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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: ILRNICK on September 27, 2022, 10:55:44 PM

Title: Cold weather storage
Post by: ILRNICK on September 27, 2022, 10:55:44 PM
Good morning all,

                     I have a 2022 Zero DS that I will be storing for 3-4 months. I live in Western Canada and riding 12 months out of the year is unrealistic. I will be storing it in an underground parkade but it is not heated and in the winter months it will get as low as -5 Celsius in there. I will have the battery at around 50% for storage and I will try and ride the odd day to cycle the battery a little but for the weeks that I can't ride due to weather is there any measures I take to keep the bike at a reasonable temp? Heated blanket, heated cover or will it be sufficient to just ride it every few weeks? 
Title: Re: Cold weather storage
Post by: Mooseman on September 28, 2022, 01:46:15 AM
The bike is not going to charge the battery if it's below zero (<- see what I did there?). Storage mode is basically useless as it will still drain the HV battery during a Canadian winter. I ran into that problem last year. The HV battery was approaching 30% and I couldn't charge at -20 degrees C outside. I had to use a bed sheet and an electric heater to get the pack to a suitable temperature.

This winter I'll just charge the HV battery to 60% and then disconnect the 12V battery. That way I can keep it charged indoors and the HV battery won't lose its charge either as nothing can draw power without the 12V battery.

Driving at freezing temps might be a bad idea if it doesn't get the battery to a temperature where it can charge.
Title: Re: Cold weather storage
Post by: ILRNICK on September 28, 2022, 03:46:46 AM
Is the process to remove the 12V battery complicated? That does seem like not a half bad idea instead of having to maintain the HV battery periodically throughout the winter.
Title: Re: Cold weather storage
Post by: TheRan on September 28, 2022, 03:59:55 AM
You don't to worry about that with the DS, there is no separate 12v battery.
Title: Re: Cold weather storage
Post by: ILRNICK on September 29, 2022, 10:48:31 PM
So storing the DS over the winter shouldn't negatively affect the battery much.

I think I'll store it at 50% and periodically check to see how the battery fairs over the course of the winter. I will update this thread if anything of note happens over the course of the winter.