Most 36V silver fish packs max out at a 20A or 25a BMS. This unit comes with a 30A board. That is a big difference on paper. Your controller pulls amps, not watts. A 250W commuter motor will just scratch the surface of what the spec sheet calls for. A 750W or 1000W mid drive or hub motor eating up hills? That BMS rating tells you how much wiggle room you get before thermal shutdown hits the brakes.
The VODIPOWER 36V 15Ah is a Lithium ion battery in a silver form factor that goes onto the seat tube using a base plate and keyed locking mechanism. It fits the 250W to 1000W motor range, includes an LED level indicator, is 7.7 pounds, and sells for under 200 bucks. At last count there were two amazon reviews for this product, both of them 5 star. So the track record is very thin. But all things being equal the raw specifications look pretty solid for a new pack or as part of a first battery on a budget build.
Specifications and Construction
36volts x 15amp hours = 540Wh. Do the math once and you'll refer to it each time you compare batteries. A 48V 14Ah is 672Wh. A 36V 10Ah is only 360Wh. The VODIPOWER falls in the middle of the pack size options for a 36volt pack. The amount of commuter riding, moderate assist, weekend joyrides, etc., will allow the 540Wh to take you farther.
It is housed in the standard silverfish aluminum alloy shell. It attaches to the seat tube via a base plate (not like the clamp-and-sleeve design found on many of the Hailong knockoffs). All silverfish packs use a universal 4 pin discharge port. If your cables terminate in those four pins, you're likely good to go. The overall case dimensions for this unit are 15.35 x 2.95 x 4.37 inches. You can easily slide it into your bag or shipping box to transport. It weighs 7.7 pounds which is average for a 36V 15Ah in this size format.
There is a legitimate feature on this unit: it has a keyed locking mechanism attached to the baseplate. Take the key out and you've effectively glued the pack to the frame. Put it in your drawer and forget about it overnight...you can't move it into your bedroom to charge. That is important if you live in an apartment and your only charging station is in the bedroom. When you remove the key from the lock on the frame, you get added security from theft. You lose convenience when you need to charge and the only charging station available is in your apartment.
BMS and Safety
The BMS on this pack has a maximum allowed discharge rate of 30amps. In other words, that is the advertised spec. Most cheap 36V silverfish packs come with either 20amp or 25amp BMS' (boards). The addition of a 30amp board provides "headroom" to help prevent thermal throttling to slam the brakes down. An example of why that makes sense is: a 250W commuter controller typically will draw between 8-12amps while you normally pedal. A 1000W controller will often exceed 25amps when accelerating hard or climbing steeply. With a 20amp BMS installed, any overload above that will trigger the ocp (over current protection). The battery will shut off in the middle of your ride. You will coast. That isn't fun on a hill.
The 30amp BMS protects against overcharge, over-discharge, over-current and short circuit conditions. Those four protection modes are minimum standards required for any safe Lithium battery. Lithium ion chemistry itself doesn't explode, but cell balance and proper voltage management do matter. A competent BMS manages individual cell voltages properly throughout charge/discharge cycles. The VODIPOWER's BMS does that math and kills power when thresholds are reached.
On the side of the pack is an LED indicator showing the charge level by displaying rows of lights. Typically, there are anywhere from 4 to 5 sections on these indicators, depending on how many leds are installed by the manufacturer. Before you head out, you can quickly glance at the display and give yourself a rough estimate of how far you can travel.
Who is This Battery For?
If you commute with a city bike that has a 250-500W motor, then this battery would make perfect sense. The 540Wh capacity will provide plenty of energy for daily commutes (round-trips), requiring minimal charging after each ride. As mentioned previously, the silverfish form factor fits literally thousands of bikes -- please consult our table comparing various 36V batteries for compatibility information based on your specific bike's frame geometry. Additionally, if you lost your original 36V silverfish battery pack and want to replace it, this battery meets all of your needs: same voltage, same connector style, same mount type. Simply swap it into your bike and your controller will recognize it as identical to your previous pack.
Please note however, prior to purchasing this battery, ensure that your controller meets the requirements specified by this battery: specifically, your controller must be rated at no greater than 30 amps continuous discharge and must be configured to operate with a 36-volt battery. If you plug a higher voltage battery (ie: 48V) into a lower voltage controller (ie: 36V), you will destroy your controller. Similarly, plugging a lower voltage battery into a higher voltage controller (ie: plugging a 36V battery into a 48V controller) may work, but you will essentially be running your system at sub-optimal operating voltages.
