I'm still trying to figure out what "normal battery recharge times" are for my XB-600. I've had my new XB-600 for just a little over a week, and it seems to take a long time to recharge the batteries. I'm using the batteries, wiring and charger as they came "right out of the box" (no modifications or extra battery added). Riding the bike for 12 to 15 miles gives us a battery recharge time of 8 hours or more before the charger light turns green. Is this "typical", or should we be looking for problems with the batteries or charger? If so, what should we be looking for? I understand that the fully charged battery pack should show a voltage of about 50 volts, plus or minus. Anything else? Is there a better or faster 48v battery charger I should get?
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Support V is for Voltage
The short answer is that the charger is a multi-stage charger. To charge the pack, it will start at 2.5A until the pack gets to the gassing voltage of 58.4. It will then not exceed that voltage, tapering the amps as the batteries finish filling. If it is a three-stage charger, when the battery only accepts ~.2A, the voltage is then allowed to sag back to the finish voltage, around 53.6. THEN the LED turns green. Yes it takes a while, but you would have had 80% of the electrons in half the time.
The tool to see where the charger is on this cycle is a voltmeter combined with a Kill-a-watt. If you take the seat bucket out (4 screws), you'll be able to reach the back of the charge receptacle to see these voltages. My Kill-a-watt reports 300 to 500 watt hours used, to recharge after a medium ride. YMMV! (That number is the watt-hours consumed by the charger in putting the electrons back in their original places; the number of watt-hours actually stored in the batteries will be somewhat less.)
If you use the Kill-a-watt after a number of rides, you'll get an idea of how much power you need to go a mile. (Of course, since there's no odometer, knowing when you go that mile is another story.)
The Kill-a-watt is a handy tool around the house as well.
Buzzer,
Everything sounds pretty normal to me. When Xtreme says you should get up to about 25 miles on a charge, they are talking about running at less than full throttle on flat ground. you need to remember that any grade at all will increase the motor current, and reduce the range some. Also, an 8 hour charge is not a problem, and is to be expected with a 2.5 amp charger.
I would not consider trying to upgrade to a bigger charger, that will just shorten the life of your lead acid batteries. If you want more range, and shorter recharge times, you need to use a battery technology that is suitable to that, like one of the Lithium batteries. That will cost you a bunch for the battery pack, and a bunch more for the special charger, so maybe a bigger bike is in order if that is what you really want.
If you are happy with the current performance of the XB-600, then I would say don't worry about the charge times, just make sure the battery fully charges and goes to that slow blinking green, that indicates it charged up all the way. If you ride to work, you might consider trying to charge it while you are there. That will extend the life of the batteries, by reducing your discharge depth.
just my thoughts,
Tom
We are very happy with the performance of our XB-600 "as is". We just didn't know what a "normal" recharge time was. If 8 hours or so is about right, that's fine with us and we'll stop taking turns sitting there, staring at the recharger, waiting for the green light to appear (just kidding)!
My wife and I were comparing the recharge time to other rechargeable items we have like our power tools, AA batteries, flashlight batteries, cameras and other items we use with rechargeable batteries, and we had pretty much convinced ourselves that 8 hours probably wasn't out of line for a four-pack of 12v batteries powering an "appliance" of this size down the road with one of us riding on it. But we feel much better getting your other opinions. Obviously, we'll plug in the charger and then go to bed, or I'll see if I can do some of the recharging at work, as you suggested. Thanks for the feedback and positive confirmation. This is a whole new experience for us (having an EV, such as it is), so we are trying to find out what the "new normal" is so we can adjust as quickly as possible.
Buzzer
There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.
Well with 3600 miles on my 600 I recharge in 2 hours. I ride 6-7 miles a day and recharge after every use. Almost two years old and no problems other than replacing the rear tire. Shunt mod and 60 volts has made this scooter usable on the street with traffic. 29 mph on a full charge can hit 30 with a tail wind. Longest ride was about 21 miles and still had a fair charge. Always plug in when you can.
Happy scooting,
JamesS
The Kill-a-watt is simple to use and inexpensive ($30.00 or so). Based on Google Earth distances (no odometer - Grrrr...), my scoot is using ~40watt-hours per mile "at the plug," with charger losses included. You'll be able to watch as the current draw goes down during the taper phase.
Well with 3600 miles on my 600 I recharge in 2 hours. I ride 6-7 miles a day and recharge after every use. Almost two years old and no problems other than replacing the rear tire. Shunt mod and 60 volts has made this scooter usable on the street with traffic. 29 mph on a full charge can hit 30 with a tail wind. Longest ride was about 21 miles and still had a fair charge. Always plug in when you can.
Happy scooting,
JamesS