Ecotric fat tire bike 36V 12ah + 36V 17.5ah customized battery from a battery company that would fit into the bike = 30 miles range by throttle ?

[tyuuhb]

This thanksgiving I bought an ebike for the first time to try it. The ecotric fat tire bike 500W motor and 36V 12ah battery. I love it! And I'm really getting into the stuff and its potentials.

But because I loved it I wanted more. 20 miles range by throttle was unsatisfying for me. I began considering options such as reaping the bike down to exchange the battery holder or buying another ecotric battery accessory to carry around. I even considered buying a better bike even though it would be a waste of my current bike and my money.

It seemed those three were the only options from what I searched on the internet and what a lot of other guys did. I even saw a thread here by a guy facing the same frustration and just went on to buy a 48V 13ah Ecotric bike.

So yeah, thinking I might try reaping it down, I eventually hooked up with this battery company at Amazon. It's called Unit Power Pack(UPP). But an amateur that I am, as I ordered a 48V 17.5ah battery, I found out that the circuits of the bike would not hold it. I went through the cancellation process and as I exchanged amazon filtered emails with the seller for cancellation, the guy just kept pushing me to find out what was it that I wanted? As though they could just get it right away.

That attitude made me think whether it was possible to just ask for what I wanted. I asked if it was possible for a battery that could fit right into this ecotric bike so that I didn't have to strip it down. They could. Turns out this company has lots of options and they take customized orders from clients. Their tech guys looked into it and immediately proposed this 36V 17.5 ah battery at $ 369 which was less of a price than buying another battery at the Ecotric website for a 36V 12ah battery. Ecotric also said that their batteries were all sold out when I contacted them and it would take 2~3 months to resupply. So a whole lot of people bought the stuff.

I'm new to ebikes so I'm not entirely sure. BUt I don't think I've found a blog or a youtube video about upgrading your bike this way. Or is it because it's so obvious?
So I'm not sure whether it will work. The company tech guys say it will work. I will find out after 2~3 weeks when it arrives and put an update on the matter if anyone cares.


Anyway I thought I might share this experience to any amateurs like me who faced the same frustrations. That is, buying a good starter bike and wanting for more. Also if this thing works, it means there would be a great many options available for other bikes as well.








Ecotric bike https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JFH4D49/ref=dp_cerb_2

The battery company at amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081N8WYMX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[harryS]

I am both a UPP and an Ecotric customer. The latter sells a nice bike for the money, and UPP has a lot of battery styles not listed on their amazon page.

Sure, as long as you identified your battery properly, UPP can send you a pack that fits the cradle with as many cells as will go inside,

From the Ecotric website, looks like your fatbike uses this batter, which is a Dolphin. That's not the battery you showed in your last link.

 

[harryS]

I recently bought this pack from them, also a Dolphin style. This is what the Dolphin cradle looks like. Is that what you have,

 

[rich c]

"Ecotric also said that their batteries were all sold out when I contacted them and it would take 2~3 months to resupply. So a whole lot of people bought the stuff"

I'd guess that is an assumption on your part, or did they discuss what their inventory was? The eBike world is full of importers or one kind or another. Do they actually build the packs, or do they order from China? Are they a Chinese company? I guess I'll do some research latter.

 

[tyuuhb]

rich c - No I didn't discuss that far. I checked their website and I just emailed them about extra batteries then it would take a few months was their reply.

 

[tyuuhb]

HarryS - Yes, it is exactly what I have. I sent them direct pictures of my battery too. But it seemd unnecessary. The UPP tech guys figured out what battery to put in before I sent the battery pictures and they did not change their mind after I sent them.

The UPP also said they could make 48V 14ah battery in the same style. Do you know whether it's ok to put a 48V battery on the Ecotric 500W bike? Have you tried it before? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[harryS]

One would have to look at the controller label to see if it's listed as a dual voltage controller. If you have the LCD display, that's generally able to be configured for either voltage. Ecotric has improved the 26" fat tire bike. Earlier this year it came with a battery that slid in behind the seat and an LED display with no speedometer, Your bike is much better with the downtube battery and LCD.

Mine was the 36V 20" fat tire model with 810LED. Just for fun, I connected 48V to it, and it worked temporarily as expected, but no reason to ask for a failure. I changed it out to a 48V compatible controller, but I still only run it on 36V.

