Batteries for electric bikes
The Angel uses a sealed lead acid battery, all other models use Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. So, what is the difference? First, there is the weight. The Angel’s battery weighs 11 kgs!, a third of the total weight of the bike. Inside the plastic casing, you will find 3 x 12V 10AH SLA batteries connected in series. Second, the number of charging cycles. The SLA batteries will give you around 600 charging cycles. The LiFePO4 will give you around 800-1000 cycles. All Lithium ion batteries are based on a carbon anode, a Lithium salt as electrolyte and a Lithium oxide or phosphate as cathode. Lithium metal is highly reactive and can cause fire if exposed, that’s why manufacturers added cobalt, magnesium, manganese and lately phosphate to stabilize the lithium. Sometimes, you may have heard the term ‘LiPo’, Lithium Ion polymer (LiPo) batteries. In LiPo batteries, the electrolyte is held in a polymer composite (as in Lithium polymer) instead of an organic solvent. LiPo cells are pressed into cubic shape: they are pouch cells while older lithium-ion batteries are made of cylindrical cells. LiPo cells are lighter. Different cathode materials are routinely used for electric bikes:
All Woosh Bikes except the Angel are fitted with the best type of Li-ion batteries: polymer cells based on Lithium Iron phosphate chemistry. They are light, have high energy density, no memory and are inherently safe.
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