Battery Confusion

[GL1]

Hi all,

I have been piecing things together but can’t quite get this clear concerning batteries…

I have a 2020 Levo Comp with the 700w battery.

Love the bike. As I look at a second one I’m trying to figure out what mixing and matching of batteries I can or cannot do:


FIRST, what are the Levo generations? Is pre-2019 Gen 1, 2019-2021 Gen 2 and 2022-2023 Gen 3?

SECOND, if so, does that basically mean that regardless of other specs, the motors, batteries, and TCU's are all the same within generations (excepting the 500w vs 700w capacity levels?)

THIRD, it seems I'd heard when I bought the bike back in 2020 that if you bought the Levo Base with 500w you could not upgrade / simply swap to a 700w. Is that true? So in this generation (Gen 2,) you can or cannot swap 500w and 700w batteries?

FOURTH, do all batteries from a generation have to stay within that generation? Meaning, if I bought a 2021 Levo then my 2020 Levo 700w battery would work in that bike but not in a 2022 Levo and vise verse? Looking at the Gen 1 / TCU on batter, Gen 2 TCU top tube, and Gen 3 TCU Mastermind top tube, I'm thinking this may limit what all you can mix and match between generations (batteries and motors?)

FIFTH, in the newest generation (which is now 2022-2023?) you CAN swap 500w and 700w batteries as wanted but maybe with having to change the plastic skid guard etc.?

FINALLY, are the motors similar...in that you cannot swap motors between generations etc. either? Any info on that aspect would be great as well. Again, per the TCU info I'm finding I'm guessing you cannot swap motors between generations?


Thank all, as I look at expanding the stable I need the knowledge here of what I can and can't do to keep these things running! I need to plan as informed as I can and having trouble getting a straight answer from what I’ve found online.

 

[salko]

1. Yes
2. 1st Gen has a TCU built into the battery, 2nd and 3rd generations have the same toptube TCU except higher speced Gen3 have a Mastermind TCU ...
3. you can easily swap between 500 and 700Wh battery on Gen2/3 bikes, except Gen3 has a different rockguard kit (can be replaced with Gen2 rockguard kit), but the batteries are the same ...
4. Just Gen1 batteries. Gen2 and Gen3 batteries are interchangeable (except rockguard kit).
5. Gen3 500wh and 700wh batteries are physically the same so no need to change anything ...
6. All motors are similar. Gen1 has Brose S and Gen2/3 has lighter Brose S Mag. But I'm not sure you can put Brose S Mag into the Gen1 bikes ...

 

[GL1]

1. Yes
2. 1st Gen has a TCU built into the battery, 2nd and 3rd generations have the same toptube TCU except higher speced Gen3 have a Mastermind TCU ...
3. you can easily swap between 500 and 700Wh battery on Gen2/3 bikes, except Gen3 has a different rockguard kit (can be replaced with Gen2 rockguard kit), but the batteries are the same ...
4. Just Gen1 batteries. Gen2 and Gen3 batteries are interchangeable (except rockguard kit).
5. Gen3 500wh and 700wh batteries are physically the same so no need to change anything ...
6. All motors are similar. Gen1 has Brose S and Gen2/3 has lighter Brose S Mag. But I'm not sure you can put Brose S Mag into the Gen1 bikes ...

Awesome and thank you!

Okay, so the TCU...regular or Mastermind have no bearing on interchanging batteries or motors it sounds like. All batteries and motors from this era should work with either TCU it seems.

Very cool the the 3rd Gen batteries...both 500w and 700w are interchangeable and, are also retro-interchangeable to the 2nd Gen 2020-2021 700w (with the change in the skid guard / rockguard.)

NOW, the only thing I'm perhaps seeing that I don't have clarification is on the 2020 (and possibly 2021...all 2nd Gen) 500w Levo's. It sounds like in those years / generation the base models that came with the 500w batteries could not accommodate the size / shape of the 700w battery...then or now.

All this also makes me wonder about the Kenevo's in these generations too but we don't need to open that can of worms unless someone happens to know.

Thanks! So in many ways any stock 700w 2020-2023 is a good way to go for battery interoperability for any of those years (and possibly motors as well.) But, it sounds like you may have to careful with a 2020-2021 Base 500w Levo as that may not be able to be interchanged with the 700w from those years OR, any of the newer years. (But, 2022-2023 Gen 3's with either 500w or 700w can be interchanged which is cool.)

 

[salko]

Again, 500wh and 700wh Gen2/3 batteries are physically the same size, the only difference is 700wh weights about 0,7kg more than 500wh.

 

[GL1]

Again, 500wh and 700wh Gen2/3 batteries are physically the same size, the only difference is 700wh weights about 0,7kg more than 500wh.

Okay so then I am incorrect and in a Gen 2 (2019-2021) that came as a 500w, that should also be able to be converted to a 700w with a battery swap correct?

And thank you! I appreciate it VERY much man!

 

[salko]

Yes!

 

[gaba]

I have a 2019 Levo and swap between 500 and 700Wh all the time.

 

[GL1]

So, despite some of the great deals Spec has right now online for eBikes (Turbo Levo for $5600...same as what I paid in 2020, and a low spec but carbon 500w for $5,000), I found a pristine 2019 Carbon Levo Expert with upgrades and 200 miles on the new motor, 700w with 50 charge cycles. And yep, of course the battery from this and my 2020 can swap (as well as the motor and other parts! So all good and THANK YOU ALL. This really helped me make a decision on what to buy for my second Levo!