The Dolphin holds about 52 cells, so 48V 14AH is much as you can put in. With 36V, you can get you 17.5 AH with 50 cells.. Convert that to watt-hours and the 48V is 772 WH (48 x 14) while the 36V is 630 WH. You should get a little more range on the 48V pack in theory, because watt-hours is what you're using. What really happens is people go faster and it's a wash.

 

[tomjasz]

Please have UPP upgrade connectors to pure nickel, request a balancing function BMS, AND for another $15 a backup BMS. Most common failure is the BMS. Going around in circles trying to get a replacement and waiting, potentially for weeks, will spoil the experience. This advice from selling scores of their batteries and standing up for the warranty.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Please have UPP upgrade connectors to pure nickel, request a balancing function BMS, AND for another $15 a backup BMS. Most common failure is the BMS. Going around in circles trying to get a replacement and waiting, potentially for weeks, will spoil the experience. This advice from selling scores of their batteries and standing up for the warranty.

Thank you Thomas. Very useful info as I do plan to order the 17ah for my wife's Ecotric folding Fattie.

 

[tomjasz]

UPP is a gamble. While they have a 1 year warranty the hoops we have to jump through are maddening. I sold hundreds of their batteries. There were quite a few failures, NONE of which UPP honored a warranty on. We had a customer writing an eBike travel log and when the batteries failed, new batteries, we exchanged dozens of emails. In the end we refunded the customer. Our reputation suffered and UPP went on to use our customers email addresses to sell direct.

Yes good prices, but once you open the pack you see the difference. I have two UPP packs still in service. 2015 and 2016. The cells were genuine, but anyone familiar with battery builders knows UPP is a coin toss. Someone is going to get the short stick. They now have USA stock. And ship in the USA. But if you’re one of the really unlucky buyers and accidently short out their batteries the ensuing fire is nearly impossible to Put out. Cheap BMS, where a quality BMS will protect the pack sacrificing itself and not overloading the cells.

I’m quite torn writing this. Chances are good that a decent battery from UPP will give years of service. But there are just to many potential issues. FWIW we’ve seen what’s inside the case dozens of times. I forgot but I have one on my bench from 2017. I should take pictures...

These are UPP packs...

 

[tomjasz]

Battery I do support for, with Bluetooth smartphone access to battery reports...

 

[GypsyTreker]

UPP is a gamble. While they have a 1 year warranty the hoops we have to jump through are maddening. I sold hundreds of their batteries. There were quite a few failures, NONE of which UPP honored a warranty on. We had a customer writing an eBike travel log and when the batteries failed, new batteries, we exchanged dozens of emails. In the end we refunded the customer. Our reputation suffered and UPP went on to use our customers email addresses to sell direct.

Yes good prices, but once you open the pack you see the difference. I have two UPP packs still in service. 2015 and 2016. The cells were genuine, but anyone familiar with battery builders knows UPP is a coin toss. Someone is going to get the short stick. They now have USA stock. And ship in the USA. But if you’re one of the really unlucky buyers and accidently short out their batteries the ensuing fire is nearly impossible to Put out. Cheap BMS, where a quality BMS will protect the pack sacrificing itself and not overloading the cells.

I’m quite torn writing this. Chances are good that a decent battery from UPP will give years of service. But there are just to many potential issues. FWIW we’ve seen what’s inside the case dozens of times. I forgot but I have one on my bench from 2017. I should take pictures...

These are UPP packs...

Wow!!! Ok so I want a 36v 17ah battery for my wife's Ecotric Dolphin folder fattie. (500w motor)

 

[GypsyTreker]

Wow!!! Ok so I want a 36v 17ah battery for my wife's Ecotric Dolphin folder fattie. (500w motor)

I wanted your suggestion

 

[tomjasz]

I wanted your suggestion

There are other sellers that posters here have used and been happy with. Browneye may have a source. If you use Facebook, wendy Xie from pasion ebike is a good source. Also on Facebook Chen Brook.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Battery I do support for, with Bluetooth smartphone access to battery reports...View attachment 43108

So the battery you show is not one you personally recomend or is there issues if you personally suggest a company you work with as an expert in that field?

