New Elio email

[Sonoran Sam]

If you dont need the panels I am always looking. Sounds like you are in the southwest though, shipping is a killer right now.

I never pulled the trigger on the solar panels. Back then, I was working on a deal for a used "Zero" motorcycle, when that deal fell through I started looking at a new "Zero".
When I added up the cost of a new "Zero" to the cost of the solar panels, I scrapped the idea.

 

[Mark BEX]

Most of those electric bikes run high voltage lithium-ion batteries, they are not suited for charging with conventional solar chargers (solar charge controllers) as the battery chemistry is different and more dangerous, this is why they are usually provided with their own utility chargers.

I'm no electrician, but what little I know is the difference between a lead acid charger and a lithium charger, is a lead acid charger has sensors that at about 80%, start to reduce the charging amps all the way down to a trickle charge by 100%, and continues finite.

A lithium charger charges at 100% all the way to fully charged and then shuts off.

So with care, you can charge a lithium battery with a lead acid charger to about 80%+ requiring manual supervision, but if you use a lithium charger on lead acid, you will quickly boil and damage the lead acid batteries ....

... especially if you leave it on overnight, as I found out the hard way with my electric forklift, and is why I know a little about it :-)

 

[Hog]

Yes, lead acid chargers charge differently. Lithium - type chargers juggle the amps vs volts, high amps until the battery reaches almost full, then switches to low amps higher voltage for the "absorption phase". Those chargers also have built in overcharge protection and low temperature protection as you cannot charge lithium below freezing (think of your cell phone). If you do, bad things happen. Lead acid tolerates low temperatures very well, but cannot be discharged below 50% capacity without damaging it, so you always bounce between full and 50%. Overcharging lead acid will boil out your electrolyte and damage the plates, possible shorting them. Solar chargers have all the protections for all types (except lithium ion, which should not be used for solar applications, too dangerous). My charger runs my sealed lead acid batteries to 15 volts for two hours once a month for automatic desulfating. Not needed for AGM batteries though. Lithium Iron Phosphate is used for solar batteries since it is quite safe, but most ebikes use lithium ion which is quite explosive (numerous videos on this).