
Also, it’s a good idea to check your bike’s battery to see how many amps it draws. It’s hard to give a definitive answer because all batteries are different.
Can A Power Bank Charge An Electric Bike?
Generally, a power bank can charge an electric bike if the current is greater than the bike’s battery’s wattage pull. When the battery needs 750W, you can use a power bank with 1000W. Alternatively, if the battery needs 1000W, it’s better to go with something a little higher, such as 1500W.
Here’s what to remember when using a power bank:
- Before you use the power bank, check how much power is left in it.
- It’s a good idea to recharge your power banks before you go on a road trip as most power banks lose their charge over time
- A power bank can be charged by multiple devices, including your car, an outlet, or a solar panel.
- You will not be able to use power banks with bigger electric bikes such as Zero motorcycles or KTM electric dirt bikes. Except if it can handle more than 4000 watts.
Also read: Can I Charge an eBike Battery in My Car?
