Electric Bikes - Which battery?

I'm about to buy an amped bike kit and after doing a lot of research on which ping battery I should get I am still unsure! So back to square one.

48v 15ah = $485, nice battery but way too expensive

36v 20ah = $470, still kind of on the high side.

36v 15ah = $385 - I am thinking about going with this one. Most of the distances I plan on commuting to aren't over 15 miles away. So I can recharge once I get to work. I'm just looking at this from a most bang for the buck point of view. I mean, should I just pony up the extra $100 upfront for the 48v15ah battery? I know that an extra $100 isn't much and I can afford it but just thinking about spending almost $500 on a battery is a huge turn off for me.

How about a Headway 48V 10AH LIFEPO4 pack with BMS--price is $349 plus shipping. http://www.evcomponents.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=H4810 (http://www.evcomponents.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=H4810)

I understand that a 48V 15AH headway pack will soon be available too. You might email the vendor in that link above and see when they might have them.

I would honestly recommend the most battery that you could possibly buy.

I strongly recommend getting the Ping 48 and 15. You will wish you had more

electricity to keep you moving. Even at 48 and 15, you will wish you had more.

But, still that is fine for your purpose. You get a good amount of speed, and good distance.

It should be more than enough to power you to work and back.

One other alternative is to get the 48 and 10 Ping battery, similar to the previous post.

I recommend that you get that instead.

I strongly recommend 48 and 15. Keep saving for another month or two if you need, don't eat take-out, get a second part-time job for a bit, but I strongly suggest that you get as much battery as you can possibly afford.

I think you'll be happy either way, but always end up wanting more. That's just the nature of it. Don't forget that you can still pedal, too! It's honestly not that horrendous. Without battery, the weight of the kit slows me down maybe 2mph over an 8 mile level ground trip, from 15 to 13mph, gentle cruising. Hybrid bike with 700x40's. If the battery ever died, I know I could make it home, and could even push hard and *gasp* get sweaty if I really needed to.
Don't forget about the $75 shipping! the $385 battery actually comes to $460.

Curious, doesn't the LiFePo4 batteries AH lasts longer than say a SLA AH rating? For example a new 36V 12AH SLA battery pack will take you ~20miles but a LiFePo4 36V 12AH may take you ~30miles? thanks.

Curious, doesn't the LiFePo4 batteries AH lasts longer than say a SLA AH rating? For example a new 36V 12AH SLA battery pack will take you ~20miles but a LiFePo4 36V 12AH may take you ~30miles? thanks.

Yes, generally speaking, you take the advertised SLA Ah rating, and divide it by two. For LiFePO4 batteries, you would take the advertised rating, and take off 1.5Ah to get a real-life rating.

e.g.
a 36V 12Ah SLA pack may take you about 9 miles (full autonomy)
a 36V 12Ah LiFePO4 pack may take you about 18 miles (full autonomy)

Hi, like the others recommended, get the biggest battery you can afford. If you need to go 15 miles, don't get a battery that only take you exactly 15 miles. You will only ride around thinking about a getting a bigger pack and that's no fun.

48V 15Ah LiFePO4 is awesome capacity and weight-wise. We have plenty of LiFePO4 48V 15Ah with built-in BMS and included 3A charger. Products are in stock and already in the USA. On top of that, free domestic shipping -within 24h. At the end of the day, the value is quite competitive. We are working hard to provide great products and service.

contact: info@juicedriders.com for direct pricing.
Please visit: http://www.juicedriders.com/
http://www.juicedriders.com/picture/uploaded-file-30854?pictureId=3084489&asGalleryImage=true&__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1251754850036

Holy smokes, $800???

Even though you might spend $500 on a lifepo4 battery, you are not throwing the money away. If for some reason you change your mind later down the road, plenty of people will want to buy your used battery and you can make up a good portion of your initial investment. Not so much with SLAs. Those first 3 recommendations you are considering are all great choices. You'll probably have enough AH to ride to work and back and only charge at work to save on the electric bill.

Great point. Used battery packs will be a huge emerging market. Especially as the cycle life is improving to a point where it can outlast the vehicle and as battery standardization is occur.

We are at the start of a paradigm shift. At the moment, the payment model is shifted. It requires a different sort of thinking. With a gas-driven system, you pay little up front and incrementally as you go, an electric system makes you pay a lot up front and fractionally later. We have been spoiled by cheaply available oil.

