Powering You Ebike Using Portable Tool Batteries

[6zfshdb]

Has anyone tried using lithium power tool batteries on an ebike? With all the various voltages available, they shouldn't be too difficult to adapt. There may not be any cost savings but the versatility of being able to use a battery for more than one purpose is certainly a plus. They could ultimately serve as replacements if an ebike manufacturer goes out of business or discontinues a particular battery. Carried in a tail bag or pannier, they might also serve as small, lightweight emergency spares. I could see using them for short runs to work or the market to save wear and tear on the bikes main battery.

My Pedego uses a 48V battery but the specs say the motor & controller will work with anything between 40 and 52 volts. I already use these in several of my power tools:

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCB60...864&sr=8-2&keywords=dewalt+flexvolt+batteries

The biggest problem I see would be making an adapter cable to connect the batteries in series and to the bike.

There are several YouTube videos out there on the subject like:

I'm curious if anyone here has tried it and if so, with what result.

 

[rich c]

I like the look of this one, but looks like a gift to battery thieves!
https://www.electricbike.com/dewalt-cordless-battery-cruiser/

 

[rich c]

And this one is my favorite for design. The guy built this for a Bosch competition, and just directly used the drill. Not high speed, but being a woodworker, this knocked me out!

 

[ebikemom]

What a clever idea! Let us know if you try it and make it work! Would it void the warranty on your bike, though, if you did that?

 

[pnop]

When I was trying to finish mine up I came here for some advice. I was told to try out the motor with a tool battery if I had one. I have a 40 volt electric motor. It worked great on my 36 vote wheel. I was surprised at how far it took me. With it's relatively small size it would be a good option as a back up to take with you on a long ride.

 

[6zfshdb]

What a clever idea! Let us know if you try it and make it work! Would it void the warranty on your bike, though, if you did that?

Thats a fair question. My guess is it wouldn't as long as the max voltage wasn't exceeded or the OEM wiring modified.

 

[6zfshdb]

And this one is my favorite for design. The guy built this for a Bosch competition, and just directly used the drill. Not high speed, but being a woodworker, this knocked me out!

Wow! Great workmanship! I wonder what it's made of. It looks like a molded laminate of some sort.

 

[rich c]

What a clever idea! Let us know if you try it and make it work! Would it void the warranty on your bike, though, if you did that?

Oh yeah, big time. Most of the tool battery guys are building kit bikes, not much warranty there anyway.

 

[rich c]

Wow! Great workmanship! I wonder what it's made of. It looks like a molded laminate of some sort.

It was a college project for a design competition. Laminated wood veneer. Hard to find a good story on the build, but this does give some info.
http://megadeluxe.com/gear/rennholz-vehicle-concept-powered-by-bosch-cordless-screwdriver

 

[harryS]

Yes, I have run ebikes off my Ryobi tool batteries. Ryobi calls it a 40V battery, but in the ebike world, it's a 36V. Mine are acceptable for my smaller motors with 17A controllers, I believe my longest ride was almost 14 miles on the 2AH battery. Used on a more powerful bike, the battery is strained to deliver the current, and as it starts to come off full charge, a 20A surge will turn it off.. I might have got 1000 yards on my fatbike with the Ryobi before it shut off on acceleration. Of course, other battery types may do better. This is specific to the Ryobis.

If you already have the power tool, then you get a little bonus out of being able to run a (smaller) bike with it. IThe tradeoffs are not many amp-hours (AH), you have figure out a mounting system, make a connector, and the chargers are relatively expensive. In my case, I already had the Ryobi trimmer. I didn' t use a mounting system. I just put the battery on my rack with bungee cords and padding. I fashioned my own connector.

 

[Trail Cruiser]

A 36 volt ebike will receive a 40 volt dewalt battery without problem.
Thess guys below are ahead of the curve when it comes to using dewalt battery for ebikes.