Your Rad Power battery has finally given up, and the official replacement page shows the same thing it showed last month: out of stock, a shipping fee on top, and no charger in the box. That's the position one buyer on this listing started from, and it's a common one, because Rad's own external battery isn't listed for some RadCity models at all.
Third-party replacements fill that gap, and DICHOU's 48V 20Ah pack is one of the first that comes up. Here's where the choice gets messy: DICHOU sells the identical pack, same model number and same images, under two separate Amazon listings, and the reviews don't overlap.
One listing carries the RadCity and RadRunner fit reports and the calmer history. The other carries the RadWagon reports and the worst safety stories.
This review covers the listing with the RadCity fit reports. Everything below comes from that listing's own buyers: which models it fits and what the swap actually takes, the inch of extra height that rules some bikes out, the key that stays in while you ride, and what happens when a pack arrives dead.
Riders with a RadCity 3 or 4 or a first-generation RadRunner Plus have made this DICHOU 48V 20Ah pack fit, with more capacity than Rad's own 14Ah battery. The trade-offs are real: a key that will not come out while you ride, an inch of extra height that rules out folding models, a pack one buyer has found marked not returnable, and a price per watt-hour on the expensive side of what we track.
RadCity 3 and 4: what the swap takes
Two buyers have fitted the RadCity 4 on the stock plate without any changes, and one of them reports it was still working well about four months in. The RadCity 3 needs one trick: unscrew the base and raise it, so the pack sits only on the top two bolts. A 2018 RadCity owner rode 23 miles and had 65 percent of the charge left.
The RadRunner Plus gen 1 fits perfectly. The RadRover 5 takes more work: loosen the three cradle bolts and push the cradle up to the end of its travel.
The mounting technique that works on a RadCity 4: set the pack lightly on the cradle, push down on the top while turning the key to lock, turn the key to ON, then give one more small push for good contact.
Rad's own external battery is not listed for the RadCity 3 Step-Thru or the RadCity High-Step 4, and the newer Plus models use a semi-integrated battery that takes no external pack at all. That gap in Rad's own lineup is the slot this pack fills.
An inch taller than Rad's 14Ah pack
One buyer measured this pack at 4.75 inches tall against the 3.75-inch Rad 14Ah version, a full inch more with the same length and width. That inch is why it did not fit their two folding Rad bikes, where the battery stands vertically, and why it fits a RadRover only just.
The listing images give the case as 385 by 120 by 97mm, but the order page itself never states the height.
The RadWagon reports come from the twin listing, the identical pack DICHOU sells under a second ASIN: two owners there found it too tall to fit between the bars.
On weight the listing is no help. The spec table claims 0.1 kg, which cannot be true for a 960Wh pack, and no real weight is given anywhere. The closest thing to a number is the word of a RadCity 3 owner, who calls it significantly heavier than the stock battery and says it raises the center of gravity slightly.
The key stays in while you ride
Three buyers have found that the key cannot come out while the pack is switched on, which differs from Rad's own battery. One of the three points out the risk of the key breaking off or hurting them in a fall.
The fix exists, and you have to ask for it. Two buyers say the company sent a replacement lock or keys, one of them within about a week, and the new lock lets the key come out while the power is on. If yours arrives with the fixed-key lock, ask the seller for the replacement straight away.
Charger, returns and one dead-on-arrival pack
The box holds a 3A AC adapter, a power cable, the XT60 discharge plug, two keys and a manual.
Rad supplies a 2A charger with its own batteries, so the included 3A unit fills faster: 20Ah at 3A works out to at least about 6.7 hours from empty. The pack also ships with a mounting cradle that Rad owners can skip, and the listing images show a USB port for topping up a phone and an LCD charge gauge.
Returns are the first catch. The listing advertises a one-month return, but one buyer has found Amazon had marked the pack not returnable, and got the seller to offer a refund or a replacement lock instead.
The dead-pack story has a better ending. One buyer's pack arrived reading 3V, would not charge, and the LED screen was dead.
The seller had them check both fuses, both were intact, and a replacement arrived and worked. That buyer moved their rating from one star to five. It sits oddly next to the listing bullet that says every pack gets a full charge and discharge test before it ships, so stay near the charger for the first full charge.
The twin listing has it worse: one pack there began to melt on its first charge and another died after a year.
On value, this pack sits in the pricier third of the batteries we track by price per watt-hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the DICHOU 48V 20Ah fit a RadCity 4?
Yes. Two buyers have fitted it on the stock plate with no changes, and one reports it was still working well about four months in.
Will it fit a folding Rad bike?
No. One buyer measured it about an inch taller than Rad's 14Ah pack, and folding models hold the battery vertically, where that extra height blocks it.
Can I remove the key while riding?
Not while the pack is switched on. Three buyers have noted this. Two of them have received a replacement lock or keys from the company, and the new lock lets the key come out.
Can I return it?
The listing advertises a one-month return, but one buyer has found Amazon had marked the pack not returnable. When they asked, the company offered a refund or a replacement lock.
What charger comes with it?
A 3A AC adapter, against the 2A charger Rad supplies. On the 20Ah pack that works out to at least about 6.7 hours from empty.