Get To Know Your E-Bike Battery
Your battery is the heart of your electric bicycle, so you owe it to your e-bike to take great care of it. In this article you’ll learn what the led indicator lights mean, how to properly insert and remove the battery, how to prolong your e-bike battery life, and more.
Find your Magnum e-bike battery type:
NOTE: Even if you don’t ride a Magnum E-Bike, keep reading! Much of the information in this guide will be useful to all e-bike riders.
Top Features To Look For In E-Bike Batteries
Do you know the difference between an integrated and non-integrated e-bike battery? What about how to keep your battery safe from theft? Some batteries also offer unique options for charging on the go. Get to know the top features you’ll want in a great electric bike battery.
Brand Name: When choosing an e-bike battery with a competitive lifespan, look for brand names. The cells should be made by a recognizable brand like Samsung, LG, or Panasonic.
Integration: The main difference between integrated and non-integrated batteries really comes down to looks. But this feature also affects the weight distribution of the battery on your bike: fully integrated batteries tend to have a lower center of gravity and better weight distribution.
Battery Lock: A key lock helps prevent battery theft on e-bikes with removable batteries. Make sure your model includes one.
USB Charging Port: Day trips, bikepacking, and vacations may all require you to charge your e-bike battery away from home. But that’s no problem if you choose a battery with an easily accessible USB charging port.
What Do The Terms “Volts,” “Amps,” And “Watts” Mean For My E-Bike Battery?
Volts: Voltage is the amount of potential electricity your battery holds. In general, the voltage of your battery doesn’t increase or decrease.
Amps: Amps, or current, refer to how quickly your battery draws electricity during use. You use more amps (and deplete your e-bike battery faster) when riding…
Watts: Your e-bike battery watts are a measure of the output of power that your e-bike can provide. You can calculate your watts when you know the voltage and amps of your battery.
Magnum Pathfinder E-Bike Battery Life And Maintenance
Magnum Pathfinder batteries are unique to our Pathfinder e-bike series : built to work hard and play hard. These bikes feature unisex construction with a step-through frame.
Pathfinder owners: your battery is located on the top of your frame.
Check your Pathfinder battery by pressing the switch below the indicator lights.
Here’s what those lights mean:
If you’re down to that final red light while on a ride, turn off the motor and head back to recharge.
To remove your Pathfinder battery, find your lock core (number 2 on the image below): it’s located on the side of your frame, just below the battery.
Insert your battery key and turn clockwise. Grab the battery at the bottom (number 1 on the image below), then pull up. The battery will pivot out from the bottom. Then just slide it down and out to remove it.
To put it back in, start from the top. Push the top of the battery up into the frame, then press down on the bottom until you hear it click.
Magnum Cosmopolitan E-Bike Battery Life And Maintenance
Magnum Cosmopolitan batteries match the Cosmo series. These bikes are known for their light frame, fully integrated battery, and versatile color selection.
On the Cosmo, the battery light indicator is a little bit different. You can see the letters B, G, and R.
What do these mean for your battery life?
Remember: when you see the red indicator, it’s time to charge up.
To remove the Cosmo battery, insert your battery key and turn it clockwise. On this model, the battery pops out as you turn the key. From there, first pull the battery up, then down — that’s all it takes to get the battery out.
To reinsert the Cosmopolitan battery, look for two tabs on one end of the battery. Then just slide the tabbed end into the top of the battery slot on your frame. Push the bottom until the battery clicks into place, and you’re done.
Magnum f1 E-Bike Battery Life And Maintenance
Our f1 batteries power our series of Navigator. Summit. and Voyager e-bikes. Are you an urban commuter or a recreational mountain biker? Pick the e-bike that’s made for your ride.
The f1 battery is a bit different, so read carefully!
The battery switch button is at the top of the f1 battery, not the bottom.
The battery indicator lights are different, too:
The lock core for your f1 is located near the top of the frame, above the battery.
