LifePo4 and EZEE ?

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,559
30,848
There's an optional add-on second battery from eZee using this technology and that's suitable for all models.

eZee were one of the first to test this battery type and in the course of the last three years have had very variable results with each generation. For that reason they are treading warily before introducing full replacements for the current Li-poly type.

Of course the same is true for all the major manufacturers, none of them at this moment supplying lithium iron phosphate replacements.
.
 

geostorm

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 7, 2009
297
4
LifePo4

Tony thanks your the man, this second battery can it be fitted in the place of existing one or does it require rewiring and fitting in box etc.
would i notice much difference as i am still running with nimh ?
 

fishingpaul

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 24, 2007
874
86
The ezee lifepo4 battery,is i believe only intended as to be used with another battery as a range extender,i dont think it would be suitable as a replacement battery.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,559
30,848
Yes, it's as Paul says. eZee also do an optional special carrier as well to mount the added battery, which is flat in profile.

Onbike are the agents and on this webpage you'll see all the options, the standard 10 Ah lithium battery, a 14 Ah long range one and the optional add-on to make it even longer range.

Running with a second battery also improves performance since the current delivery rate is potentially better at times of high demand.
.
 

Bob_about

Pedelecer
Nov 17, 2009
113
1
Warks/Glos Border
Tony thanks your the man, this second battery can it be fitted in the place of existing one or does it require rewiring and fitting in box etc.
would i notice much difference as i am still running with nimh ?
Hi Geostorm

After a fair bit of research I opted for a dual battery set up and have both a 14Ah Li+ Poly and an 8.1Ah LiFePO4 wired in parallel. The 14Ah is behind the seat and the LiFePO4 is on the special double layer rack which OnBike / Ezee supply - the double decker feature means it can still be used as a normal rack.

See HERE for the info from the Ezee website and a picture of the rear carriers. This info sheet states that the LiFePO4 is guranteed for 2 years, so far as I know it is only available in rear carrier format, not the size/shape to fit behind the seat tube at the moment.

I generally keep both batteries charged up and keep both switched on while I`m using the bike. The extra power and acceleration is definitely noticeable over using them individually, and of course you have the benifit of knowing you are sharing the peak load between two batteries rather than frying one too much - I`m really very impressed with how well the dual battery option works.

Back to your question about using them individually, that works perfectly fine too - I have tested out using just the 14Ah on its own and just the 8.1Ah on its own. With the 8.1Ah LiFePO4 I managed exactly 40 miles before it cut out on a day when I had some daytime visits so my total mileage was about 45 miles for the day. It provided very similar amounts of assistance to the Li+Poly and if anything the voltage dropped off slower up to the last 2 or 3 miles.

Let me know if there is anything further about the batteries you would like to know - I`ve been using them since March this year and covered just over 2000 miles so far.

All the best

Bob_about
 

tepol

Pedelecer
Jun 9, 2008
151
0
Yes, it's as Paul says. eZee also do an optional special carrier as well to mount the added battery, which is flat in profile.

Onbike are the agents and on this webpage you'll see all the options, the standard 10 Ah lithium battery, a 14 Ah long range one and the optional add-on to make it even longer range.

Running with a second battery also improves performance since the current delivery rate is potentially better at times of high demand.
.

Are punctures are real issue with ekits such as this , I mean are they hard to fix yourself or expensive to replace outside of warranty ?

I noticed the one on that site including an anti puncture tire , but its not something ive seen included with the like of the nano kit or even the Ezee kit sold by Nycwheels so I just wondered .

£500 for the battery is even worse the EWC.

900 for the kit and charger and no battery ...

At least you get battery with Nano , pretty underhand salesmanship there if you ask me including anti puncture tires so they can squeeze an extra 500 just for the battery.

t

t
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,559
30,848
You've misread the site Tepol, £895 is for the whole kit including the largest size 14 Ah battery, nothing underhand about it. The battery is the same as that supplied by Wisper who also price at about £500, this being par for a top of the market latest 37 volt compound cathode type.

All the eZee bikes and kits now come with the Marathon Plus anti-puncture tyres since the company principal noticed how many of us change to them as soon as possible. He therefore fits them as standard commensurate with his aim for the brand to be in a top of the market quality position.
.
 

aseb

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 12, 2009
269
0
Hi Geostorm

After a fair bit of research I opted for a dual battery set up and have both a 14Ah Li+ Poly and an 8.1Ah LiFePO4 wired in parallel. ..................

All the best

Bob_about
Do you isolate the 2 batteries from each using diodes? I thought this would need to be done for mixing batteries of different chemistries, different nominal voltages, and of different capacities.
 

tepol

Pedelecer
Jun 9, 2008
151
0
You've misread the site Tepol, £895 is for the whole kit including the largest size 14 Ah battery, nothing underhand about it. The battery is the same as that supplied by Wisper who also price at about £500, this being par for a top of the market latest 37 volt compound cathode type.

All the eZee bikes and kits now come with the Marathon Plus anti-puncture tyres since the company principal noticed how many of us change to them as soon as possible. He therefore fits them as standard commensurate with his aim for the brand to be in a top of the market quality position.
.
Ahhh , my mistake - thats not so bad then .

Why does the installation take so long if its already partly assembled though ?

Is the 4ah going to make that big difference than the 10 ah with the Nano ?

I like the the dual battery option admittedly , but the cost of the batteries still make it pointless regardless of how much more economical it is , and I imagine most folk would have that issue when one is already expensive enough as it is.

