New battery options in 2009

[Jérôme Daoust]

Any information regarding availability of the new auxiliary battery
pack for this summer would be great. Related discussion on Endless-
sphere:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8209

The reason I ask is that I am wondering if it is worth waiting for an E
+ or get something else now. I want to be able to have at least 600 Wh
of energy when I go for a ride. Currently there is 360 Wh (36 V x 10
Ah) in the front hub, and I don't want to ride with an extra front
wheel. Ideally, I would like to see the batteries removed from the
front wheel to lower the transport weight.

Any insight on your 2009 changes would help me wait for 1000 W
Mountain E+. :-)

Thanks in advance, Jerome

[E+ Electric Bicycles]

Hi Jerome,

Our engineers at Electric Motion Systems are currently working on a
high power Lithium-Polymer battery pack that will mount to a rear
rack. The battery will be a 36V, 10Ah pack with a higher efficiency
and cycle life than the current NiMH hub battery pack. At this time,
we cannot provide a specific date for the completion of this pack, but
it is expected to be available sometime this fall. We will update the
forum as we know more information. Thanks again for your interest and
support of the E+.

- Your friends at Electric Motion Systems

[Jérôme Daoust]

This is good news, thank you.

I also see that on your website there already references to the "Aux Pack" providing a 40 mile range.

 

If I purchase an E+ today, will the auxiliary battery pack easily adapt to it when it becomes available?

Or should I wait for a redesigned E+ bike that will better accommodate for the future auxiliary pack?

 

Thank you for sharing your work-in-progress, much appreciated.

   Jerome

[Jérôme Daoust]

Suggestion...

Based on LiPo 36 V and 10 Ah, I expect the pack to weigh about 10 lb
(4.5 kg). Some riders may want to put such a lightweight pack in their
backpack instead of on a rear rack, and allowing for this (just add a
cable tension disconnect feature) would be benefit to some. Also, it
may feel better to the off-road rider to have the weight on their body
instead of on the rear of the bike. I’m thinking this could be a good
time to account for this option in your auxiliary pack design.

"E+ Electric Bicycles" wrote:
> ...Lithium-Polymer battery pack that will mount to a rear rack.  The battery will be a 36V, 10Ah pack...

[k weisbro]

I would like to add a thought.  When you make the rear rack for the LiPo, make an auxillary battery storage right above the battery that is being used.  That way you can use one battery and should you need more milage for whatever reason, you can just unplug the used one, plug in the new (auxillary) one - just swap them out - and you are on your way.  Or you can make the rack to take two batteries and your wiring would be such so as to use the batteries with our having to swap them out.  Just a thought, I dont know how practical it would be or the cost so just put it on a wish list! 

ken

---

From: Jérôme Daoust <EyesTo...@gmail.com>
To: E+ Electric Bicycle Forum <EplusElect...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 11:03:33 AM
Subject: {E+} Re: New battery options in 2009

[Richard Papa]

That's wonderful news Rakesh! I am sooo pleased for you!

We can assume the lithium will go into the hub at some point too. But a
Lithum 10ah in a rear rack would be fantastic! I should know as I use a
similar pack on my TF. You will not even now it's there! 10ah is very
light! (around 6 to 8lbs I assume).

Really good news.

Take care all,

Rich

-----Original Message-----
From: EplusElect...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:EplusElect...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of E+ Electric
Bicycles
Sent: 27 January 2009 16:50
To: E+ Electric Bicycle Forum
Subject: {E+} Re: New battery options in 2009

[Dan Abrams]

The three common methods of carrying batteries on a rear rack are along
the sides of the rack, on top of the rack and horizontally in a
compartment below the top of the rack. The side mounted ones like the
Giant are good because they allow for two batteries, have a lower center
of gravity than a top-of-the-rack mount and don't affect the ride or
balance when using one side only. My only objection to this method is
that when carrying bags on the rack they protrude out the sides farther
and some bags will not fit the carrier with batteries. The horizontal
method below the top of the rack is the cleanest look and allows for
mounting almost any bags. This is my preference. A rack can easily be
deigned to accommodate an additional battery although it will create a
higher center of gravity and may have an effect on turning. The
top-of-the-rack mount battery is the cheapest, easiest to use on any
bike and in my mind the least desirable. It looks like an afterthought
and hogs up too much carrying capacity.

Dan Abrams

k weisbro wrote:
> I would like to add a thought. When you make the rear rack for the
> LiPo, make an auxillary battery storage right above the battery that
> is being used. That way you can use one battery and should you need
> more milage for whatever reason, you can just unplug the used one,
> plug in the new (auxillary) one - just swap them out - and you are on
> your way. Or you can make the rack to take two batteries and your
> wiring would be such so as to use the batteries with our having to
> swap them out. Just a thought, I dont know how practical it would be
> or the cost so just put it on a wish list!
> ken
>

> *From:* Jérôme Daoust <EyesTo...@gmail.com>
> *To:* E+ Electric Bicycle Forum <EplusElect...@googlegroups.com>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 27, 2009 11:03:33 AM
> *Subject:* {E+} Re: New battery options in 2009

