After six months of fairly intensive all-weather use, our Kalkhoff Agattu battery hasn't deteriorated at all. We estimate the capacity to be 272Wh today, which is slightly ahead of Panasonic's claimed capacity [260Wh] and exactly the same as when we tested it last October
A to B magazine Battery Watch, May 2009 |
 Kalkhoff's Panasonic battery pack has now emerged as the most durable and reliable in the business. Light, long-lasting, self-protecting and complete with a 2-year warranty it will keep your bike going for thousands of miles. It's why more than 40,000 Kalkhoff electric bicycles were sold last year.
We were the very first company to import electric bicycles with Lithium power packs, way back in 2004. Some of those batteries are still in use and have yet to be replaced.
Efficiency
The Panasonic system is so efficient that a 2.4kg battery pack can power the bike for up to 50 miles. Just top up your battery at the end of the ride by placing it on the neat charging unit. Kalkhoff owners report being amazed by hill-climbing ability, ease-of-use and range.
Automatic sleep mode
The Panasonic battery pack used in our Kalkhoff electric bikes also benefits from a unique sleep mode function that protects against self-discharge when not in use. It works by cutting off power to the onboard control circuits which would otherwise require a small amount of charge. It's a little like a bear conserving its energy while hibernating. Unlike a bear, the battery can be revived simply by placing it back on the charger.
Two-year warranty
When you buy a Kalkhoff pedelec bicycle from 50cycles you can rely on the best, safest and most reliable battery technology. Panasonic is known worldwide for its quality and innovation. They're so confident that each battery comes with a 2-year warranty, which is unheard of in the electric bike world, where a 6-month warranty is often something to be grafeful for.
Other battery chemistries
The Lithium Manganese battery chemistry is different to that used in standard Lithium ion and Lithium polymer batteries. These usually come with a Cobalt cathode. These are prone to thermal runaway - ie explosion and fire. The bad news is that this variant is finding its way into more and more electric bikes. Manganese, unlike Cobalt, is a safe and more environmentally benign cathode material.
Read about the Panasonic electric bike system and why it's so efficient
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