Bottle battery or Rack battery?

[bluemoon]

Wich would you choose and why..

 

[flecc]

Slim rack battery if available.

Bottle batteries tend to have low capacity and therefore range, the bottle mounting points are not designed for much weight and many have had stability problems with batteries mounted. Also a locking arrangement to prevent theft isn't easy to provide for a bottle battery

Conversely, rack batteries are often quite adequate capacity, can be lockable, and rear end weight doesn't have much effect on handling and is good for traction. If stealth is wanted, panniers can do a good job of masking the battery, making for more stealth than a bottle battery.

So for me it's no contest.

 

[Fordulike]

Wich would you choose and why..

Probably a bottle battery as it locates the battery exactly where it should be, for weight distribution and lower centre of gravity.
Unfortunately, a bottle battery limits the capacity one can have.
I've just ordered a 'diamond frame battery bag' from FalconEV, with the intention of fitting a good sized Ping inside

 

[paulhipwood]

I have just bought a bottle battery.
Maimly because it keeps the centre of gravity low.
BUT what a weight. I have worries about the fateners and the mounting frame surviving.
Also it rattles about in the mount.
Think I have cured that with a strip of inner tube, I have also put a cable tie around the bike frame and the battery. Belt and bracers.

paul

 

[kitchenman]

Quick charge bottle battery for me. No more than 2kgs. Use network of charge points

 

[Hansen]

I recently bought a 11,6 Ah bottle battery from a German supplier. Weight of battery without the mounting holder is 2.4 kgs. I would estimate the holder between 3-400 grammes. The original rack mounted 9 Ah Li-ion battery, that came with my Sunlova kit (old type with thick sensor) weighs in at 3.1kgs. And that rack was a wrought iron affair weighing no less than 2.7 kgs. I have replaced it with something lighter. The batteries and the racks that Sunlova/8Fun supply now, are a lot neater and lighter. I fitted one of these to the wife's bike.

Longest trip so far with the new battery was 57 km. 3-speed 700C utility bike, pedelec only - no throttle. At that point the battery still showed 2 lights out of 5. It's not very hilly over here in Denmark, and I usually get 40+ km from the original rack mounted 9 Ah battery, which is still going strong after one year and 4000 km.

So I would recommend the bottle battery. Weight distribution and center of gravity is much better. Although mine rattles too.

Link to the German shop:

ELFEi Long Travel Trinkflaschen Akku 11,6Ah ELFEI 36V 11,6Ah Long Travel Trinkflaschen Akku mit Garantie fr Pedelec und Elektrofahrrad