My Issue With EG

[bikerjohn]

The EG Zurich 350IX was a fabulous ride and could continue to be just fine but for the cost of replacing the battery. After less than 350 recharges the battery no longer supplies the original amount of energy to power the bike adequately. The battery needs to be replaced after less than two years of moderate use. That alone is a reliability problem from my perspective.

However, what discourages me most is the limited availability of replacement batteries and their cost. EG doesn't offer a battery upgrade, but for $580 they can supply a replacement battery with less capacity. A 10.6Ah-36V battery to replace the original 12Ah battery, what's up with that?

 

[harryS]

That is a bum situation . If EG had the stock rack battery as 12 AH, seems like a replacement should be the same, not 10AH and 20% less range.

We almost bought the Zurich, but we went for a 500W Maui with the 48V dolphin.

 

[Ann M.]

@bikerjohn, have you considered getting the battery rebuilt by (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)? They've been in the business of lithium battery rebuilds longer than anyone else in the industry. With the newest cells having more capacity they probably could fit 36V 15Amps inside your old case for about what EG wants for a lower capacity battery. You send them the battery, pay a small diagnostic fee and RPE will give you quotes on various options for rebuilding the battery. These cells would have a lot more charge cycles than what's currently in your pack.

 

[Ann M.]

@bikerjohn, have you considered getting the battery rebuilt by (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)? They've been in the business of lithium battery rebuilds longer than anyone else in the industry. With the newest cells having more capacity they probably could fit 36V 15Amps inside your old case for about what EG wants for a lower capacity battery. You send them the battery, pay a small diagnostic fee and RPE will give you quotes on various options for rebuilding the battery. These cells would have a lot more charge cycles than what's currently in your pack.

 

[bikerjohn]

@bikerjohn, have you considered getting the battery rebuilt by (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)? They've been in the business of lithium battery rebuilds longer than anyone else in the industry. With the newest cells having more capacity they probably could fit 36V 15Amps inside your old case for about what EG wants for a lower capacity battery. You send them the battery, pay a small diagnostic fee and RPE will give you quotes on various options for rebuilding the battery. These cells would have a lot more charge cycles than what's currently in your pack.

Ann, it is a fabulous idea but I have not been able to get a quote from RPE for anything other than their $75 diagnostic fee. If RPE would publish or quote a rebuild cost before my having to send the battery out for evaluation, then I would consider that option. What is the issue with letting the customer know at least the range of cost involved ahead of sending out the battery pack?

 

[Ann M.]

John, first RPE has to check the condition of the cells you have, the Battery Management System, charging port, etc. and see what is still usable. Then there are some batteries (like Easy Motion) that have proprietary electronics inside that make it impossible for RPE to replace. So, it's not necessarily a plug 'n' play situation all the time and they have a lot of options for cells, so you need to ship them the battery and they provide a quote with your options. I've spoken to them on the phone and you may want to do the same just to get a rough ball park figure. There are a few different variables they consider, so it's not one price for everything.

Another alternative would be to pick up a cheaper built replacement from Ebay, Amazon or Alibaba.com. Can't guarantee how many charge cycles these types of batteries would have, that would depend upon the brand and types of cells inside, but it's another option.