The f1 keys are folded, so they fit better in your To remove your f1 battery (number 1 on the image below), just unfold the key, insert into the lock core (number 2 on the image below), and turn clockwise.
The battery will pop out from the top; just slide it up and out.
To put your f1 battery back in, look for the end of your battery that has a detent — a locking mechanism. The detent is on the bottom end of your battery. Slide that end down into the bottom of the frame, then push the top of the battery until you hear it click into place.
With the f1, you can charge your battery on or off the bike. When sitting in your saddle, you’ll find the charging port on the battery’s right side. It’s got a rubber door for protection — keep that closed when you aren’t charging your f1 battery.
Magnum i6 E-Bike Battery Life And Maintenance
Lots of Magnum e-bike models use i6 batteries, including the Cruiser. Low Rider. Metro 750. Metro S. Metro X. Nomad. Payload. Peak T5. Peak T7. Ranger. and Scout.
On the i6, the battery button is at the top. Press it to see how much battery life there is.
Like all other models, the i6’s indicator lights are easy to read:
It bears repeating: once you’re down to the red light, turn off your motor and head for your charging station.
To remove your battery, stick the key in and turn clockwise.
The i6 has a lever (number 2 on the image below) on the battery (number 1 on the image below). Pull the lever outward — away from the e-bike. There are no up or down motions when taking out or inserting your i6 battery.
To get the battery back in the e-bike, look for the detent end (that locking mechanism). That’s the bottom of your i6 battery. You’re going to fit the detent into the bottom end of the battery holder. Then just push the rest of the battery inward toward the bike frame until it pops in.
The charging port on the i6 battery is at the bottom. And don’t forget to close that rubber charging port door when you’re fully charged.
Magnum Folding E-Bike Battery Life And Maintenance
Whether Premium 3 Low Step. Premium 3 High Step. or our discontinued original Premium or Classic models, our folding e-bikes rely on the folding style e-bike battery. The process to access and change this battery is unique, so pay attention.
The folding e-bike battery sits behind the seat tube. To get to it, you have to lift the saddle out of the way. You can do that by pushing up on the lever located on the back of the seat.
With the saddle lifted, you can see the battery top, battery handle, and battery light indicator.
Press and hold the button to see how much life your e-bike battery has.
To remove the battery, insert the key, push it in, and turn it to the left — counterclockwise — to the unlocked position. Then you can lift the battery out by its handle, sliding on the rail.
To put the battery back in, align the track on the back of the battery with the rail on the seat post. Slide the battery down and it’ll pop back into place.
Turn the key back to the “On” position so that your power switch works when you’re ready to ride.
The charging port for the battery is located towards the top of the battery next to the lock core.
Top Tips for Extending Your E-Bike Battery Life
How long does an electric bike battery last? That depends: proper care and handling are essential for prolonging your e-bike battery performance and lifespan. Here’s how to keep your battery in top shape.
- Don’t ride on red. Try to head home before you’re on that last battery indicator light. Get in the habit of charging your battery after each ride.
- Don’t overcharge. Wondering how long to charge your e-bike battery? Your Magnum battery is protected against overcharging, but never leave it charging for longer than 24 hours. Also, get in the habit of removing it from the charger as soon as the indicator light shows that it’s fully charged.
- Don’t use the battery when it’s warm. Wait a few minutes after a long ride to charge the battery. Once it’s finished charging, wait a few minutes before riding your bike. Both of these actions will help extend your electric bicycle battery life.
- Don’t use an off-brand charger. Only use the charger that came with your Magnum Bike.
- Store carefully. Between rides, don’t store your battery outside — especially in rain and snow. Avoid extreme hot or cold temps, too.
- Bonus tip: When starting the e-bike, don’t use the throttle right away. Try to build up momentum by pedaling first. Your battery will thank you!
Now you have the tools to go faster, farther, and stronger, extending your Magnum e-bike battery life. Charge up and ride!
Overview
The e-bike is specially designed to improve your city commuting. It is equipped with a long range of 15AH battery and 400W motor, which bring wonderful cycling and climbing experience. All unique designs with geometric frames, components and accessories make our e-bike cycling extremely durable, powerful and fantastic.
