Saturday, March 29, 2008

Battery Chemistry: LiFePO4


After some research on batteries the advantages of the more advanced chemistries became clear quickly. Each time one upgrades from lead-acid, to NiMH, to Lithium the battery becomes about half the weight for the same energy storage capacity. As some say "lead is dead", at least in the world of e-bikes where weight is of greater importance.

Though it may seem a bit of a risk, I chose to go with a LiFePo4 battery from the eBay seller pingping227. I was less intimidated by its duct tape shroud due to the fact that others on the ebike forum "endless sphere" have reported good luck with them. Time will tell as far as long term longevity of the battery, but to an extent I am happy to try out new technology. With shipping the cost was $550, which included a free 2A charger. Note that I added the Anderson Powerpole connectors to it as seen in the photo, it does not come with these. This brand of connector seems to be the standard in ebiking now.

Here are the manufacturer's specifications for my battery:

Voltage: 48 Volts
Capacity: 20 Amp Hours
Dimension: 150x220x220 mm ( 6 x 8 1/2x 8 1/2 inches )
Weight: 9.00 kg ( 20.00 lbs)
Charging Voltage: 61 Volts
Charging Current: <5>1000 times

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