Nimh Ezee battery

[Jeanette Morgan]

I now have Ezee Nimh batteries and chargers but have no instructions regarding charging and discharging. Flecc what's your advice so that I may get the best out of this battery please. When cycling to work, which with the lighter mornings I shall be doing shortly, my commute is 16 miles round trip, hilly terrain.

Thanks for your help, once again!

Jeanette

 

[flecc]

A pleasure Jeanette.

Initially charge the battery fully and then try to run to as empty as you dare on the bike, the more empty the better. Then repeat that cycle a second time with the next charge.

From then on, just use the battery normally since your trip will use more than half the charge anyway.

If possible, about once a month or so, try to empty the battery a bit more, possibly when you add a short trip to your usual one, running the battery quite low. This is not critical though, just helpful since NiMh batteries prefer full charge and discharge cycles.

The range will improve after the initial running in charges, and thereafter will continue to increase very slightly over the next 100 or so charges, then start the equally very gradual decline in capacity.
.

 

[prState]

A pleasure Jeanette.

Initially charge the battery fully and then try to run to as empty as you dare on the bike, the more empty the better. Then repeat that cycle a second time with the next charge..

Just to be clear, you don't mean running until shut off, letting it rest and running even more off after the battery rests a bit (which I know is possible). I was thinking you can destroy your battery doing several cycles like that in a row.

Am I right?

 

[Ian]

I'm sure Flecc does mean running the battery to cutoff, or as close as is practical. The Ezee controller cuts out at a safe figure of just over 1.05 V per cell, repeated discharging to this figure won't harm the battery and will help it attain maximum capacity.

In practice the point at which the battery meter stays red with the throttle closed is almost the same point and does leave a small reserve to help on the ride home.

 

[Critical Mass]

Hi Jeanette,

Did you get them NiMHs from 50 Cycles? Only they still show as out of stock on their site.

Thanks

Des

 

[flecc]

Yes, exactly as Ian has clarified. Thanks Ian.
.

 

[Planetcooler]

Has anyone got NiMh batteries + charger available for the Torq - have been waiting a while to replace my Li pack ?

 

[prState]

I'm sure Flecc does mean running the battery to cutoff, or as close as is practical. The Ezee controller cuts out at a safe figure of just over 1.05 V per cell, repeated discharging to this figure won't harm the battery and will help it attain maximum capacity.

Hah, I manage to confuse myself by asking. Here's what I mean.

If I take my bike out on a long ride, after it finally detects low enough power the low battery meter warns you, but then if you still don't stop and recharge, it will cut off power to the motor while you're riding. If I let it sit for a little while (5 minutes say), even without recharging I can get more power out of it and ride a little bit. I don't know how many times you could do this, but wouldn't that damage the battery?

 

[flecc]

No, it won't damage the battery, since that is recovered energy available above the cut-off limit. It comes from chemical recovery.

When under high load, the current drain exceeds the speed of chemical to electrical conversion, causing the cutout, though the battery's charge hasn't all been used. The pause enables the chemistry to catch up and be ready to issue the remainder, albeit at a slower rate if the cutout isn't to be repeated.
.

 

[prState]

Okay, thanks! I didn't know that. (obviously )

 

[Jeanette Morgan]

No Des, I got them direct from Mr Ching at Ezee Cycles in China. I responded to his very kind offer to replace my Li batteries, and at the same time I mentioned that I had been waiting a while to get two NiMH batteries and chargers and he very kindly organised the latter for me direct from China, the transaction was simple and they arrived in a matter of days.

Yesterday we went out in the lovely weather to fully discharge them and found this hard to do after over 22 miles in our hilly terrain, using the electric for a lot of the journey. The new Li batteries seem to work much better than the original Li batteries, with absolutely no cuts outs - so far. This may be my imagination, however, I do feel the Sprint is now working better, and compares well with the pedelec Giant Comfort Lite I had before the Sprint.

Jeanette

 

[Critical Mass]

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity Jeanette. I'm glad you're happy with the performance of your new batteries. Enjoy.

I'm left wondering though, if Ezee can supply you with NiMH batteries why don't 50cc supply the one I've had on order since the beginning of time. (well almost!)

I'd better shut up now before the chants of 'boring' begin.

Thanks again

Whinging Git

 

[Tim]

Anyone is of course welcome to follow Jeanette's example and order from eZee directly if preferred. We are looking to finalise things with a supplier closer to home who is willing to offer better warranty provision, the choice is yours!

 

[Django]

I'm left wondering though, if Ezee can supply you with NiMH batteries why don't 50cc supply the one I've had on order since the beginning of time. (well almost!)

