Quick summary
- It can get rained on: the motor, battery, wiring and display are sealed at the factory. The IP code in the listing tells you how much water it handles, and many bikes sold in Brazil come with IP54, which withstands water splashing from any direction.
- Flash floods and flooded streets, no. None of these IP ratings covers submersion, and a battery that has been underwater, even partly, must not be plugged in.
- Three precautions in the rain: wipe it down and charge only with the battery dry, cover it if the bike stays outside, and don't wash it with a pressure washer.
- The battery doesn't count years, it counts cycles: 500 to 1,000. On a V9 Max, that means 18,500 to about 37,000 km, or a little over two years to almost five years for someone riding 30 km per workday.
- At the end of its cycles it doesn't die: it holds less charge and keeps going. A 48 V, 15 Ah battery cost between R$ 940 and R$ 1,400 on Mercado Livre in September, less than a quarter of a V9 Max's price.
- Over 5 years, in the worst case, with two battery replacements, the V9 Max costs about R$ 9,500, against about R$ 14 thousand by bus and more than R$ 20 thousand by motorcycle.
"Paying that much for an electric bike that can't get rained on isn't worth it." That comment showed up on an electric bike video, and it was not alone: some people wrote that they gave up on buying because of the rain and were going back to a motorcycle. In this video, Luan Amancio answers the two questions that hold back the purchase the most, rain and the battery, with what the manufacturers say, with the example of a country where almost everyone rides an electric bike and with the 5-year math, battery replacement included.
Can it get rained on? The IP code
Yes. The motor, battery, wiring and display are sealed at the factory: an electric bike is made for the street, and it rains on the street. To know how much water yours handles, look in the listing for the letters IP followed by two numbers. The first is dust; the second is water. Many electric bikes sold in Brazil come with IP54, and that final 4 means it withstands water splashing from any direction, in other words, rain. Some bikes go further: the GT2000 listing, which the channel has already covered, says IP66, which withstands even strong water jets. But none of these numbers means the bike can sit underwater.
The Netherlands rides electric bikes in the rain
In the Netherlands, almost half of the new bicycles sold last year were electric. And it rains a lot there: Amsterdam has about 130 rainy days a year, more than one day in three. Even so, the Dutch don't leave the bike at home: they put on a rain jacket and ride to work, take their kids to school and go to the supermarket, in the rain. Gazelle, one of the most traditional bicycle brands there, answers the question on its own website: yes, you can ride your electric bike in the rain. If a whole country uses electric bikes in the rain every day, they can handle ours.
São Paulo × Amsterdam
But there is a difference between there and here, and it is what confuses everyone. In a year, São Paulo gets practically twice as much rain as Amsterdam. There it is a light rain, spread across the whole year. Here the water comes concentrated, from October to March, and often in a single storm, that late-afternoon one that turns the street into a river in half an hour. That is where the question few people answer properly comes in.
What about flash floods? No
Flash floods and flooded streets, no. Rain falls from above, and the bike's sealing was made for that: the water hits and runs off. In a flash flood, the water comes from below, with force, and stays around the parts. The motor sits in the middle of the wheel, the wiring and connectors are down low, and some bikes have the battery very close to the ground. The water finds a way in, because none of these IP ratings covers submersion. Abroad, this has already become an official warning. In the United States, after Hurricane Ian in 2022, the country's association of bicycle dealers sent a notice to electric bike owners: a battery that has been underwater, even partly, is damaged and under no circumstances should be plugged in, because it can catch fire. With salt water, it is even worse.
The easy rule
Luan knows this is scary, but it is easy to avoid. If you can't see the ground under the water, don't go through. If the water reaches the middle of the wheel, which is where the motor is, don't either: wait for it to go down or take another street. Cars and motorcycles also stop at flooded streets, and with an electric bike the rule is the same. And if one day it ends up underwater, in a garage that flooded, for example, don't turn it on, don't put the battery on charge, and take the bike to a repair shop first.
The three precautions in the rain
For everyday rain, there are three precautions, and none of them is expensive. The first: got home wet, wipe it down with a cloth, especially where the battery fits in, and only put the battery on charge once it is dry. The second: it can ride in the rain, but it wasn't made to live in it. If the bike stays outside, cover it, which is cheap and prevents standing water on the display and the connectors. The third: when washing, no pressure washer. Bosch, one of the largest electric bike motor makers in the world, does not recommend high-pressure jets, because strong water gets in where it shouldn't. A cloth, a bucket and water, and it comes out clean.
Does the battery last only two years?
Everyone has heard that an electric bike battery lasts two years and then has to be replaced. For Luan, it is a myth, and it has two mistakes. The first: a battery doesn't count time, it counts cycles. A cycle is filling the battery from empty to full; charging from half to full twice adds up to a single cycle. A lithium battery like these handles 500 to 1,000 cycles. On a bike like the V9 Max, which goes about 37 to 40 km per charge, that is 18,500 to about 37,000 km, almost a full lap around planet Earth. For someone riding 30 km a day, Monday to Friday, that is a little over two years to almost five years. And whoever rides less goes even further.