High performance battery
High performance battery equipped with current recovery system guarantees stable and strong output. The battery support up to 2000 recharges and can still work normally at.20℃.
240W variable frequency high-speed motor provides powerful kinetic energy, allows smooth starts and accelerates. The e-bike can run up to 25km/h.
High performing features
Made of multi-layer materials, the thickened explosion-proof tires provide strong grip, ensure stable and safe riding experience, suitable for all kinds of roads.
LED display panel clearly shows accurate bike riding information, such as remaining power, riding speed, total mileage, gear P/D, headlights on/off.
With wide-angle illumination, strong penetration in rainfog, the high-brightness LED front light can always lead you on the right path. Tail light makes you visible at night for your safety.
Beginner’s Guide to Electric Bike Batteries | KBO Bike
The lifeblood of an ebike is the powerful battery system that powers the electric motor for assisted riding and cruising. Powerful batteries will give you extra performance and assist you when faced with difficult uphill riding situations. When looking at battery descriptions for electric bicycle products, there are often many electrical technical terms you will need to navigate in order to find the right product that suits your needs. Just as in our guide for electric bicycle classification. we want to break down the information so it is easier to understand and can help you make the proper decision when you are choosing the right ebike.
Key Features of a Powerful Battery
As pedal-assist and fully battery-powered bicycles become more popular, there are some key features to keep an eye out for to determine what type of battery system is first-rate and which are not worth it. Below, you will find the main characteristics of an ebike battery that will last many charges and provide you with the power that you need to conquer your commutes. We will explore and define some of the main battery features like battery capacity and power output that influences an electric bike’s range and top speeds.
Battery Voltage, Amps, and Watt Hours
To assist you properly choose your next ebike, it is important to know what each of these terms mean to make the most informed purchasing decision. To help you out, we have defined the terms in the following section.
Electrical Bike Battery Terms Defined
Question: What does volts v on batteries mean?
Voltage, indicated as (v), refers to the passage of energy, known as horsepower, that pumps electricity into the bike’s motor. Typically, higher voltage equals more power for the motor. It is important to choose the right voltage that is suitable for the motor included in the bike.
Example: The KBO Breeze Commuter Bike has a battery pack measured at 48 volts. The combination of the 500-watt motor and 48 volt ebike battery outperforms the ebike industry standard of other bikes using 36 volt batteries.
Question: What does Amps Ah on batteries mean?
Amps, indicated as (A), is the measurement of force output from the battery. This is a standard measurement of electrical current moving out from the battery.
A battery’s Amp-hour rate, indicated as (Ah), is displaying the battery’s maximum capacity. Battery capacity defines the range of an e-bike.
Example: In order to get long-range battery riding capabilities, our KBO Breeze Step-Thru Commuter ebike uses a 16 Amp (Ah) battery.
Question: What does Watts Wh on batteries mean?
Watts, indicated as (W), is a measure of the rate of power consumption. This measurement is commonly found in the description of an ebike’s electric motor
Measuring watt-hours (Wh) is simple now that you know what volts and amps are. Simply multiply a battery’s voltage (v) by the same battery’s amp-hours (Ah) to get the total watt-hours.
Example: The KBO Breeze commuter electric bicycles have a 48v 16Ah Samsung battery. Given these numbers, then the total watt-hours (Wh) is equal to 748Wh. That provides up to 55 miles of battery range on a single charge!
Battery Performance Wrap-Up
Bikes with a 48v battery will go much faster than a bike with a 36v battery. However, higher speeds will require more energy and drain the battery life faster. Having a balanced battery with high voltage and good amp-hours will ensure that you can ride faster for longer, conquer big hills, or cruise with no worry of a low battery.
Battery Brand and Quality Control
Similar to all types of products, when we are making a purchase, we want to be sure that we are choosing a reputable brand to buy from. Reputation in quality and performance are key indicators of a quality product. This is certainly the same when looking at batteries for electric bicycles.
