Comprehensive overview of swappable battery for electric motorcycles swap station
Most people are turning towards using clean energy. Clean energy can now be used to power small and large devices – including electric motorcycles and cars. Just as clean energy continues to gain popularity so do swappable battery for electric motorcycles. Using swappable battery is highly beneficial and it would be best if you’d clearly understand how these batteries work and how do they convenience to people’s life. This comprehensive overview of swappable battery to help you make solid decisions when buying and operating these types of batteries.
What is a swappable battery?
The swap station swappable battery means that electric motorcycle owners can replace a depleted battery with a fully charged one. The swap station can keep the fully-charged swappable battery ready for using. Swappable battery is a more efficient supplementary solution to battery charging.
What are the main types of swappable battery in an electric motorcycle battery swap station?
There are several types of battery can be used as swappable battery in electric motorcycle battery swapping station, such as lead acid, LiFePO4 battery, ternary lithium battery, etc. When choosing a swappable battery for an electric motorcycle, there are some key factors need to consider – battery life, energy density, etc. In swappable batteries, ternary lithium batteries have more obvious advantages than other batteries. Here’s why:
● Li-ion ternary battery uses three metal oxides – cobalt, manganese, and nickel as its cathode. Using these three metal oxides as its anode is super-beneficial because it helps enhance the battery’s performance.
● Ternary lithium battery is additionally lighter compared to LiFePO4, which is exactly what you might need in an electric motorcycle. Other benefits include high charging efficiency and resistance to low temperatures.
What are the characteristics of a swappable battery?
Swappable batteries have the following characteristics:
● Charging safety – A swappable battery has guaranteed charge safety which monitors key aspects of the battery e.g. battery health, voltage, current, etc. Because in the battery swap station, all batteries are uniformly charged by intelligent programs, which is highly safe. Only authorized devices can be charged. And disconnect the charging device at any time in case of failure, and provide early warning protection.
● Riding safety – The swappable battery comes with a real-time monitoring system that checks the battery for any anomalies. The monitoring system also reports safety information. It additionally has a central intelligent control that controls the swappable battery’s charge.
● High performance – The cabinet control system of the battery swap station adopts the optimal charging curve to safely charge the battery. The background system can also monitor the working status of the battery in real time, maintain the battery in time, and maintain the performance level of the battery to the greatest extent.
Simply put, the electric motorcycle’s swappable battery in swap station has an intelligent battery safety system that helps protect the user as well as the battery itself.
Specifications of an electric motorcycle swappable battery
The following table outlines the specifications a swappable battery has:
| Features | Specifications |
| Battery chemistry | Ternary, lithium-ion |
| Nominal Capacity | 50 Ah |
| Nominal Voltage | 48V, 60V, 72V |
| Cycle life | More than 2,000 cycles |
| AC internal resistance | <200mΩ |
| Energy | About 2.5Kwh, About 3Kwh, About 3.6Kwh |
| Weight | About 14KG, About 18KG, About 21KG |
| Storage temperature | 0℃ – 45℃ |
Pros and cons of swappable battery for electric motorcycle
The following table summarizes the upsides and downsides of using a swappable battery for your electric motorcycle:
| Pros | Cons |
| Ideal for electric motorcycles that are ridden for long hours | Limited accessibility of battery swapping stations – mostly found in urban areas |
| No charge times – you do not have to wait for your battery to charge | If the supply of swappable batteries in the battery swap station exceeds the demand, there will also be a need to wait (it can be solved by placing more power exchange cabinets) |
| Considerably cheaper compared to traditional gas motorcycles and electric motorcycles that do not use the battery swapping system | You cannot be sure if the battery you are currently using from the swapping station was well handled |
| The battery’s lifespan is longer than a non-swappable battery because the charging station is ideally made for this type of swappable battery | Swapping stations are expensive to maintain as they need to keep the battery at optimum temperatures since fast charging Li-ion batteries generates a lot of heat |
Comparison between swappable battery vs traditional charging method
| Swappable battery | Traditional charging method |
| Time-efficient because you do not have to wait for a battery to charge – you’ll just replace it with an already charged battery | Requires you to wait for your battery to charge so that you can get going – which is quite inefficient on time |
| Riders are able to go for longer distances through swapping the battery | The traditional charging lack industry standards and regulatory measures to standardize construction and operation, resulting in a high risk of accidents |
| A swappable battery has a longer lifespan because it has been charged by its ideal charger under optimal charging conditions | Traditional battery charging methods can take a toll on the lifespan of your battery especially if the wrong charger is used and if the charging process was done wrongly |
| Swappable batteries are cost-efficient, do not need to spend money to buy swappable battery | Traditionally charged batteries are cost-intensive as you’ll need to replace your battery every few years |
How to match a battery swap station with a swappable battery
There are three factors that determine how you’ll match a swapabble battery with a battery swap station:
● The common swappable battery specifications are 48V / 60V / 72V.
● The size of the swap station is required to accommodate the swappable battery.
● There is a protocol between the swap station and the swappable battery.
If the above three factors match, then the swap station is good and ready for use.
Why are motorcycle battery swapping stations becoming more and more popular, and how to find the best swappable battery supplier?
