External vs Integrated battery packs - which do you prefer and why?

[Mass Deduction]

There's a significant push towards integrated battery packs. I'm actually a fan of the external battery packs as they tend to be smaller, easier to swap, and less expensive. They're also often better sealed when being transported out of the bike.

I think that integrated batteries can look good, but so can a well implemented external pack. Check out these two bikes (they're very similar, except for the type of battery pack):

Opus Connect LRT

Opus Connect LRTi

I don't think the integrated battery looks way better, and on a technical level I prefer the external battery pack.

What are your thoughts about external vs. integrated battery packs? Which do you prefer and why?

 

[FlatSix911]

There's a significant push towards integrated battery packs. I'm actually a fan of the external battery packs as they tend to be smaller, easier to swap, and less expensive. They're also often better sealed when being transported out of the bike. I think that integrated batteries can look good, but so can a well-implemented external pack. Check out these two bikes (they're very similar, except for the type of battery pack):
Opus Connect LRT
Opus Connect LRTi
I don't think the integrated battery looks way better, and on a technical level I prefer the external battery pack.
What are your thoughts about external vs. integrated battery packs? Which do you prefer and why?

I prefer the external battery that is well integrated... a clean design with cheap and easy replacement.

The Connect LRT with the Shimano STePS E-5000 motor and E-8014 418Wh semi-integrated battery

 

[TomD]

Internal due to looks (and more stealth). Integrated looks like a work of art. External not so much. Just my opinion.

Same here: One is beautiful. The other one kinda ugly IMO.

My semi-stealthy (other than branding) integrated ride:

 

[Mass Deduction]

I prefer the external battery that is well integrated... a clean design with cheap and easy replacement.

The Connect LRT with the Shimano STePS E-5000 motor and E-8014 418Wh semi-integrated battery

View attachment 44310

The regular Connect has an E5000 motor, whereas the Connect LRT has an E6100 motor.

But I agree with your comment about cheap and easy replacement being desirable, and that some companies have managed to integrate external battery packs attractively which gives you the best of both worlds IMO. In addition to simplicity, there's also greater universality to external batteries. Bosch (for example) has at least three mounting configurations for internal batteries (one of which is specific to certain Trek e-bikes), whereas there's generally only one mounting configuration for external packs. There might be different capacities, and sometimes different shapes, but within a brand generally any external down-tube pack is compatible.

 

[harryS]

I prefer the looks of the LRTi. Very stealthy.

Dates back to when I'd ride the bike path next to my house several years ago, see the "No Motorized Vehicles" signs and wonder if I were legal. Didn't want to call and ask the Park District for fear I would hear bad news.

Then a local rental outfit set up a kiosk along the path and told me they researched it. All legit in my area, although one neighboring suburb still bans ebikes on its park paths. Only my fat tire bikes and my BBS02 mid drive with its rack battery look openly ebike. My other bikes, I can put batteries in seat or rack bags if I want to conceal them.

 

[Mass Deduction]

I prefer the looks of the LRTi. Very stealthy.
[…]

I like the looks of the LRTi too, but not enough to have to deal with larger/more expensive/less universal/less easily swapped battery packs. There's a BMC bike I'm really interested in, and word on the street is that BMC's moving to deeper battery integration for 2021. So I'm trying to make sure I get in on the 2020 before they're all gone!

 

[TomD]

How many batteries will you buy or replace over your e-bike's lifespan? Even if a frame specific battery is more expensive does it really really increase the ownership cost that much over the lifespan? For example, if your ebike costs 5000 and a replacement battery is 800 instead of 600, is the extra 200 all that relevant? It seems dwarfed by the initial outlay. Ease of removal I can appreciate the logic more.

 

[Scott Adams]

a well designed internal battery implementation will have electrical connections which are protected from water and dust at a much higher level than an external battery

the Specialized Creo uses my preferred arrangement in this regard, an internal battery with a connection for an external range extending battery

 

[BillH]

Have three eBikes at the moment. For me at least, I prefer the look and protection/isolation of fully integrated setup of my BH Atom X and QuietKat Bandit fat tire folder. My third is the Evelo Aurora with semi integrated. Looks good enough since they at least attempted to blend it with frame. Not a fan of the batteries that look like they were attached as an after thought, like the conversion kits do.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Contrary to Mass Deduction, I believe totally integrated battery makes e-bike look sexy. I hate the "hump" looks of many e-bikes and the carrier rack battery is something I don't accept at all. The worst of all seem to be converted acoustic bikes with a large lump of battery attached to the thin downtube.

 

[6zfshdb]

When ebike shopping, other than capacity, I gave little thought to the battery or it's location. I eventually chose a bike with a rear rack external battery because it best fit my needs. I'll admit, the integrated down tube battery does give a more pleasingly sleek appearance. I don't agree that the design is more stealthy though. One of the ways I spot an ebike is by looking at the girth of the down tube. I improve the stealth of my external rear rack battery by disguising it with a tail bag and panniers which I always use on my rides anyway.