Holy smokes, $800???

Go with Ping, much cheaper, and guaranteed reliability.

Don't believe me? Ask around at E-S, there are tons of people who have bought Pings. Stay away from other online retailers, and those ebay knock-offs.

$800 is getting ripped off while...getting ripped off.

Ping is reliable and a good guy. He replies to emails fast too. He can even modify the pack to how you want it.
Also, he has the V2.5 packs out, you get a better quality prismatic cell in these. Who knows what version other sellers put in their packs. :twitchy:

We tested our batteries and found them to be very robust. That's just text and text has never proven anything. We understand your worries. It is not interesting for us to sell bad products and anger customers.

Right now we have $100 off which is bringing the cost down to $699 and further reduction through direct pricing: contact info@juicedriders.com . Shipping is included and ships from USA. Money back if not satisfied. Period.

It may come as shock, but there are import and sales taxes associated with this sort of product -cost which is absorbed in the final price. When you consider the size of that pack and shipping, the price is quite competitive.

I did pay over $100 to ship my ping.
And then another $20 in shipping when some of the cells went bad.
And then another $20 in shipping when I ruined some of the new cells when replacing them.
And my soldering gun died while doing a repair. $$


I guess my point is that there can be hidden costs in doing this so the cheapest isn't always the best, but Ping always responds.

Juiced Riders: I haven't seen you around on Endless sphere. Do you post there? There aren't nearly enough US based lifepo4 vendors, at least ones that have a good attitude anyways.

yes to endless-shpere, but under a different name: lianjuin. Juiced Riders is born from the lack of good batteries and E-bike parts In the States. We are looking beyond the "ohh, this bike goes by itself" and thinking towards the: "now how can this E-bike really fit into my lifestyle?" concept.

The E-bike is an amazing way to get around, but it still has a way to go. The first thing to address is the range. Running out of juice is totally unacceptable. The pack should not be tired until you are tired of riding. Super high speeds are not important and wires should not be hanging every which way.

I have a question for those who have bought Ping batteries. Did you pay customs duties, and if so, how much? I've been looking at US sources but probably won't bite the bullet until spring. My SLAs are fine. I wish Yardworks lithium battery packs were available in the US, but they're not. Canadian ezip/izip users have successfully used those tool pack batteries and the included BMS without modification in their Currie battery cases, however, I'm not sure that the dimensions are right for Currie's rack mounted battery packs. The Canadian ezips and izips that many bought from Canadian Tire had the narrow, long battery case mounted behind the seat. (Any Canadian Yardworks battery user want to measure and post the dimensions--I've had trouble finding the dimensions on Canadian Tire's web page.)

I plan on staying at 24V (I don't want speed, I just want pedal assist) and would love to have a second battery pack to ride even further next spring and summer. I've decided I'll ride this winter, but my riding pattern will be different--I'll be riding into and around town. In good weather, I generally ride forest roads, which are mountainous, since I'm smack dab in the middle of a huge national forest west of Glacier National Park. However, in the winter months, it's not safe to ride those roads--most aren't plowed. Plus, they're isolated and if you have an issue and can't ride or walk out, you're more than likely going to die from exposure before anyone finds you. (At least 1 motorist a year has some kind of issue on an isolated forest road here and dies of exposure--generally when they walk away from their vehicle and get lost--two years ago, 3 died in one winter.)

nwmtnbkr

I bought my ping v2.5 24V, 15 AHr battery in April of this year. The cost of the battery was, as it is on his web page today, $269. There was a $60 shipping fee which included all customs work. So total cost was $329.

Ping modified my battery so that it fit the currie rack case in 2 dimensions, height and width, but it was too thick so I had to make a bump out in the case. I know at least two others have done this.

I've had nothing but happiness from my battery. I did a complete check on the hook up and use of the battery before it arrived. I know some have had bad results because they hooked the battery up incorrectly either for use or for charging.

I get about 30 miles out of a charge on hilly ground with lots of muscle input. The battery has been charged at least once a day since April ~160 days. Its performance today seems the same as it was in April.