The main reason why battery swapping stations are becoming more popular today is because they charge batteries under the most optimal conditions. It, therefore, means that the swappable battery will have a longer lifespan and performance. There are key factors that you should consider when looking for the best swappable battery supplier and battery swapping station manufacturers in China.
● Safety of the batteries – The ideal swappable battery supplier should be able to meet battery charging, riding storage safety. Doing so not only increases the lifespan of the battery but also protects its users.
● Quality – The PACK technology requirements for power batteries are the highest, and the requirements for battery swapping are even higher. Each battery is used by multiple people, and the usage habits and methods are different, so the requirements for product quality are higher.
● A good swappable battery should be completely sealed, even from dust, moisture, and water. A good swappable battery supplier needs to ensure that the batteries have met at least three levels of waterproof (IP65). A good example of a swappable battery manufacturer with more than three waterproof levels in their swappable batteries is TYCORUN ENERGY with IP66.
● Swappable batteries are produced in series. If any battery or component fails, the entire battery cannot be used. This requires the battery PACK factory to have certain experience in producing power batteries, and TYCORUN ENERGY has done hundreds of thousands of replacement batteries, and we have mass production experience.
● Electric motorcycles rely on li-ion batteries for power. As such, these batteries are the most costly component of the electric motorcycle. So looking for the most affordable supplier is significant.
● It would be best to check out how many third-party suppliers have been contracted to supply the batteries when selecting a swappable battery supplier. The lesser the number of third-party suppliers, the better.
● When we choose a battery pack supplier, at least this factory has done battery swapping cases. TYCORUN ENERGY has engineering cases in China and other countries in the world.
How to use electric motorcycle swappable battery? Precautions for using swappable battery
When an electric motorcycle owner wants to use the battery, they’ll just need to interact with the swap station’s smart cabinet which has a touch screen. You’ll just need to touch the “replace battery” button and the cabinet will unlock one of the charging ports for you. You’ll then place the battery inside the port and plug in the charging cord for the battery to start charging. After closing the first port, the cabinet then opens another port for you which has a fully charged battery. You can plug this battery into your electric motorcycle and go to work. However, it is essential to take care of the battery. You’ll need to handle it in the best way possible.
● When swapping the battery, the swappable battery should be lifted with both hands to prevent the battery from falling and hurting the feet;
● Regardless of whether the battery is faulty or not, it is strictly forbidden to knock, drop, step on, kick or hit the battery in other ways to prevent safety accidents;
● It is strictly forbidden to disassemble or change the external structure of the battery, or modify the battery by yourself to prevent safety accidents;
● It is recommended to extract more than 60% of the swappable battery from the battery swap cabinet as much as possible to ensure that the vehicle has a good battery life;
● After riding a long distance, please check the battery power status of the battery swap APP in time, and you can replace the battery nearby;
● If the swappable battery is severely deformed, bulged, or has abnormalities such as leakage or odor, do not use the battery, and report the fault information through the battery replacement APP in time.
How many swappable batteries are needed to operate a battery swap station?
The number of swappable batteries needed to operate a battery swap station is directly dependent on the number of ports in a swap station. Most modern swap stations have a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 12 battery ports, can be customized according to needs.
Check this out, it’s important:
If your battery swap station has 12 ports, you’ll need to leave one empty for users to charge their depleted batteries as they replace it with a fully charged one. Simply put, a 12-port swap station should hold 11 fully charged batteries and a single empty port for users to swap their charge-depleted battery with a fully-charged one.
The safety and performance of a swappable battery start at the swap station cabinet. The cabinet needs to have the following characteristics:
Beyond being strong and durable, swappable battery stations should be intelligent enough to provide individual information for every battery inside the metal case. This information can only be provided by an intelligent swap station cabinet that has a control panel for each battery port.
And in addition to providing information, it should also be able to regulate the battery’s charging curves by allocating individual and unique charging power depending on a battery’s need. And one of the best parts about using an intelligent battery swap station is how it can monitor the status of battery. Whenever it detects a critical issue, the swap box locks itself and sends you a message.
In summary, to ensure the charging safety and excellent performance of swappable battery, consider getting a good swap station cabinet.
Can users charge the replacement battery by themselves?
No, there is an agreement between the swappable battery and the battery swap station, and the user cannot use the charger at home to charge the battery. Users are not allowed to charge the replacement batteries by themselves outside the battery’s recommended swap station. Here’s why:
These batteries are used by many people and the manufacturing company is responsible for the safety and performance of these swappable batteries. Doing so helps you do away with premature battery damage and increase in costs.
Wrap-up on swappable battery for electric motorcycles
A swappable battery is way beneficial compared to a traditionally-charged battery as it helps save time and is cost-efficient. Riders can easily replace charge-depleted batteries with fully-charged batteries and use them for longer distances. Remember, battery’s safety and excellent performance start by looking for a reputable swappable battery supplier. The supplier should have high-quality and intelligent swap cabinets that monitor every aspect of individual batteries, control their charging curve and provide any necessary information. Please feel free to get in touch with us to learn more about swappable batteries for electric motorcycles.
