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FAQ

How do I load my rechargeable battery?

Only with the appertaining charger. Never connect it to another energy source. The maximum charging time required for all our battery- and charger sets is 5 ½ hours. 

Do I have to empty the charger completely before I can reload it?

No, that is not necessary. You can reload your charger at any discharge level. However, we do not recommend that you reload your charger, once it has reached a very low level of discharge (< 20 %). See also our instructions for use in the download section.

Can I use it while it is raining?

The chargers have no problem with rain. However, rain may influence the power connection of the charger.

Can I use the e-bike in winter?

Yes, but the range is reduced. In this respect only 80% are available at 0° C and only 60% of the charger capacity at a temperature of -20° C.

When and how does the charger have to be reloaded?

Frequent users should charge on a daily basis, less frequent users rather every couple of days. See also our instructions for use in the recommendations for use and care of lithium-ion batteries.

http://www.liontecshop.de/shop/additional_files/german/Anwendungs-%20und%20Pflegeempfehlungen.pdf

Could my charger cause a fire or an explosion?

If used as intended, it is highly unlikely that the charger causes an explosion or fire.
Intended use means essentially that you should never manipulate the charger and that the rechargeable battery is always only loaded by means of the original charger. All our batteries are prevented from a deep discharge and overcharge by an integrated battery management system (BMS). There remains the possibility of a suspended charging of a cell in the battery. Experience in the past have demonstrated that even in case of serious failures, such as the inflating of so-called “pouched cells“ and the release of gas with cylindrical cells do not cause a fire or an explosion. However, it is in the nature of things that it is never possible to give a 100% guarantee regarding safety.
We always strive to do our utmost to offer only high quality products on the market. To this end we examine and check the functions of the BMS systems and only buy rechargeable batteries and cells from production sources we have visited ourselves. But it should be mentioned that the formula “reasonably priced” (China) = bad, or expensive = good, does not reflect reality as such and that the contrary is often the case.

Are LionTec-rechargeable batteries splash-proof or which protection class do the batteries come under?

The answer is unfortunately: no, they are generally not splash-proof.
Whatever information you obtain, details about for example IP68 for a standard golf or bicycle battery are simply wrong or even unethical. Some sellers that give out such information do not know any better or even try to deceive deliberately.
Even the term of protection class for water and dust is wrong. The correct term is protection type. The technician quotes the protection type in compliance with DIN EN 60529.
The IP protection type is important for the properties regarding water and dust.  As a rule, rechargeable batteries for pedelecs and golf trolleys are assessed with the second digit of the IP-protection type which refers to water that is a ‘1‘ (meaning IPX1). This means that the battery is resistant to vertical drip water, no more and no less.
The fact that the rechargeable batteries are definitely more resilient in practice is owed to its built-in condition. Here, the contact point of the battery is covered such that even rain coming sporadically from an angle does not cause any problem.  If, however, the rechargeable battery is tested according to the standard, in most of the cases a protection type higher than IPX1 is not achieved.  
In order to be splash-proof, the battery should achieve protection type IPX4. Have a look at your original rechargeable battery and decide for yourself, whether the battery is of type IP68 which means it is dust-proof and submersible.

 

Care

What do I have to watch for regarding my battery?

Make sure that the power connection of the rechargeable battery and, if necessary, also the communication connections are firmly connected. We recommend that you visually check the connections of the battery and those of the car for damage and contamination.

How do I store the rechargeable battery ideally?

Half charged, dry and at room temperature. See also our instructions for use in the download section http://www.liontecshop.de/shop/infocenter#downloads

 

Technique / Technology

The controller  of my Prophete Pedelec  shows a shorter range with the new LionTec battery compared to my old battery.  

This is due to the voltage of the new battery. In the past, Prophete used batteries whereby the voltage of the individual cells was 3.7V. STARK Power, too, started to sell batteries with these cells. In the meantime, however, most of the time Samsung cells are used with a nominal voltage of 3.6V and an actual voltage of about 3.65V – also because a great number of consumers appreciate this change. Consequently, the range of the new battery matches that of the old batteries but the controller is not able to display this as it was made for the older generation of batteries. Therefore, you can use your pedelec as usual.   