Howdy good neighbours. I bought a version 2.5 15ah 48volt LifePo4 battery from Ping a month ago, for 650 bucks canadian in total , and that includes a diode, and a 2a 60 volt charger , includes shipping, no customs (he ships it as a gift). So far no troubles with it, and yes Ping always responds asap by email.

the diode is because i'm connecting it in series with a 24 volt LifePo4 battery for my 72 volt system :D (50+kmh on flat, going up 30 degree hills at 32kmh, riding through high winds what's that? oooh baby !!! :p). Right now I'm riding on a pedal first 30am controller, once I get my immediate start 35a controller intsalled I'm gonna be a total chick magnet!:rolleyes:

This is my second 48 volt LifePo4 battery. I have two of them right now, because I don't like to be left without a battery in case something were to happen. So I swap them weekly. The original one is a 48 volt 10 ah and it cost me a year ago... ready for this? 900 bucks canadian. OUCH!

I'm glad to see Battery suppliers from North America. We need more local suppliers. I got nothing against global economy, but why buy afar when you can buy from next door ,eh?

I gotz a question to Mr Juiced Riders: your battery packs are they all built home grown? Because if so, then that's super awesome. :thumb:

Keep up the good work and peace to all :hug:

alfonsopilato,

Hi, What is your motor? That is an fast setup and fair price for 48V/15Ah. We can't say anything about Ping Battery as we have not tested it, but only that our charger is 3A, which is not a huge difference. Also an extra year (up to 2 years) warranty on Pack, BMS and Charger. Like anything else, it just gives people different options when it comes to packs.

FBOW, our pack is imported but designed to drop right into the space of the 48V/10Ah or 36V/12Ah SLA packs with a clean design and minimal wires. It's frustrating to not have many "big" packs in North America and it's not easy for most build one.

BTW, we just returned from more range testing at "Max Legal Speed and Power" This means 20mph(32kph)/750W/15A caps with the Cycle Analyst. The bike can achieve about 27mph(43kph) normally. On the real world up/downhill course it went about 32mi(51km) range with the throttle full open, zero pedaling and no effort to conserve energy. The pack put out 14.7Ah at 22.8 wh/mile (14.3wh/km) when the BMS cut in at 43V. This is not intended to be absolute max range test. Detailed results, GPS tracks, pix and video coming very soon.

Don,

Thanks for the info. Next spring, I may opt to get a second rack mount battery case with fresh SLAs and then might swap out the SLAs in my current case with Ping batteries. The bump out you did to the case, did you actually have to cut the case? Were Ping's two units too long for the Currie case? If it's not too much trouble, when you have a chance, could you post a picture of your modified case? I'd like to be keep the center of gravity low by using Currie cases on the rack, but with LIFEPO4.

I have no problems getting 25 miles with my SLAs (I pedal all the time), but I know their efficiency will decline by next summer. I really am having fun exploring the forest roads here and would like to be able to go up some of the forest roads on the higher mountains next spring and summer, which will mean having two battery packs--one fresh SLA and one LIFEPO4 would be a nice combo.

Hi Juiced Riders,

Good question, yes I should have mentioned that. The motor is none else but the crystalite 408. Versatile, robust workhorse of ebikes.

I like your extended warranty (i like it.. i like it a lot).

I also gotz a cycle analyst hooked up. I think it's a great device. Whether the law here will recognize it as a device that keeps the bike street legal, is another thing. So i keep under the radar by abiding to the speed limits and I keep to my right and follow road signs at all times. I got two one watt head lights that I put on strobe when I ride. I have two similar ones in red for the tail. I look like a cop car from far (without the sirens) :roflmao2: I'm telling ya if you can't see me, ya need to be examined.

Yes, the 51 km range is expected with a 15ah battery set at the parameters you've outlined. With a 72 volt system, I can achieve that easily as well, I just love the power to spare. Two weeks ago I went to my sister's , 27 km away, going up and down some sick hills (if you know Finch stree in Toronto, in the vicinty of Yonge), we're talking insane hills and that day very strong head winds. Full blast all the way and I had 5 ah to spare when I got to destination, I had capped to 40amps and the rest was left to maximum. Note to self, not doing that trip again, Finch is like a mini highway and at those speeds, potholes and cracks in the road make for a very hairy ride.

I like your clean approach to your battery packs. It's really super cool to realise that range and power is not becoming an issue anymore.

One day does not go by that i don't yap about my bike. One thing I find that don't work so well, is using tha topic for picking up chicks :p. Hi, I drive an ebike, it's super cool. Hullo? Where are you going? .. hulloo? (she's gone, without looking back) :innocent:

Oh, I see, I was in Toronto earlier this year. Super nice town. E-bikes are great for conversation starters with the ladies. You just have to act like it's nothing: "Oh, this old thing, just a little project for me to get outdoors more..."

