We've built the Ultimate e-Bike Battery that you can Repair and Refill

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

A startup is promoting a “repairable and refillable” e‑bike battery pack built around swappable 18650 cells, a fire-resistant aluminum casing, and connected electronics, pitched as a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to buying new proprietary packs every few years. Commenters like the right‑to‑repair–oriented design and potential to standardize ebike batteries, but question cost claims, safety under misuse, the reliance on a companion app, and marketing choices such as early testimonials and vague pricing. The company responds that the hardware is already in use in rental fleets, claims extensive fire testing and per‑cell fusing, and frames the upcoming Kickstarter as a way to fund larger-scale consumer production.

Product concept & design

  • Modular e‑bike battery pack using standard 18650 cells, designed to be user-repairable and refillable.
  • Cells are held in slots (no welding) so users or shops can swap cells and even the electronics/BMS.
  • Target use: e‑bikes (including conversions) and fleet/shared mobility; current version is described as v3, with earlier prototypes used in France for several years.

Chemistry, cells & cost claims

  • Chemistry stated as classical NMC, with one cited model: DMEGC 32E (a “tier 2” supplier).
  • Company claims to buy cells around $1.20 each and suggests a full refill in the $48 range every ~3 years.
  • Several commenters doubt that high‑quality cells can be that cheap in small quantities and question the advertised cost-per-year.

Fireproof casing & safety

  • Strong marketing emphasis on a “fireproof” aluminum casing that contains thermal runaways and vents fumes.
  • Link to test documentation is provided; casing allegedly withstands full pack burn-down without external flames.
  • Critics note that “fireproof case” ≠ no fire risk to surroundings and question whether it can really contain the heat.
  • Design includes per-cell fusing and physical guidance to reduce risks from reversed cells; still concern about novices handling high currents and many cells.

Smartphone app, API & openness

  • Battery works without the app; app mainly for data, alerts, and firmware updates.
  • App is not open source today; protocol and possibly firmware may be opened later.
  • Some users strongly dislike dependency on a proprietary app and want documented, open protocols for long-term usability.

Kickstarter, legitimacy & marketing concerns

  • Product is slated for a Kickstarter; reason given is upfront capital for batch production, despite product already existing in B2B form.
  • Multiple commenters find the website “scammy”: vague pricing, percentage discounts without context, and testimonials that appear temporally inconsistent.
  • Company acknowledges testimonials are adapted from early beta feedback and agrees they were confusing.
  • Some remain uneasy, preferring batteries from large, heavily certified manufacturers; others see the idea as valuable but dislike the marketing tone.

Compatibility & integration

  • Battery is “compatible with major brands” via a supplied dock: users connect bare motor/controller wires into a dock PCB and select the correct CAN protocol.
  • Skepticism about how this works across diverse proprietary connectors and protocols; details beyond this are unclear.