What influences the range of my rechargeable battery?

Age, battery status and temperature.

 
What is the lifespan of the battery?

A bicycle battery lasts between 500 and 800 cycles as a rule, with about 60 – 80%  of the nominal capacity left thereafter. Speaking in terms of actual years, the lifespan is about 3 to 5 years. This also means that the battery ages, even if it is not used.

I did not use my bicycle for 6 months. The battery has no capacity left and cannot be recharged.

Standard response: Please contact the trader.
If the battery can be charged with the appertaining charger, everything is all right. If not, it must be disposed of as it is possible that cells may have been damaged.

Why does my battery show less than 100% capacity after only a few months?

It is important to understand that the capacity of lithium-ion batteries reduces continuously right from the first cycle. The capacity per cycle reduces slowly as a rule depending on the remaining capacity. It is important that you understand this. The fact that a lithium-ion battery does not have a 100% nominal capacity any more after a few months of use does not mean that this should be considered as being ‘bad‘ or having failed within the specification of e.g. > 80 % of the nominal capacity. Read more here: Lionknowledge

I cannot measure a voltage at the output of my battery / There is no voltage received at the battery.

Some batteries are designed in a way that there is no voltage at the output when switched off (key position „Open“). This is done for safety reasons. In this way such batteries cannot be short-circuited by accident – or in case any person touches the safety low voltage (at DC < 60 V) even if this is not dangerous. In case of some systems, for example Bosch, the battery voltage is only released once the battery is connected and communicates with the system. Therefore, always connect the battery first and then turn the key to position ‘Close’.

And also always remember that a rechargeable battery should always be kept out of reach of children.

Why is it not possible to buy some batteries without charger?

The fact that some batteries are only available with chargers means that – amongst others – different (older) battery technologies are built in these batteries. As we are not aware of what kind of technology is to be replaced by our battery, we must always supply a charger with the new battery. This then ascertains that there are no problems and no safety risks involved.
This also means that you find the following advice in the instructions for use: The delivery of the set comprises a lithium-ion bicycle battery with appertaining charger. Always only use the supplied set of components and never use the supplied charger with a different battery or use the supplied battery with a different charger! Using a different charger could destroy the battery as well as cause cell explosions in the interior of the aluminium cylinder and, could also cause a fire. The existing charger can, however, be used if the batteries to be replaced are of exactly the same type. In this case we offer these batteries without charger. Sometimes batteries can be purchased individually as well as in a set. The different categories also have individual chargers for some types of batteries. Refer to the description of the product to obtain information about the particular types.

What happens, if I lose my key?

Exchanging a lock is very complex and expensive and it is almost impossible to order replacement keys. We therefore recommend that you keep your spare key in a safe place.

What is the difference between the various types of rechargeable batteries? 

This is mostly due to the cell chemistry and cell construction.

Are there any differences in the various types of lithium-ion batteries?

Yes, there are. We generally discourage consumers from using so-called lithium-manganese rechargeable batteries (cathode chemistry: LiMn2O4). In most cases they only achieve a few cycles and you will have wasted your money. Otherwise it is irrelevant whether your battery contains so-called lithium-iron-phosphate cells or mixed systems with cobalt, manganese and nickel (LiNiMnCoO2).

Can I exchange existing lead-, nickel-cadmium-, or nickel-metal hydride for lithium-ion batteries?

Yes - provided one of our rechargeable batteries fits into the receptacle of the vehicle and the system voltage (24V or 36V) is the same.

Do lithium-ion batteries have a ‘memory effect‘?

No.

Can I use LionTec batteries in combination with the brands of Kalkhoff, Raleigh, Victoria, KTM etc. (Panasonic-drive) on my bicycle problem- and hazard-free?

Yes, LionTec batteries for Panasonic drives have the same system voltage as the original battery. Also, communication with motor and controller at the bicycle is guaranteed such that the display of the range within the scope of system tolerances also works accurately.  