Anyway, the test results are up. Video soon!
http://www.juicedriders.com/testing/

Trailguru is sometimes over loaded. We may use another system in the future.

Don,

Thanks for the info. Next spring, I may opt to get a second rack mount battery case with fresh SLAs and then might swap out the SLAs in my current case with Ping batteries. The bump out you did to the case, did you actually have to cut the case? Were Ping's two units too long for the Currie case? If it's not too much trouble, when you have a chance, could you post a picture of your modified case? I'd like to be keep the center of gravity low by using Currie cases on the rack, but with LIFEPO4.

I have no problems getting 25 miles with my SLAs (I pedal all the time), but I know their efficiency will decline by next summer. I really am having fun exploring the forest roads here and would like to be able to go up some of the forest roads on the higher mountains next spring and summer, which will mean having two battery packs--one fresh SLA and one LIFEPO4 would be a nice combo.

nwmtnbkr,

We're working on a LiFePo4 replacement for the Currie bikes right now. Don't have all the details worked out yet, but we're testing a 24V/12AH pack that fits right inside the RMB case with no major modifications. There's a plastic seperator inside that case that needs to be removed, but otherwise everything fits inside so it appears like the original pack.

I'll let you know when I have some more details...

Oh, I see, I was in Toronto earlier this year. Super nice town.
You obviously didn't visit during the shootings, stabbings and buses being put on fire.


Oh, this old thing, just a little project for me to get outdoors more..."
good one, i'll add that to my repertoire. I need all the help that I can get, not that I'm not good looking! I'm in fact ridiculously good looking, it's just that some often stop at "ridiculous"


Anyway, the test results are up. Video soon!
http://www.juicedriders.com/testing/
wicked data and pictures
I love that last picture of the road just sinking into the horizon.

i like it .. i like it a lot

I'll keep you in mind on my next project. Now that I am zipping around town, I get lots of interest. Especially when they finally catch up with me at the light and they are panting and saying between breaths: do you need a licence to run this thing?! That's when I start to whistle. :innocent:

Ping's 15 AmpHr is one rectangular brick. It looks a lot like Juice rider's photos. Normally the demensions are 5.9 x 4.1 x 5.9 inches. Ping made mine 5.8 x 8.5 x 3 inches. The three is too thick to fit in the case. Ping can adjust configuration since the battery is made up of individual foil packets.

Yes, I had to cut out the interior dividers and cut thru the outside wall. This photo is not mine but from bluethermal on http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3249&p=149702#p149702 . This picture is of a 36 V, 20 AmpHr battery, so it has a lot more battery outside the case, but the idea is the same.

117807

Since a 10Ahr battery is only 68% of the volume of my 15 AmpHr, it might fit all inside the case. I'm going to look at that for my second pack. 10AmpHr of LiFePO4 would be better than 10 of SLA, if only because the starting voltage is higher ~ 30 V. I, too, like the cases for the low CofG and the convenience of hook up/ removal and charging and impact protection.

Thanks for the info and the link to the photo. I'd like to avoid cutting the case, too. Did you give Ping the interior measurements of the Currie case or did he already have that info? Did you solder your LIFEPO4 packs to the connections inside the Currie case or use connectors? Sorry to keep asking questions. Now that I know Ping will configure the batteries based on size needed, it's got me thinking more seriously about ordering one from him. I still will probably wait to order until much of this upcoming winter is behind us since I won't ride the steep hills once the winter weather is here.

I think Ping knew the dimensions, but I measured my case, to be sure. Currie sometimes changes things without notice. You wouldn't want to buy a battery that "almost" fit. I use Anderson Powerpoles everywhere. In places where I won't visit regularly I use the accessory clips they sell, just to be sure they stay connected.

Using the powerpoles I can charge my LiFePO outside the case and add my Watt's Up meter if I want, for charge or discharge.

>>You obviously didn't visit during the shootings, stabbings and buses being put on fire.

No... no, I am afraid i missed out on those. At least you can get away quickly on the bike...

Here is another quick run with video and GPS stuff (http://www.juicedriders.com/blog/2009/9/16/2009-09-14-scout-run-by-the-lake.html)
http://www.juicedriders.com/blog/2009/9/16/2009-09-14-scout-run-by-the-lake.html

It is more of a qualitative run.

