Just received a new Dorado 25ah battery

[Bitmugger]

It has been mentioned in a few threads here but Reention is producing a new case for their Dorado series of batteries that allow 21700 cells to be used instead of 18650. This increases the max capacity of that battery to 25ah using Samsung 50E cells (@48v). The battery is available in 36v, 48v.

I pre-ordered one for my NCM Moscow before the case was even available through Aijiu Energy and @Jenny Mao who is a user here on EBR. The battery arrived today and I made a couple short videos, I did an unboxing video and then I realized I should have had an existing Dorado handy for a size comparison so did a 2nd short video on it. These are the the first videos I've ever made so hopefully they are ok.

Unboxing:

Quick compare to existing Dorado:

I added a video showing the battery on a narrow frame step-thru bike:

(No idea why youtube links don't always work. Grrr. Search for "Dorado 21700 25ah" if needed)

So far the battery looks good, it fits the NCM Moscow I have now (it's taller than a normal Dorado). It arrived in perfect condition visually, I haven't ridden with it yet as it's charging (and it's raining out), but we have a 3 day trip planned with it so I'll post a real review after that! It's a big battery but the capacity is going to be great. The battery charge connector has moved from the bottom (down near the mud and water) to the top which is a smart choice I think. The water cover over the charge and USB ports is much thicker and heavier than the old covers (and has screws for easy replacement).

I ordered mine with the 2.1mm barrel connector for charging which limited me to the 3A charger but there is a 4A available using a 3-pin connector by Reention, 4A would really speed up charging for sure.

The battery has no rattles or loose parts, seems very well constructed. I've said before Aijiu and Jenny have been fabulous to deal with, I got a bit of special treatment since this was a pre-order for a new format of battery case, so I was able to see it's construction, the cells, the nickel strips, etc. It all gave me a great sense of confidence in Aijiu and so far so good

The packing was great, there was a slit in the foam around the battery and Jenny has said that must've been from customs inspecting the box (which did add a few days to shipping but with customs its a bit of luck to know if your package will be delayed or quick), that's no fault of Aijiu. The battery box arrived with all the proper lithium ion warning labels too.

Overall it's great so far. Just need to get some km on it now! Ask me any questions you have and check back for a full review later.

Here's the link I ordered from:

Reention Dorado 21700 48v 25ah Ebike Battery High Capacity Lithium Ion 48v 52v Ebike Battery For 1000w 48v 52v Ebike - Buy Dorado 48v 25ah Ebike Battery ebike Battery 48v Ebike Battery Product on Alibaba.com

Reention Dorado 21700 48v 25ah Ebike Battery High Capacity Lithium Ion 48v 52v Ebike Battery For 1000w 48v 52v Ebike - Buy Dorado 48v 25ah Ebike Battery ebike Battery 48v Ebike Battery Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

 

[Art Deco]

Nice report. Thanks, it may help someone out.

 

[Bike Addict]

It has been mentioned in a few threads here but Reention is producing a new case for their Dorado series of batteries that allow 21700 cells to be used instead of 18650. This increases the max capacity of that battery to 25ah using Samsung 50E cells (@48v). The battery is available in 36v, 48v.

I pre-ordered one for my NCM Moscow before the case was even available through Aijiu Energy and @Jenny Mao who is a user here on EBR. The battery arrived today and I made a couple short videos, I did an unboxing video and then I realized I should have had an existing Dorado handy for a size comparison so did a 2nd short video on it. These are the the first videos I've ever made so hopefully they are ok.

Unboxing:

Quick compare to existing Dorado:

So far the battery looks good, it fits the NCM Moscow I have now (it's taller than a normal Dorado). It arrived in perfect condition visually, I haven't ridden with it yet as it's charging (and it's raining out), but we have a 3 day trip planned with it so I'll post a real review after that! It's a big battery but the capacity is going to be great. The battery charge connector has moved from the bottom (down near the mud and water) to the top which is a smart choice I think. The water cover over the charge and USB ports is much thicker and heavier than the old covers (and has screws for easy replacement).

I ordered mine with the 2.1mm barrel connector for charging which limited me to the 3A charger but there is a 4A available using a 3-pin connector by Reention, 4A would really speed up charging for sure.

