Vectrix Lithium Conversion Kit
For those of you in the USA, wondering about the cost of the batteries, I wrote to Thundersky (winston777@winston-battery.com) requesting a quote for the 40AH batteries - this was their response:
42pcs LYP40AH: 42*US$ 48/pcs=US$ 2016（EXW）
42pcs connectors: 42*US$ 1.5/pcs= US$63(EXW)
6 set jigs and straps: 6*US$ 8/ set= US$48(EXW)
(to pack 6 blocks of 7 cells, you could change the cell qty in one block,
then the total qty of the jigs and straps would be changed accordingly,
but pls note that one set jigs and straps can not pack more than 10 cells)
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total US$2127(EXW)
With the Antiscab kit ($1200 US), and shipping (by sea) ($428) to California, the total would be:
US$3755, plus any labor costs, if you pay someone to do the conversion ... as I'm planning to do.
I sent the same request for a quote to CHL, regarding the 50AH Li-ion batteries, but I did not receive a reply.
Ok,to support your project,our 50AH LFP battery would give some way on price at Usd62/cell FOB China,connectors and strip are free of charge.
We already sell a lot battery installed on E-scooter to Europe market.
Such as PDT in Spain,E-sprit in Austria....
Thanks for doing the research - it would be much easier to order from within the U.S.
I've never placed a large order from China before - I didn't know I needed an import agent.
I had decided to go with the CHL 50AH batteries - in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say.
I guess I better do some more research about importing before I place the order.
FalconEV will order another samples,maybe Andy knows more import procedure of battery.
Thanks - They don't have these types of batteries on their website, but I sent them an email - we'll see what options are available.
Here is the total cost of conversion to the 50AH battery, if purchased from Joey Zhong of CHL:
42pcs LFP: 42*US$ 62/pcs=US$ 2,604（EXW）
Export Charge: $100
Connectors, set jigs and straps: included
Sea Freight (from China to Oakland, CA): $80
Antiscab conversion kit: $1,200
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total US$3,984
Plus any labor costs, if you pay someone to do the conversion ... as I'm planning to do. The engineer that I'm working with said he'd do the conversion for $500. So my grand total should be around:
$4,484
Remember: Vectrix said they'd sell me a brand-new NiMH (30AH) battery pack for $5,000 ;-)
May be Matt could clarify something for us regarding battery capacity. If his conversion uses the stock charger and stock electronics, it will not allow to fully charge either the 40ah or the 50ah battery. I believe that the charger will cut off after 3h on CP charge which would be 33ah add the one h of CC at 3ah and you could may be get up to 36ah. I'd true, there is no benefit of going beyond a 40ah lifepo cell like the TS.
Yea but thats assuming that the cells start off completely empty, which is unlikely.
Hi Matt,
great video. Interresting and quite helpful!
Greetings from Austria Mike
Edit: I use isolating gloves for the battery work and recomend it to everyone who starts to work on his V-Battery.
Very useful videos so far, thanks!
There is a way to get the black impeller housing on and off without damaging it. It's still a bit of a pain, though.
You cut the cable-tie holding the front-batt temp sensor connector to the frame, move it to the side (stick it under the fairing), then lift the front of the impeller housing up first. That gives you a little more space to move at the back end, so that a good yank without a screwdriver will free it.
Hi Matt,
Congratulations, very useful material for anybody wanting to know more about their Vectrix's. In my view this should become a sticky and part of the handbook. Well done!
Jonathan
Matt,
Thanks again for taking the plunge for all of us. Nice documentation. I am still a bit concerned about the lack of ventilation with these revisions. What are the highest temperature that you are encountering? It seems that not only the batteries but the electronic boads received cooling through the impellers.
What are your thoughts on that?
Best
Harry
I'm very interested in your Li conversion kit. I have two VX-1's, one is running fine, the other needs a battery.
