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New battery for my electric bicycle

Last month I replaced the battery pack for a Mongoose Currie Electric Bike that I bought at Pep Boys. Although the bicycle only cost me $200, the new battery pack was $100 at Batteries Plus. I have learned that the effective life of a battery is about two years and 300 cycles.

To prevent sulfation - the formation of sulfate crystals on the battery electrode plate - do not discharge the battery too deeply as this causes the sulfuric acid solution to become weak and sulfur to crystallize. Deep discharge will substantially reduce the life of your battery. Also as the battery ages both the range and maximum power will decrease.

It is important that the depth of discharge not exceed 80%, in fact, your battery will last much longer, as much as ten times as long, if your DOD is 10% versus 50%.

Toward the end of its life the bicycle battery pack instead of twenty two miles of range delivered only two, and the bicycle had problems climbing hills. The fresh new battery pack was like a breath of fresh air.

Still, lead is heavy and I look forward to new lithium ion battery packs that are coming out. The lead acid battery is very "ol skool" tech and we can certainly see improvement in range and power with new technologies.

One big problem with the lead acid battery is the desire to overcharge the power pack to extend the range. This can lead to the formation of hydrogen gas and even an explosion. The absorbed glass mat AGM battery is not built to withstand overcharging. Bubbles of gas are trapped inside and this reduces the effective active area of plate that is exposed to electrolyte.

After the battery pack dies make sure to recycle it as the lead sponge and sulfuric acid are nasty stuff. Typically you will get $10 for each battery at the recycle center so don't throw them away.

Renewable & Alternative Energy Resources: http://www.alternativeenergybase.com

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