Examples
- If you are going up a hill or are in pedal assist 5 using 95% power or throttle
- Riding into the wind which also consumes a lot of power.
Here is a 3rd party take on it from the EBR Forums: https://electricbike.com/forum/forum/knowledge-base/batteries-aa/48140-voltage-sag-explained
Range Tests
If you understand voltage sag, but are still concerned about your batteries performance, it may be best to test your battery range, use the trip meter on the bike and review the following checklist:
- Charge the bike to 100% (Verified by the charger's LED changing from RED to GREEN).
- To reach maximum capacity, drain the battery low and recharge to 100% 3-5 times.
- Ride in PAS 1 (verify % setting in display, is yours set to 10%, 20%, etc?)
- Pedal hard or moderately during your ride.
- Monitor how many Watts (W) are going to your motor if possible (Varies by model. LMT'd/700 Series W is displayed. 500 Series/Core-5/Cafe Cruiser: Press middle button 3x)
- Tires are at max psi (listed on the side of the tire) - soft or knobby tires can be a huge drag
- Front and rear wheel spins forward freely and true. It should continue to spin for quite a while and not slow down prematurely
- Brakes are properly adjusted and not rubbing
- No accessories, racks, or fenders are rubbing against the tires.
Factors to avoid during a range test that can impact range
- Riding into the wind
- Riding up hills
- Riding in a high PAS level
- Weight of rider, accessories, and cargo
- Using Throttle a lot
- Accelerating from a stop. The more you stop and start, the more power is used
- Extreme temperatures
- Rough terrain
- Knobby tires
Did you hit or exceed the expected range? If not, please let us know. This is a good way to confirm if what you experienced, was indeed just voltage sag, and that your battery is giving you the expected range for your model.