>
>
> Suggestion...
>
> Based on LiPo 36 V and 10 Ah, I expect the pack to weigh about 10 lb
> (4.5 kg). Some riders may want to put such a lightweight pack in their
> backpack instead of on a rear rack, and allowing for this (just add a
> cable tension disconnect feature) would be benefit to some. Also, it
> may feel better to the off-road rider to have the weight on their body
> instead of on the rear of the bike. I’m thinking this could be a good
> time to account for this option in your auxiliary pack design.
>
> "E+ Electric Bicycles" wrote:
> > ...Lithium-Polymer battery pack that will mount to a rear rack. The
> battery will be a 36V, 10Ah pack...
>
>
>
>
> >

--
Dan Abrams
West End Real Estate, LLC.
148-B East Fry Blvd.
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
520-249-9542 cell
520-459-2478 office
520-459-2976 fax
dana...@westendsv.com

[Cyril Scott]

>We can assume the lithium will go into the hub at some point too

If that's true (and it will presumably make for a lighter E+) will there be an upgrade option (a front wheel replacement?) for existing E+ owners?

-- Cyril

[Jérôme Daoust]

From:
http://groups.google.com/group/Tidalforce/msg/b663e29808d54008

Sunil Gupta (of Electric Motion Systems) writes...
We are also working on complimentary products like an auxiliary
Lithium battery pack (I will comment more in some of the other
posts). We expect to have this aux lithium pack available in the July/
August time period. Development of the electronics and software for
the aux lithium pack will be directly applied to a future lithium hub
pack.

[E+ Bike]

All,

Regarding the E+ aux Lithium battery pack, our initial prototype is
approximately 8.5" x 5" x 3.5" and weighs approximately 6lbs. With
this size/weight, the battery could easily fit in a pannier, rack bag,
in the center triangle of the frame, or even in a backpack like Jerome
suggested. I will provide more information as we have it.

- Your friends at Electric Motion Systems

[Jérôme Daoust]

On Mar 3, 12:27 pm, "E+ Bike" <eplusby...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Regarding the E+ aux Lithium battery pack, our initial prototype is
> approximately 8.5" x 5" x 3.5" and weighs approximately 6lbs.

I'm wondering if 6 lbs is a good compromise. I'm thinking that this is
very light, which is a good thing, but I would have accepted 10-15 lb
to increase the range to the fullest. Maybe we can carry 2 (or more)
auxiliary battery packs, until we achieve the desired range. My
personal goal is to have a range of 40 miles with light (near
effortless) pedal assistance and maintain speeds of 20 mph.

I hope the battery can be removed from the front hub (while keeping a
front wheel). Or is there another way to reduce the transport weight
of the bike to 55 lb or less, while still having both wheels in place?
I'm assuming the bike is 65 lb at the moment, as it sits on a bike
rack. I want to purchase 2 similar ebikes (gotta think of the
girlfriend) and 130 on the rack is asking for trouble in my case. I
guess I could also change car and bike rack for a super strong
setup...

[Heather Crombie]

Jerome,
I'm curious. What is the use case you are considering that you need a
40 mile distance?

Heather

[Jérôme Daoust]

On Mar 3, 3:58 pm, Heather Crombie <hacrom...@mac.com> wrote:
> I'm curious. What is the use case you are considering that you need a
> 40 mile distance?
> Heather

Hi Heather,

For example, when I take the River bike paths, see:
http://www.expandingknowledge.com/Jerome/Bike/Main.htm#Path_USA_CA
I typically do close to 40 miles. I do this now on my "slow" (15 mph)
eZee Quando by carrying a second battery pack with me.
Those long bike paths call for speed, so being able to ride them at 20
mph would be a welcome pleasure.

Then there is that great "Aliso Creek" bike path which I did again on
Saturday:
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/silverado/295481622
It is "only" 32 miles but is uphill when heading East, so it is more
like a flat 40 mile run.

And this is when considering a 20 mph speed. For the E+ 1000 W motor
capable of 30 mph speed, I want at least 1000 W.h of battery energy
(36 V and 27 A.h) to have reasonable range. Otherwise the range is cut
in less than half (44% actually) when riding at 30 mph instead of 20,
making a 20 mph 40 mile range become a 30 mph 18 mile range. PS. I
don't want to hear the 20-mph-is-the-legal-limit argument.

It is also good to have a few miles to spare when planning a ride.
Sometimes the most interesting part of a ride is the unexpected
detour.

Thanks for listening,
Jerome
http://www.expandingknowledge.com/BIKE

[Heather Crombie]

I agree. I use my E+ almost daily for a commute & its comforting to
know that there is typically 10-15% battery life left when I reach my
destination. Its nice knowing I don't have to worry about using up my
battery just because I want to detour to a store or library on my way
home. I was just trying to imagine how you expected to use the bike.
Clearly, its for recreational rides & not commuting or shopping. Your
rides look like they're in a beautiful area.

Thanks for sharing,
Heather

[BVH]

Another potential new cruiser owner here. But not until the new
Lithium pack is adapted to the front hub as stock, replacing the NiMH
pack and there is an easy way to swap out the packs on-the-fly, so to
speak. Is it possible this will happen by Fall?