Juiced Riders,

Nice video. Gives people not familiar with electric bicycles an idea of what it's like to ride one. From a personal perspective, I'd like to see some videos on You Tube showing use of e-bikes in a mountainous environment similar to where I live currently, say climbing a steep road but then I'm more interested in torque than speed. I'm enjoying the power assist provided by my system. Come next spring, I know I'll want to beef up my batteries since I'm finding that I want to ride more than 25 miles but my range with my present battery is 25 (with pedaling, which I enjoy). I've got one particular mountain range that I want to keep exploring, but I'm going to need to double my battery capacity since the roads are very steep and you just keep climbing. The other thing that I suspect I'll need to do next spring is get a new fork and disc brake on the front, I'm a little uncomfortable at the speeds coming down the mountains, especially since I'm mainly riding unimproved, gravel forest roads. At present, I pump my brakes rather than just keep them depressed constantly, but it's hard to keep speeds down below 25 MPH on some descents (some might find that thrilling but I don't, especially since I'm having to dodge pot holes on many of the forest roads).

I enjoy pedaling very much, but the current gearing is no good over 18mph. Thats sad.

Hills... interesting. This type of test is in the works. we will try to do some limit testing. Powerful up/down hills WILL expose the weakness of the motor, controller, battery and brakes among other things. How much climb do you have and over what distance?

Juiced Riders,

It varies, depending on which mountain I'm on. I currently live in a 2.2 million acre national forest west of Glacier National Park. Several different mountain ranges ring the valley I'm in. I'm mainly riding unimproved, gravel forest roads. Some have fairly steep grades (I know some of it is due to topology, but the forest service contracts out the building of the roads and quality varies--I hate it when the contractors use bolder-sized creek rock rather than gravel).

Here are some photos from my ride today to give you and idea. This was an un-numbered, undesignated forest road (I never ride here without my GPS unit, it's easy to get disoriented and lost, given the density of the forest canopy). This road first dipped down into a little valley.

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442/7447283/14154973/374226849.jpg
However, it didn't take long before it started it's path up the mountain.

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442/7447283/14154973/374226846.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442/7447283/14154973/374226841.jpg

It wasn't as steep a grade as some of the mountain roads here but once it started climbing it just kept going ever up.

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442/7447283/14154973/372223405.jpg

And of course, I have to include a photo of my trusty bike.

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL442/7447283/14154973/374226839.jpg

wow, that is some real wilderness. A reliable ebike is a must. You can never have enough battery range out there. We will try to include more hills in the future testing.

Thanks for considering more hill testing. Are you going to give any thought to 24V batteries? (I can understand if you aren't since most e-bike hobbyists are going straight to 36V.)

It really is a wilderness here--the forest takes up 90 percent of the county. I'm always listening for wildlife when I'm out in it, specifically, the sound of bears since I live between 2 black bear and grizzly bear habitats. I really never want a personal encounter with either kind. They also keep relocating problem grizzlies to our region. A real comfort since you can't protect yourself from them in the lower 48--they're an endangered species. The federal government has actually prosecuted locals who've shot a grizzly attacking their livestock. If one is threatening to break into your stick-built-house, and believe me they can and do if they're really hungry and smell something that entices them, you're not supposed to shoot at them but instead call the game warden (who is about 2 hours away) and wait and hope the bear doesn't get inside.

alfonsopilato,

Hi, What is your motor? That is an fast setup and fair price for 48V/15Ah. We can't say anything about Ping Battery as we have not tested it, but only that our charger is 3A, which is not a huge difference. Also an extra year (up to 2 years) warranty on Pack, BMS and Charger. Like anything else, it just gives people different options when it comes to packs. I emailed you folks from your website to get the price for a 48V pack with charger shipped to 01960 with no response. Should I email through ebay instead?

I just got my first LiFePO4 battery from ping, 48V 15AH for my BL-36 (63 volt big caps). I learned alot in the past week from reading a lot of post(ers) here, thank you for all the great advice. In three days I'll get my Cycle Analyst, then it's show time.
I like to note a couple impressions about getting my ping battery pack. First, the battery arrived in a week after ordering directly from his website. I was surprised because I assumed it takes a week to just build one. So, I'm happy it arrived so fast. Second impression is how light and durable the battery is; no more duct tape wrap (exactly like pings' website photos), and it had 4 wires (big red wire, little red wire, big black wire, little blue wire). Older posts had pictures of a LiFePO4 with just 3 wires. No instructions in box, ping's website has a pdf with instructions though. Took some research to realize that the metal prong plug at the end of the charger was in actually in two pieces (I had to pull the plug to separate the 2 pieces). patiently waiting...

