I have an Ego LX and wonder if I can add a third 12volt battery to just boost my range and allow me to use my lights more often. Ego used to sell a 24volt battery to add on the deck of the Ego but I no longer see that on their website, and my searches for 24 volt 33ah SLA batteries has not been successful. I only need a few more miles of range.
Thanks for you suggestions!
Adding a third battery in series will increase voltage .. depending on the controller this might or might not work. If the controller components cannot have the higher voltage then a part inside the engine room will start shouting in a scottish accent about how the engines won't be able to take it any longer, and then the dilithium crystals will poof letting out the magic smoke and no more go fun.
It's easy enough to get two 12v batteries and wire them in parallel with the existing battery pack. That's surely what eGOvehicles had sold previously. And the eGO has a flat deck making for a convenient place to put the batteries.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
Suppose I just add one more 12volt in parallel, will that provide a benefit? I travel downhill to work 8 miles, and climb back uphill 8 miles to get home. My batteries are almost empty when I get home, and it isn't even Winter yet.
When making changes to your batteries;
change all your batteries at the same time.
Never add cells to an existing pack. Doing so kills them all. Not immediately, but kills them nonetheless.
If you are using current from your primary pack for lights, switch over to a self contained head lamp. that won't add much range but will prevent riding in the dark when you run out of juice.
For more range, add more amp hours. Buy a pack of the same voltage as your current pack, and wire the two packs in parallel. Make sure both packs are charged so you don't get a big rush of energy from one pack to the other when they are connected.
I've read that higher voltage packs don't give more range, just more speed in the real world I can't confirm or deny this. We know for sure, adding a pack of equal voltage WILL provide more range. If you add a 12V battery in parallel with a 24V pack you'll over-volt the new 12V and and it will be doorstop in short order.
You shouldn't have any issues putting a new pack in parallel with the old. If you simply add a third battery in series, you will indeed have the problems of an unbalanced string, which although can be managed, its a bit more complicated. Riker, eh Rikiman explained the controller complications perfectly.
XM-3000...
-DC-DC converter replaced with a Dell D220P-01 power supply.
-72V mod
-Expensive bank charger until I come up with something better... Still trying.
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