Optimizing Battery Usage

[bikerjohn]

I sent a note to the RPE folks asking them to join the EBR family:

Hi, Rebekah!
Here are the EBR blog links which will chronicle my experience with the battery rebuild. There are many EBR members who have batteries that will soon need or already need refurbishment. My experiences with the process will be very illuminating for EBR members and could become a free advertisement on RPE's quality. Please keep me updated with any challenges with regard to my battery's refurbishment.

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/getting-a-rebuild-for-my-battery.2141/#message-13037

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/efforts-at-replacing-a-battery.12083/#post-94823

https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/optimizing-battery-usage.8708/#post-95108

I invite you folks at RPE to join the EBR community and post your perspectives on the latest techniques and materials available for battery refurbishment.

 

[justforfun]

Curious which 18650 cells they will use. These show 3 day free delivery.

Original Li-ion Japan Panasonic NCR18650B 3.7V 3400mAH Lithium Ion Battery

 

[bikerjohn]

Curious which 18650 cells they will use. These show 3 day free delivery.

Original Li-ion Japan Panasonic NCR18650B 3.7V 3400mAH Lithium Ion Battery

Curious! If there is a link, I would forward it to RPE!

 

[justforfun]

Just a quick google, there are several to chose from: http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_187046.html

 

[bikerjohn]

So I forwarded the battery cell info to RPE and they expressed some informed opinion with a reply back:
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Today from Sean at RPE:
Good fine but are you aware those cells only have a 1C peak? This means that they are not able to handle a huge load and I honestly wouldn’t recommend them on any bike paired with a motor above 500w as a motor that size can out put around 15 amps which is to much for those cells to handle.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My reply:
Hi, Sean!
I trust that you will refurbish my battery pack with the most reliable materials available. My goal with this rebuild is to maximize the power capacity within the housing. I have no idea what 1C peak is.
That said, here is the link to the manual of the EG Zurich bike, for which the battery pack supplies power:
http://www.egbike.com/EGUSA/PDF/EGElectricBikeOMZ350_062813.pdf
On page 7 of the manual, a description mentions that the 8FUN motor: "Produces a continuous and sustained power of 350 Watt power with a peak of up to 700 Watts."

Again I leave it up to you to determine what is the best cell components needed to maximize the 36 volt capacity within the battery case. Thanks for keeping me updated!
-bikerjohn

 

[bikerjohn]

from Sean Turner:
1:02 PM (10 minutes ago)

to me
Nice if you have a 350W motor we will use those cell as we actually have those in stock but they are testing at around 3000mah which will put you at 36v 15amp hour battery which should be around 450$ is this ok?
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
my reply:

John Migliore <[email protected]>
1:12 PM (0 minutes ago)

to Sean
Sean, That will be great! Next, I will need info on sending you payment. Will PayPal work?

 

[justforfun]

From the Pedego forum: "48V/15a is Panasonic, as Pedego transitions into completely Panasonic lithium-ion battery cells."
18650-BE cells.

 

[justforfun]

As I continue looking at battery packs, this example came up: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hig...thium-battery-with-BMS-2A-54/32317202240.html

 

[bikerjohn]

After yesterday's phone conversation and some additional detailing via e-mail RPE and I reached an agreement on rebuilding my 36V battery pack to 15Ah capacity -a 3Ah increase above the original 12Ah capacity! I am EXTREMELY satisfied with this deal. Further, I am grateful for the helpful information provided by this EBR forum! Nice job here folks.

Here is my bottom line:
Order summary

Rebuild battery for John × 1
$460.00

Subtotal
$460.00
Shipping
$30.00
Total
$490.00 USD
Customer information
Shipping method
Custom
$30.00

 

[JohnT]

Great, John! Hope it works out well for you!

The c-rate of a battery, as in "1C peak", refers to how much current it can put out safely. "Peak" is how much it can put out for a short time only. Ebikes need "continuous". The continuous rating will be lower than the peak rating. The long explanation is a lot longer and more technical.

 

[bikerjohn]

My conclusions regarding doing business with RPE are positive:
RPE is a battery solutions provider for lithium and other chemistry battery related products. Among their services and specialties include refurbishing old lithium batteries for e-bikes. E-bike components and e-bike battery refurbishing seem to be growing niches for RPE's business.http://www.rechargeablepowerenergy.com/

The company cares about customer satisfaction and was very responsive to my needs. After some initial communication about their service, I decided to send them my 36-volt Lithium-Ion battery for evaluation. They quoted a price to rebuild the battery at $490 -which seemed reasonable for an upgrade from 12Ah to 15Ah. Somewhere along the process of shipping the battery back to me, the battery turned up missing. RPE promised to make good on the loss and followed their words with deeds. They refunded my $490 and gave me a lightly used original equipment battery as a replacement. So, I didn't get the upgrade, and although I incurred one-way shipping costs, the replacement battery is next-to-new and should serve me well for a while.

The bottom line for me is that RPE is a company I can depend upon to provide trustworthy and reliable service. I intend to do business with them the next time my e-bike battery requires service. Thanks to Rebekah and Sean and the entire RPE team for being responsive and dependable.
bikerjohn