Tips to Increase Your Electric Trike Range
By Addmotor | 24 November 2022 | 0 Comments
Electric Trikes for Adults are becoming a popular mode of transportation for people with limited strength or mobility. An electric trike is a great alternative to motorized vehicles that allows you to go short distances on your own.
But when you step out to buy an electric trike, it’s crucial to understand how much range it will offer and find out ways to increase its range. After all, it’s annoying to recharge your trike between trips just to have a few minutes longer range.
So, here are a few simple tips that will help you increase the range of your three wheel electric trike.
1. Plan Your Route:
Planning the route before leaving is one of the best ways to increase the range of your motorized 3-wheel bike. If you’re commuting to your workplace, be mindful of the elevation change between your house and the office. Hills are harder to ride, so you’ll want to find a route that avoids hills if you can, and try to choose a smooth road. If you’re traveling nearby, select a route that is as direct as possible. Even though a trip might be only one mile, you can cut that mile in half if you ride in a straight line instead of taking a scenic route. A good rule of thumb is to plan your route based on the distance your trike can cover on a single charge. If your trike has a range of 50 miles and you have a 50-mile trip to make, you’re going to have to charge twice.
2. Ride at a Constant Speed:
Your three-wheel electric trike’s range will be affected by how quickly you ride. The faster you go, the less range you’ll get. This is because your electric trike requires more effort to move at a higher speed. While riding at a slower speed might be uncomfortable for you, it’ll increase your range dramatically. For the best results, ride at a consistent speed on your trip.
3. Use the Minimal Assist Setting:
The more assistance you have, the less range you’ll get. If you have a trike set up to offer a lot of help, you will have less range than someone with a trike set to minimal assistance. To increase the range of your trike, try to reduce the amount of assistance you have. If you have a trike that lets you select different levels of assistance, set it to the lowest level. This way, you’ll be doing more work to pedal your trike but you’ll have more range. Some trike models even let you adjust assistance on the go. This is an excellent feature because you can increase or decrease assistance as needed and get the desired range from your battery powered trike.
4. Adjust Your Tire Pressure:
Your electric trike’s tire pressure might affect its range. The harder your tires are pressed against the ground, the more effort it takes to move your trike forward. If your tires are under-inflated, you’ll notice your trike is difficult to ride. It’ll feel squishy and will be slower than normal. Tire pressure is measured in PSI. For every 10 PSI you reduce in tire pressure, you’ll increase your range by a mile. This is true for both your front and rear tires. If you don’t know what PSI you should have in your tires, consult the owner’s manual for your trike.
5. Don’t Use Brakes Unnecessarily:
Using brakes too often while riding will reduce the range of your electric trike. You may be inclined to apply the brakes when you want to slow down, like when you’re riding uphill or stuck in traffic. But stopping is a lot of work for your trike, and it wears out your brakes quickly. So, try to maintain a speed at which you don’t need to brake too often and can move freely.
6. Choose a More Powerful Battery and Motor:
If you want to increase the range of your three wheel electric trike, the easiest thing you can do is buy a more powerful battery and motor. More powerful batteries and motors can push your trike farther than weaker ones. If you have a trike range of 50 miles, a more powerful battery will increase that range up to 75 or 80 miles. If you’re shopping for a new trike or battery, keep in mind that more powerful models are usually more expensive. A more powerful motor and battery will cost more, but they’re worth the money.
Most electric trikes use lithium-ion batteries and several manufacturers claim that their battery is more robust than others. But the life of your electric trike’s battery depends on how well you maintain it. These batteries usually last for 3-5 years if properly maintained, but you may prolong their life if you take care of a few points.
• Keep the Battery Cool:
Climatic conditions are a crucial factor that might affect lithium-ion batteries. It’s recommended to park your electric trike bicycle away from direct sunlight. And, when not in use, try to store your electric trike’s battery in a cool place.
• Don’t Store an Empty Battery:
Storing a fully charged battery might affect its recoverable capacity. Whereas, storing a fully depleted battery may turn out to be disastrous, as lithium-ion batteries tend to discharge slowly over time even when they’re not in use. Furthermore, a voltage drop may cause irreparable cell damage. So, make sure to charge the battery between 40% to 80% of its full capacity when storing it for a longer period.
• Don’t Overcharge the Battery:
Don’t just plug in your battery and leave it for a longer time. Overcharging lithium-ion batteries can be harmful as it may create a situation where the battery will discharge, leaving it at 95% capacity, and the charger will do more work to top off the battery. These minor discharges and topping will result in poor charging cycles. So, you must ensure to charge your battery for the recommended time period.
