E-Glide Battery Upgrade

[Mike N.]

I thought I would start a new thread on the E-Glide Li-Ion battery. I mentioned "
The Lake Mead area has taken me to the extreme limits of what my E-Glide can do. I have run out of juice twice before getting back to my car. Your pretty much dead in the water going uphill without the electric assist. I sent a note to Dave at E-Glide about purchasing an additional battery and also his thoughts of making one with additional amperage. I found this site: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) and under specifications it looks like we have the 48V 11.6Ah version. Its possible to get a 48V 13.6 AH in the same model battery holder. That would give it about a 20% increase in range. I'll let you know what comes of that. Since this is my first E-bike I'm still learning. Some batteries go up to 17Ah but I dont know if it will fit our bike frame. The battery we have now has been plenty of power for 95% of my rides."

I found a company that makes a 48V 13.5Ah battery using the same case as our E-Glide battery. I'm assuming at this point it would just lock in like ours but have not contacted the company to verify on all the specifics.

Here is a link: https://lunacycle.com/flx48vbattery/

So for $550.00 plus shipping you would get a battery that will produce an additional 20% of the power of the original battery. Aprox 30% of the cost of the bike. Seems like a better option would be when the original battery has gone through it's life of charge cycles which I'm thinking about 1000 charges, you would have the option to upgrade your existing battery. And at that time there might be more options.

 

[Mike N.]

I have also found Juiced Bikes use a similar down tube case like ours. Their Oceancurrent and Crosscurrent models have either a 48V 8.8Ah and a 48V 12.8Ah. The 48V 12.8Ah retails for 699.00! Good batteries are expensive!

They have a nice battery chart on this page: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

They also make two extended range batteries that are 72 cells instead of 52. Larger batteries that fit the same down tube. 48V 17.4Ah $999.00 and 48V 21AH $1399.00 The last battery would almost double the range of our original battery at a cost of almost a 2nd bike!

Also I have been reading up on 52 volt batteries. They seem to work with 48 volt controllers but provide a higher top end speed. Interesting stuff.

I'm hoping that as Li-Ion batteries become more universal the price will come down. Kinda like flat screen TV's. Time will tell.

 

[tomjasz]

check the warranty it was only 30 days...

 

[Mike N.]

check the warranty it was only 30 days...

Which brand has 30 days? Juiced Bikes Super extended range batteries state 1 year limited warranty. https://www.juicedbikes.com/pages/juiced-bikes-warranty-information

 

[Mike N.]

I also read over the past few days that the cost of lithium-ion batteries are going down. Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) reports that lithium-ion battery prices have fallen “by almost half just since 2014”
Still, the price of the lithium-ion cells used in electric-car battery packs is going down—and it's doing so at a much faster rate than predicted."

'Electric-car battery prices could drop below $100 per kilowatt-hour by 2020, and below $80 per kwh not long after that, reports WardsAuto.'

I haven't read anywhere that they have found a new technology for storage as much as lithium-ion is now the standard being used and the price coming down due to production going up. By the time we are ready for a new battery we may see a significant drop in the cost.

I've been also experimenting with speed settings as I ride since I've ran out twice. The last two rides I have started out in level 2 normal mode and have gone to level 3 on the way back. 20-21 mile rides, no wind, some elevation change. I had 1/2 to 3/4 of my battery left when I came back.

 

[Mike N.]

I found another E-bike manufacturer Volt Bike, that uses the same battery case as ours in their Yukon 750 series. 48V 11.6Ah. On sale right now for $499.00. VoltBike Replacement Parts
So there are a number of ways to go when it's time to replace the battery. If you charge your battery 200 times a year, it might be 4 or 5 years until you will have to replace the battery. And also there seems to be a number of companies now that can rebuild the battery which I suppose is replacing the individual Panasonic cells inside the housing.

 

[daniel58]

I found another E-bike manufacturer Volt Bike, that uses the same battery case as ours in their Yukon 750 series. 48V 11.6Ah. On sale right now for $499.00. VoltBike Replacement Parts
So there are a number of ways to go when it's time to replace the battery. If you charge your battery 200 times a year, it might be 4 or 5 years until you will have to replace the battery. And also there seems to be a number of companies now that can rebuild the battery which I suppose is replacing the individual Panasonic cells inside the housing.

Luna Cycles and EM3EV both carry 48V as well as 52V lithium ion batteries at much more competitive compatible prices; EM3EV also has a massive very large 52V at 27.9Ah triangular lithium ion battery pack that lowers the cost further to only to 42.9 cents per watt hour also as well which can easily be put in one of their EM3EV battery bags over the top tube also as well and also be connected via the XT-60 power connector via making a simple XT-60 power connector; very easy to do got instructions on how to do it on youtube;

EM3EV(https://em3ev.com/shop/preditor-l-47v-8-4ah-11-8ah-frame-battery/)

47V at 12.4Ah for $319;
which means its cost is only $319 divided by 12.4Ah equals $25.73 per amp hour;
and it produces 47V times 12.4Ah equals 583 watt hours;
$319 divided by 583 watt hours equals 55 cents per watt hour

as compared to the 48V at 17ah for $1,000;
which means its cost is a whooping $1,000 divided by 17Ah equals $58.82 per amp hour;
and it produces 48V times 17Ah equals 816 watt hours;
$1,000 divided by 816 watt hours equals $1.22 per watt hour

with the above comparison cost analysis one can buy basically three EM3EV
47V at 12.4Ah for $319 times 3 for still only $957;
and it will have a whopping 37.2Ah of total amp hour capacity
and it will produce 47 times 12.4Ah times 3 equals 1748 watt hours;
$957 divided by 1748 watt hours equals 54.7 cents per watt hour;