With the ever-expanding catalog of electric bikes to choose from, you might need to weed through various bikes with batteries from untrustworthy manufacturers.
KBO chooses only the highest quality batteries from Samsung to ensure that all of our ebike’s have quality batteries that last.
What Makes a Good Quality Battery?
When looking at batteries, brand reputation is key. Part of this comes from one aspect of battery production: quality control.
Choosing batteries from a company like Samsung ensures KBO that each battery pack will be made up to our premium manufacturing standards. These batteries are built to last through over 900 charge cycles and have overcharge protection.
By choosing quality batteries, we can ensure that your KBO ebike performance holds up over time and reduces the cost of long-term maintenance.
What Makes a Poor Quality Battery?
Just as good quality control and brand reputation leads to good batteries, poor quality control and bad reputation can lead to poor battery production. Choosing a bad battery can seriously reduce the performance of your electric bicycles and even cause serious damage.
If you come across other bikes with poor-quality battery packs, you might risk the chance of:
- Battery fires from charging/overcharging
- Rapid loss of battery life
- Rapid physical battery wear
- Poor charge cycle ratings, leading to higher maintenance costs.
Battery Pack Design
Finally, we will look at the key physical aspect of a good ebike battery, the battery pack design. In modern e-bikes, we see two major designs; frame-integrated batteries and removable battery packs. We can look at both of the battery pack designs and observe the pros and cons of each battery style for an ebike.
Frame-Integrated Battery Pack
A battery pack that is integrated into the frame is often found on higher end ebikes due to the cost of manufacturing and the advanced designs that come with this battery setup. If you want a minimal electric bike design, something that strikes visually while looking like a traditional bike. then an integrated battery pack is probably the ideal choice for you.
In order to charge this type of battery, you will have to hook the charge up directly to the bike wherever you may charge it. Oftentimes, integrated battery packs can shave off some weight of the bike as well.
Removable Battery Pack
The removable, or detachable, battery pack is a commonly found design for many different types of e-bikes. Because of its nature, removable battery packs can be fit onto any bike type or retrofitted onto traditional bikes for electric upgrades.
At KBO, we have already outfitted our bikes with mounting tools in the ideal location for the removable Samsung battery pack. A removable battery is great because you can lock/unlock it to the frame and take it off when it is time to charge. This way, you can take the battery home without having to move the entire bike with you.
As an added benefit, removable batteries sometimes include a USB outlet for you to use the e-bike battery to charge your phone or other electrical devices.
As with the best step thru electric bike. KBO has engineered a low-profile removable battery that actually appears as part of the frame. This is a combination of the outstanding benefits of both battery pack designs.
Conclusion
Now that you are more familiar with some of the standard terms used to define and measure e-bike battery performance, you should feel confident in making your next purchase. The whole point of buying electric bicycles is to harness the battery power in order to assist with riding in challenging scenarios, such as uphill riding, or to help you zip around town with minimal effort required.
Batteries are the core of the performance of an e-bike, and help distinguish a quality bike from those that are not suitable enough.
If you are looking for further battery explanation or want to learn more about the powerful, yet efficient battery setups in KBO bikes, do not hesitate to contact us with your questions. Our goal is to help you make the best choice and find an e-bike that will suit your individual needs.
Replacement Electric Bike Batteries Guide
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A good e-bike battery should last for hundreds of cycles. With average use, this means several years. Eventually, electric bike batteries need to be replaced as their life cycle comes to an end.
You can tell when a battery is nearing the end of its life when it does not provide you with much range. Some high-quality batteries that come on the top e-bikes such as a Bosch battery have a battery management system (BMS) integrated into the battery that actually tells you the current capacity and also how many charge cycles it has gone through.
But no matter what type of battery you have you’ll sooner or later be asking yourself the all-important question: how can I replace my e-bike battery?
Down below Electric Bike Report dives into this question and more in greater detail.
Are E-bike Batteries Interchangeable?