A worn battery doesn't die
The second mistake: at the end of its cycles, the battery doesn't die. It just holds less charge. In Europe, a battery is usually considered worn when it is between 60% and 80% of what it held when new. The bike that did 37 km now does about 25 or 30, and keeps going: if work is 10 km from home, that battery still takes you there and back. You only replace it when it can no longer handle your route. And you can make the battery last longer, because what damages a lithium battery most is not time, it is heat. Don't leave the bike in strong sun or the battery forgotten in a hot car trunk. Back from a ride with a hot battery? Wait for it to cool down before plugging it in. And always charge it with the original charger that came with the bike.
How much a new battery costs
Another myth is that the battery costs half the bike. It doesn't: the most common battery for these bikes, the 48 V, 15 Ah one, was for sale on Mercado Livre in September for between R$ 940 and R$ 1,400. On a V9 Max, which at recording started at R$ 5,949, that is less than a quarter of the bike's price. And it is one replacement every two, three or four years, depending on how the battery was cared for. When buying the new one, ask for one identical to the original: same voltage, same amperage and the same mount on the frame. For heavy riders, the tip is the two-battery version of the V9 Max: each battery does half the work on the same route, so it takes longer to reach the end of its cycles, and the bike also goes much further without looking for an outlet.
The day you buy
At recording, the same single-battery V9 Max had one listing at R$ 5,949 and another at R$ 6,656. That is about R$ 700 of difference on the same bike, a good chunk of a new battery. And R$ 5,949 was its lowest price in a month. For Luan, what separates those who pay more from those who pay less is the day they buy. That is why he runs the WhatsApp deals group: when an electric bike really drops in price, the alert goes out there the same day. Joining costs nothing.
The 5-year math: bus, bike and motorcycle
Think of someone who commutes to work, 30 km a day, Monday to Friday, in São Paulo. By bus, paying the fare out of pocket, that is about R$ 230 a month, around R$ 14 thousand over five years. Now the same person with a V9 Max, in the worst case: the battery lasting the minimum and replaced twice, with the most expensive one. The bike, the two new batteries and the electricity from the home outlet, over five years, add up to about R$ 9,500. More than R$ 4,000 stays in your pocket, and at the end the bike is still yours; the bus fare money doesn't come back. And by motorcycle? A new entry-level motorcycle, with gasoline and taxes, goes past R$ 20 thousand in five years, not counting the license. Even replacing the battery, the electric bike comes out cheaper than the bus and much cheaper than a motorcycle, and you still leave whenever you want, without waiting for a packed bus or sitting in traffic.
Conclusion
The short answer: rain, yes; flash floods and flooded streets, no. With the three precautions and the rule of not going where you can't see the ground, an electric bike handles daily use. And the battery is far from the monster people describe: it lasts a little over two years to almost five years for someone riding 30 km per workday, keeps going once worn and, even replaced twice, keeps the bike cheaper than the bus and much cheaper than a motorcycle. At recording, the V9 Max started at R$ 5,949; check today's price on the listing.
Frequently asked questions
Can an electric bike get rained on?
Yes. The motor, battery, wiring and display are sealed at the factory. Many bikes sold in Brazil come with IP54, which withstands water splashing from any direction.
Can an electric bike go through a flash flood or a flooded street?
No. None of these IP ratings covers submersion. If you can't see the ground under the water, or if the water reaches the middle of the wheel, where the motor is, don't go through.
What should I do if my electric bike was underwater?
Don't turn it on, don't put the battery on charge, and take the bike to a repair shop first. A battery that has been underwater, even partly, can catch fire when plugged in.
Can I wash an electric bike with a pressure washer?
No. Bosch does not recommend high-pressure jets, because strong water gets in where it shouldn't. Use a cloth, a bucket and water.
How long does an electric bike battery last?
It counts cycles, not years: 500 to 1,000. On a V9 Max, for someone riding 30 km per workday, that is a little over two years to almost five years. After that it holds less charge, but keeps going.
How much does a new electric bike battery cost?
A 48 V, 15 Ah battery cost between R$ 940 and R$ 1,400 on Mercado Livre in September, less than a quarter of a V9 Max's price. Ask for one identical to the original: same voltage, same amperage and same mount.
Even replacing the battery, is an electric bike worth it?
By the video's math, yes. Over five years, in the worst case, the V9 Max costs about R$ 9,500, against about R$ 14 thousand by bus and more than R$ 20 thousand by motorcycle, not counting the license.
Prices and opinions reflect the video on the recording date. Prices change all the time (all in Brazilian reais); always check the listing.
V9 Max
Read the review · Price and shipping updated on Mercado Livre.