The only thing that would sway me is the fact i read this motor was 300 / 350 w on some sites comapred to the 200 / 250 for the nano , but that cant be true if their selling it as road kit .

On the NYCwheels site its says its 350w continous and 1-4 hrs to setup depending on the bike see here

Thats not the only place I saw that mentioned too.

thanks

t
 

tepol

Pedelecer
Jun 9, 2008
151
0
What is the backup service for onbikes like for aftersales / beyond the 1 year of the warranty , how much do they charge ( roughly ) any one know ?

So far Im not impressed at all with EWC , I've sent them numerous mails and not had any response from the last 2-3 , so I dont really feel that confident buying from them .

t
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,559
30,848
Why does the installation take so long if its already partly assembled though ?
Is the 4ah going to make that big difference than the 10 ah with the Nano ?

The only thing that would sway me is the fact i read this motor was 300 / 350 w on some sites comapred to the 200 / 250 for the nano , but that cant be true if their selling it as road kit .

On the NYCwheels site its says its 350w continous and 1-4 hrs to setup depending on the bike see here
I can't guess on their installation time estimates, it's a bit like the question "what length is a piece of string".

Ignore the motor wattage ratings, they do not in any way reflect the actual motor continuous abilities, the figures are legal niceties and amount to an estimate of average net output. The 250 watt rated motors on the market vary between 300 and well over 700 watts peak outputs and they will run continuously at those peaks without harm. That's why some 250 watt bikes seem weak while others seem much more powerful.

The Nano motor has a peak output of around 450 watts, the eZee motor at over 700 watts. If the eZee motor is anything like the Bafang version they use to use, and it probably is, a couple of us measured that at over 1000 watts short term peak.
.
 

tepol

Pedelecer
Jun 9, 2008
151
0
Very Impressive,

If the prices come down over the years with better technology I would even be tempted to add the dual battery option too .

Now all thats left is too figure out the bike itself, which Im still undecided on i.e. i figure the lighter weight is more important given i am going to need assist uphills any way, and that the DAY 6 at 35 lbs is prob too heavy.

Better to start with cheap downtube maybe at 19 lbs i originally planned , and take things from there ,unless you think its bad idea?

t
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,559
30,848
That can work out ok, though the bike components will be low spec. Cheap bikes seem to vary considerably, one make and model can give good reliable service while another can have bearing failures in pedals, hubs etc, and short chain and sprocket life.

Still, at least swapping out a cheap bike is affordable and the motor kit usable again.
.
 

tepol

Pedelecer
Jun 9, 2008
151
0
That can work out ok, though the bike components will be low spec. Cheap bikes seem to vary considerably, one make and model can give good reliable service while another can have bearing failures in pedals, hubs etc, and short chain and sprocket life.

Still, at least swapping out a cheap bike is affordable and the motor kit usable again.
.
Yes, that what I was planning to do i.e. just to see if i can ride the bike with that kit, or whether im going to have to try something else with it.

But Im bit confused now by what chain reaction are saying about my idea to put bullhorn electras seen here under mens crusiers , on my Downtube seen here.

They said it wont fold , which TBH i cant live with , but they also said it would also throw the geometery right out of shape.

Any ideas what they could mean ?

Because I was really hoping to put crusier handlebars on there to help with my physical issues i.e. so I wouldnt have to lean forward so much / could relax the arms more.

t
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,559
30,848
Yes. I know what they mean. On this type of folder the handlebar stem hinges so the handlebars are left alongside the bike and in between the two halves of the folded bike. That means the handlebars have to be fairly flat and straight and not be too long. It;s also necessary to have the brake levers sloping well down when in the riding position so they alow the folded bike to be as thin as possible.

The bullhorn bars will stick out so far in between the folded halves of the bike that they won't fold much beyond a right angle.

However, if height is not a problem, you could leave the handlebar stem sticking up unfolded and then the bike will fold in half ok.
.
 

Bob_about

Pedelecer
Nov 17, 2009
113
1
Warks/Glos Border
Do you isolate the 2 batteries from each using diodes? I thought this would need to be done for mixing batteries of different chemistries, different nominal voltages, and of different capacities.
Afraid I`m not that technical in my knowledge - I had the parallel wiring done at OnBike at the point at which I bought the Sprint GTS so it was all covered by the warranty.

I`m not sure if diodes are involved or not, but the OnBike website does have some technical data sheets available in their tech area OnBike's Electric Bike Technical Area

Not sure if that helps. With respect to operation I can use one or the other and add the second one at any point with no apparent ill effects.

All the best

Bob_about
 

Bob_about

Pedelecer
Nov 17, 2009
113
1
Warks/Glos Border
What is the backup service for onbikes like for aftersales / beyond the 1 year of the warranty , how much do they charge ( roughly ) any one know ?

So far Im not impressed at all with EWC , I've sent them numerous mails and not had any response from the last 2-3 , so I dont really feel that confident buying from them .

t
I`m not beyond the warranty period yet, but my experience of Andrew & co so far is that they will not end up rich men! I`ve had a couple of tweaks and changes at my request carried out for free with accompanying cups of coffee, test rides on new bikes in, and general chat about experiences with the bike.

Best advice would be to talk to them about any concerns you have - I may be wrong here, but I`d be amazed if they tried to rip you off - they are genuine guys interested in helping people get the most from their e-bikes. They generally respond to mails within a couple of days, but if you want a faster responce ring them up.

All the best