In general, the answer is no – you should only replace a battery with one that comes from the same manufacturer and is of exactly the same spec.
The reason is that the original e-bike or kit manufacturer has the responsibility to ensure that the battery pack, charger, and e-bike all work safely together, and using a ‘non-original’ replacement pack potentially introduces all sorts of uncontrolled risks.
It’s a little more complicated than this in some situations. For example, some Bosch batteries of different capacities are explicitly made to be interchangeable and there will be many instances where an original supplier and/or manufacturer of the e-bike cannot be traced or has gone out of business – in such cases we look at your options below.
As an important side note: you should always, if possible, use a charger that comes from the original manufacturer too. The one that comes with your battery should sync up well and not overload the battery. Pairing your battery with a different charger adds in risk of malfunction during charging.
Let’s first look at the basics of getting a replacement battery for your e-bike, then we will look at some of the major manufacturers of e-bike batteries and some of the main e-bike manufacturers to see which common battery types are still replaceable. Let’s consider the options for replacement in terms of desirability.
Where Should I Go to Get a Replacement E-Bike Battery?
On this last point it may help to note that there are a couple of manufacturing standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes. Although it’s not a legal requirement, it may be that one of the standards is actually marked on the battery itself.
The standards are BS EN 50604‑1 and UN38.3, the latter required for lithium-ion battery transport by air, sea or land. Just because these standards are not marked on a battery doesn’t mean it does not comply with them – but it is a reassuring sign if a battery does bear one or both of these marks.
Note that using a replacement battery that does not come from the original manufacturer (whether a dealer is involved or not) may void the warranty of your electric bike or kit. Check with the e-bike or kit company to understand what their policy is regarding the use of aftermarket replacement batteries.
Replacement Batteries from Original Manufacturers
Bosch E-Bike Batteries
Only Bosch manufactured batteries will be used on any new Bosch e-bike – this has always been the case and so it makes advice on interchangeability a little more straightforward than with the likes of Shimano and Brose who have both allowed the use of third party batteries with their mid-drive motor systems.
There have been four basic designs made by Bosch over the years (good online overview here):
- Rack mounted batteries: PowerPack in 300, 400, and 500 Wh versions which are all interchangeable with each other.
- Down tube mounted batteries: PowerPack in 300, 400, and 500 Wh versions, current versions of which are all interchangeable with each other.
- Frame integrated batteries: PowerTubes in 400, 500, and 625Wh versions, with the 400 and 500 units being interchangeable with each other. The 625Wh may be retrofittable but it needs a compatible frame with a big enough space to house it (400 and 500 units are the same physical dimensions but 625 is bigger). 500 and 625 Wh units are used on the Dual Battery system to give a capacity up to 1250Wh.
- Frame Integrated ‘Smart’ Option batteries: This is a new 750Wh option for 2022 and will be only compatible with 2022 e-bikes that feature the Bosch ‘Smart’ system and will not be compatible with other Bosch e-bikes that are ‘non-Smart’. Similarly, other types of PowerTube batteries (400, 500, and 625Wh versions) will not be compatible with e-bikes featuring Bosch’s ‘Smart’ system.
Some third-party batteries compatible with Bosch systems are available as detailed in the section below.
There are some suppliers of batteries that will fit older models, in some cases dating back to 2011 when the Bosch e-bikes first entered the market, for example, The Holland Bike Shop in Europe sells some batteries compatible with much older Bosch-powered models.
Shimano E-Bike Batteries
Shimano produces its own brand batteries for use on their systems, but you may also find new e-bikes powered by Shimano motor systems with batteries manufactured by their licensed partners Darfon and SMP. These third party batteries are not interchangeable with any Shimano batteries.
Shimano’s current range includes rack-mounted, downtube-mounted and frame-integrated batteries from 418Wh to 630Wh. You can see a brief overview with detailed links to each battery on offer here.
It’s important to note that each battery model has a limited number of specific battery mounts it will work with, so it is important to replace an old battery with one that is compatible with the mount on your e-bike. You can check out detailed compatibility info here and here.