Here is your answer.

Cheers,

Django

 

[Django]

Anyone is of course welcome to follow Jeanette's example and order from eZee directly if preferred. We are looking to finalise things with a supplier closer to home who is willing to offer better warranty provision, the choice is yours!

Willing to offer better warranty provision!?! That is simply outrageous Tim. Just outrageous.

Russ??

Django

 

[JamesC]

Our company has put 3000 customers on the road ....
Scott

Scott
I guess many members of the forum are customers of 50cycles, and many of them use Ezee bikes.

I am not sure whether the forum has asked the question of its members as to how many years they expect to keep using their current bike, but I guess they would say 3-4 years, maybe more.

The battery is a "consumable" item that we will all need to replace at some stage or another, preferably not often and at an affordable price.

NiMH technology has worked well in the high powered bikes, and the batteries had a healthy lifespan at an effective cost.

Just as there are forum members who swear by SLA's for their style of bike ownership, and Lafree users who have difficulty obtaining a new battery for their model, I think it is a very worthwhile endeavour on the part of 50cycles to secure a longterm source of supply of NiMH batteries for the ezee bikes, assuming NiMH continues to provide the most effective balance between price and performance.

I look forward to the news that the new batteries have become available.

JamesC

 

[keithhazel]

I look forward to the news that the new batteries have become available.

JamesC[/QUOTE]

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personally speaking as my battery is only a couple of months old now and only 300 miles..by the time its ready to be replaced..(on knee's praying for 12 months befor less then 80% of new full power. ..(if you dont hope you cant get)---)..i will hope they will have designed and invented one that will be so superior it will keep my Quando going for at least 2 years befor change to my third battery.... .now dont go and spoil my dreams by saying.."in your wildest dreams )......

 

[Joe]

i think that is an over reaction scott. i would guess that a trawl of the forum would produce more positive than negative comments about 50 cycles.

a forum is for a range of opinion and so any company will get the good and the bad comments.

i am not sure exactly what forum members are supposed to do when you state your company will withdraw from the forum if further negative opinions are expressed.

cos they will be. and they will also be plenty of good things too.

 

[tgame]

Django
Our company has put 3000 customers on the road, some with amputations, some recovering from heart disease and strokes, we receive emails daily thanking us for excellent service which make me proud and our team proud
Scott

As well it should, Scott. It's a proud record.

I do hope you won't take any precipitate action no matter what the provocation. You would obviously be sorely missed.

I have been messaging on the internet since it began and have lost count of the number of forums I have seen come and go. All forums live an up and down life, and it seems quite inevitable that they should. But what goes down invariably comes up again, and one is wise to just grin and bear things if one possibly can.

I shall be surprised if, in a couple of weeks, all this commotion has not died utterly away. It always does in my considerable experience, and we shall then all be the better for having remained together.

Best wishes,

 

[keithhazel]

i think that is an over reaction scott. i would guess that a trawl of the forum would produce more positive than negative comments about 50 cycles.

a forum is for a range of opinion and so any company will get the good and the bad comments.

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im not getting into one here and this is my only comment on this topic but i do feel pretty strongly that too many excessively continual comments are made by the same people, ok if they want to have a gripe thats fine, but not twice and more on the same topic in different guises....now i know the majority of comments are made by the few who are waiting and not getting what they want..ie a bike they have ordered...i was in a similar position around xmas but in no way where the bike supplier to blame...xmas was, currier wanted to have time off,shops wanted to shut...but i still griped and moaned like a baby ...i held my hand up at the end and said sorry in a personnal message and publicly on the forum,so i can see how people get too excited, however as an outside on this situation i am guessing its a case of someone sells something, due to costs they take orders, get off their supplier and then deliver to customer....now im sure we all have been in a situation befor where we have been say to curries or argos and picked something we wanted they say they sell and yet we couldnt get it immediatly as they for an unknown reason was let down by their supplier, they obviously didnt know this at the time they advertised....did we kick off, slander and continually try to make it hard for them ?????.....COURSE WE NEVER as this is life and we accept it, we can all be certain that 50 cycles advertised in total good faith expecting to have the full support of their supplier so we cant burn them at the stake repeatedly can we,if they made the bike themselves and failed to meet the deadlines then yes burn them but for goodness sake lets look at it from their point, they have done everything a retailer can do, if you can suggest any ways that will solve the minor problem then as any good business person would im sure they will be most grateful for genuine advice and not unhelping bitching.....my final final comment here is something my mother used to say...
"IF YOU HAVE NOT GOT SOMETHING NICE TO SAY, THEN DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL"