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[DonTom]

My SS9- battery indicator was green as I got to the west bound Donner Summit Rest Area free  CCS charger yesterday. Mostly uphill before then.


I did a full charge to 100%.


My battery indicator was then yellow. Temps were very comfortable at the summit. Very nice up there yesterday.


From there (7,200 feet/2,200 meters), it's mostly down hill to here in Auburn (1,600 feet/490m) . So I turned off my regen and coasted much  of the next 50 miles/80 KM. Battery stayed yellow all the way back, but by the time I got down here, it was 100F / 38C.


I expected the battery to get to the green fast with no regen, coasting down hill, but it stayed yellow all the way here.


Is that normal to be in the yellow that long with easy downhill riding with no regen? And my SS9- is supposed to have better battery cooling than the +.


Has anybody here got into the red? If so, what then happens?  Limp mode?


Anybody here have problems trying to charge because of the heat?


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[MVetter]

When it's that warm, yeah. In my experience the bike will only return to green temps if the ambient temperature is in the mid 80s. Keep in mind the batteries turn yellow at 100, so the ambient air wasn't doing much in your case.

[DonTom]

When it's that warm, yeah. In my experience the bike will only return to green temps if the ambient temperature is in the mid 80s. Keep in mind the batteries turn yellow at 100, so the ambient air wasn't doing much in your case.

Does the charge rate lower when I am in the yellow? If so, by how much?


So far, I have not had an issue charging during hot weather on my Energica (but I have on my Zero DS). Have you?


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[ultrarnr]

The charging speed really slows when the battery gets hot. I know a rider with a Esse 9 who had been riding and charging nonstop for about 24 hours. With a SOC of 5% he was charging at 6kw/21A and it was going to take 1:54 to get to 80% SOC.

[2014ZeroSR]

The charging speed really slows when the battery gets hot. I know a rider with a Esse 9 who had been riding and charging nonstop for about 24 hours. With a SOC of 5% he was charging at 6kw/21A and it was going to take 1:54 to get to 80% SOC.

Curious - Was the battery a 13.4 or a 21.5?

My experiences to date are:

[1] I had a 17 Eva (13.4). Lowest Charge rate experience was 6kw. Charge stated at 9kw. It was noon in direct sunlight, 25kw charger utilized. Ambient temp was ~105f. I was there for about an hour. Charged just enough to get to cooler temps, maybe 75f. Battery turned green by the next charge.

[2] 21.5 now, lowest about 3 weeks ago, 3rd charge of the day, charge started ~11kw, ended at 8kw. Ambient temp was ~110f.

[3] Around mid-May 2021 with the 21.5, riding for 18 hours straight, covered 550 miles, multiple charges, high ambient temps most of the ride. Lowest charge rate experienced late afternoon was 9kw. Darkness arrived, temps dropped to ~40f, ascending to 7k feet, battery turned green. Next charge - started at 16kw, ended at 12kw.

Conclusions - [1] 13.4 battery is gold, [2] 21.5, ambient temps greatly matter.

Also, When I ride for distance, I ride 55-60 mph (actual). My rides traditionally are 300-400 miles in a day. A short day would be 200-250 miles.

Note: IMS is at Sonoma Raceway this weekend. If you're close by, stop by and visit with Energica and acquire answers directly from the Energica folks.

[DonTom]

The charging speed really slows when the battery gets hot. I know a rider with a Esse 9 who had been riding and charging nonstop for about 24 hours. With a SOC of 5% he was charging at 6kw/21A and it was going to take 1:54 to get to 80% SOC.

Was that the SS9+ or SS9-? SS9- has better battery cooling than the SS9+. And do you know if his batt indicator was yellow or red?


I don't know, but I kinda expect it will not charge at all in the  red (batt temp above 131F.). I have never seen red on mine.


I just looked in the book.  "Yellow" is "medium temperature", but "Green" is "Operating temperature". I would think they both mean the same thing by that definition.


So I would interpret green as cool normal and yellow as warm normal.


blue=below41F/5C
green=to 43C/104F
yellow=to 131F/55C
red=above above 131F/55C


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[PWM]

The maximum (spec) charge temperature is 45C, the max discharge is 55-60C - don't recall exactness.

Switching off regen is the correct action once indication goes yellow as this is safe operation still for traction mode.  Seems the recommendation by energica is to stop riding once it goes red and this makes sense.

You done good Don, how many miles now on your SS9?

[ultrarnr]

The rider has a 21.5 battery in his Essse9. Not sure about battery temp as he just texted me a photo of the charging screen which doesn't show it.

[MVetter]

The rider has a 21.5 battery in his Essse9. Not sure about battery temp as he just texted me a photo of the charging screen which doesn't show it.

No, he has a 13.4. I've seen it.

What I will say is that when the battery hits yellow (38­°C) the charge will start to throttle back. How severely depends on how much hotter than 38 it gets.

edit- here's Don's bike in the foreground

[DonTom]

No, he has a 13.4. I've seen it.

He was NOT referring to me there, but a different SS9  owner with a + model.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[DonTom]

Don, how many miles now on your SS9?

6,555 miles (10,550 KM). I ride my little Zero DS more (14,000 miles / 22,500 km).


 I have all the stuff (oils, gaskets) to do the 6K mile maintenance on my SS9 but I have not yet started that job.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

[ultrarnr]

MVetter,

We are talking about different people. I have met him and seen his bike, can assure you he has the 21.5 battery.

[MVetter]

Yes, Edwin has the SS9+ RS.

[MrMogensen]

No, he has a 13.4. I've seen it.

What I will say is that when the battery hits yellow (38­°C) the charge will start to throttle back. How severely depends on how much hotter than 38 it gets.

edit- here's Don's bike in the foreground

What in the world is that to the left? Is than an Energica fitted with a gigantic aerokit? 

[DonTom]

The bike to the left of mine is another "-" (smaller battery Energica) has  a very fancy homemade fairing and will get slightly better range on the freeway than the "+" models.


Imagine what the freeway  range would be if  that same fairing was on a "+" model.


IMO, Energica should offer something like that. Having the bike with the best freeway range is something to brag about, unlike having the best city range, which is meaningless to most of us.


-Don-  Reno, NV