Taking e-Bike on plane

[Xbow]

Hi all,

Hoping you can clarify the rules on taking an e-Bike on a plane as I’m completely confused.

I’m due to fly this coming Sunday with Ryanair to Portugal and have got my two brand new Kudos Secrets booked on the flight to take out and leave in our apartment, obviously I want to avoid any difficulties at check-in and security particularly with regard to transporting the batteries. I’ve been on the Ryanair website and talked to their online advisor to ask the question whether the batteries can remain with the bikes - in the hold, or whether I have to take them in my hand luggage into the cabin, they’ve told me the latter - hand luggage into the cabin. Now maybe I’m overthinking this but will Airport security really let me through with two 10.4 Ah batteries in me rucksack? I’ve also been on East Midlands Airport website to try and check out their rules but end up being referred to the gov.uk pages which to be honest are totally ambiguous and confusing to say the least and appear to be telling me that only Li-ion batteries of a certain physical dimension, considerably smaller than mine, can be taken in hand luggage. I’ve also emailed the Airport direct via their website and followed it up with a voicemail message to their helpline giving full details - battery capacity, physical dimensions etc asking for clarification, but to date have had no response.

I hope you can give me some answers and set my mind at ease as the last thing I want on Sunday is for 500 quids worth of batteries to be confiscated.

Many thanks in anticipation,

Tim

 

[flecc]

I can't remember the size and capacity limits offhand, but you are right, it's far smaller than your batteries, covering laptops but not e-bikes.

In short you cannot take your batteries with you as cabin luggage. If you turn up with them they'll either confiscate them or ban you from boarding.

Basically large lithium batteries like e-bike ones can't be flown on passenger airliners as any form of luggage, cabin or hold.

There's a previous post of mine about this on this link
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[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Tim,

Unfortunately you will not be able to take take your batteries with you. Their capacity is 375Wh, the maximum you can take on a flight is quoted at 100Wh but I have seen that you can occasionally take 180Wh depending in what part of the world you are in.

They will certainly check as you are going through security.

Regards, David

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You have to send the battery by boat. I reckon that the best solution is to keep your Kudos in UK and buy a similar bike in Portugal to keep there.

Another possibility is to find the battery on Aliexpress and have one shipped directly to Portugal, or you could by one from Kudos and get them to ship it to Portugal so you have a battery at each end.

 

[Gubbins]

If by any slim chance you manage to get them there you run the risk of not being allowed to bring them back. On my last visit to Majorca there were two places renting out e bikes so with e bike becoming more popular everywhere, perhaps you might look into that before you go!

 

[Deleted member 22539]

Hi

Just post your battery’s yourself to your address overseas
That way no airport problems

 

[tommie]

A definite no-no,

look at it this way - would you feel comfortable at 30,000ft with one of Soundwaves Li-Po packs bouncing around in the hold?? !!

not my idea of a relaxing trip..

 

[Xbow]

Thanks for your replies folks, much appreciated. Reckon I’ll just settle for taking the bikes out on Sunday as ‘standard’ bikes and do as Fogo suggests - post the batteries to a mates address who lives out there permanently just round the corner from our apartment. Bit of a joke really as they’ll still be going by plane presumably?

If anyone else has any experience on this I’d be grateful to hear from you.

Cheers,

Tim

 

[flecc]

Thanks for your replies folks, much appreciated. Reckon I’ll just settle for taking the bikes out on Sunday as ‘standard’ bikes and do as Fogo suggests - post the batteries to a mates address who lives out there permanently just round the corner from our apartment. Bit of a joke really as they’ll still be going by plane presumably?

If anyone else has any experience on this I’d be grateful to hear from you.

Cheers,

Tim

There are postal rules for these as well Tim, so don't declare them on the packaging as batteries. They do X-ray random international packages so there's no guarantee they won't be intercepted.
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[Gubbins]

I have a good relationship with my local post office and prior to posting one they checked out the rules for me. It's a mistake to call it a battery because it is in fact a power pack which can also be described as an electronic device that has built in batteries that can't be removed.

 

[Danidl]

There are postal rules for these as well Tim, so don't declare them on the packaging as batteries. They do X-ray random international packages so there's no guarantee they won't be intercepted.
.

An x-ray of a power pack \battery with all those cylinders wired together is a dead ringer for something else!!!.

 

[flecc]

An x-ray of a power pack \battery with all those cylinders wired together is a dead ringer for something else!!!.

Indeed, Tim wouldn't be very popular with them following a panic evacuation of the building.

Not to mention what the bomb squad would do to his batteries!
.

 

[EddiePJ]

I could well be mistaken, but doesn't Kudos Dave have a place and or boat in Portugal?
If he does, it could well prove to be a starting point in respect of batteries.


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[anotherkiwi]

If you ship batteries from the UK to Portugal (both countries in the EU, no border for goods...) they will go by road and a little bit of rail. It will take them about 3 days to get there. I don't understand what your fascination with air freight is all about? It will probably take just as long.

 

[Nealh]

Agree most likely by land & sea route.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

The same rules apply to air freight as passenger flights. If you should decide to send them by Air and miscommunicate what’s in the package, you leave yourself open to criminal prosecution. If, god forbid, the is a fire in which the batteries are involved you would be held responsible, whether the batteries were the cause or not.

The same applies to people flying batteries in from Asia. As the purchaser they are responsible for the batteries as soon as they enter European air space.

It would be hugely beneficial for us to fly in batteries, I have taken legal advice from our DGSA and there is no way I would risk it. If caught the fines are huge, and it’s a criminal offence.

 

[Woosh]

We use DPD Europe to send batteries to Spain.

 

[Nealh]

My Nkon cell deliveries and PF battery from Elifeshop all came via DPD.

 

[flecc]

This one was flown overnight to me from China by DHL. The plane didn't crash, but judging from the case the landing might have been bumpy!

 

[Martin56]

Interestingly you can take a mobility scooter on a plane. Ryanair accept batteries up to 300 watts.