Stimulus used for Ebike purchase.

[Ecky]

You could change out the controller for a programmable one.

My velomobile topped out around 50mph, but I had a programmable controller which I set up to allow a speed cap in 5mph increments. It was great for letting strangers/children ride in it without risking they'd take out a tree or telephone pole.

[Hersbird]

Well I rode it to work for the first time and then ordered a suspension seat post and a new seat off Amazon while I was waiting to clock in. It actually wasn't that bad but why not make it better. It took me an extra 5-6 mins longer each way compared to driving, but when traffic gets busy again after the shutdown I bet the ride home may even save a minute or two. It did save me $.67 in diesel so just 1654 more trips and this thing has paid for itself! Oh wait I need 100 more that that to buy the new suspension seatpost and seat. The battery was just starting to show 4/5 bars on the hill home but once I stopped it went back to 5/5 bars. Don't know exactly what that means but am guessing I could probably go a week between charging although I'll probably do it every 2-3 days. I'm charging tonight because they say do 3, 12 hour exactly charges to initially balance the battery and I want to get that out of the way.

[Piotrsko]

If it's below 70 degrees, expect the slow return. It's chemical after all.

Do the 3 charge cycles, but don't expect that to equalize the pack. The cells have to be done one by one either top or bottom balance.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

Well I rode it to work for the first time and then ordered a suspension seat post and a new seat off Amazon while I was waiting to clock in. It actually wasn't that bad but why not make it better. It took me an extra 5-6 mins longer each way compared to driving, but when traffic gets busy again after the shutdown I bet the ride home may even save a minute or two. It did save me $.67 in diesel so just 1654 more trips and this thing has paid for itself! Oh wait I need 100 more that that to buy the new suspension seatpost and seat. The battery was just starting to show 4/5 bars on the hill home but once I stopped it went back to 5/5 bars. Don't know exactly what that means but am guessing I could probably go a week between charging although I'll probably do it every 2-3 days. I'm charging tonight because they say do 3, 12 hour exactly charges to initially balance the battery and I want to get that out of the way.

I'll be curious to see how you like. I see quite a few Rad Runners and Rad Wagons around here and they seem to be a good mix of quality and cost.

I think there is a e-bike in my future but I want a mid-drive with and internal hub which means I will likely need to build my own. I'm torn between a small gas motorcycle vs an e-bike for full time van life.

If you are using 20% of the battery SOC per day I would charge every night. Charging every 3 days (60%) will reduce battery by about 1/2. According to this chart discharging to 20-40% is optimal for battery life.

The charge comes from: https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/...ased_batteries

[Hersbird]

I'm 1/2 way through my 2nd trip without charging or about 10 miles and it's still showing 4/5ths. I'll definitely charge it at home tonight. They say 25-45 miles and I'm going to easily get the 25 and I am running max pedal assist. I have a small 60' hill on the way home and a gradual 20' gain on the way to work. I pedal, but not that hard, and have about 4-5 stops I have to make on 3.5 trip each way. I should check the voltage when i get home and then after a full 12 hr charge and see exactly what I'm using. The gauge is to simple to show voltage.

That table does look like 20% is the sweet spot. 10% gets you more cycles but not twice the 20% which would happen 1/2 as often.

[vskid3]

Do you have a charger that can stop at 80%? That's where the big gains are, not going all the way to 0% or 100%.

The flat discharge curve for lithium makes it difficult to estimate the charge based on voltage. I used a watt meter like this for my ebike to keep track of how much power I used. http://amazon.com/GT-Power-Analyzer-...dp/B00C1BZSYO/

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by vskid3

Do you have a charger that can stop at 80%? That's where the big gains are, not going all the way to 0% or 100%.

The flat discharge curve for lithium makes it difficult to estimate the charge based on voltage. I used a watt meter like this for my ebike to keep track of how much power I used. http://amazon.com/GT-Power-Analyzer-...dp/B00C1BZSYO/

I had a watt meter just like that for my other bike and it died. The other bike was a 52 volt so maybe it was too much at 100% charge? Maybe it was just a bad unit as it only lasted a week.

I was wondering how to figure out how to stop charging at 80% and then just charge every day after riding. The supplied charger gives no clue. Maybe I'll just get a time down. Maybe I'll just not worry so much and be happy with whatever. Batteries are getting less expensive still.

Looks like a 12 hr charge goes to 53.7 volts on a 48v battery so 95% according to the chart I found? At least that's not 100%

[Piotrsko]

There are many cheap voltage displays that have a smart programmable switching option using relays which could be used inline between the charger and the battery.

Charts are inaccurate, as is bulk charging for determining SOC on series banks.

[Hersbird]

So if a 20% discharge is best and limit to 80% max is best, does that mean you run 80% down the 60% and then recharge to 80% for best life?

[Piotrsko]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

So if a 20% discharge is best and limit to 80% max is best, does that mean you run 80% down the 60% and then recharge to 80% for best life?

That is what empirical testing the last ten years indicate