The battery has no rattles or loose parts, seems very well constructed. I've said before Aijiu and Jenny have been fabulous to deal with, I got a bit of special treatment since this was a pre-order for a new format of battery case, so I was able to see it's construction, the cells, the nickel strips, etc. It all gave me a great sense of confidence in Aijiu and so far so good

The packing was great, there was a slit in the foam around the battery and Jenny has said that must've been from customs inspecting the box (which did add a few days to shipping but with customs its a bit of luck to know if your package will be delayed or quick), that's no fault of Aijiu. The battery box arrived with all the proper lithium ion warning labels too.

Overall it's great so far. Just need to get some km on it now! Ask me any questions you have and check back for a full review later.

Here's the link I ordered from:

Reention Dorado 21700 48v 25ah Ebike Battery High Capacity Lithium Ion 48v 52v Ebike Battery For 1000w 48v 52v Ebike - Buy Dorado 48v 25ah Ebike Battery ebike Battery 48v Ebike Battery Product on Alibaba.com

Reention Dorado 21700 48v 25ah Ebike Battery High Capacity Lithium Ion 48v 52v Ebike Battery For 1000w 48v 52v Ebike - Buy Dorado 48v 25ah Ebike Battery ebike Battery 48v Ebike Battery Product on Alibaba.com

www.alibaba.com

Hi,
Very grateful for you. I want to order 2 of the 25 Ahmps battery, do you have any complain so far? I never bought from Alibaba, couldn't find the Add to cart button! Do they have an AliExpress site for easier transaction?
Thank you

 

[Bitmugger]

Hi,
Very grateful for you. I want to order 2 of the 25 Ahmps battery, do you have any complain so far? I never bought from Alibaba, couldn't find the Add to cart button! Do they have an AliExpress site for easier transaction?
Thank you

They don't have an Aliexpress site (I asked), but Alibaba is linked to Aliexpress (you will use your Aliexpress login for Alibaba). The way it works is either send an inquiry via Alibaba (Dorado 25ah) or I found it easier to just email Jenny at ([email protected]) and ask for a fresh price list for all the Dorado's they offer.

No complaints so far but I'll report back in 2-3 days on how some long distance rides go. I am off on a 3 day trip with it. I will be riding head to head with my son on a Moscow (actually an Amego Elevate but same bike) that has a 16ah battery. We are both carrying spare batteries just in case but I don't think I'll even need to use my spare as I can charge at night. It's 80km there, maybe 20-30km in the area and then 80km back mostly road but some trail. He's a stronger rider and will have a lighter bike (I have panniers) so it's going to be interesting. If we were on identical bikes and batteries he'd demolish me for distance.

I specifically picked a bike (Moscow+) with a Dorado style battery as I wanted a battery widely used I could just take along to the next ebike. I have no plans to buy another bike right away but I really like that if I pick a future bike that uses Dorado's I have a 25ah battery pack ready for it.

 

[Jenny Mao]

Hi,
Very grateful for you. I want to order 2 of the 25 Ahmps battery, do you have any complain so far? I never bought from Alibaba, couldn't find the Add to cart button! Do they have an AliExpress site for easier transaction?
Thank you

Hi, I am Jenny, the sales rep from Aijiu Energy Tech. The Alibaba is a platform mainly for factories to provide customized products while Aliexpress focuses on retail.
Pls send an inquiry based on the product link and I will make the order all as we discuss and agree and send you payment link, you can choose to pay with PayPal, Credit/Debit card, Apple/Google pay, or bank transfer.
Or pls just send me your email account that you login in Aliexpress/Alibaba and your address for delivery, and I will create the order and send you payment link. Very easy to deal on Alibaba.

 

[Jenny Mao]

Thank you @Bitmugger for taking videos to share the battery package condition and introduce the difference between the new battery and current battery. Enjoy your biking trip with your son.

 

[Bitmugger]

Hi, I am Jenny, the sales rep from Aijiu Energy Tech. The Alibaba is a platform mainly for factories to provide customized products while Aliexpress focuses on retail.
Pls send an inquiry based on the product link and I will make the order all as we discuss and agree and send you payment link, you can choose to pay with PayPal, Credit/Debit card, Apple/Google pay, or bank transfer.
Or pls just send me your email account that you login in Aliexpress/Alibaba and your address for delivery, and I will create the order and send you payment link. Very easy to deal on Alibaba.

I can confirm the process was very easy!