Additionally, for riders pushing their motors harder than originally intended by their builders/ suppliers (ie: pairing a larger motor with a smaller controller), this battery offers additional "breathing space". The reason being, due to having a higher-rated BMS (30A vs. Common 20A), this battery has ample headroom to handle spikes in current flow when increasing torque demands from heavier loads / steeper grades.
As noted earlier, there have been Only two amazon reviews posted thus far (both 5 stars). Therefore, it would be difficult to rely solely upon customer reviews in order to build confidence in this product's performance and reliability. We recommend reviewing our go motorbikes blog articles detailing further battery teardowns and comparisons in order to get an idea of what real-world users have experienced with similar products.
Due to the extremely limited review history associated with this product, you are going to have to trust the specifications provided by the manufacturer and their claim regarding their BMS's ability to protect against excessive currents.
For anyone looking for a simple-to-install replacement battery pack or upgrading their moderately sized build with additional capacity and safety features, these Specs appear entirely reasonable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will This Battery Fit My Bike?
The VODIPOWER uses the standard silverfish form factor with the universal silverfish style base plate mounting and a standard silverfish style discharge port with four pins (standard). Compare your frame tube diameter measurement with our frame measurements table. Also verify whether your existing controller cable has a compatible connector with four pins. Due to it's wide acceptance among many different frame geometries and connectors, if your bike originally used a standard 36-volt silverfish style pack, this battery will be an exact replacement. However, if you are still unsure please post your frame geometry measurements along with your motor details and we'll try to steer you towards finding the correct compatibility path.
How Far Can I Travel on One Charge?
Your range depends on several factors including your body weight, terrain difficulty, assist mode setting, tire air pressure and outside temperatures. Using a commuter motor (typically rated at approximately 250-watts) with moderate assistance (i.e.: pedal assist) traveling on flat ground will provide adequate energy from this pack (approximately >20 miles). Conversely, heavy loads, extreme inclines and/or high speed throttle-only operation can greatly reduce that distance. Consider using cold winter temperatures as another variable. In such cases chemistry slowdown will cause range reduction by approximately 20-30%.
Are Silverfish Batteries Identical to Hailong Batteries?
While both silverfish and Hailong utilize essentially the same aluminum alloy casing form factor and base plate attachment method. They are not manufactured by the same company(s). The term "silverfish" refers strictly to the aluminum alloy casing form factor utilized by these companies-not necessarily an actual brand name. Both utilize universally accepted jst-style connectors for nearly all silverfish (and Hailong) configurations as well as utilizing virtually all other identical specifications (e.g.. Voltage, amp-hour capacity, etc.). Therefore. Regardless of branding labels contained on casings -- if all of your bike's control systems match those of this specification -the only difference is cosmetic labeling!
Which Controller Do I Need for This Battery?
You require a controller capable of handling a maximum current output rating of no more than thirty amperes continuous and must be configured for use with thirty-six volts input. Thirty six volts is referenced as thirty six volts because this battery requires thirty six volts DC input to function safely.
A standard twenty-five watt commuter controller would fall within these parameters since they generally operate in the eight-twelve ampere range continuously under normal pedaling conditions. Therefore meeting both maximum amperage and maximum voltage criteria.
However. Larger controllers (eg: seventy five or one hundred watts) commonly employed by higher powered ebikes may reach maximum current values exceeding twenty-five amps (possibly reaching thirty amps or more) during aggressive acceleration / climb scenarios. Again. Assuming that thirty amperes is sufficient headroom as compared to twenty amperes. You'll enjoy increased flexibility in regards to selecting a larger controller for more powerful ebike builds.
In summary: ensure that your existing controller matches both maximum current output rating and maximum input voltage criteria indicated above before ordering this battery. Otherwise damage may result from incorrect wiring of incompatible components!
Finally. Remember that most modern controllers can accommodate multiple voltage settings. Therefore. Assume that connecting forty-eight volts instead of thirty-six volts to this controller will simply enable reduced performance levels rather than causing catastrophic failure. Although doing so will indeed decrease efficiency / lifespan.
How Should I Store This Battery During Winter Months?
When storing your Lithium ion battery during colder months. Try to keep it between forty percent and sixty percent charge state before placing it in storage for extended periods of time. Try to store your pack at room temperature. Do not store it in your freezing garage attached to your bike! Cold weather reduces chemical reaction rates inside Lithium ion cells. Therefore reducing internal resistance. If possible. Find a dry area to store your pack and periodically verify the remaining charge level. Topping off to fifty percent before returning it back to active duty status.
Do not leave it plugged into an unattended charger for extended periods of time!