Why does the LionTec battery weigh a lot less compared to my old (original) battery?

The reason for this is that technology regarding lithium-ion batteries is advancing fast. These days cells often have 40 to 70% more capacity than 3 to 6 years ago. This means that fewer cells are required to achieve the same capacity with less weight.

Can I use LIonTec batteries for the Bosch drive on my bicycle problem- and hazard-free?

Yes – these batteries are as good as those that we offered right up to Spring 2016. At the time Robert Bosch GmbH had brought actions for design infringement against us and sued for an injunction with the Stuttgart District Court, where we subsequently lost the case – unjustly – as we are still convinced. We decided to invest ‘your‘ money in new shapes instead of filing an appeal. Therefore only the shapes of the batteries were changed – but within the scope of a ‘Must Fit‘ – the technology remained the same.

Can I also charge the impulse battery of LIonTec by means of a supplementary charger via the XLR4-plug?

No, this is not possible. The impulse battery can only be charged with the original charger.

Why does LionTec change the nominal capacity of some bicycle batteries by some percentage points?

This is due to the fact that we replaced some models which so far contained so-called pouch cells (often wrongly referred to as polymer cells) with cylindrical cells by Samsung –    with the effect that 10.5Ah partly became 10.4 Ah. This does, however, not affect the performance and lifespan as the battery may even have more cycles.

Why does the capacity of my battery drop and when has it achieved the end of its lifespan?

The capacity of lithium batteries reduces slowly cycle by cycle. This process is called aging and is a normal process for all lithium-ion systems. For users of the battery this means that the end of its lifespan, meaning the fact that the desired range can no longer be achieved, is perceived by the user individually. Some users may find that a nominal capacity of 80% is still very good, whereas others consider it already as rather bad. We usually define a battery to be technically perfect, if it still shows a nominal capacity of 80%. This refers to a neutral Good – Bad evaluation. Other producers or providers set a limit at 60 or 80%.

Why is it not possible to replace a 24V bicycle battery with a 36V battery if I want to achieve higher performance?

Firstly, because the motor controller is not designed for a 36V battery and can thus be damaged.  And secondly, the performance of 350 kW (36V system) will seriously increase wear on a 250W motor. Beyond that you should think about the fact that it is possible that the pedelec increases in speed such that you would require an insurance registration plate. This could become an insurance fraud if you do not comply with the regulation.

Can I retrofit my old golf trolley - still running on a lead-gel battery (Sonnenschein) - with a lithium battery?

Yes, this is possible. We have exactly two batteries in our range (GOS-0120160 and GOS-0120220), suitable for this purpose. Both batteries can directly be connected to older Powacaddy.
There are relevant adapters (converters) available for all other models on offer in the online shop. Both batteries only differ in height and capacity, one for 18 holes and one for 27 holes. We supply both batteries with a ‘soft bag’ with carry strap and of course with appertaining charger.

In which way can I establish how many holes I can presumably play with a golf caddy battery?

A modern trolley requires about 115 Wh for 18 holes on a standard round of golf on a slightly hilly (not mountainous) golf course (measured with a 24V trolley and an 11 Ah battery). The 115 Wh are calculated from 24 V x 4.8 Ah = 115 Wh. This means that in case of a 12V trolley you would require a capacity of 9.6 Ah instead of 4.8 Ah. A 16 Ah battery in a 12V trolley would therefore achieve about 18 holes x 16 Ah / 9.6 Ah = 30 holes;
a trolley with an 8 Ah battery 18 holes x 8 Ah / 4.8 Ah = 30 holes. As these values only apply to new batteries, you must consider that over time the capacity of lithium-ion batteries drops slowly cycle by cycle continuously. The end of a lifespan is often defined by a nominal capacity of 80%. An average golfer may consider 70% of the nominal capacity as the end of a lifespan and starting with a range of 30 holes, 18 holes are then probably the end of a lifespan of a battery. This follows that golfers playing 27 and 36 holes should either oversize the battery (if available on the market) accordingly, that is for example, an energy content (Wh) for 40 holes in case of 27-hole-players and 55 holes for 36-hole-players; or simply use two batteries.