*** EDIT *** SEE MY LONGER POST TRIP COMMENTS NEXT POST DOWN ***

I got back from my trip. I will post a full review shortly but 1st impressions after the ride are all positive!

We rode 102km the first day on PAS 4 (NCM Moscow) and I am a heavy rider with gear and a spare 16ah battery and we pulled in with 2 bars left on my display. I was very happy! My son had to switch batteries (he was riding a 16ah) around 75km. Ride back was in hot humid weather, really sticky and I leaned on the motor to assist me more and used PAS 6 for the final 25km and still rolled in with 44v left on the display. I'll post more details in a full review shortly. But battery worked flawless and charged fully overnight with a 3A charger and the range is fantastic.

A lighter rider and/or using less assist I don't see any reason you couldn't get 200km from a charge or more. To me these large 21ah to 25ah batteries are game changers for bike touring and/or commuting. Now I finally have a battery where I can carry a single battery, no awkward spare and can get more than enough distance for a fulls days riding. Even me being heavy I can get 120km from the battery with ease and further if I needed to. I can basically ebike tour now for unlimited distances since I can charge overnight at hotels. With a spare 16ah battery on the bike I could do 3 days of camping without charging even. Those are fantastic scenarios for me.

As a commuter doing say 15km a day to and from work you can go 2 full weeks Mon-Fri of riding plus some grocery runs before you have to recharge!!

 

[Bitmugger]

I wanted to update everyone properly on my experience on the literally first ride of the Dorado 21700 25ah battery. It arrived less than 24hrs before my planned trip so other than my son taking a trip to the mailbox we literally charged this battery and set out on a multiday trip fingers crossed. My original post mentioned that I ordered the battery from Aijiu and @Jenny Mao the sales person has been so good, she was up late in her time zone when we left on our trip but she checked in when we set out to make sure all went well.

Our route was a planned 90km that was through a city, across a major suspension bridge, onto an old rail bed converted to multi-use trails and then hilly coastal roads until we reached our cabin. So it gave the battery a good range of environments and some real jarring sections to rattle it around. I was riding with my NCM Moscow+ and the new 25ah battery, my packs, a charger and a spare 16ah battery (just in case). My son had a 16ah battery and a 14ah battery and was biking an Amego Elevate (Identical to Moscow+).

The NCM Moscow has 6 assist levels and I set mine to 4 which is around 28km/h usually for me and so quite an ambitious pace for a 100km ride with gear but the ride went smooth. I stuck to PAS 4 most of the ride with occasional throttle assist to pass other riders and as we reached the cabin for the night we did go PAS 6 for the final couple km and had some fun on the trails. I’ve got some figures of voltage levels at various distances along the route and I’ll compile those when I do a full review, I want to get some more rides in and fully test the capacity of the battery. When we finished the day we were at 102km but the new battery was at 46.6v which was still 2 bars on my display. Easily another 10km in there if I needed it and if I’d ridden on PAS 3 like I normally would when conserving battery the range would have been even more. My son on the other hand had to switch to his spare at 75km. I intend to do some PAS 3 rides in the upcoming days to establish the range on that level too.

For some people getting 100km from a 25ah battery isn’t that impressive but I want to remind people I’m a heavy rider (118kg/260lbs) 52yo and I was leaning into the motor a bit to make for a comfortable ride. I feel a lighter rider can get 150-200km from this battery. I totaled up some figures below:

Bike weight: 25.9kg (57.1lbs) (My NCM Moscow+ with racks, gadgets, etc)
Gear: 8.7kg (19.2lbs)
16ah Battery: 4.1kg (9lbs)
25ah Battery: 5.9kg (13lbs)
Rider: 118kg (260lbs)
Total Weight: 162.6kg (360lbs)

So that’s a combined weight of 360lbs it was lugging around. Imagine a stronger lighter rider around 200lbs, the weight of the rider and bike minus the extra gear I carried would only be 122.8kg or almost 100lbs lighter! I don’t see why 200km from a charge can’t be achieved by many riders, I’m confident I can get 120km from it myself if needed. A strong rider on PAS 1 could bike this thing around the earth I think, lol.

