Can I charge my Jetson Bolt Pro folding electric bike battery directly from a solar panel?

[Waggy]

I got my ebike for when I go camping but have problems with charging it. I have a gas generator in the RV and 4 - 200 watt solar panels. There is a limited time when I can run my generator where I camp. It seems like a really bad idea to run a generator for 3 to 4 hours to charge an ebike battery. How much gas and carbon in the air would that be? If I use the Solar panels, I then have to convert to 110, so I can plug my Jetson charger in, that will convert the 110 back to 12 or 18 volt direct. Is there away to just plug the solar panel directly into the battery and charge it?

I rarely use the bike and it was most likely a stupid idea purchasing it. I am in my 70's and wanted to go further away from the RV when we were camping to find that fishing spot! I figured I could bike few miles down the logging roads to locate fishing spots or just take pictures. I have no problem walking there, it is just getting back! The ebike is nice to use to visit people in the larger camp grounds.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[harryS]

I believe the Jetson uses a 36V battery. It needs to be charged off the Jetson charger for safety. You take some real risks of a battery fire plugging DC directly to it. If you can get 110V, then run the charger off AC.

It's only a $400 bike, isn't it. Beats walking,

 

[Waggy]

It beats walking for sure, but I would like to use it more than twice on a 2 week camping trip. I will just have to do some testing! Drain the battery and see how long it takes to recharge it off of a solar panel, 120 converter to a Jetson charger. Problem when you camp, if you lose your battery, you lose everything. The generator I have needs a battery to start it, the frig needs a battery to fire the propane, the steps need power to go up, so you can leave and on it goes!

 

[rich c]

A Jetson with those tiny tires is not going to be stable on logging roads. There will be holes that swallow that thing!

 

[antboy]

I've read conflicting opinions on charging e-bikes directly with solar and an inverter, but it certainly can be done.

Another option is to use a small battery power station like a Jackery 300 that can be charged via solar, then charging the e-bike with that.

I know there's a loss of efficiency, but the power station could serve other purposes, and even a relatively small Jackery 300 has more than enough power delivery and storage to completely charge the Jetson Bolt.

 

[harryS]

A Jackery probably isn't that efficent.

I have a 36/48V to 12V converter that I use to power a 110V inverter off my bike batteries. I normally use it to power a lamp/radio and it only draws a half amp, but it's useful for taking some voltage off a battery if it's at 100% and going to be sitting around.

I've also used it to charge other batteries, and found it's 50% efficient. A charger pulls 3.5 to 4.5 amps out of my bike battery while pushing 2 amps into the target battery. A jackery wouldn't have the extra DC-DC converte like me, so it should do better, but I bet it's still losing 33% in conversion.

 

[tomjasz]

Reliable solar info.

Solar Ebike Systems - Learn

Grin Technologies

ebikes.ca

My trike will have this setup. Parts are all here!!

 

[antboy]

A Jackery probably isn't that efficent.

Yeah, I guesstimated about 25%-30% loss efficiency off the top of my head, so 33% sounds about right.

It sounds like the OP's biggest hurdle is not using the gas genny to recharge the bike while at the RV, as opposed to extending the single ride range, so I figured a portable power station that allows solar charging while discharging might be a good "in-between" while offering flexibility with other electrical needs, and minimal DIY experimentation.

Maybe something beefier than the Jackery 300 since it only has 90W solar input, like a Bluetti or Ecoflow 500W unit with higher solar input?

 

[Waggy]

I've read conflicting opinions on charging e-bikes directly with solar and an inverter, but it certainly can be done.

Another option is to use a small battery power station like a Jackery 300 that can be charged via solar, then charging the e-bike with that.

I know there's a loss of efficiency, but the power station could serve other purposes, and even a relatively small Jackery 300 has more than enough power delivery and storage to completely charge the Jetson Bolt.

I will check them out! Thanks!

 

[harryS]

Sure, if you have the solar just sitting there, have it replenish your Jackery too, or get anther panel for it.

Just saying that if power is precious, better to keep the drinks cold,

 

[Djson]

Reliable solar info.

Solar Ebike Systems - Learn

Grin Technologies

ebikes.ca

My trike will have this setup. Parts are all here!!

View attachment 123977

Well the answer is yes and this looks more or less correct. Although I don't know what a Motor controller is.

 

[Djson]

I don't have mains electricity ONLY solar.

So yes I do it every day, but as with everything not quite as simple.

You have to be careful with discharging your battery bank.

Otherwise your batteries will last 6 months at best.

I get 4 years out of mine.

Firstly let me say that I live in the south of Spain, so I have plenty of sun.

And yet there is NOT enough sun in the winter. Winter being Dec, Jan, Feb, March.

The diagram that Tomjasz has provided is what you need. Or similar.

My concern is keeping my batteries in working order, for as long as possible.

How you need to workout what size batteries you need.

So your ebike battery charger is 2amps.