What is the difference between the LionTec Golf Caddy battery and the original?

The dimensions and capacity (that is the range in holes) are the same. But the battery management system of the LionTec battery balances the individual cells compared to the original battery. If the individual cells are not balanced, it is possible that the battery aborts the charging process as one single cell is not sufficiently charged. In this case the golfer will notice that his range is restricted and the battery no longer good for a really relaxed round.

 

Legal / Commercial

What is the meaning of “Made in China“ in connection with the lithium-ion technology?

The general attitude towards “Made in China“ is rather a negative one. With regard to the batteries in general, as is the case with many areas of life, there are positive and negative points of view – good and bad products.  Where the lithium-ion batteries are concerned, the situation is such that more than 90% are produced in Asia.
As a rule we are talking about Japan, Korea, and of course China. However, there is a continuous trend to produce in China. To this end many lithium-ion cells of well-known Japanese and Korean producers are now made in China. In case of one well-known Korean cell manufacturer we suspect that whole finishing lines are now taken over by Chinese producers and the cells subsequently sold for all sorts of applications all over the world under well-known brands. These are at least a few Euro cents cheaper than those sold by the original manufacturer. With reference to this subject, there is no alternative to “Made in China”. We only work together with Chinese producers, whose production and processes we have seen for ourselves.  This is to make sure that you do not purchase unsafe products of bad quality from us.  
中国制造还是不错的。

Why do the LionTec batteries not have CE-marking?

Batteries are subject to the “Directive 2006/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the harmonisation of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits, often also referred to as low voltage directive. The Directive comprises electrical equipment for use at a nominal voltage between 50 and 1000V for alternating current and between 75 and 1500V for direct current. As batteries in general have nominal voltages distinctly below 75 V DC, there is no CE-marking in compliance with the low voltage directive. Bicycle manufacturers that have a CE-marking for the batteries, probably refer to the so-called Machinery Directive and have used this directive for the overall system. An individual CE-marking for the battery is however excluded.

What are the service and guarantee regulations?

You always have a guarantee of two years as a consumer. This does not apply, should the cycles of the battery be used up beforehand.

Does STARK Power have the relevant certificates for transporting batteries?

For the transport of batteries we issue our own certificate in compliance with UN 38.3. The certificate in compliance with UN38.3 is valid and accepted by the authorities. It is based on the relevant valid certificates of the battery manufacturers. This procedure had been coordinated and agreed in this form with the ‘AK Umwelt und Transport‘ of the association ‘Fachverband Batterien in the ZVEI [Central association electro-technique and electro industry] some years ago and is approved and broadly agreed by AK. The valid certificates of the different manufacturers are available in our company and we can produce these any time to present them to authorities upon request and for the purpose of an examination.

Why have some batteries at STARK Power increased in price?

As the Euro against the US Dollar has been worse off by more than 20% over the past 9 months, prices had to be adapted. Due to favourable buying conditions made in US Dollar, we were able to cushion the increase (by about 10%). If the situation of the Euro improves unexpectedly (ECB, Mr. Draghi), in 2016, we will of course pass this on to our customers.

Why does STARK Power not offer an exchange of cells for rechargeable batteries?

STARK Power sells complete batteries and sets of batteries exclusively for the standard "pedelec" and golf trolleys as we have specialised in this area. In case of models with a low quantity in the market (here we quote especially and representatively BionX and TranzX), it is not worth building complete batteries. Therefore, we recommend an exchange of cells for these models.
For an exchange of cells we recommend our partner company
liofit, who carry out an exchange reliably. The cooperation with liofit is reciprocal and based on trust. We can recommend this company as liofit carries out welding processes professionally and BMS for Batteries examines the work prior to an exchange.

How do I dispose of a battery?

Take it to your building yard or a GRS collection point.

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