• Don’t Regularly Fully Discharge the Battery:
Many people usually advise regular full discharge of an electric trike’s battery. But this practice is proven to be harmful to Lithium-ion batteries. Whereas, partial discharges and regular top-ups are can help you extend the recharge cycle lifespan of the battery. Although, an occasional full discharge on an extra-long ride is completely fine, regularly discharging it can seriously damage your electric trike’s battery. Also, make sure to operate your electric trike in the top half of its discharge cycle and if you’re moving short distances regularly then try to charge your tricycle after every few rides instead of every ride.
If you’re going to use your three-wheel electric trike for longer distances and use it frequently then it’s recommended to buy an electric trike with a bigger battery and a higher range. This will allow you to cover more distances without having to worry about the range.
So, here are some of the best affordable electric trikes with higher ranges:
1. TRIKETAN M-350 Electric Tricycle
This electric trike is a great choice for those who want a powerful and reliable trike. It’s equipped with a 48V*750W front-mounted motor along with a 48V*20AH E-bike 2.0 Samsung battery that allows you to cover up to 85 miles on a single charge. Moreover, it gets a large rear basket that provides enhanced convenience for grocery shopping and hanging out with pets.
2. GRANDTAN Plus Fat Tire Electric Trike
This is another popular electric trike that’s highly comfortable to ride and offers amazing performance. It’s capable of covering up to 85 miles on a single charge. It’s a fat tire electric trike equipped with a 26-inch front wheel and 24-inch rear wheels that helps you ride over diverse terrains easily. Also, it offers better grip, traction, and comfort.
3. GRANDTAN City 3-Wheel Electric Trike
This is one of the most powerful electric trikes available in the market and it’s quite affordable as well. It’s a fat-tire three-wheel bike that comes with mini fat tires designed for city and urban road riding. The best thing about this trike is that it offers a range of up to 90 miles per charge, which makes it an ideal choice for those who cover long distances for their commute or ride frequently to different places.
4. Triketan M-330 Electric Fat Tire Trike
This is one of the most affordable yet powerful and comfortable fat tire electric trikes. It gets 20-inch fat tires that make it suitable for urban riding. Furthermore, it’s a step-thru electric trike that also offers a foldable handlebar. And, it’s capable of offering a range of up to 85 miles per charge, which makes it a great option to consider under budget.
But when you step out to buy an electric trike, it’s crucial to understand how much range it will offer and find out ways to increase its range. After all, it’s annoying to recharge your trike between trips just to have a few minutes longer range.
So, here are a few simple tips that will help you increase the range of your three wheel electric trike.
1. Plan Your Route:
Planning the route before leaving is one of the best ways to increase the range of your motorized 3-wheel bike. If you’re commuting to your workplace, be mindful of the elevation change between your house and the office. Hills are harder to ride, so you’ll want to find a route that avoids hills if you can, and try to choose a smooth road. If you’re traveling nearby, select a route that is as direct as possible. Even though a trip might be only one mile, you can cut that mile in half if you ride in a straight line instead of taking a scenic route. A good rule of thumb is to plan your route based on the distance your trike can cover on a single charge. If your trike has a range of 50 miles and you have a 50-mile trip to make, you’re going to have to charge twice.
2. Ride at a Constant Speed:
Your three-wheel electric trike’s range will be affected by how quickly you ride. The faster you go, the less range you’ll get. This is because your electric trike requires more effort to move at a higher speed. While riding at a slower speed might be uncomfortable for you, it’ll increase your range dramatically. For the best results, ride at a consistent speed on your trip.
3. Use the Minimal Assist Setting:
The more assistance you have, the less range you’ll get. If you have a trike set up to offer a lot of help, you will have less range than someone with a trike set to minimal assistance. To increase the range of your trike, try to reduce the amount of assistance you have. If you have a trike that lets you select different levels of assistance, set it to the lowest level. This way, you’ll be doing more work to pedal your trike but you’ll have more range. Some trike models even let you adjust assistance on the go. This is an excellent feature because you can increase or decrease assistance as needed and get the desired range from your battery powered trike.
4. Adjust Your Tire Pressure:
Your electric trike’s tire pressure might affect its range. The harder your tires are pressed against the ground, the more effort it takes to move your trike forward. If your tires are under-inflated, you’ll notice your trike is difficult to ride. It’ll feel squishy and will be slower than normal. Tire pressure is measured in PSI. For every 10 PSI you reduce in tire pressure, you’ll increase your range by a mile. This is true for both your front and rear tires. If you don’t know what PSI you should have in your tires, consult the owner’s manual for your trike.
