IS YOUR BATTERY RELIABLE ?

trex

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May 15, 2011
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that sounds about right. Your recelled battery can be described legally as 'made' in the UK because your added value is 17% or more against the selling price of the product. Have you got a brand name in mind? how about 'el Champiero batteries'?
 
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El Champiero

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Nov 25, 2013
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But one of the main stumbling blocks if I was to actually get into doing this would be the method of getting the newly re-celled battery back to the customer in order to comply with the regulations on carriage of lithium batteries. A potential way round this would be to deliver the batteries myself in my car but that would be a complete ball ache and might not be legal either (unless I had warning signs on the car and a fire extinguisher, DGSA certification etc etc etc).
 
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mountainsport

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Feb 6, 2012
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But one of the main stumbling blocks if I was to actually get into doing this would be the method of getting the newly re-celled battery back to the customer in order to comply with the regulations on carriage of lithium batteries. A potential way round this would be to deliver the batteries myself in my car but that would be a complete ball ache and might not be legal either (unless I had warning signs on the car and a fire extinguisher, DGSA certification etc etc etc).
There must be some major obstacles in the way hindering people from starting up their own business venture. You don't have to be making millions but a few would be nice.
 

mountainsport

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Feb 6, 2012
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Where did you get that from? My estimate says nearly 200%. I think that includes tooling costs, but I'm not sure on that.
With all due respect to El Champiero I would be more inclined to stick with your unsure 200% estimate. It could be maybe even more, who knows.
 

El Champiero

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Nov 25, 2013
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Either way, they are making a very nice earner on them. And no doubt that the revised regs on transport of lithium batteries knocks out pretty much most people who might want to earn a bit by re-celling. The big corporations have the power - isn't capitalism wonderful...
 
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mountainsport

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Speaking about transportation, does anyone know which company actually refuses to carry any form of batteries on board their vans ? Or what are the requirements?
 
D

Deleted member 4366

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do you reckon its around 200% ? They have to pay Polish wages to assemble the battery packs though. Maybe it is not quite as high as that.
I might have a little bit of inside information. I'm referring to the difference between the ex factory price and the retail price. Don't forget that the dealer wants a cut.
 

los monty

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Oct 3, 2013
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But one of the main stumbling blocks if I was to actually get into doing this would be the method of getting the newly re-celled battery back to the customer in order to comply with the regulations on carriage of lithium batteries. A potential way round this would be to deliver the batteries myself in my car but that would be a complete ball ache and might not be legal either (unless I had warning signs on the car and a fire extinguisher, DGSA certification etc etc etc).
Suspect some people will be willing to drive to you especially those with out of production batteries. Others might share journeys on multiple batteries from same area. Bear in mind this is a growing market and there certainly is a gap at present
 
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El Champiero

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Nov 25, 2013
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Reading a bit more into it the way I understand it is as follows:

Lithium batteries are classed as dangerous goods so by that definition they would be covered under CDG regulations similar to when our contractors at our hospital take away clinical waste and chemicals for disposal.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/cdg/manual/adrcarriage.htm#carriage-dangerous-goods

Looks like there are exemptions in the regulations for small loads for class 9 dangerous goods so my potential business venture may have some legs after all.
 

El Champiero

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Nov 25, 2013
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and also exemptions for transporting dangerous goods as part of a retail distribution. So in that sense, delivering a re-celled battery to a customer would cover that I reckon.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

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You'll need insurance, which is nearly impossible. that's the thing that kills it dead.
 

El Champiero

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I might contact our DGSA and see what they can sort out regarding advice. As for insurance that is probably going to be the nail in the coffin. Then again it might be possible but I don't think I can be arsed to hunt for the details.
 

trex

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May 15, 2011
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transportation regualtions by rail / sea / roads of Lithium batteries are well defined.
You have already got UN83.3 certificate and product liability insurance from the (Chinese) battery factory. These cover the cells, BMS, casing and cartons. You have to sea freight them in. The factory uses only UN83.3 compliant cartons because they have to comply with the same UN regualtions. Each carton can only have one or two batteries inside, so you would ask for them to be individually packed.
When they arrive, you put a standard Lithium sticker for the UK courier (with your company logo and phone number on the label outside the carton in case of fire). Now 99 out of 100 couriers will take them, even to Germany.
I think that's all there is to it.
Now, where is my 5% commision on the profit of el Champiero batteries limited?
 

El Champiero

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All we need now is a website and advertising. How to achieve this when trying to work full time at a busy hospital is going to be a challenge!
 

mountainsport

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Feb 6, 2012
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transportation regualtions by rail / sea / roads of Lithium batteries are well defined.
You have already got UN83.3 certificate and product liability insurance from the (Chinese) battery factory. These cover the cells, BMS, casing and cartons. You have to sea freight them in. The factory uses only UN83.3 compliant cartons because they have to comply with the same UN regualtions. Each carton can only have one or two batteries inside, so you would ask for them to be individually packed.
When they arrive, you put a standard Lithium sticker for the UK courier (with your company logo and phone number on the label outside the carton in case of fire). Now 99 out of 100 couriers will take them, even to Germany.
I think that's all there is to it.
Now, where is my 5% commision on the profit of el Champiero batteries limited?
I heard that FedEx couriers refuse to carry any type of batteries on board their vans.
 

El Champiero

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Nov 25, 2013
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Bristol
DHL will do it but they insist on DGSA certification and other things if you want to ship batteries which are over 100wH. This would fall under ADR for road transport with various limits imposed. This is because DHL are shipping batteries as their main business activity as a courier hence they fall under the full weight of the law.

It would therefore be better for me to transport them myself under the clause of retail distribution which would enable me to not be subject to the full ADR. You just need to have the batteries in secure packaging (cardboard double box) and have a few more things in the car.

If you transport them on a bicycle (under 25 km/h) the regs don't apply :)
 

El Champiero

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Nov 25, 2013
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Bristol
Just phoned DHL for clarity on this and they have said that they can set up an approved shipper account for me to start doing this. Looking at what DHL charged a bike shop in Germany when I got my spare 288wh battery, I think it's going to cost about £70 per battery for sending stuff to the EU by air and about £50 for carrying stuff by road in the UK. Essentially, the more you send the cheaper it gets.

DHL definitely seem to be the preferred courier for dangerous goods for industry.

There doesn't seem to be much of a market out there for re-celling e bike batteries so perhaps this might turn out to be something worthy of further investigation.
 
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