Beautiful pictures above, nwmntbkr. I'll be watchful too if I was you. I would probably have a couple "grizzly bear mace" on my ebike and at home. It looks very peaceful in your pictures (compare to living in Los Angeles).

Thanks all.

Holy smokes, $800???

If you look on Ebay and do a search for 48V 20Ah, a number of LiFePO4 batteries will come up with those ratings. They fall into two groups:

1.) Batteries with a Buy It Now price, where price and shipping come to $600 or more.

2.) Batteries in auctions that start low and you can bid them up. On most of these, price and shipping combined come to around $350-$400 when the auction ends. That's for a 48V 20Ah LiFePO4 battery. Some of them come with a BMS and charger.

Several vendors are doing these auctions, including cammy_cc, EP-battery, Vpower.hk. They're all in China. Purchase prices are usually around $200-$250, and shipping is around $150.

If you want a good price, try putting in a bid.

If you look on Ebay and do a search for 48V 20Ah, a number of LiFePO4 batteries will come up with those ratings. They fall into two groups:

1.) Batteries with a Buy It Now price, where price and shipping come to $600 or more.

2.) Batteries in auctions that start low and you can bid them up. On most of these, price and shipping combined come to around $350-$400 when the auction ends. That's for a 48V 20Ah LiFePO4 battery. Some of them come with a BMS and charger.

Several vendors are doing these auctions, including cammy_cc, EP-battery, Vpower.hk. They're all in China. Purchase prices are usually around $200-$250, and shipping is around $150.

If you want a good price, try putting in a bid.

Be careful of buying directly on ebay from some foreign vendors. There are real horror stories about some fo the duct tape packs that people have bought from foreign vendors on ebay. Worst of all, some who receive packs with many non-functioning individual cells can't get customer support or find that the cost of shipping the first pack back to China and paying for shipping on a new one (that also may not work) is prohibitive. If you're buying from a foreign vendor on ebay, buy from someone like Ping. He stands behind his products (if you have an issue though I believe you have to the shipping costs to send his packs back to China for warranty support). Personally, I want to buy from a US vendor with whom I can deal on warranty issues and where I won't pay a fortune to mail it back for warranty support.

:: chanting and raising right arm in the air :: ping ! ping ! ping !:D

I vouch for V-Power. Its the only battery I build with. Its just as good as any ping battery imo.

Its just as good as any ping battery

now, normally i wouldn't compare right off what i read on the sites, but i happen to have built and currently operating a 72 volt bike based on ping's 48 volt battery, so I can vouch for it's ruggedness, trust me I put that bike through hell.

Ping (http://www.pingbattery.com/servlet/the-12/48V-15AH-V2.5-LiFePO4/Detail):
48V 15AH V2.5 LiFePO4 Battery Pack
Weight: 7.5 kg / 16.5 lbs
Small Size: 300x105x150 mm / 11.8x4.1x5.9 inches
Price: $485.00 (USD) + 97.00 (USD) shipping to Canada = 582 (USD)

v-power (http://vpower.hk/B_LiFePO4/48V_15AH.html):
Voltage: 48V (53V)
Capacity: 15 Amp Hours
Dimension: 270x140x140(mm)*
10.7x5.50x5.50(in)*
Weight: 9.7
$ 718 USD with shipping

I know you are gonna come back with "v-powre builds their batteries with this size cell etc..." and I can understand how that may affect the higher v-powre price and heavier weight. .. however, from my experience my bike is performing pretty well under the current conditions, I trek 30 km daily on one single charge with power to spare, so cell size aside, i'm getting what i need for $140 bucks less. heck for 718 USD i can almost put together a 72 volt 15ah battery pack.

my 2 cents .. please don't be mad at me i'm just devil advocating :D (my ego is VERY sensitive, so please only gently replies :roflmao2:)

I ebay my V-power packs for far less. $585 from cammy_cc ebayer shipping included. I could never figure out why the V-power site was priced so high. The free 5amp charger is top grade. Great BMS and any config you can dream up.

