Call to Action - Consistent Charging Hardware

[CloneWerks]

Okay, the state of eBike charging hardware is absolutely ridiculous and needs to be addressed!

Cell phones used to be a nightmare with every manufacturer making their own charge cables, same for most portable electronics, but that has mostly been tamed these days. Electric Cars have a handful of different plugs but there is at least some kind of standardized regulation in place and many groups are working toward a ONE-PLUG world.

And yet, here we are again with eBikes and their battery packs.

Monitored, protected, Lithium-ion battery pack charging is a well understood science at this point. There really isn't any question left as to what it takes to make a robust, safe, charging system for them and yet each manufacturer has their own charger, with their own proprietary plug. Worse yet, some have different chargers and plugs for different models within their own sales line! The only reason to do this is greed and it is completely unacceptable.

In my opinion we need to start making some noise. I recommend writing the manufacturers and our legislators and insist that packs/chargers must be certified (UL CE, et-al), and that some kind of plug standard be implemented in the packs.

 

[Jeffb]

Ha ha good luck! That's like forcing vacuume cleaner companies to adopt a single bag. You will go nuts if you obsess over this.
Bikes are made in China, Germany, Netherlands, USA. Each has there own version of certification. Or not.

 

[Jeffb]

Ha ha good luck! That's like forcing vacuume cleaner companies to adopt a single bag. You will go nuts if you obsess over this.
Bikes are made in China, Germany, Netherlands, USA. Each has there own version of certification. Or not.

Electric cars plugs need standardization or they can't compete. They need charging on the road. Bikes usually don't need charged on the road. There usually is an adapter included.

 

[Hozer]

The 2 batteries I just ordered have CE certification but not UL.

 

[vbfg]

Okay, the state of eBike charging hardware is absolutely ridiculous and needs to be addressed!

Cell phones used to be a nightmare with every manufacturer making their own charge cables, same for most portable electronics, but that has mostly been tamed these days. Electric Cars have a handful of different plugs but there is at least some kind of standardized regulation in place and many groups are working toward a ONE-PLUG world.

And yet, here we are again with eBikes and their battery packs.

Monitored, protected, Lithium-ion battery pack charging is a well understood science at this point. There really isn't any question left as to what it takes to make a robust, safe, charging system for them and yet each manufacturer has their own charger, with their own proprietary plug. Worse yet, some have different chargers and plugs for different models within their own sales line! The only reason to do this is greed and it is completely unacceptable.

In my opinion we need to start making some noise. I recommend writing the manufacturers and our legislators and insist that packs/chargers must be certified (UL CE, et-al), and that some kind of plug standard be implemented in the packs.

I certainly agree with that. I have an ELife bike and the charger works but the connector to the battery wasn't working all that well for some time and trying to jiggle it to make it work has meant that it broke off from the cable. Trying to find a charger with the same connector is proving very, very difficult. I contacted ELife but what a surprise, no reply and when I ordered a new charger from Amazon with the same number (except the new one had a Y at the end), the connector wouldn't even fit into the battery at all.