The controller in the electric bike is acting the same as the computer processor controlling all parts of the electric bike, which gave the commands and the required power to each part of the ebike.
Perhaps your question can I upgrade my bike controller ? is an important question because it can solve many problems for you, the first of which is the problem of speed.
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Now let’s answer your question.
Can I Upgrade My Ebike Controller?
Yes, you can upgrade your bike controller to a higher controller that can pull more amps from the battery, so if your current ebike controller is 20 ambs and you need to upgrade 35 amps that’s totally OK. however, you need to take into consideration the motor & Battery capacity before doing the upgrade.
When it’s the right time to Upgrade your Ebike Controller?
As I mentioned earlier, changing the controller can help increase the speed of the electric bike, but this does not mean that once you change the controller, the speed of your electric bike will increase because the increase in speed depends mainly on the capacity of the battery and the motor
For example, if your electric bike battery is 24 volts and the motor is 250 watts and the current controller is 20 amps, changing the controller will not increase the speed of the bike at all because 20 amps are the maximum limit for both the battery and the controller.
Therefore, you will not feel any change in speed, but you may increase the risk of damaging other ebike parts.
What is the correct timing for you to ask yourself can I update my electric bike controller?
The right timing for you is when you start using your electric bike for more than just riding for fun and you have a need to use the bike for
other uses such as pulling a trailer. And you want more torque, power, and speed.
Now you should know what are the capabilities of your ebike? so that you can expect the result of changing the controller.
Motor power: If you have a motor of 500 watts, this means that the maximum power of the motor is 750 watts (think of it as the number of cylinders in the motor of the car)
Battery Capacity: If you have a 48 volt 10 amp/hour battery, this means that this battery can give you power equal to 480 watts.
The capacity of the current controller: If you have a 20 amp controller, this means that the maximum capacity that the controller can pull from the battery is 20 amps.
But what does all this mean?!
This means that the 48-volt battery will be able to output a maximum of 1056 watts to the controller.
Now, what if I upgrade the controller by changing it to 35 amps?
The maximum power you will get is 48 volts * 35 amps = 1680 watts
This of course will give you more power and speed.
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What do you need to know before upgrading your ebike?
There are many important points that you should know before changing the controller for your electric bike
1- If your bike is in warranty, changing the controller will take it out of warranty
Most electric bike manufacturers impose restrictions on changing any parts inside the bike, especially if they are not of the same capacity or power. ( So changes will be done at your own risk)
2 – Know the type of motor of your bike and make sure that it can withstand changing the controller
You can search on the official website of the bike to find out the type and capacity of your motor, and you can also search for other ebike models that use this motor.
If you find other ebike models that are using the same motor but with a higher ebike controller then you are good to go!!
3- Check the manual of your electric bike manufacturer to check for any additional information.
in many cases, the manual will mention some additional information about other parts that you may need while changing the controller.
4- It is preferable to change the controller from the same brand as your electric bike to ensure a higher degree of compatibility
The prices of the controllers are very diverse, between very little and very expensive, of course, buying a controller of the same brand will be more expensive, but I personally prefer this option so I do not risk with other parts of the electric bike.
What you should expect after upgrading your Ebike Controller?
After upgrading the controller of your electric bike, there are some things that you will notice after trying the ebike.
The speed and torque of the ebike will increase due to the fact that the motor will run at full power.
You will also be able to go uphill much easier.
It should be noted here that if the ebike settings have a maximum limited speed, you will feel the acceleration and torque, not the speed because it is previously specified.
On the other hand, there will be some negative aspects to this change
First, the battery range: the battery range will decrease significantly, especially if you use the throttle continuously and at high speeds because the controller consumes high amps from the battery
The sound of the motor: Motor sound will be slightly louder than it was previously, because, as we mentioned, it works at full strength.
Useful Resources.
How do I Reset my EBike Controller? (Solved) This post shows you the controller parameters & how to use them to rest &configure your ebike controller
How To Test An EBike Controller At Home? (Explained) This post shows how to test your ebike controller at home with a multimeter in a simple way.
Conclusion
You can upgrade the controller of your electric bike after taking into account the capacity of the battery and motor of the bike.
There are some important points that you should take into account before upgrading the controller,
Changing the controller will cause the bike to be out of warranty
You will need to check the compatibility of the new controller with the motor.
After the change, you will notice an increase in the performance of the electric bike, but the battery usage will also decrease, and the motor sound will be slightly louder.
