Does it matter what brand of battery i use?

BullerBuller

1 µW
Joined
Jul 5, 2022
Messages
4
Hey Everyone.

I'm very new to the tech side of e-bikes - so hope this isn't a foolish question.

I lost the battery for my Cargo-e-bike. I would like to get a bigger one but without paying overprice at my local bike shop.

I found a cheeper one online and hope to install that one on my bike.

Is it safe to buy a different brand of battery and aH - as long as it is the same voltage?

Old battery;
36v, 10.4 ah Li-ion, 4-pin
New battery;
36V 15Ah Li-ion, 4-pin

The bike has a DAPU 12p controller.

New battery web;
https://batteryempire.dk/til-elektriske-cykler/3284-green-cell-batteri-til-elcykel-36v-15ah-540wh-silverfish-ebike-4-pin-med-oplader.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiaDxt8_i-AIVEgfmCh2mEAowEAQYASABEgL5NfD_BwE

Old Battery web:
https://amcargobikes.co.uk/product/upgrade-to-battery-36v-10-4-ah-li-ion-from-standard-9-ah-addition-when-buying-a-new-cargo-bike/

Best wishes;
- B
 
Electrically speaking the bike should not care what the brand or size of the battery is as long as the voltage is the same.

How many wires currently connect your battery to the bike? if its only 2 (positive and negative) then there is a good chance it will easy to swap out.

Its hard to say for sure without being familiar with the exact bike you are dealing with.
 
Hey!

The battery box/holster is only connected via a positive and negative wire, so there are only two wires going into the controller.

I don't know how swapping the batteries could be a problem, but it would be a shame if the bike got ruined.

I was also concerned that getting a battery with double the amount of amp hours can damage the bike some how - but it seems like it doesn't matter.

Thank you for your reply!
 
BullerBuller said:
The battery box/holster is only connected via a positive and negative wire, so there are only two wires going into the controller.

The old and new batteries looked to be different form factors. How are you going to mount the new battery (strap it to your rack?)?
 
E-HP said:
BullerBuller said:
The battery box/holster is only connected via a positive and negative wire, so there are only two wires going into the controller.

The old and new batteries looked to be different form factors. How are you going to mount the new battery (strap it to your rack?)?
This.
There must be better choices out there. I had a friend lose one but his story was that he was moutain climbing and it fell out of his pack at 2000 feet and into a canyon into a hibernating grizzly bear cave. He almost got it but ninjas were guarding the entrance because this bear was sacred. He would have fought them for the battery but told me he promised his sister he would take her to the beach and he simply ran out of time. That guy is a great brother.
 
endlessWork said:
I had a friend lose one but his story was that he was moutain climbing and it fell out of his pack at 2000 feet and into a canyon into a hibernating grizzly bear cave. He almost got it but ninjas were guarding the entrance because this bear was sacred. He would have fought them for the battery but told me he promised his sister he would take her to the beach and he simply ran out of time. That guy is a great brother.

And you fell for that story? I think he was afraid of the grizzly and made up the whole thing about the ninjas. I'm pretty impressed that it survived a 2000 foot fall through... :lol:
 
BullerBuller said:
Hey!

The battery box/holster is only connected via a positive and negative wire, so there are only two wires going into the controller.

I don't know how swapping the batteries could be a problem, but it would be a shame if the bike got ruined.

I was also concerned that getting a battery with double the amount of amp hours can damage the bike some how - but it seems like it doesn't matter.

Thank you for your reply!

The two wire connections on the replacement battery could be opposite polarity from the original battery , which would blow the controller. Always check polarity with a volt meter first.
 
E-HP said:
BullerBuller said:
The battery box/holster is only connected via a positive and negative wire, so there are only two wires going into the controller.

The old and new batteries looked to be different form factors. How are you going to mount the new battery (strap it to your rack?)?

A am replacing the battery and the battery holster/case as well. The lock mechanism on my battery case is broken on the one i have now anyways , so the plan is to mount on a new one. I have a cargo bike where the battery sits inside a little bench in the cargo area. So the form factor is not an issue. :)
 
aroundqube said:
BullerBuller said:
Hey!

The battery box/holster is only connected via a positive and negative wire, so there are only two wires going into the controller.

I don't know how swapping the batteries could be a problem, but it would be a shame if the bike got ruined.

I was also concerned that getting a battery with double the amount of amp hours can damage the bike some how - but it seems like it doesn't matter.

Thank you for your reply!

The two wire connections on the replacement battery could be opposite polarity from the original battery , which would blow the controller. Always check polarity with a volt meter first.

Aha. Haven't thought of that! Good point! Thank you!
 
RunForTheHills said:
If you lose the key, isn't that what prybars are for?

You bring up a good point. Maybe it wasn't lost.

I was thinking something like:
"Honey, have you seen my battery. It's that big rectangular thing for my bike"
"Did you check the refrigerator, that's where you left it the last time"
"That's the first place I looked, and I looked behind the clothes hamper too"
"Well then sorry dear, it's lost"
 
I'm not an expert, but from what I see, not all batteries are the same. The cells themselves have different rating for how much power they can supply. And some manufacturers can be "optimistic" with the capacity and "C" rating. (ie: AA batteries are great in a remote control, but don't last well in a high powered flashlight.)

The new battery looks to be rated for 250 watt motors, which is a red flag. For a battery that size, it seems really low. At 36 volts, that's just 6.9 amps, or 0.46C. Apparently those cells are not great at delivering much power.

As an alternative, look at EM3ev's site. They advertise their 36v battery is made with cells that can deliver 20+ amps. (I have no experience with them. I'm just reading their site.) And they say they use name brand cells. As an added bonus, the BMS can link to your phone to show you the cell voltages, temp, etc, which I feel is very important to monitor the health of your battery.)

Don't skimp on something that is the heart of your bike, will last years, and has the (small) potential to catch on fire.

Colin (The overly cautious ebike rider.)
 
Hi
If you still have the case and can open it up, you could change the cells for new ones depending what was used in the first place.
Geoff
 
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