Some other notes. No problem charging it overnight with a 3A charger from empty, I am unsure how long it took but I awoke to it charged. The battery doesn’t have a handle but does have a nice grip underneath for removing it from the bike. I am not sure if it’s just because it’s brand new but it slides on and off easier than the 16ah Dorado Plus batteries. The new laminated type plastic buttons and display look to be a superior method of water protecting vs the display and buttons on the Dorado Plus. I hope they switch to this across the entire Dorado battery lineup. The charging port at the top is so much smarter, it’s nearly impossible to not notice you have it plugged in vs the old charge port location and it’s way way up out of the splash zone for water. That’s another change Reention should consider across the Dorado line.

To me this opens up so many doors to simple easy ebike touring, with just packs and no extra batteries, the Dorado 21700 can take me 100-120km per day which is exactly what I’d need. If I can bike 4-5 hours a day without burning out my legs that's fantastic. And I feel confident I’ll be able to report back even longer ranges when I get more rides in, likewise when my son gets some rides in being stronger and lighter I’ll report those ranges too. I feel for a commuter and someone in an urban environment this means they could probably go 1-2 weeks between charges including grocery runs and that feels super convenient to me especially if you store your bike away from where you charge the battery.

 

[Bubba zanetti]

Curious as to the weight of the new battery? Unless I missed that somewhere …

What sort of terrain are you riding in? I didn’t see a location for you but you mentioned it being hot.
Thanks. My Rize battery is 19.2 AH which so far exceeds my Butt Hour capacity. But if I was replacing, I’d go this route.

 

[AguassissiM]

@Bitmugger
Thank you for taking the time to report back on the performance of your new power plant.
Since my TeoFatBike's frame looks very similar to yours, my 17 amp battery is 104 millimeters tall and when mounted in the frame I still have 12 millimeters of play to the bottom of the top tube,
so I was just wondering if you could take couple of pictures of the old battery and the new one mounted on the bike to give us a real good idea of the distance between the top of the battery and the bottom of the top tube.
This old fart has a hard time picturing things without looking at the real thing.
Thank you for your consideration.

 

[theemartymac]

I like that charge port up where the USB is. I wrecked the flimsy little cap on my charge port pretty quickly on my first battery, so I have to be careful which one to choose in the rain. This one looks promising for a potential future upgrade.

 

[Bitmugger]

Curious as to the weight of the new battery? Unless I missed that somewhere …

What sort of terrain are you riding in? I didn’t see a location for you but you mentioned it being hot.
Thanks. My Rize battery is 19.2 AH which so far exceeds my Butt Hour capacity. But if I was replacing, I’d go this route.

The weight is in the updated report but hidden in the details, it's 5.9kg on my scales for the new 25ah battery. Location was Nova Scotia Canada, not normally the hottest location on earth but that day was sticky hot on the ride back home. The ride to the cabin was fine and very comfortable. Been steady rain since I returned so haven't gotten any more rides in.

 

[Bitmugger]

⁠Followup with some new range info.

First I should have mentioned on my previous range reports that along with all the gear and spare battery I was carrying, I have a 48v light system that I used the entire ride for visibility, that power came from the battery and it drops the battery about 0.5v/hr so it alone would have taken about 2v off the battery throughout the day. AND further I have a USB speaker I powered throughout the ride for music and the power for that came from the battery too, I've not monitored it's power usage but around 500ma I am guessing, it's small.

Last night I wanted to try biking on purely the top assist level PAS 6 to see how far the battery could go. My PAS 6 will assist me up to 32km/hr then fades and is entirely gone at 34km/hr.

My route was hilly coastal through the first 1/4 then rolling hills for about 1/2 the route and the final 1/4 through the edge of town and a few traffic lights then a bit of coastal home. I averaged right about 30km/hr over the route including the traffic lights, through the rolling hills it was fantastic to only need to drop a few gears and still power up hills at a brisk pace, very enjoyable ride.

Using top assist throughout I got 63km and still had 46.1v (2 bars) left on the display! I mean that's amazing to me. I will probably get 75km from this battery on PAS 6, I may in fact go out tonight to finish the battery off a bit further. That ride was with my lights and music playing too.

** EDIT ** attached some pics of the Dorado 21700 vs stock Dorado battery on the bike as per someones request. They wanted to see the difference in heights.

 

[AguassissiM]

@Bitmugger
Thank you for the pictures.

