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. What about on-the-go charging? How can you charge your bike while you’re on the road?
Electric bikes are fun and fast. However, don’t expect the fun to last long if the battery dies. It’s okay, though, because you can always charge the bike and go an extra few miles.
How Do You Charge an Electric Bike on the Road?
There are several ways to charge an electric bike on the road:
- Look for a charging station
- Always carry a spare battery
- Make use of a quick charger
- Use a car battery to charge your battery
- Use a solar panel and a portable battery
How to Charge an Electric Bike on the Road
Maybe your electric bike battery dies out in the middle of nowhere. If that happens, you’ve got to fix it fast. Here are a few ways to charge your electric bike on the road:
Charging stations
Due to the popularity of electric bikes, manufacturers like Bosch are building power stations in remote places. There might be an electric bike charging station in the woods where you can plug in your charger. They’re hard to find though. An app can tell you if there’s a power plant nearby (if you have one).
It’s just like charging your electric bike at home. Even if you don’t have time to fully charge your battery, it’ll give you a boost.
Having a spare battery
The idea behind charging an electric bike is to have enough power for the journey. You might want to bring two batteries. If one of them goes out, just unplug the one that’s out of power and plug in the one you have charged.
Charging using a car battery
You can also use your car battery to charge. Your E-bike battery can be charged on the go with the right set up. Don’t get it wrong or you’ll kill it.
Here’s what you need:
- An inverter that converts car-battery power to E-bike voltage
- An alternator tester that shuts off your E-bike charger once the battery is full
- A power monitor that shows how much power is flowing into the E-bike
Additionally, your charger needs to have a power factor correction. A charger’s power factor should be at least 80%. Anything between 50% and 79% is fine, but probably not as effective, and anything below 50% could take forever.
Connect the inverter to the car’s battery after you get all the parts. Then you plug in your charger and the alternator tester. Let the battery charge using the other end of the charger. Once your battery is full, you’ll see a green light on the charger, and the alternator tester will turn off the power so that you don’t overcharge it.
Solar panel and portable battery
If you have a car, you can bring something like the Goal Zero Yeti 150 Solar Generator. Generators like this are often paired with Nomad solar panels, which convert solar energy into electric power for charging E-bike batteries.
You just have to charge the generator before you leave. Solar panels top up the battery in areas without electricity.
That’s it.
It’s now easier to charge your electric bike on the road. If you run out of juice while in some places without electricity, you can pedal to the nearest outlet and recharge your E-bike battery using any of the methods I’ve shared in this article.
Also read: Can a Power Bank Charge an Electric Bike?