I don't have time to do the conversion myself, but I notice there's an owner in Stockton, CA that has a mechanic who'll do the mod for $500.
I live in Thousand Oaks, CA but can trailer my VX-1 to Stockton for the work, since I'm up there to visit my brother regularly.
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...It seems that not only the batteries but the electronic boads received cooling through the impellers.
What are your thoughts on that?
Best
Harry
If you have a close look at the impeller housing (and maybe run it off the scoot with a 12V 4A supply) then you will notice that part of the exhaust is expelled towards the MC boards inside, then re-circulates through the battery.
How much difference this makes, I do not know, but Australia would be the place where trouble fist shows, because of the sometime high ambient temperatures.
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Those boards are rated for the shunts to run in an enclosed space with no airflow (the cell is the heat sink)
in the vectrix conversion setup, the shunts don't actually run until the last minute of charge....
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What (and where) are the shunts you mention?
What (and where) are the shunts you mention?
Hi Mik, I think he means the little BMS boards on the cells. They usually start to shunt the cells during charging, when they reach the cutoff voltage between 3,6 and 3,8 Volt to protect the cells from overcharging.
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in hindsight I think HarryS was referring to the original hardware like the motor controller at the back?
I will have to do more testing....
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Matt
Yes, the stock MC board receives some cooling by the battery cooling impellers.
Any heating needs to be tested during charging - maybe this is the reason for why the impellers always run when the bike is charging, even when it's stone cold and a bit of extra heat would be desirable for the battery. The charge current goes through the MC board but I have no idea if it is a low resistance shunt or if significant heat is being created.
The reason for re-circulating part of the battery air might also be to equalise temperatures between cell layers.
Matt,
Can you give us some real world data as to how the bike does after the conversion? What is a realistic range to expect?
Harry
Just finished watching the conversion video- bravo Matt! I'm more excited than ever to start on my bike.
I haven't ordered the batteries yet - I got quotes from CHL and Thundersky. I also wrote to FalconEV (at the suggestion of CHL) - they replied right away that they deal with CHL - so I may be able to order the batteries from them (a domestic supplier for me here in the US). However FalconEV hasn't responded yet with a quote.
I do have one question: you mentioned in the video that the 120V conversion will differ from the 240V. Will the master control box have this option? Is it just a matter of attaching a couple of more wires? I'm still planning on paying an engineer friend of mine to do the conversion for me - I'm sure he'll understand how to hook things up with the 120V main lines, but any advice you can share I'll pass on to him.
Thanks Matt!
By the way - where is part 12: Riding the Li-ion Vectrix!?
dcs01 wrote:
I'm very interested in your Li conversion kit. I have two VX-1's, one is running fine, the other needs a battery.
I don't have time to do the conversion myself, but I notice there's an owner in Stockton, CA that has a mechanic who'll do the mod for $500.
I live in Thousand Oaks, CA but can trailer my VX-1 to Stockton for the work, since I'm up there to visit my brother regularly.
Hey dcs01,
I will pass it on to my friend - he may be interested (he doesn't live in Stockton, however - I have to trailer my bike to his house for the conversion). I did have to twist his arm a bit, but in the end I think his professional curiosity got the best of him :-)
arrangement of 3 stacks of 8 cells and 2 stacks of 9 cells laying on their side. This fit into the currently existing battery compartment.
That could be done, The battery would have to be pre-wired before lowering into the battery box.
It could probably be done per stack, however, due to the lack of clearance an Anderson on each stack would be necessary if only putting it in one stack at a time.
An insulating barrier between the battery terminals and the frame would also be necessary (this bit is not quite as hard).
To prevent movement of the individual cells, it will have to be a close fit (otherwise the copper interconnects work harden).
The next tricky part is there would be no room for the master module.
Its not shown in the pictures, but I locate it on the poly carbonate barrier, above the front layer of cells.
The master module should be located near the mains line for the charger for ease of wiring.
Matt