 

[Jenny Mao]

@Bitmugger
Thank you for taking the time to report back on the performance of your new power plant.
Since my TeoFatBike's frame looks very similar to yours, my 17 amp battery is 104 millimeters tall and when mounted in the frame I still have 12 millimeters of play to the bottom of the top tube,
so I was just wondering if you could take couple of pictures of the old battery and the new one mounted on the bike to give us a real good idea of the distance between the top of the battery and the bottom of the top tube.
This old fart has a hard time picturing things without looking at the real thing.
Thank you for your consideration.

The 25Ah battery case is 109mm tall, just 5mm taller than your current battery. If on the higher part of the frame you got 12mm clearance, I think you can upgrade to 25ah，as there is sufficient space at the lower part of the frame, where you can grab the battery to remove.

 

[Jenny Mao]

I like that charge port up where the USB is. I wrecked the flimsy little cap on my charge port pretty quickly on my first battery, so I have to be careful which one to choose in the rain. This one looks promising for a potential future upgrade.

On the 25AH Doraod 21700 case, the thick rubber cover is firmly fixed by screws and we can provide you an extra cover for repacement when shipping the battery.

 

[Jenny Mao]

@Bitmugger Pictures look great and the 25AH battery just perfectly sits there.
Thank you for recording the specific range and its corresponding voltage. That is valued testing reports for us too. I kind of understand the how the motor is actuated by PAS or throttle. As the FLX website advertises their 48V 17.5AH 840WH battery can reach 40-90miles(64-144km), the 48V 25AH 1200WH batery shall go 90-200km(200km at most economy mode like PAS 1 you mentioned for a stronger rider). Your testing result that you ride about 100km with still 2 bars remaining while your son stops at 75km with a 16ah battery exatly prove that range achiveable.

 

[AguassissiM]

@Jenny Mao
Thank you for the precise measurement 109mm.
I will contact you this weekend.
Sorry for higjackin your tread
@Bitmugger

 

[Bitmugger]

@Jenny Mao
Thank you for the precise measurement 109mm.
I will contact you this weekend.
Sorry for higjackin your tread
@Bitmugger

Ha ha no worries it's all related to the battery. I think you'll be very happy with it and enjoy the range!

Also @Jenny Mao I think you are correct on the range charts and what's achievable. I love the battery and am happy to report my own results but any lighter/stronger riders should realize they will get even better results than I did. My son and I are looking at a trip that'll be 3-4 days next and we will probably only carry the 25ah for me but he'll have to use two batteries for him.

 

[Bitmugger]

More updates on range. I rode 63km the other night on PAS 6 (full assist on my bike). I came back with 2 bars on the display. I took the bike out again last night to finish the battery range test fully and I got to an astounding 94km from 1 charge riding with full assist! I was averaging around 30km/hr on the paved sections too. This was while hauling around me (260kg) and a spare battery and I had my 48v lights on and was powering my speaker.

There is still more energy in the battery too, just my bike will not use the battery below 40v and shuts down. The BMS in this battery is designed to cut out to protect the battery at 36v so the battery had more to give if called on. NOTE: The datasheet for the Samsung 50E cells inside say ~32.5v is min voltage so the BMS is setup perfect to protect the cells with a safety buffer for longevity, the bike's added protection of 40v means you can safely run this battery dry on a ride without worry about damaging it.

For the ride itself I did 31km through rolling hills on paved roads, then into the edge of town and then down a coastal hilly route. I ended on a 6km trail system and Jenny probably was turning in her sleep as I slammed the bike around on the trails and tested the welds Aijiu did on the battery. I can report it handled it fine, lol. I am not a big trail rider but I wanted to include a few rough tests of the battery for those who do more off road riding and it was plenty fun to ride last night.

So the truly interesting thing for me was how the battery reacted at low voltages (the under 44v range). With the 16ah stock battery I find useful assist really tails off as the voltage goes under 43v it's clearly assisting but not much. With the 25ah either because of the 21700's or the overall deeper capacity the available current for the bike was much higher in those low voltages which meant that I was still enjoying the bike and the ride very much. Not until I got down to 41v did I really notice the assist wasn't there when starting from a stop, it was helping but weak, once in motion holding 30km/hr with me pedaling was still possible. I finally ran out of juice on a hill and switched to a 16ah I was lugging around with me for a spare.

So conclusion: The Dorado 21700 25ah can take me 93km on full assist on my Moscow+ and I am so pleased!