Shimano says that ‘the oldest current battery we have is the BT-E6000 and the corresponding battery mount BM-E6000. These are compatible with all five of our current drive units (DU-EP8/E8000/E7000/E6100/E5000), but not earlier systems. For reference, DU-E8000 is the oldest in that list – it was introduced in 2016.’
Brose E-Bike Batteries
The only battery listed on Brose’s own website is a 630Wh frame-integrated option.
However, Brose systems are widely used by other manufacturers who also spec own-brand or third-party batteries. These include the likes of the widely respected battery manufacturer BMZ and well-known brands like Scott and BULLS.
For example, Specialized’s ‘full power’ range use Brose-based mid drives and a range of their own brand frame-integrated batteries. Although information on interchangeability is scarce, a Specialized FAQ page, in response to the question ‘Can I increase range by using the 604Wh aftermarket battery in any Turbo Vado/Como?’ says yes, all Vado batteries are cross-compatible as long as you are running the latest firmware (by implication so are Como and Turbo full power batteries are cross-compatible too).
The above appears only to address compatibility on current Specialized models and battery availability for older models appears a bit more complex with lots of debate online over the matter.
The fact that the latest Specialized e-bike batteries contain a Bluetooth chip to communicate with the latest Mission Control App certainly suggest both backward compatibility and availability of third party batteries will be very limited. Current e-bike batteries available from Specialized can be found here.
Yamaha E-Bike Batteries
Yamaha has integrated, rack-mounted and frame-mounted options ranging between 400Wh and 600Wh but information on backward compatibility is rather hard to find. Their systems appear on Haibike models and in the US on their own brand models too.
Giant use Yamaha motor systems but apparently have their own brand of battery – the EnergyPak range. The standard EnergyPak comes in rack-mounted and frame-integrated options whilst the Smart Compact variant allows for faster charging.
Finally, there is the Giant EnergyPak Plus, for use with the Smart Compact – a range extender style battery that fits onto the frame and effectively increases the capacity of the main Plus battery.
Giant’s Service web page states that there are EnergyPaks with 300, 360, 400, 500 and 625Wh capacities and also states ‘Giant EnergyPaks are interchangeable’.
Fazua E-Bike Batteries
This lightweight German-made system uses a frame-integrated 250Wh design and there have been two types of battery, Battery 250 and Battery 250X, the latter having the ability to be switched on and off remotely.
The latest Fazua Evation 250X battery is compatible with all Fazua electric bikes from 2019-22.
GRIN and Cytronex E-bike Kit Batteries
Canada’s GRIN is a true expert in producing a wide variety of e-bike kits. Whilst they do several designs of batteries, one of their best options from a replaceability point of view is their own brand LiGo batteries.
LiGo batteries are very unusual in being modular so that you can easily connect together as many as you like to increase or decrease battery capacity at will. They are particularly suitable for lightweight and folding bikes (I use them on a GRIN Brompton kit) and also for those who want to air travel with e-bikes as the individual battery units are only 98Wh and so are generally allowed on passenger aircraft (disconnect them from each other for travel and reconnect them on landing to make a useful e-bike battery).
The design has been around for several years and is backward compatible.
The UK’s Cytronex produces both European and US spec lightweight kits which use a unique own-design of ‘bottle battery’.
Cytronex says all their lithium bottles are compatible forwards and backward from the first version in 2017. They have different firmware for the new Bluetooth variant but both this and the non-Bluetooth version allow you to use the new 2-way – 5 level Boost Button or the previous one-way 3 level button.
In fact, if you have old and new kits on two bikes you can switch the bottle between both and it will recognize the two different button types automatically.
E-bike Manufacturers Own Brand Batteries
There are hundreds of e-bike manufacturers in the more budget space so it’s way beyond the scope of this guide to cover the options for each one; rather we’ll take a look at a couple of the market leaders.
