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[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, here it seems that this just a plain limitation for me.

Outside of a large city, most charging stations are more than 50 miles apart, and often are daytime only (businesses, dealerships, RV parks) so nighttime riding is not as much of an option, nor is just riding from 80% to 20%, and even 55mph is sometimes dangerously slow on these roads.

104-108F / 40C temperatures really limit the EV options here. I wonder if Zero will follow the example of the Nissan Leaf and improve battery cooling for southern US heat?

I think perhaps I will only be able to take road trips in winter?

Yes, that is a difficult set of limitations right now. I wish I could just point out a nice sport touring fairing that you could put on the bike for better range or lower power draw, but the market's not there yet.

I'm really curious whether some cooling fins could be effectively attached to the front sides of the battery case. However they'd be attached would have to be very thermally conductive or a direct mount to conduct heat properly.

I'll also echo Cama's clarifying question whether the 3.3kW charge figure was using the onboard charger as well.

[togo]

Limitng yourself to 50 miles per leg isn't really necessary.

Just monitor and manage battery heat, don't do too much back to back rapid riding and rapid charging. Indeed slower riding cools the battery *and* gives you more range. Take your time, give the battery a chance to cool, take the nonfreeway routes.

[Булгаков]

Yes, to clarify, I was using the OEM charger as well, in order to keep the contractor enabled.

Besides trying to find non-highway roads between towns to go slowly on, I really wonder whether cooling fins of some sort could be added. I believe (2014) battery cases has air gaps around the battery so probably not very effective.

[Electric Terry]

Yes, to clarify, I was using the OEM charger as well, in order to keep the contractor enabled.

Besides trying to find non-highway roads between towns to go slowly on, I really wonder whether cooling fins of some sort could be added. I believe (2014) battery cases has air gaps around the battery so probably not very effective.

Yes precisely, the battery case we see is actually a sheet aluminum box around what used to be 4 cell boxes and now is 2 longbricks.  So even cooling the case we can see and touch takes a long time because the heat from the battery has to go through an air gap.  Right now the best thing is to not ride fast the first few legs of the day and keep battery heating to a minimum.  You can charge to 100% just charge a lot slower at the top, and you can also ride down to 10% or lower, just really try to ride slower at the end.

And best not to use the onboard charger at all on hot days and save the battery heating from the very beginning.

[togo]

Yeah, prevent getting into the vicious cycle

[nevetsyad]

My battery was cooking, over 180F when I finally got home, on my fourth leg. It was hot to the touch. Understanding that the aluminum box isn’t directly touching many cells, I’m going to try to put a heat sink on the front and sides and try again on the next hot day and see if they make a difference.

The plastic around the battery is just for looks, right? I can stick much larger sinks on if I remove it...

[grandpa]

Peltier plate could freeze the batery case very fast

[nevetsyad]

I was just looking at those on Amazon. Unfortunately, just after I purchased two large heat sinks and some double sided thermal tape.

Ideas on how to keep the heat sinks from falling off? Apparently, 3M VHB, doesn’t like high temps.

[clay.leihy]

30F this morning, I wish my batteries would heat up while riding. I think they just get colder and slower.

Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk

[togo]

You need a Battery Cozy.

[clay.leihy]

You need a Battery Cozy.

I don't suppose Aerostitch ever marketed the heated one they made. I thought about trying one or two 12v stick on battery warmers. Has anyone gone there?

Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk

[togo]

You need a Battery Cozy.

I don't suppose Aerostitch ever marketed the heated one they made. I thought about trying one or two 12v stick on battery warmers. Has anyone gone there?

Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk

I'm not a Battery Cozy person myself, but BTR and mrwilsn have worked on them, IIRC.

[togo]

Oop- should start a new thread to discuss battery too cold issues- this is the battery too hot thread!

[Булгаков]

Well, I've done it again. Rode the bike a lot, and now I've been stuck on the side of the road again, in front of a charging station in the middle of nowhere for a couple hours. It was staying at a steady 117F for quite a while.

The bms won't report battery temperature or state of charge, and the contractor won't click on.
I reset the bms a couple of times, which may or may not have been a mistake, but there's nothing else I can do.
Last time this happened the contactor would enable, and I could see the battery temperature, but as soon as I tried to charge it would disconnect. Now I don't even get that.

Any ideas? should I start worrying that I fried the bms and need to get a tow truck?

update: 3+ hours later, it started working again, and the contactor started enabling and accepting a charge even though the BMS still shows 0%, my voltmeter has increased from 94v to 104v. Hopefully eventually it will figure itself out as well.
 

[skoleskibe]

Well, I've done it again. Rode the bike a lot, and now I've been stuck on the side of the road again, in front of a charging station in the middle of nowhere for a couple hours. It was staying at a steady 117F for quite a while.

The bms won't report battery temperature or state of charge, and the contractor won't click on.
I reset the bms a couple of times, which may or may not have been a mistake, but there's nothing else I can do.
Last time this happened the contactor would enable, and I could see the battery temperature, but as soon as I tried to charge it would disconnect. Now I don't even get that.

Any ideas? should I start worrying that I fried the bms and need to get a tow truck?

Hmmm been ridning 600+ miles today, mainly at about 50-55mph at 25-28deg C ambient and charging at 7-8 kw i’ve had no problems, but at the end of the trip the batt temp was somewhere in the 4ties.
I’ll consider that next time.


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