Will Shimano possibly make a larger battery pack that will fit into existing slot of meta power?

[seamarsh]

Was not a fan of the look of the meta power non integrated battery back at first and still on the fence, but no doubt they have best spec for $ i've seen anywhere. Just a thought with the fact that they use the standard non integrated shimano power supply would it be possible for shimano to come out with a larger, say 700wh battery that would fit into same foot print? Seems like this would be an advantage of this setup vs an integrated unit.. or am I missing something?

Other bike im currently looking at is Fezzari wire peak elite, which looks great but spec is no where near meta power fox essentials.

thanks

 

[dirt huffer]

No one knows for sure. It seems unlikely, unless a battery manufacturer releases new 18650 or 21700 cells with higher capacity then are currently available on the market. The latest cells are several years old now, so who knows...

The best solution is just to throw another battery in your hydration pack with a spine protector pad behind it. I've actually been hoping they come out with a slim 300wh pack that fits in the existing slot so you can just throw it in your pack when you need it. That said - i think the range is pretty good with 500wh but im 160lbs

 

[seamarsh]

No one knows for sure. It seems unlikely, unless a battery manufacturer releases new 18650 or 21700 cells with higher capacity then are currently available on the market. The latest cells are several years old now, so who knows...

The best solution is just to throw another battery in your hydration pack with a spine protector pad behind it. I've actually been hoping they come out with a slim 300wh pack that fits in the existing slot so you can just throw it in your pack when you need it. That said - i think the range is pretty good with 500wh but im 160lbs

Thanks, makes sense.. I was just wondering if the design of something like a meta power (external) vs fezzari wire peak (internal) would have benefits down the line for retrofit upgrade. Seems like its a possibility.

 

[R120]

Its far more likely that Shimano will bring out an improved battery that fits into the current external mounts than the internal options - personally I really hope they will.

 

[srileo]

I worry more if either of the current batteries are even available in a few years time. Think phones.

 

[Karlkarl]

As a owner of a Canyon Spectraln, I hope shimano makes available an external battery with increased capacity. Even if larger and heavier than the current battery, I guess it would fit most shimano powered emtbs and not affect much their handling

 

[R120]

I think it will be likely that they release a similar capcity battery but with more efficient cells.

I really have no tech knowledge on batteries, but I do know that the cells Specialized and YT use in their batteries seem to get a lot more juice out of similar capacities to the Shimano batteries.

Also it would seem that the Panasonic batteries used by Giant also get bigger ranges.

 

[dirt huffer]

Its far more likely that Shimano will bring out an improved battery that fits into the current external mounts than the internal options - personally I really hope they will.

I tend to agree with this, as Shimano has probably sold 10x as many external batteries than internal....maybe 15x actually, haha

 

[dirt huffer]

I worry more if either of the current batteries are even available in a few years time. Think phones.

Shimano has pretty much said they will support the current system for many years and have designed it with this intention. They have a history of supporting legacy stuff for decades after... think 7 and 8 speed systems - you can still buy new Shimano 7 and 8 speed stuff.

I also think there is room for a cottage industry to grow once people start replacing their batteries.... think 5 years from now... where you could mail your battery to a service center who would take apart your battery and repack it with new 18650 cells.

 

[jerry]

Arguably, the use of 21700 cells could increase the energy density. But there are two problems:
- because of their slightly larger size, the actual battery packs would be wider (external batteries) or longer (downtube)
- because of their larger tubular shape, you could actually fit less of them in the same space (pack would contain more air - unused space), so it would yield no more capacity
I'm afraid we're stuck with 18650's for the foreseeable future....

 

[jerry]

The YT Decoy is actually one of the first bikes to use 21700 cells. The same that go in the new Teslas.

Not the best of evolutions though, that every manufacturer has his proprietary battery pack.... if, for some reason, you need to change the pack, the OEM is your only option, no third-party will produce if the target market is that small. Keeps prices high, protects their market, Sony betamax-wise.

Car manufacturers have a legal obligation to stock a certain volume of spare parts for a certain time. If bike manufacturers don't have that same obligation, you might find that after a few years, you cannot find any replacement for your worn-out Powerpack any more.... you'll need to McGyver your own solution tinkering with cells... Also not good for your prospects of selling the bike on.