Where to buy 48v battery

Matthew Hutchinson

Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2018
87
4
54
Leeds
Hi, I'm needing a new 48v battery to run a 500 watt direct drive hub motor on my wheelchair trike but I'm terrified at the thought of spending over £300 and getting a rubbish product, can any tell me a trusted place to buy from, thanks in advance for your help
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,897
6,507

you wont get a better built batt than having them make it uk made and warranty but it wont be cheap.
 

Benjahmin

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 10, 2014
2,590
1,746
70
West Wales
Press the link Sounwave gave you. It is for e-bike batteries. They are a well known company on this site based in London, I've used them myself.
He can either supply you a brand new battery, build one to your spec or, recell your existing case. He will arrange courier pickup of your old case, recell it and return by courier - all within the quoted price.
He only uses quality cells and uses copper connection strips.
His ready made batteries are not the cheapest but they are quality with the make and type of cells stated up front. Not the case with many suppliers.
 

sjpt

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 8, 2018
3,832
2,756
Winchester
I've not used that firm, but all the reports are very positive. However, in general a custom rebuild will be much more expensive than a prebuilt stock battery of the same quality; you are paying UK labour for a one-off build rather than Chinese labour for mass production. The rebuild services are most worthwhile were there is something about the battery that makes it difficult or very expensive to replace.

That said, I'm afraid I can't helpfully answer OP's original question of where to shop to ensure good quality in a stock battery. With the current draw you are likely to want for a 500w direct drive motor that will be very important. I think if you trawl the posts here you will find some recommendations from Nealh.
 

matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
1,855
1,342
The bigger the battery in Ah the less stressed the individual cells will be. If weight is not hugely critical then two relatively ordinary 20Ah packs in parallel might do a good job. That opens the way to e.g. Yosepower.

Precautions needed when making the parallel connection, and when charging, so only if you are knowledgeable and careful. Or using the two big diodes approach.

The direct drive motor will be hard on the battery, the more so the steeper your local terrain. If you have recurring battery life expectancy issues then changing the motor should not be ruled out.
 

Matthew Hutchinson

Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2018
87
4
54
Leeds
Thanks for your help everyone. I'm currently running a 48v 17ah Chinese built battery that's done well for over 4 years. Is the performance from a more expensive British built battery likely to be better, I would only be able to afford a 13ah at those prices
 

Matthew Hutchinson

Pedelecer
Apr 1, 2018
87
4
54
Leeds
The bigger the battery in Ah the less stressed the individual cells will be. If weight is not hugely critical then two relatively ordinary 20Ah packs in parallel might do a good job. That opens the way to e.g. Yosepower.

Precautions needed when making the parallel connection, and when charging, so only if you are knowledgeable and careful. Or using the two big diodes approach.

The direct drive motor will be hard on the battery, the more so the steeper your local terrain. If you have recurring battery life expectancy issues then changing the motor should not be ruled out.
The trike is run at walking speed for the vast majority of it's life so it's wound to 201 rpm to give me maximum torque with the best reliability, don't get me wrong, I do ride like a maniac at times, especially through shopping malls taking advantage of the fact no one likes to tell off a disabled person. I think replacing wheel and battery at same time is going to cost too much for me
 

matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
1,855
1,342
The trike is run at walking speed for the vast majority of it's life so it's wound to 201 rpm to give me maximum torque with the best reliability, don't get me wrong, I do ride like a maniac at times, especially through shopping malls taking advantage of the fact no one likes to tell off a disabled person. I think replacing wheel and battery at same time is going to cost too much for me
Wheel size?
 

3rigel

Just Joined
Nov 8, 2022
3
0
Hi, I have a 52v battery for sale with charger and bracket, I cannot claim its Uk built as I suspect its chinese as the majority. But it does seem new. I bought it from a local auction. I've just listed it on ebay starting at £200.
Though I'd mention it just in case it was of interest.
 

portals

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 15, 2022
633
185
Hi, I have a 52v battery for sale with charger and bracket, I cannot claim its Uk built as I suspect its chinese as the majority. But it does seem new. I bought it from a local auction. I've just listed it on ebay starting at £200.
Though I'd mention it just in case it was of interest.
Do you know what cells are in it, for the price is seems very cheap, I would avoid 'Top Quality' cells....and stick with branded cells however you need to be sure that you actually get them.


50394
 

3rigel

Just Joined
Nov 8, 2022
3
0
Unfortunately I don't know what the cells are. There were lots of these sold at the auction and knowing how expensive these batteries are I thought id try one. Technology and production methods are always improving so thought it worth the risk. There are lots of chinese ( unfortunately) manufacturers leading the way with batteries so I wouldn't assume panasonic or samsung are the only way to go in the future. Time will tell how good the cells are.