Advice on adding 2nd battery to Evelo Omega

[Revor]

Greetings to all - looking for some info and advice on adding a 2nd battery to my Evelo Omega. Evelo makes an add-on rear rack upgrade unit "Super Range System" with 48V 15aH battery included - but it's been out of stock every time I go to look to purchase. And, being the frugal type and DIY'er, I am not wanting to pay their hefty price for the upgrade: $799 +tax. I am finding what appear to be good Li-Ion batteries for about $250 and I have a rack I can install to attach the battery to. So, today I began to research how I might accomplish this myself. The Omega comes prewired for this upgrade/2nd battery - it has a socket to plug the aux battery into at the rear of the bike:

The confusion I have is this: is that socket non-standard/proprietary to Evelo? I've seen quite a few aftermarket batteries today and all the connectivity plugs are square or rectangular - and certainly will not plug into this round socket. Although I do have the knowledge and skill to modify the connectivity, I really don't wish to cut wires on this really expensive bike unless I have to.

If anyone has any insight or experience to share - I'll thank you in advance.

Shawn.

 

[Nvreloader]

Shawn
That OEM plug looks real close to this one:

https://www.panmtrade.com/products/battery-connector-power-cs-fb-ra8-self-lock-connector

This plug is a twist lock, so it can't come undone.

There is another that is real close, with just a slight change of the internal angles dividers.
Check that site to see the differences etc.

What are the battery connection points look like,
Hailong 4 or 5 lug pins?

I would also carefully check the bike side of this plug to confirm the Red/Black sides and any other wiring in that plug. Hth

 

[Revor]

Nvreloader (is that NV as in Nevada?) - thanks for the response. I agree that what you linked me to is close to the Evelo plug but not the same. I went to that site and was able to locate what I think is the match:

Pretty sure that is it. Not sure I'll be able to purchase from that site - clearly a Chinese corporation and it's not clear if they sell a single piece or they are a bulk seller - I've sent an inquiry email to them.

The battery connection points you asked about - here's a pic:

Not sure what that plug is called - it seems to have 4 small and 2 large pins.

Agree that it will be wise to closely check where black and red attach to the plug to prevent miswiring.

Thanks again for the response and feedback.

 

[Nvreloader]

Shawn
Yes it is, it used to be my CB handle back in the 60's,
Glad I could help you, as for your battery OEM plug,
I have never seen one with 6 flat lugs in that configuration,
and I am willing to bet Dollars to Donuts, that is a non-standard/proprietary for Evelo only.
All you'll have to do is match whatever the battery connections port is to the extended plug you are buying.

If it were me, I would be checking on both ends of this plug/battery to make sure there is NO other wiring connected to the plug/battery.
Being proprietary to Evelo, they may have sensor wiring for the battery hookup?

When I made my extension cable for my Juggs 4 bike (so I could use any of the 4 Wart Hog battery's), all I had to do was get the Hailong plugs to match each end, and I used the OEM detachable battery plate for the connection point etc.

Now, the only distance limit is how long my butt can last,
(I know 60+ miles) so far.

Please let me know the info you get back from across the puddle.

What state are you in?
Thanks Tia,
Don

 

[Revor]

Don I am in Pearl, MS which is a suburb of Jackson.

Yep - agree. From what I can find on the Evelo site, the aux plug is designed to allow the addition of the 2nd battery that will kick in only when the primary battery is exhausted - so, it's not doubling the battery capacity or anything, but simply providing backup for extended range.

I hope to hear back from panmtrade.com and will post info if and when I do.

Off to do sunup ride this morning in our Mississippi soup bowl - actual Temp 75, Real Feel 82 (Humidity is at 94%).

 

[Revor]

Well, to my surprise I *think* I am getting 2 of these plugs shipped to me from a Chinese company called "ETOP". Panmtrade was a no go, they would not consider any order less than 100 pieces. I politely discussed what I was trying to do with a very nice sales rep from ETOP and they eventually agreed to send me two plugs as "Samples".....these sample ended up costing me $83 when shipping was calculated.

So, I've been looking at every ebike battery Mfg. in the Universe and have come to the conclusion that it's really just a roll of the Dice as to whether or not the import battery will have been built correctly, with good components and put through Quality Assurance process. The huge bummer of purchasing one off of Ebay, Amazon, Aliexpress or Alibaba is that the battery is NOT returnable. I think some of the sellers will send a replacement if it's legit defective - but it's scary to think of what "failure" might look like (fire, stranded on the road, my bike's electronics smoked ???)

Also, I read some articles and watched a few vids of making a bike battery from scratch/parts - and if it were not for the requirement that a spot welder *has* to be used, I would strongly consider going down that road - but that tool alone is in the neighborhood of $200 and it seems for the most part they are imported and hit and miss from a quality perspective.

What do you folks think?

 

[Mike TowpathTraveler]

Shawn, have you spoken directly to Evelo? It's possible they can provide part numbers and sources to kit together your own factory-like piggy back battery, provided they can't sell you a new setup, outright. Or they can expedite a piggy back kit for you, a valued customer.

I just looked up your bike on their site and it features a 4 year warranty. Very nice bike. Are you out of that warranty window or are you just willing to roll the dice with your own secondary battery rig-up? IMO, building a battery for scratch is not for the average ebike owner. Too many videos out there of battery fires and explosions to even think of risking that chance on such a premium bike.

Here's a thought, based on what I did for extended battery range on my old school, external battery, Haibike Full FatSix: Buy the factory downtube 750wh battery and figure out a good rack and rear pannier to hold the battery safe and secure. I do not know if the Ortlieb E-Mate pannier will hold your battery; for that you'd have to measure yours and compare it to the Ortlieb specs. That pannier has additional thought put into holding & supporting a heavy external battery like what was offered by Bosch and Yamaha.

For sure, the cost of a new Evelo approved factory downtube battery is dear, but not bad considered what I paid for with my Yamaha 500wh external batteries I bought to complement the original 400wh Yammy battery. Looked at this way: that new battery is factory approved and warrantied..... you are not jeopardizing life, limb, house, garage or 4 grand ebike by building a battery from scratch....... you are not buying sight unseen some battery made under who knows-what circumstances and quality. I'd say the cost of entry of that factory battery relieves you of alot worry of getting things right. Good luck in what you decide to do.

This pic was taken mid-morning, July 2017 and I am somewhere along a ride that totaled near 100 road miles that day. Those 2 Ortlieb e-mate panniers are holding a Yamaha 500wh external battery, to complement the one on the downtube. 1500 total wh'ers, enough to take me from the western side of NJ where the Delaware River flows, to the east side of the state at Mantoloking and back home on the west side. When the downtube battery got low, it was just a matter of manually switching out batteries. Not as sexy looking as an integrated modern age internal/external piggy back battery set up, but it works the same.......

 

[Revor]

Thanks for the response, advice and information Mike. That's is a well appointed MTB man! You have some good points and I'll be putting a lot of thought into how to proceed. Ride safely.

 

[Mike TowpathTraveler]

Thanks for the response, advice and information Mike. That's is a well appointed MTB man! You have some good points and I'll be putting a lot of thought into how to proceed. Ride safely.

You as well, Revor and stay cool in that Mississippi heat and humidity. I hope Evelo helps you out with a new piggyback setup.