Update 19th May 2022
Akku Vision is renaming its battery packs for ebikes of the E-Bike Vision brand. The company has informed its trade partners about this in a newsletter today. Akku Vision Powerpack becomes EBV E-Bike Battery. For example, the Akku Vision Powerpack Intube is now called EBV E-Bike Battery Inframe. If you take a look at the corresponding website of the E-Bike Vision brand, you will see that the change has already been implemented there consistently across all replacement batteries.
Battery Vision only briefly comments on the reasons for the name change. In the newsletter it says: “We have decided to reformulate the product name of our batteries and are pleased to introduce our replacement batteries to you under the new name EBV E-Bike Batteries.” What the decision was based on is not mentioned in the continuation. This leaves the door wide open to all kinds of speculation. What is certain is that hardly any company would voluntarily rename its products that abruptly. Let’s see if some light is shed on this in the coming days.
Original post 23rd April 2022
“Not only for now, but also in the coming months, deliveries are affected by shortages of electronic components. Incidentally, this is not related to a specific market or bicycle model.” With these words, the bicycle portal Bike Europe quoted a company spokesperson of the drive manufacturer Bosch a few days ago. At the same time, the industry service referred to cases from the Netherlands in which bicycle manufacturers of ebikes with Bosch drives delivered bicycles to dealers partly without batteries. The situation seems to be extremely tense.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison
At the same time, it is a situation of one’s dreams for the company Akku Vision and its two new intube batteries. The energy storage units are equivalent alternatives to the originals from Bosch. With the Powerpack Intube from Akku Vision with 630 watt hours, you can replace a Bosch PowerTube 625, while the smaller version with 461 watt hours can fill the gap that a defective Bosch PowerTube 500 may have left. Both models are compatible with the following Bosch drives:
- Bosch Active
- Bosch Active Plus
- Bosch Performance
- Bosch Performance CX
In all four cases, the system is based on a nominal voltage of 36 volts. The batteries consist of series-connected 18650 and 21700 cells, which are currently still sourced from Asia. Starting at the end of 2022, production will gradually switch to products from the German cell manufacturer UniverCell.
Comprehensive protection
Akku Vision protects both the individual cells and the entire battery with a multi-level safety system. For example, it monitors the temperature of each battery cell and the battery management system. It also keeps an eye on the individual cell voltage and the passive cell balancing. The voltage is controlled in relation to the entire battery pack. The focus is on protection against a possible overload of cells and pack as well as the avoidance of a deep discharge, again per cell and for the entire pack.
The flowing currents are also among the values monitored by the safety system. This applies to the charging as well as the discharging current. It is also designed to prevent short circuits. This is ultimately ensured by an actuator. As soon as one of the variables just mentioned exceeds predefined limits or another problem occurs, it causes the cell pack to be switched off.
Even for troubleshooting compatible with Bosch intelligence
For communication with the rest of the ebike system, the Powerpack Intubes feature CAN bus interfaces. Therefore, the batteries can also be read out using a Bosch diagnostic tool. If a battery behaves unusually, you can have it checked at a workshop that sells ebikes with Bosch drives and has such a device. To update the firmware, Akku Vision uses an integrated Bluetooth chip.
With you, the batteries communicate via a display with five LEDs. They signal the extent to which the batteries are currently charged. Depending on the model, the initial value is either 630 watt hours or 461 watt hours. Akku Vision offers both in two versions: horizontal and vertical.
Akku Vision Powerpack Intube with 630 watt hours
- Weight: 3.5 kg
- Dimensions: 426.5 mm x 83.7 mm x 65 mm
- Rated voltage: 36 V
- Maximum charging current: 8 A
Akku Vision Powerpack Intube battery with 461 watt hours
- Weight: 2.8 kg
- Dimensions: 360 mm x 83.7 mm x 65 mm
- Rated voltage: 36 V
- Maximum charging current: 8 A
Size and performance just right
Based on the technical data, you can achieve the same range with Akku Vision products as with their Bosch counterparts. From a technological point of view, the batteries are on a par. In terms of safety precautions, Akku Vision is even slightly ahead.
Since the dimensions are also identical, inserting and removing them is just as easy as with the previous ones. Sometimes even an original battery has its pitfalls. Usually, however, it is the bike manufacturer who is to blame for this. If you want to switch to an intube battery with a lower capacity, you can also opt for Akku Vision. The adapters from various manufacturers can be combined with them and compensate for the missing length accordingly.
Charging at home or in the car
As with its batteries, Akku Vision also relies on high safety standards for its chargers. All three devices offered – the 2A car charger, the 4A charger and the 6A fast charger – have overcurrent, short-circuit, overload and inverse-polarity protection. As you can see, some eventualities have to be prevented. This is what the safety precautions do in detail:
- Protection against overcurrent: Output current should not exceed a level depending on the charger in question
- Protection against short-circuits: preventing a short-circuit on the direct current side
- Protection against overload: constant maintenance of the output voltage at a maximum of 42.5 volts
- Protection against incorrect polarity: incorrectly polarised battery pack will not be charged after connection to the charging cable
In all of the above cases, the charger is switched off to be on the safe side. The situation is somewhat different as soon as the temperature monitoring registers conspicuous values. This can happen if the charger is operated at an ambient temperature that is too high or if a permanent overload occurs. The only consequence is that the output power is reduced. Otherwise, the devices have the usual protection against excessive operation. When your battery is fully charged, they switch off automatically.
Akku Vision 2A car charger
- Connection in the car via the cigarette lighter socket
- Charging current: 2 A
- Rated voltage: 12 V
- Weight: 375 g
- Dimensions: 125 mm x 62 mm x 36 mm
- Adapter cable required: yes
Akku Vision 4A charger
- Charging current: 4 A
- Rated voltage: 12 V
- Weight: 560 g
- Dimensions: 177 mm x 86 mm x 33 mm
- Adapter cable required: yes
Akku Vision 6A fast charger
- Charging current: 6 A
- Rated voltage: 12 V
- Weight: 630 g
- Dimensions: 177 mm x 86 mm x 33 mm
- Adapter cable necessary: yes
Adapter important basic requirement
Important to know: In addition to the requested charger, you will need an adapter cable to connect the Akku Vision charger either to the Powerpack Intube or to a Bosch PowerTube. You should currently be able to find this at various places for around 45 euros. The charging adapter, which is about 25 centimetres long, has an XLR socket with four poles at one end. At the other end is the plug that fits both the charging socket of an ebike with Bosch drive and the Bosch battery itself. Incidentally, the purchase of an extra charger from Akku Vision is not obligatory. The Akku Vision batteries can be used just as well with existing Bosch chargers.
Pictures: Akku Vision GmbH; Bergamont Fahrrad Vertrieb GmbH; KTM Fahrrad GmbH; Trek Bicycle Corporation