Im not saying V-power is better or worse. Im saying they are reliable and worth the money. Same as Ping. I love Ping packs very much so but I detest getting stuck waiting 9-10 days with Ping for testing. I have never waited more then 3 days from V-power. When someone askes me to put a kit together for them I like to know its defonetly going to show up in 7-9 days. It works out well because its normaly a day or 2 behind the DIY kit. Gives me time to test with my own pack and work out all of the kinks before I plug in a new set of variables.

Either way both brands are fantastic.

http://stores.ebay.com/cammy-cc

The price I listed is for the 48v/20ah.

When someone askes me to put a kit together for them

This reminds me of the days when I used to put computers together for folks. Isn't it funny how things come back different, yet "the same"? i don't know what that saying is exactly .. but you get my drift... :D

Jersey, it's very cool that you're able to give an accurate estimate to a client with regards to when their kit will be ready. I remember in the o'ld days... i had to wait litereally months for my kit to arrive let alone the battery. It was excruciating !!! from what you're telling me here, that's all behind us now :D and i'm glad to hear it :thumb:

Don't fall into the familiar trap of "I only ride 15 miles so I can get away with 15AH battery." Sure, it works for a short period of time - but if you repeatedly drain maximum AH from a battery you will shorten the life span considerably.

How do you think Toyota Prius batteries last as long as they do? Because Toyota only allows the system to drain at most 25-30% of the battery capacity before recharging. We should all learn from this example and size our equipment with the largest AH battery you can fit into your design.

Anything less is simply penny wise and pound foolish...

hey Broadway, haven't heard from you in a while :D

i didn't know this, but indeed found out when i upgraded from 48 to 72 volts, and i'm not trying to persuade anyone out there to do the same, as higher voltage comes with its own can of worms (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=551035), which, if you're willing to deal with, is very worth while, imo

what i'm trying to sa is, i use up less ah to do the same trek and i get there faster, on my 72 volts setup, in comparison with my 48 volt one (at the same ah battery capacity)

more voltage at the same ah means you're potentially going to use less of the battery's full capacity to do the same work, unless you're planning on doing 50 kmh all the way

the bike feels smoother and of course more powerful and reliable

if i could i would make it 30ah at 72 volts (that's 2x25lb for 2x36volts) vs 2x12lb @ 15 ah
50 lbs vs 25 lbs... hmmmmm.
as is, the bike is not light enough to pick up the stairs, so going an extra 25lbs wouldn't change much in that arena.
you know, in retrospect, that would have cost me the same exact price as my current setup. :: sigh :: that's because my original 48 volt battery cost me a whopping 900 bucks and the 24 volts 450 bucks !!! like hulloooooooooooooooo !!!.. :D:p i learn. i'm slow but i know i do get there eventually.

p.s. oh did i mention i could lose 25 lbs? :roflmao2: i mean i am close to 220, and there is no reason for me to be that weight.
i can lose 25 lbs and put them towards my battery pack and the bike would be none the wiser _ hopefully women will still want me and men will still want to be me :thumb:

Funny.... Im 228 atm. If I didnt have my e-bike I would never excersize at this time of year. It gets cold over here. I take my bike from 4-12 miles to the train every day, from the train to my job in NYC and back. I do this 6 days a week. I thought about breaking the 48v barrier but at this point I climb about 4 different stair cases daily and sometimes I get stuck using the subway/path and that means insane winding stairs and tunnels. I just cant justify the extra pounds if I go over 48v.

wow, that's very commendable Jersey
your description of your daily trek throws me back to the scenes of NYC as seen on TV, the whole Welcome Back Carter theme ... I'm imagining NYC with its diverse city paths, people using different modes of transportation.. tell me, are ebikes popular down there?

wow, that's very commendable Jersey
your description of your daily trek throws me back to the scenes of NYC as seen on TV, the whole Welcome Back Carter theme ... I'm imagining NYC with its diverse city paths, people using different modes of transportation.. tell me, are ebikes popular down there?

I commute an ESR750 from Queens across 59th St bridge to midtown. I also have a Panasonic here in NYC and a cheapo hub system at home in CA. 'don't have time for hanging out here much anymore but the site redesign looks good and if we haven't met before - welcome to the forum jerseyebiker!

Whatever battery you use - take good care of 'em and they will take good care of you!

Interesting observations Alfonso - I'm brewing-up something unusual for next spring and I've been trying to decide between 48 or 72 volt? Probably 48v since I have so much 24v stuff that allows me to possibly swap stuff around as the project evolves.

great stuff and fun to watch it evolve over the years!