Is It Cheaper to Build Your Own E-bike Battery? Real Example

The battery is the beating heart of an e-bike. It gives power to the motor and helps you to move effortlessly. But a good e-bike battery that can satisfy you can be hard to find, and expensive. You may need to compromise with your needs to fit an e-bike battery into your budget. 

But, is there no other option than compromising? Yes, there is an option and that is to build your own e-bike battery. It’s not as hard as it sounds. In this write-up, we will unfold every aspect of building a DIY e-bike battery and try to find out if it is cheaper to build your own e-bike battery or not. 

Is It Cheaper to Build Your Own E-bike Battery?

Building your own e-bike battery is cheaper if you have necessary tools or you can borrow them for the project. On the other hand, if you need to buy the required tools then it’s surely way much more expensive than the readily available ones.

All the main parts needed to build an e-bike battery can cost you $180-250, depending on the size, which is way less than any store-bought e-bike battery.  Thus, if you need to buy your tools, for example, a good spot welder can set you back $200 to $250, doubling your previous spending.

Considering this, DIY becomes much more enticing if you already own the tools because you won’t have to add their cost to the build.

Here is the example of DIY vs Readymade E-bike Battery Cost( approximate)

Premade E-bike Battery Cost	Approx	DIY Battery	Approx (USD)
36V Ebike Battery 10AH	$198	Without DIY Tools	$180-$250
36V Ebike Battery 15AH	$265	With Tools	$380- $500
48V Ebike Battery 13AH	$400
48V Ebike Battery 15AH	$309

So, How Much Does It Cost to Build Your Own E-bike Battery?

If you have all the tools you need to build your own e-bike battery, it may cost you around $180-$250. But if you need to buy all the tools, those can add an extra $300. 

How Long Will It Take To Complete the Project?

Depending on your expertise and availability of tools, it will take 5-6 hours to complete your project. If you’re building for the first time, it may take some more hours.ow to Make a Lithium Battery for an Electric Bicycle?

For Whom Is DIY E-bike Battery Building?

DIY e-bike battery building is for experienced and knowledgeable e-bikers who also know about the risk that comes with it. If you fit with it and want to go wild with your e-bike battery’s capacity or voltage, go for it. 

What’s Inside an E-bike Battery?

Let’s begin by explaining what’s inside of an e-bike battery. E-bike batteries consist of 3 main components: the battery cells, a battery management system (BMS), and an enclosure. Here’s a brief description of these three components:

The Battery Cells

The battery’s beating heart is its battery cells. They are responsible for producing and releasing the energy that fuels your e-bike. Most e-bikes use lithium-ion batteries.

Battery Management System (BMS)

The battery management system (BMS) controls the battery pack. BMS oversees many things such as monitoring the battery, protecting it by preventing short circuits or over-discharging, estimating the battery’s operational state, and optimizing battery performance continuously.

Ebike Battery Enclosure

A battery enclosure is a container created to safeguard batteries from the elements and battery accidents. Some examples of enclosures are batteries in bike bags, luggage carrier enclosures, and bottle mount enclosures with locks. 

Some other parts of e-bike batteries include the connectors and cables, cell busbar, etc.

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How to Reduce the Cost of the Electric Bike Battery?

To reduce the cost of the electric bike battery, you can follow these simple steps.

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Pros and Cons of Building Your Own E-bike Battery

Building your own e-bike battery is as exciting as it sounds. It is beneficial in many aspects, yet it also has some pitfalls. I think it’ll be better to consider the pros and cons of a DIY e-bike before making a choice. 

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Which Batteries Are Best for E-bikes?

Lithium-ion batteries are the best among different types of e-bike batteries. Lithium-ion may seem expensive compared to lead acid batteries or other types, but it’s stronger than any other else.

In addition, its high energy density, compact size, higher efficiency, longer life span, and eco-friendly nature make it more popular than its counterparts.

Why Are Cheap E-bike Batteries Unreliable?

Cheap e-bike batteries are often marketed with higher amp-hour, but in real life, they are nowhere near half of it. You will also face other issues like more wasted heat, low range, and shorter lifetime due to high heat damage.

These happen because cheap e-bike batteries use factory-rejected battery cells, impure nickel strips, and low-quality materials to keep low costs.

Which One Is Cheaper- DIY or store Bought E-bike Batteries?

A store-bought 48V 28Ah e-bike battery can cost between $380-$480. On the contrary, a DIY e-bike battery can cost up to $250.

But you should keep in mind that the cost of tools is not included here. So, if you have all the necessary tools, then a DIY e-bike battery is way cheaper than store-bought ones.

Finally, Build or Buy?

To conclude, DIY batteries can save you lots of money if you already have the tools to build. On the other hand, if you don’t have the tools then it will add a major cost to the whole project. Yet, if you think these tools can help you in future, then you can surely buy the tools along with the battery parts.

Remember to go slowly and have a detailed strategy before constructing one. Do not forget your safety equipment! Good luck with your DIY e-bike battery project!

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