Used Laptop Batteries to Power an E-bike?

[6zfshdb]

An interesting idea:

Kenyan physics teacher powers electric bikes using old laptop batteries

Paul Waweru, a physics teacher in Kenya, founded a company called Ecomobilus, which helps supply power bicycles using old laptop batteries.

www.usatoday.com

I doubt these old cells would be any safer than newer products, but they certainly are cheaper.

 

[Gionnirocket]

An interesting idea:

Kenyan physics teacher powers electric bikes using old laptop batteries

Paul Waweru, a physics teacher in Kenya, founded a company called Ecomobilus, which helps supply power bicycles using old laptop batteries.

www.usatoday.com

I doubt these old cells would be any safer than newer products, but they certainly are cheaper.

You REALLY need to know what you are doing, to do it safely.
That said, re_purposing anything safely is a good idea.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Ok, but how do you charge them?

 

[Chargeride]

I think you'll find theres a lot of cheap ebike batteries that use old laptop cells, theres many builders on YouTube doing it.
18650s are an industry standard.

 

[fauconnier]

What surprise me is that a worn-out low energy consomption lap top battery could be good enough for a higher energy consomption scooter. But when you have nothing else do you have the voice.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

You would need about 50 (maybe more) to arrange them in the series and parallel as your application requires. Some say genius comes from desperation, but I think this is more proof or concept. Still a dangerous game.

 

[6zfshdb]

What surprise me is that a worn-out low energy consomption lap top battery could be good enough for a higher energy consomption scooter. But when you have nothing else do you have the voice.

I can't speak for the general population, but in my case, I've gone through 6 laptops in my time, both for business and personal use. In every case, it was because the laptop became obsolete. They all had functioning batteries which held 80% or more of their original capacity.

Sure, there are going to be those that are worn out, but the man in the video was paying 50 cents apiece in some cases. At that price, he can afford a few duds.

Safety is another factor, but where he comes from, that isn't given much consideration.

 

[fauconnier]

In every case, it was because the laptop became obsolete. They all had functioning batteries which held 80% or more of their original capacity.

Good point.

 

[Chargeride]

Has this been posted?

Major fire breaks out at French plant housing lithium batteries

Some 900 tonnes of lithium batteries were on fire at a battery recycling plant in southern France, authorities said on Sunday, sending a cloud of thick black smoke into the sky above the site.

www.france24.com

That's one big battery fire

 

[harryS]

There was a battery fire at a battery recycling plant in Morris Illinois three summers ago. They had 90 tons of batteries. As I recall, the fire department encased everything in concrete. What a mess. SOme of these might have been car batteries.

DIY guys were building ebike packs from used laptop cells going back 10 years. The cells are weak, relative to buying new ones, so it's a matter of combining a lot of low capacity cells.They might need 50 or 60 cells to build something that has the same capacity as a tiny 30 cell 36V10Ah ebike pack.