e-bike batteries compared
E-Zipp – With the growing concerns over environmental damage and global warming, efforts are on to find eco-friendly ways of travel. One of them is the e-bikes. E-bikes are two wheelers which run on rechargeable batteries and do not require petrol, diesel or any kind of fuel.
Batteries being the main component of e-bikes determine the weight, the riding distance and the recharging time required. Different e-bike manufacturers use different batteries. Here is a look at the different options available.
SLA- SLA or a sealed lead acid battery is the most common e-bike battery. These e-bike batteries come really cheap and are virtually maintenance free. They also have a high energy density which means they give longer rides on a single recharge than most other batteries. On the flip side, they are heavy and require more time to recharge.
NiMH- NiMH or Nickel-Metal Hydride are lighter than SLAs and also charge faster. However, a very big drawback to them is their inefficiency in cold weather. They do not function properly in cold weather conditions which affects the ride quality adversely.
Lithium-ion- Lithium-ion or li-ion e-bike batteries are maintenance free like the SLAs. Additionally, they can be fast charged too. However, they are much more expensive then SLAs. More importantly, they can be highly unstable too and thus, difficult to use.
Lithium-Polymer- This is the improved version of Lithium-ion batteries and the latest in the e-bike batteries brigade. And like most new technology, it is the most expensive of all. However, they are more stable than their Li-ion counterparts and also longer lasting. But their high price is a major deterrent to manufacturers as well as consumers alike.
So, what should you choose? Considering the fine balance of price and weight, SLA e-bike batteries are still the best choice of the lot. The next best option is the Lithium-Polymer batteries but it will take some major price revisions for the Li-Po to become popular.
Harish Mehta is the vice-president of VRLA Manufacturing, a company that manufactures e-zipp. E-zipp is an electric bike which runs on batteries and thus helps cut costs and fight global warming. To know more about e-zipp and electric bikes, click here.
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