The biggest disadvantage that I see to a rear rack external battery is weight distribution. Almost all the weight is carried by the rear wheel. The weight of an integrated battery is carried by both front and rear wheels.

Both external & integrated batteries have their advantages and disadvantages. As long as the battery is easily removable, replaceable and / or rebuild-able, the decision really lies in the eye of the buyer and their particular riding style.

 

[Ken M]

This is good subject. I think the primary justification of the integration is to hide that it's an ebike and secondary is the potential for improved aesthetics/cosmetics. I can understand the integration when executed like the Specialized Creo, but when the main tube is just enlarged to the ridiculous point just to put the battery inside that makes no sense to me even if slightly better aesthetics (although I think smooth external batteries look pretty nice and have the functional merits mentioned in first post).

I do think the recent trend to have the integrated batteries removed from the bottom of the main tube was a common sense improvement (avoids any issue with lower top tubes which causing less structural integrity impact like the side loaded batteries).

I think what will evolve is something like the motorcycle industry has always been keen to - must make the external elements look nice and it's doesn't matter if the battery is integrated or not. Vintage has large capacity external batteries that look cosmetically interesting. I think that external batteries will have a cost and capacity advantage but an integrated battery with the allowance for an external secondary battery sounds compelling.

I think a lot of this boils down to how you view ebikes in general. I see them as fantastic potential human-scale mobility solutions so I don't perceive that much merit in hiding the battery. There are very few ebikes that are so stealth that anyone that knows anything about ebikes can't tell that it's still an ebike so those that think integration is preventing others from knowing you are on an ebike is just kind of silly.

 

[Alaskan]

I prefer the look of a bike with an integrated battery. It is beyond any argument that this is the more aesthetically pleasing choice. I don't agree that a hidden battery makes an ebike less likely to be stolen. A nice shiny bike with quality components is an obvious lure to any thief. The hump of the battery is not any more attractive to a thief than the fat downtube.

That said the practical advantage of external batteries are undeniable.

1. Less expensive
2. Lighter
3. Ability to carry in most standard trunk bags
4. Less bike brand specific

For me these four very functional factors far outweigh the aesthetic considerations which, in the final analysis, are superficial.

I know I am in the minority here and that the bikes I end up wanting in the future are more likely to have integrated batteries. I am married with three sons. I am well accustomed to not being listened to.

 

[AlanDB]

I agree that the integrated battery can make for a better looking bike. But what I would really like to see is some standardization on the battery form factor that could lead to lower prices plus third party options and competition for replacement or additional batteries

 

[Over50]

Totally with @Alaskan on this one. I prefer the look of the integration but much less practical. I can switch my Bosch Powerpacks between different bikes and they are much easier to remove and carry in a backpack.

Now, not shown above is integrated plus external. I am a big fan of modular design (although in the case of this Trek design, I wish the rail system had an optional faux-battery storage compartment/bag similar to the R&M faux-battery in the 2nd photo).

 

[Asher]

Both, at once!

E-bikes are still in the horseless carriage phase. They're being designed to mimic something they aren't, and people are judging them poorly because they're not pretending hard enough.

This is silly, but also perhaps unavoidable until new designs emerge that set a new, dominant paradigm with an appealing form.

I think the mature form will look something like the Sondors 500, structurally speaking - the inner triangle will be entirely filled in. So both integrated and external - but of course not just a plastic box sandwiched between. And even the Sondors approach already looks better than the external solution.

Admittedly, one potential drawback is making this removable. But I'm sure that will be resolved eventually.

 

[AHicks]

Color me old school I guess. I don't mind the looks of an external, and an external will darn sure be available when/if I need one down the road. There's very few assurances an integrated battery is going to even be available..... at any price.

 

[Bobsiii]

So I'm sorta in both camps with my Magnum Metro.

 

[Nomad]

1st I say if one is talking about semi intergraded and fully that's one thing but talking about fully external that I think should be moved on from for the most part. I think in the long run the fully intergraded ones will be the way to go because it won't be about looks and if it progress as it should some of the cons will disappear and there will be more pros. That being said I think some semi have a very good look to them. It's not really about hidding the battery.

 

[antboy]

I think an integrated battery looks better, but there's too many drawbacks, from battery range to having to charge on-bike, especially for apartment/condo dwellers.

On-bike-only charging can be a deal breaker, whether they have to store their bike on a balcony, or in a shared space.

This is especially true in climates that see regular temps drop below 10ish degrees Celsius, given the nature of lithium batteries.

This was on the shortlist be my 2nd e-bike...

Luna Fixed Stealth Ebike

The most Stealthy bike on the market, with a hidden battery and discreet mid drive motor... this bike looks like an ordinary road bike but packs a big punch.

lunacycle.com

...except for the small, internal battery. I'd love an easier way to pop it out, both for charging, and for being able to buy multiple spares to optionally go on longer rides.