Starting to see batteries that look like that on a lot of bikes. Three brands of bikes so far, the first was the new ProdecoTech Phantom XR. The Phantom was announced last fall 2014, but I'm not sure if it's available for purchase as of this first week of April, 2015. I like that battery design, I wonder what exactly is inside and if they are all the same, from the same factory. Time will tell... Some uniformity in the industry would be good, it would benefit all of us if they were all interchangeable. Might make for a less expensive battery and spare if you could go to several places to get one.Not yet! This review looks very interesting:
Starting to see batteries that look like that on a lot of bikes. Three brands of bikes so far, the first was the new ProdecoTech Phantom XR. The Phantom was announced last fall 2014, but I'm not sure if it's available for purchase as of this first week of April, 2015. I like that battery design, I wonder what exactly is inside and if they are all the same, from the same factory. Time will tell... Some uniformity in the industry would be good, it would benefit all of us if they were all interchangeable. Might make for a less expensive battery and spare if you could go to several places to get one.
Hey Lenny, is there anything proprietary with these down-tube batteries or do you think you will be able to put a Prodeco battery on an e-Joe?Yes, it's a generic design. Another feature of mass produced Chinese bikes is the battery placement behind the seat tube.
The assembly line and tooling cost would increase if you go with purpose built frame.
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I just finished reading Court's excellent review of the e-joe Koda. Has anyone purchased one and, if so, would you be willing to share your assessment?
The new Koda is a fantastic bike with low-end to intermediate-quality specs. The only reason I say that is that it runs on a 36V system as opposed to the 48V systems that usually offer better performance, faster charging, and longer range. That said, the Koda's 540Wh battery is pretty beefy relative to other 36V bikes, and the fact that the bike comes with a rear rack and built-in front and rear lights is a nice surprise, as is the very low weight. Also, the bike is a bargain at $2,200! Clearly, this bike isn't perfect, but it does offer quite a good value for one's dollar, and I think that bikes that serve this part of the market are sorely needed. It seems like this bike has a more modern design and a sporty look than the ProdecoTech models, what with the downtube-mounted battery and the less beachcruiser-esque frame, but the bike is less expensive than competitors like the IZIP E3 Dash ($2,900) and the BH EasyMotion Neo Jet and Evo 29" (both $2,999). Granted, the E3 Dash and the BH Emotion Neo Jet and Evo 29" both go above 25 MPH, whereas the Koda is limited to 20mph (which is particularly strange for a 750W-capable hub motor, as it should be able to go 30MPH+ on flat pavement with that much power). I think that if they were able to offer the bike as an S-pedelec (i.e. faster than 20mph) with a 48V system, they'd have even more or a winner on their hands, but at only $2,200, beggars can't be choosy.
The new Koda is a fantastic bike with low-end to intermediate-quality specs. The only reason I say that is that it runs on a 36V system as opposed to the 48V systems that usually offer better performance, faster charging, and longer range. That said, the Koda's 540Wh battery is pretty beefy relative to other 36V bikes, and the fact that the bike comes with a rear rack and built-in front and rear lights is a nice surprise, as is the very low weight. Also, the bike is a bargain at $2,200! Clearly, this bike isn't perfect, but it does offer quite a good value for one's dollar, and I think that bikes that serve this part of the market are sorely needed. It seems like this bike has a more modern design and a sporty look than the ProdecoTech models, what with the downtube-mounted battery and the less beachcruiser-esque frame, but the bike is less expensive than competitors like the IZIP E3 Dash ($2,900) and the BH EasyMotion Neo Jet and Evo 29" (both $2,999). Granted, the E3 Dash and the BH Emotion Neo Jet and Evo 29" both go above 25 MPH, whereas the Koda is limited to 20mph (which is particularly strange for a 750W-capable hub motor, as it should be able to go 30MPH+ on flat pavement with that much power). I think that if they were able to offer the bike as an S-pedelec (i.e. faster than 20mph) with a 48V system, they'd have even more or a winner on their hands, but at only $2,200, beggars can't be choosy.