Rad Power Bikes E-Bike Batteries
Rad Power Bikes first started producing e-bikes for the North American market in 2015 and now claims to be the US market leader. Their website lists several replacement batteries and their current lineup of bikes uses one of two battery designs.
There is the External Battery Pack (with the option for the smaller pack specific to the RadMission) which is compatible with all 2018 and newer model ebikes except the RadRover 6 Plus and RadCity 5 Plus, which use the Semi-Integrated Battery Pack.
Rad Power Bikes does offer legacy options for bikes older than that 2018 ‘cutoff’ and although some of these legacy batteries are currently out of stock Rad says they have plans to restock them.
The battery packs are consistent across their main sales areas of Canada, US and Europe.
The Rad Power website has a great filter system so you can track down the compatibility of what batteries are in stock against all current and previous models, right back to the original 2015 RadRover. All e-bike manufacturers’ websites should provide this service!
Pedego E-Bike Batteries
A longstanding US manufacturer with a clear set of battery specs for current models here. However, there doesn’t appear to be any info about legacy batteries or backward compatibility.
Interestingly, and it seems uniquely amongst the mainstream manufacturers, Pedego have recently introduced a serviceable battery (pictured above) – designed to be easily maintained at the local Pedego store. It features a rear light, brake light and indicators to boot.
Batteries for Out-Dated Motor Systems
There are a number of older motor and battery systems that are either not used or little used these days but there are still some suppliers out there who may be able to help out and if you are in this position a bit of internet research might just turn something up. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
BionX E-Bike Batteries
BionX operated between 1998 and 2018 and were once one of the leading e-bike system manufacturers in North America, with the likes of Trek and Kalkhoff using their systems.
There are still limited stocks of spare parts available here and there, including batteries, for example on this Ohm webpage.
Heinzmann E-Bike Batteries
German company Heinzmann had a great reputation for quality and produced the now obsolete Classic system and the newer Direct Power system. At various times both were available as kits or fitted to off-the-peg e-bikes.
In the UK Electric Vehicle Solutions are the main stockist of complete Direct Power kits and of spare parts for the Classic system.
What About Non-removable Frame Integrated Batteries?
A relatively small number of e-bike batteries are incorporated into the frame and not designed to be removed by the rider – they must be charged on the bike. Whilst perhaps inconvenient for some, the system has the benefit of a sleeker and simpler design and keeps the battery cells well-protected.
The Ebikemotion X35 system is one example of the most common lightweight systems out there to feature a frame-enclosed battery.
When it comes to replacing these batteries, to be clear, our official advice is that this is a job for the dealer, or expert shops to do only.
DIY in this area can get tricky in a hurry. Looking into service options to replace batteries in an integrated system is something to consider before purchasing the bike.
Third-Party Replacement E-Bike Batteries
For some older batteries – or even some current ones – there may be manufacturers other than the so-called OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) who made the original batteries. These third-party companies are not recognized by the original e-bike manufacturers so if possible it is always best to go back to your dealer or the manufacturer directly to source an original battery.
However, third-party batteries may be a solution where no original batteries appear to be available.
There are a growing number of companies that provide third-party batteries and here we take a look at a couple of the bigger operations.
Please note that on e-bikes that are still in their warranty period, replacing the battery with one from a third-party manufacturer will most likely void the warranty.
FTH Power has a good amount of experience in the electronics business and has diagnostics and assembly capabilities. They look to have good stocks of popular far eastern battery brands such as Reention (used by the likes of Juiced and Surface 604) and Hailong. They also have this handy battery/model finder to see if they have batteries for your particular model of e-bike.
Third-party battery provision (and recelling services) appear to be bigger business in mainland northern Europe than in the U.S. It makes sense, this is where e-bikes have been around much longer and where the average value of e-bikes is higher. The need to keep older bikes going longer is greater. For example, Heskon is a major supplier of replacement batteries to dealers and Fiets Accu Revisie is the part of Heskon that sells direct to customers.
The UK’s Electric Transport Shop network offers battery diagnosis (refundable against a replacement battery or recell if required). The ETS says they also have stocks of Battery Management System chips that can be used on certain packs, usually on older e-bikes.