5. Don’t Use Brakes Unnecessarily:
Using brakes too often while riding will reduce the range of your electric trike. You may be inclined to apply the brakes when you want to slow down, like when you’re riding uphill or stuck in traffic. But stopping is a lot of work for your trike, and it wears out your brakes quickly. So, try to maintain a speed at which you don’t need to brake too often and can move freely.
6. Choose a More Powerful Battery and Motor:
If you want to increase the range of your three wheel electric trike, the easiest thing you can do is buy a more powerful battery and motor. More powerful batteries and motors can push your trike farther than weaker ones. If you have a trike range of 50 miles, a more powerful battery will increase that range up to 75 or 80 miles. If you’re shopping for a new trike or battery, keep in mind that more powerful models are usually more expensive. A more powerful motor and battery will cost more, but they’re worth the money.
How to Enhance the Life of an Electric Trike Battery?
Most electric trikes use lithium-ion batteries and several manufacturers claim that their battery is more robust than others. But the life of your electric trike’s battery depends on how well you maintain it. These batteries usually last for 3-5 years if properly maintained, but you may prolong their life if you take care of a few points.• Keep the Battery Cool:
Climatic conditions are a crucial factor that might affect lithium-ion batteries. It’s recommended to park your electric trike bicycle away from direct sunlight. And, when not in use, try to store your electric trike’s battery in a cool place.
• Don’t Store an Empty Battery:
Storing a fully charged battery might affect its recoverable capacity. Whereas, storing a fully depleted battery may turn out to be disastrous, as lithium-ion batteries tend to discharge slowly over time even when they’re not in use. Furthermore, a voltage drop may cause irreparable cell damage. So, make sure to charge the battery between 40% to 80% of its full capacity when storing it for a longer period.
• Don’t Overcharge the Battery:
Don’t just plug in your battery and leave it for a longer time. Overcharging lithium-ion batteries can be harmful as it may create a situation where the battery will discharge, leaving it at 95% capacity, and the charger will do more work to top off the battery. These minor discharges and topping will result in poor charging cycles. So, you must ensure to charge your battery for the recommended time period.
• Don’t Regularly Fully Discharge the Battery:
Many people usually advise regular full discharge of an electric trike’s battery. But this practice is proven to be harmful to Lithium-ion batteries. Whereas, partial discharges and regular top-ups are can help you extend the recharge cycle lifespan of the battery. Although, an occasional full discharge on an extra-long ride is completely fine, regularly discharging it can seriously damage your electric trike’s battery. Also, make sure to operate your electric trike in the top half of its discharge cycle and if you’re moving short distances regularly then try to charge your tricycle after every few rides instead of every ride.
Best Electric Trikes with Highest Range
If you’re going to use your three-wheel electric trike for longer distances and use it frequently then it’s recommended to buy an electric trike with a bigger battery and a higher range. This will allow you to cover more distances without having to worry about the range.So, here are some of the best affordable electric trikes with higher ranges:
1. TRIKETAN M-350 Electric Tricycle
This electric trike is a great choice for those who want a powerful and reliable trike. It’s equipped with a 48V*750W front-mounted motor along with a 48V*20AH E-bike 2.0 Samsung battery that allows you to cover up to 85 miles on a single charge. Moreover, it gets a large rear basket that provides enhanced convenience for grocery shopping and hanging out with pets.
2. GRANDTAN Plus Fat Tire Electric Trike
This is another popular electric trike that’s highly comfortable to ride and offers amazing performance. It’s capable of covering up to 85 miles on a single charge. It’s a fat tire electric trike equipped with a 26-inch front wheel and 24-inch rear wheels that helps you ride over diverse terrains easily. Also, it offers better grip, traction, and comfort.
3. GRANDTAN City 3-Wheel Electric Trike
This is one of the most powerful electric trikes available in the market and it’s quite affordable as well. It’s a fat-tire three-wheel bike that comes with mini fat tires designed for city and urban road riding. The best thing about this trike is that it offers a range of up to 90 miles per charge, which makes it an ideal choice for those who cover long distances for their commute or ride frequently to different places.
4. Triketan M-330 Electric Fat Tire Trike
This is one of the most affordable yet powerful and comfortable fat tire electric trikes. It gets 20-inch fat tires that make it suitable for urban riding. Furthermore, it’s a step-thru electric trike that also offers a foldable handlebar. And, it’s capable of offering a range of up to 85 miles per charge, which makes it a great option to consider under budget.
Concluding Thoughts
These were the various tips that will help you increase your electric trike’s range and enjoy more freedom while riding. In the end, never rely on the trike’s advertised range. If you want to make sure you can get where you’re going, ride conservatively and plan your trip accordingly.
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