yes one can in fact get an additional;
37.2Ah minus 17Ah equals 20.2Ah of additional total amp hour capacity for absolutely free;
with 1748watt hours minus 816 watt hours equals an added 932 watt hours for absolutely free;
this will enable at least an additional;
932 watt hours divided by 15 watt hours per mile equals at least an additonal 62 miles for free;

all one has to do is simply note the actual polarity and rig up a XT-60 universal power connector;
very easy to do; just look it up on youtube on how to make an XT-60 universal pigtail power connector; one just needs male and female ends for XT-60 universal power connector; once again very easy to do;

since one can easily get an additional 20.2Ah for free and/or 932 watt hours for free; that is worth according to Juiced Bikes 17Ah battery $1000 divided 17Ah equals $58.82;
$58.82 times 20.2Ah equals a whopping $1,188 for absolutely free;
sign me up for that pronto like yesterday I am getting some massive free battery driving power for free; sorry Juiced Bikes I am not feeling the love and I for one refuse to be fleeced into buying one of your massively overpriced and marked up lithium ion battery packs; perhaps that is truly why they refuse to sell the 8.8ah battery with their Juiced Bikes(massive greedy avarice profit incentive motivation by "Tora Harris" to literally "rip off" Juiced Bikes customers); oh well the game may have been rigged but the "rigged Juiced Bike hyper marketing infomercial youtube styled gig is up" and we are not going to take any prisoners when it comes to getting free battery power or at least I am not for the free taking; my koala bear mascot in particular also likes the idea of getting additional lithium ion battery power to get oneself home for absolutely free by the way with no lithium ion battery range anxiety worries whatsoever anymore; its really simple one can easily get over 20.2Ah and/or 932 watt hours of energy for absolutely free; that is over twice the difference and more than enough free power to bring oneself home for absolutely free of charge; thereby simply and effectively doubling ones effective lithium ion battery range to include a free return round trip powered up by the effective doubling of one lithium ion battery range away from ones power outlet.

 

[tomjasz]

Much better warranty with EM3ev. A world apart really. They build ALL their batteries, unlike the other guys. AND none of those GA cells with fewer cycles.

 

[daniel58]

Much better warranty with EM3ev. A world apart really. They build ALL their batteries, unlike the other guys. AND none of those GA cells with fewer cycles.

Yes, Thomas I saw a most impressive youtube video of how they utilize their own semi-automated lithium ion production factory line where they use truly "state of the art" CNC high precision and high accuracy spot welder to minimize the spot welding time(which causes unnecessary heat that can damage lithium ion cells) to tightly control and make sure quality assurance is actually baked into every one of their EM3EV lithium ion batteries; all so that no human error can potentially cause and/or introduce a potential error that could effect lithium ion battery cycle life and its intended recharge cycles that it can optimally deliver; they are truly a quality outfit indeed;

now they actually have and utilize a clean room environment temperature and air controlled lithium ion battery manufacturing production facility which of course can potentially effect lithium ion battery quality and life if not actually kept absolutely clean and tightly temperature controlled; absolutely no knockoff asian chinese factory quality assurance issues as they are the real deal by having invested the manufacturing investment money in the right lithium ion battery production tooling to get the job done right for its EM3EV customers; they also have the full range of lithium ion battery voltages and amp capacities at very competitive lower than average market prices while also delivering superior quality lithium ion cells;

now the lithium ion battery buying customer can even specify the actual type of lithium ion cell that is used in ones lithium ion battery also as well; they can actually give the customer a customized lithium ion battery quote also as well; now with EM3EV they have truly carved out a very unique and rather impressive market niche for themselves as I for one would likely only buy from them not only for their vastly superior below market average pricing lithium ion battery banks but their impeccable sterling "no excuses" customer service policy reputation for building those high quality lithium ion batteries that their brand name EM3EV loyal customers demand highly and only buy from them in the future repeatedly; because they trust they are buying the best quality designed and built lithium ion batteries in the lithium ion battery industry; their simply is no equal to EM3EV lithium ion batteries when it comes to both pricing and quality criterias over the long term; as this positively serves to ultimate lower the total cost per anticipated recharge cycle of ones EM3EV purchased lithium ion batteries over the long term; literally world class impeccable quality lithium ion batteries indeed.

 

[tomjasz]

Which brand has 30 days? Juiced Bikes Super extended range batteries state 1 year limited warranty. https://www.juicedbikes.com/pages/juiced-bikes-warranty-information

Luna

 

[Rich Baum]

Mike, are there any updates regarding the best choice / price for a second battery. I’ve had my E-Glide for a month and have already run out of power so I will surely be looking for a second one even at the cost of $500 it will help me go on my extended rides this year where I plan to hit 75-125 miles and possibly some overnight rides.

Looking forward to your reply.

 

[Mike N.]

I noticed some of the good starting price electric bikes like ours have upgraded their batteries. Rad power now comes with a 48 volt 14 Ah battery with their new models for $1499.00 so the price must be coming down. A year later now and the powerful 11.4 Ah battery in our bikes is looking dated. I just purchased a Burgman scooter so I don't have 500.00 to drop for a battery. There are companies that rebuild electric batteries. I know our battery is capable of 13.6 Ah maybe more. I would go the route of seeing if a few extra cells can be added to ours or rebuild it with more power when the time comes.

So I am practicing the conservation of energy instead. Today I rode somewhere I never been and I started my ride on level 2 instead of level three which I like best. I got to downtown Las Vegas drove around and started to head back. As I got closer to home I went to level 3 and on the home stretch I went to level 4 and 5. Total of 31 miles today and the battery had two bars left. I love going fast but you have to plan your trips with an electric bike. Maybe there might be a stop or two where they'll let you plug in your battery a bit if you bring the charger.