How to store an e-bike battery for winter: what makers say

Last checked Oct 24, 2026 · By EbikePost editors

Short answer

Store the battery indoors, dry, away from heat and anything that burns, and neither full nor empty. The charge level to aim for depends on who made it: Bosch says 30 to 60 percent, Lectric's manual says about 60, Rad says about 75, Aventon says 75 to 80 and Ride1Up says 30 to 80. Use the figure in your own manual, and check the battery every month or two.

The charge level: makers disagree

All of these makers say the same thing in different numbers: do not leave the battery fully charged or fully drained for weeks. The table puts each maker's own words in one place.

Maker	Storage charge	Recheck	Temperature or place	Source
Bosch	30 to 60 percent for longer storage	Not stated	Dry room at room temperature, with a smoke detector	Bosch Help Center, Battery care
Lectric (manual)	About 60 percent, battery removed from the bike	Every 2 to 3 months, recharge to 60 percent	Dry, ventilated, room with a smoke alarm; operate in 32 to 104 F	XP 4 manual v1.3
Lectric (help center)	No higher than 75 percent for a week or longer	Monthly for storage over a couple of months	Not given	Lectric Help Center
Rad	About 75 percent, for storage over two weeks	Every month	Indoors, 50 to 77 F	Rad winter storage blog
Aventon	75 to 80 percent; never empty	Monthly, so it does not drop under 75 percent	32 to 104 F, dry, indoors; off the bike frame	Aventon battery care
Ride1Up	30 to 80 percent	Every 1 to 2 months	Cool, dry, ideally 50 to 70 F	Ride1Up battery safety

Lectric publishes two figures, 60 percent in its manual and 75 percent in its help center, which shows how loosely these numbers should be read. Both sit below a full charge.

If you cannot find your manual: ask the maker. If you want a single number to hold until you hear back, 60 percent is the only one in this table that is inside Bosch's and Ride1Up's ranges and also matches Lectric's manual, but Rad and Aventon name higher figures. Do not guess below 30 or let the battery run to empty, and do not leave it at 100 percent all winter.

Good to know

Lectric's manual says to read the charge level from the energy bar on the display. If your display shows only bars, ask the maker how many bars match its storage figure.

Step by step

Ride or discharge a bit. If the battery is full after your last ride, use the bike until the display shows near your maker's figure. Do not drain it flat.
Charge only if it is below the target, with the maker's charger, and stay with it while it charges. CPSC says to be present when charging and to unplug when done. See our overnight charging guide.
Switch the battery off and take it off the bike if your manual says to. Lectric says long storage on the bike is not recommended; Aventon says not to leave it on the frame for a long period.
Keep it off the charger. Aventon says not to store it on the charger or attached to the bike.
Choose the place: indoors, dry, out of direct sunlight, away from heaters, and away from combustible or easily flammable things. Lectric adds a room with a smoke alarm and not a car in summer. An unheated garage or shed is a poor choice: Aventon warns that a cold garage can damage the battery, and Rad gives 50 to 77 F as its range.
Set a reminder for the monthly check (every 1 to 3 months depending on the maker), look the battery over, top up to your figure if it has dropped, and unplug.

The bike over winter

Rad says to keep the bike somewhere dry above freezing and to dry it fully if it was wet, and to bring the battery inside if the bike has to stay outside. A fitted cover keeps dust and damp off a bike kept in a shed or garage, and a good lock is worth having wherever it sleeps. Before the first spring ride, give the bike a quick check from the maintenance schedule and charge to full only a few hours before you ride, as Lectric's manual says.

What not to do

Do not charge a cold battery brought in from outside right away. Lectric's manual says to charge only between 32 and 113 F; see our not-charging guide.
Do not open the battery or test it with meters.
Do not use a charger that did not come with the bike, or a damaged one. See our UL 2849 guide.

Stop here: contact the maker or a qualified e-bike shop

If the battery is swollen, cracked, leaking, hot or smells unusual, stop using it. Do not charge it or open it. Move it away from anything that burns if that is safe, and contact the maker or a qualified e-bike shop. CPSC says not to put lithium batteries in the trash or general recycling; take them to a battery recycler or hazardous-waste collection point.

Law / safety note

Rad owners: the CPSC warned on 24 November 2025 that batteries with model numbers RP-1304, RAD-S1304Y and HL-RP-S1304 should not be used. Check your battery's label first. See what Rad Power Bikes owners can do now.

Questions

What percentage should I store an e-bike battery at?

It depends on the maker: 30 to 60 (Bosch), about 60 (Lectric manual), about 75 (Rad), 75 to 80 (Aventon), 30 to 80 (Ride1Up). Use yours.

How long can you store an e-bike battery?

The makers above ask for a check every 1 to 3 months during storage. Rad's figure applies to storage over two weeks. None of the pages we read give a maximum storage time.

What temperature should I store an e-bike battery at?

Room temperature, dry. Rad gives 50 to 77 F, Ride1Up ideally 50 to 70 F, Aventon 32 to 104 F as its range.

Can I leave an e-bike battery in the bike over winter?

Lectric says long-term storage on the bike is not recommended, and Aventon says not to leave it attached for a prolonged period.

How do I store a Bosch battery for winter?

Bosch's page says a charge level of 30 to 60 percent for longer storage, in a dry room at room temperature.

Written from makers' manuals, help pages and CPSC material. Instructions differ by maker and model: your manual decides.

Sources (9)

Last checked Oct 24, 2026