 

[Browneye]

Ah, Thomas sent me over here.
If it's a shark pack you need, you could get one here for $332: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32914092155.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.2.79f52076HgxefM
They have a 36v 17ah pack. Greenergy also sells on amazon and ebay. I got a kit from them with a battery, they claim to be selling samsung cell packs. So far it's been fine, but we only have a half-dozen or so charge cycles on ours.
Looks like they have them state-side now so shipping should be pretty quick.

We just don't know to what quality level these packs are being built to.

A known entity for quality packs are Em3ev, ebikes.ca which is Grin in Vancouver Canada, and Luna cycles here in so-cal. There's also CA ebike.com that are selling quality import ebike packs as well. There are others that some may be familiar with, like Bolton, Lee, etc. I'm just not, tend to want to go direct to a quality manufacturer if possible. And I don't cry if I buy something that breaks - live and learn and take your lumps.

The advantage of spending more with a known domestic entity is a warranty backing. Dealing with an entity from china can be hit or miss.
For example, Greenergy can be very slow to respond, and they're English isn't very good. LOL

There's also Bluenergy in China, probly aliexpress. I'm not sure what the relationship is between the greenies and the blue-ies, but they seem somehow connected. For a time Grenergy was selling a kit with a 'bluenergy' rim sticker on it. Now they have their own.

Hope this helps. But yeah, I wouldn't just buy from any online seller for a ebike battery - there's too much junk being sold out there with very little recourse down the road.

 

[tomjasz]

Chen Brook on Facebook builds batteries for one of the very popular direct to user eBike builders. Sorry, can’t reveal who, but Chen has a good build.

 

[tomjasz]

Ah, Thomas sent me over here.

thanks fella, you just cost me $300. Gotta have 2 of those MXUS GD hub motors...
but I have to comment about being mentioned along side Luna. Worst warranty in the USA, claims USA builds when in fact most are China. Here’s a Luna BMS along side a UPP BMS.

 

[tomjasz]

So the battery you show is not one you personally recomend or is there issues if you personally suggest a company you work with as an expert in that field?

I probably come off as a split personality... as budget batteries go, UPP now has a USA store. IF you take my advise and have them include a backup BMS, you’ll likely have a decent battery. Your wife’s motor and controller are low amp draw. Now that they sell on Amazon and eBay we’re blessed with some protection and warranty service. It seems that Dolphin packs are losing ground and are not very popular any more. They are one of the toughest cases out there, but now they (Reention) copied Shark ( Hailong) cases with far better quality plastic.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Ah, Thomas sent me over here.
If it's a shark pack you need, you could get one here for $332: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32914092155.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.2.79f52076HgxefM
They have a 36v 17ah pack. Greenergy also sells on amazon and ebay. I got a kit from them with a battery, they claim to be selling samsung cell packs. So far it's been fine, but we only have a half-dozen or so charge cycles on ours.
Looks like they have them state-side now so shipping should be pretty quick.

We just don't know to what quality level these packs are being built to.

A known entity for quality packs are Em3ev, ebikes.ca which is Grin in Vancouver Canada, and Luna cycles here in so-cal. There's also CA ebike.com that are selling quality import ebike packs as well. There are others that some may be familiar with, like Bolton, Lee, etc. I'm just not, tend to want to go direct to a quality manufacturer if possible. And I don't cry if I buy something that breaks - live and learn and take your lumps.

The advantage of spending more with a known domestic entity is a warranty backing. Dealing with an entity from china can be hit or miss.
For example, Greenergy can be very slow to respond, and they're English isn't very good. LOL

There's also Bluenergy in China, probly aliexpress. I'm not sure what the relationship is between the greenies and the blue-ies, but they seem somehow connected. For a time Grenergy was selling a kit with a 'bluenergy' rim sticker on it. Now they have their own.

Hope this helps. But yeah, I wouldn't just buy from any online seller for a ebike battery - there's too much junk being sold out there with very little recourse down the road.

Thanks for the info. I figure Ali is always a longshot just from experience with guitars. To be honest I avoid them. I don't do FB ( or any social networks) but I will have my wife check out Chen on her FB. I have heard good things about UPP and when I saw info on how to order and upgrade assumed it was a heads up for the company. After seeing burnt batteries I'm not sure. Anyway, a 36v 17.5 ah would fit the bill so my wife can extend her range. She plans to use her bike for wildlife photography. I am very aware of the danger of lipo batteries and kept my drone batteries in a "flame bag"