We know what it’s like to pedal an electric bike with a dead battery and be far from home. We also know how annoying it is to carry a heavy charger or an extra battery with you on a trip. That’s why we’re creating the Powerbox Charging Station Network of standardized and maximally versatile charging stations that you should find wherever you ride your e-bike.
➜ Go directly to the section „How to charge?„
Where is it located?
How do I find a charging station?
To plan your e-bike route around the Czech Republic using charging stations, we recommend you have the Mapy.cz app installed on your phone:
You can also use the version on www.mapy.cz in a browser on your mobile or desktop.
Just type the keyword „chargebike“ and you can add the location where you want to see the charging stations. For example, by typing „chargebike God’s Gift“ will display the stations near the Ore Mountains village of Boží Dar, including the opening hours of the businesses where each charging station is located:
If you need details about a specific Powerbox charging station, go to our Charging Station Map. Click on the icon to see full details, including the current status of the station (in use / out of use) and a list of nearby other charging stations.
Why isn’t the station where I need it?
Charging stations are created where property owners (restaurants, shops, landmarks) choose to implement them, or where a city, municipality, region or county establishes them for electric cyclists.
If you have a specific tip for a place where a station would be a good idea, let your city councillor or the owner of your favourite cycling pub know. Send them our contact details, email info@powerbox.one or phone +420 777 797 230 and we’ll try to arrange a meeting with the owner/manager of the place.
In some locations, it is possible to use subsidies to set up a charging station for electric bikes – a full list of these is available here.
If all goes well, we will send you our nice Powerbox T-shirt to make charging at the new station a breeze ♥.
How can I use the station?
How to charge?
To charge from the Powerbox charging station network you need a charging cable.
Unfortunately we do not have a charging cable for some types of electric bikes yet and you need to use your own charger.
There are two types of charging cables:
The twisted, public, orange one is a 3 metre long charging cable that you can borrow for free at the charging station – from the operator (he may ask you for a deposit) or you can borrow it yourself at CableBox (if it is installed on site).
Typically, twisted cables of type A (XLR3), B (Jack 2.1), E (Bosch classic), G (Shimano), D (RCA) are available locally. Find out what type of charging cable you need for your e-bike – look it up here. If your e-bike has a different type of plug, you can order a „personal“ cable or use the 230V socket on the Powerbox with your own adapter (charger).
Please always return the orange cable to the station operator or put it back in the cable box. Should you wish to keep it, it will be obvious to everyone that you have „taken it somewhere“ – these cables are only available to charging station operators.
A straight, personal, black,– 2 metre long, collapsible charging cable, typically weighing 100 – 130 grams (depending on type), which you carry with you in your bike pocket or saddlebag.
Having your own charging cable ensures that you always charge your e-bike at Powerbox. The charging cable may have already been packed with your e-bike, or you may have gotten it from a good dealer when you bought your e-bike.
If not, use our configuratorto find out which cable matches your e-bike’s battery type and you can order it from our e-shop. The price of the charging cable starts from 9,90 €!
How to do it – step by step
- Find the nearest electric bike charging station that is in operation – see previous paragraph.
2. There should always be a good quality cycle stand at the Powerbox charging station. If it is not there, ask the operator to fix it! Bike racks are available to operators in a variety of types and prices. Lock your e-bike to the stand.
3. If you do not have a personal charging cable with you, contact the operator of the establishment where the station is installed (restaurant, info centre,..) to borrow a public cable. Information on how to borrow charging cables is usually printed on the front of the charging station.
4. Unsnap the protective flap on the bottom of the charging station and first insert the charging cable connector into the free port socket on the Powerbox. Then connect the other end to the battery connector of your electric bike. If you do it the other way around, there is a slight risk that the cable connector will be energized and damaged. So „first to the box – then to the bike„.
You can charge up to 4 or 6 e-bikes at the same time. If you have a Bosch or Shimano battery, you know that there are specifically marked ports for you on most Powerboxes.
5. As soon as the blue light comes on, all is well and you are charging. Charging speed depends on the state of discharge of your battery and the ambient temperature. The built-in chargers have an output current of 4 A, so you should get approximately 150 – 200 Wh of power per hour. So if your e-bike has a 500 Wh battery, you will charge it by 30-40% in an hour.
So now you have at least an hour’s worth of „run time“. You can have a snack or go sightseeing in the city or around the station…
Powerbox is suitable for electric bikes / batteries working with 36V voltage (so about 98% of all electric bikes on our market). If you have a model of electric bike that has a 24V battery (some models sold until 2014), or a model of electric bike with 48V voltage (some types of conversions), unfortunately you can not use the charging station.
Video demonstration of using the Powerbox charging station
Still not clear? Then watch the video: How does the POWERBOX work?