The ETS also says ‘There are so many shapes of e-bike batteries now that we cannot guarantee that we have cell packs to fit them all and it is usually cheaper to buy a factory-built replacement than to hand-build a replacement pack in the UK so we usually recommend buying a battery from the original supplier if the diagnosis proves that’s what is needed. If their supplier is no longer available to supply a replacement pack in this instance we will help people find a suitable replacement or as a last resort we will offer to wire in an alternative pack which may be in a different position on the bike.’
What Should I Do With My Old E-bike Battery?
If at all possible the ideal solution is to take it back to the dealer you bought it from who will send it on for recycling.
In the US the industry is in the midst of setting up its own recycling scheme. It was organized by People for Bikes and will be directly coordinated under the auspices of Call2Recycle. There will be a network of battery drop-off locations from the nation’s roughly 3,000 independent bike shops. Manufacturers and retailers can sign up here.
The batteries will be sent on to ‘processing partners’, four of which are domestic and two of which are foreign—one in South Korea and one in Belgium.
The consortium brands are funding the recycling service, which will be free to riders; of course, consumers will still have to pay for replacement batteries. There are also plans for a consumer-direct mail-in recycling option in the summer – EBR will keep you posted on its development.
There are already such ready-made recycling networks in mainland Europe and the UK is just beginning to establish such a network.
This guide to replacement electric bike batteries hopefully covered the basics of what is out there for you. It’s certainly just the tip of the iceberg though. If there is anything else that wasn’t covered here, let us know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below and we’ll update this guide with the info our readers are looking for!
Battery-swapping allows for a fully charged battery to be installed in minutes or one to remotely charge the battery of their EVs.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 electric scooters with removable/detachable battery.
Electric scooters have witnessed the widest acceptance in the new electrified world. They are comparatively cost-effective with a low running cost and quick charge cycles. Battery-swapping allows for a fully charged battery to be installed in minutes or one to remotely charge the battery of their EVs. Let’s take a look at the top 5 electric scooters with removable/detachable batteries.
Hero VidaPrice – Rs. 1.45 lakh
Hero MotoCorp forayed into the electric mobility space with the launch of a new e-scooter – Vida. The brand’s first-ever electric scooter, Vida V1, is offered in India at Rs 1.45 lakh, ex-showroom and claims to offer a riding range of up to 165 km per charge. The Hero Vida claims to have a top speed of 80 kmph.
Bounce InfinityPrice – Rs. 64,299
Bounce Infinity uses a 2 kWh 48V 39 Ah swappable battery pack that is paired to a hub motor. This electric scooter claims a top speed of 65 kmph while producing just 2.9bhp of peak power and peak torque of 83Nm. The Infinity uses an IP67-rated lithium-ion battery that claims to take four-five hours to charge and offer a range of 85 km. It gets two ride modes Eco and Sport.
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Hero Optima CXPrice – Rs. 62,190 – Rs. 77,490
The Optima CX draws power from a 550W BLDC motor that produces 1.2bhp of peak power while being mated to a 52.2V, 30Ah lithium phosphate battery. The scooter takes 4-5 hours to charge and claims a range of 140 kms. The Hero Optima CX has a top speed of just 45 km/hr.
Simple Energy OnePrice – Rs. 1.10 lakh
Bangalore-based Simple Energy’s first electric scooter, One is powered by a 4.8kWh battery pack that offers a range of 236km on a full charge. The scooter claims to accelerate from 0 to 40kmph in 2.7 seconds.
Okinawa i-Praise PlusPrice – Rs. 1.45 lakh
Okinawa i-Praise Plus electric scooter uses a 3.3 kWh lithium-ion removable battery pack is giving it a range of up to 139 kilometres. The battery in this electric scooter claims to charge in 4-5 hours with a micro-charger and an auto-cut feature. The scooter is offered with a 3-year battery guarantee and a 3-year or 30,000 km (whichever comes first) electric motor warranty.
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