So you need to provide, 2amps of solar power, per hour that you are charging your ebike (which means you are discharging your solar battery bank).

With 4 200w panels you would get around 40amps of electricity (10Amp per panel)

That however is in perfect conditions; you do know that you live in this World and there is NO such thing as perfect.

I have 2 x 225AH 6volt batteries, in the winter these battery are NOT large enough to charge my ebike battery, without destroying these batteries.

As a rule of thumb.

10amps x 4 = 40amps

Half it in the summer.

In the summer if the sun is hot enough to burn (that you can feel the heat of the sun on your skin - then you have enough sun intensity to produce electricity.

So you want 2 amps per hour to charge your ebike battery!

Double it 4amps - you are taking 2 amps out of your battery immediately, so you need to put 4cin to stand still.

Then you have to think about how full is my battery bank so you need to put 2 amps in to actually put anything into your battery bank, so that is 6amps per hour.

So my batteries 225AH, @ 50% = 112.5 hours ÷ 2 = 55hours of actual sun to fill my batteries.

Don't forget, you have to tilt your panels into the sun, so that the sun is hitting the front of your panel to actually produce electricity.

Half it again in the winter.

So what do I do.

In the summer, I get sun from 10am till 10pm.

So I put my battery on a timer, for 2 hours, so I don't start charging (discharging my battery bank) until it has had at least 2 hours of sun.

Then it takes, 4 to 6 hours to charge my ebike battery, so now it is 5pm, lets say.

I have sun for another 5 hours, to put charge back into my battery bank.

I actually have 3 banks of 225AH batteries, with 18 solar panels, of between 5amps and 9amps.

I have 4 panels permanently connected to each bank, and then move the other spare panels to the battery bank, that needs charge,

In the winter to be able to charge my ebike, battery,

I PUT ALL 18 PANELS INTO 1 BATTERY BANK,

And I can only get sufficient sun from, 10am till 2pm, which then gives me 2 hours of little sun to put something into my battery bank.

I live in the south of Spain, where I have Good sun in the winter.

In England I don't think there is enough sun at all most days from Nov to April.

If you are in Canada, I imagine, I could NOT charge my ebike battery in 1 day.

Oh yes, when it rains, forget about putting charge into your batteries,

I have to run my engine to be able to watch TV on rainy days.

I hope this helps

 

[tomjasz]

Although I don't know what a Motor controller is.

It what manages power for our eBikes!

 

[Djson]

It what manages power for our eBikes!

I think it must be an inverter?

I plug whatever electrical item I want to use into the inverter.

So my ebike charge into the inverter then into the ebike battery.

 

[tomjasz]

No! Its an eBike controller, exactly as mine is setup.

 

[Djson]

No! Its an eBike controller, exactly as mine is setup.

So do you also have a battery charger?

 

[tomjasz]

So do you also have a battery charger?

Of course. However the schematic is how my electric vehicle is wired to the solar panel. It is not how I completely charge. I enjoyed reading your post. Living off the grid requires giving up much more than i think i could be happy with. But being old and somewhat infirm would make it difficult without a system out of my budget. I do envy you living in the country side. i admire your lifestyle and would love to live in rural Spain. Regardless of the sacrifices.

 

[Djson]

Of course. However the schematic is how my electric vehicle is wired to the solar panel. It is not how I completely charge. I enjoyed reading your post. Living off the grid requires giving up much more than i think i could be happy with. But being old and somewhat infirm would make it difficult without a system out of my budget. I do envy you living in the country side. i admire your lifestyle and would love to live in rural Spain. Regardless of the sacrifices.

Well I had to learn how all this solar works, out of necessity, it was forced on me.

I got an electric bike about 7 years ago, because of my knees, I now have rheumatoid arthritis so really can't do without the electrical help.

I'm going to get an electric trike, as it is progressively getting worse.

As far as off grid, I have everything I need, like TV, washing machine (not a house) I have a small one for camping, it works on mains, and cleans the clothes.

The only real problem I have is with the fridge, firstly when it is 35 degrees C the fridge is warm inside not cold.

In the summer, I run the fridge from the solar during the day, and on gas at night.

In the winter, I don't have the fridge on, it is cold enough inside for milk to last 4 days, so that is plenty.

I have all the solar panels, which I have added to over the years, because in the winter, and especially on rainy days, they are not enough to keep the battery charged for the tv, never mind anything that actually uses electricity.

Now I have more electricity than I can store or use, in Dec, Jan, Feb, I can't make enough, but I have learnt how to cope with it.

 

[Djson]

I just came across this don't know if it is of any use.

Easiest way to recharge an electric bike battery from the sun? QuietKat solar power charger review

If there’s one thing I love as much as playing with batteries, it’s charging them up from the sun. And when it comes to my electric bikes, which are kind of outdoor toys by definition, being able to charge in the field is a pretty darn neat trick for extending range when camping or just […]

electrek.co

 

[tomjasz]

I'm going to get an electric trike, as it is progressively getting worse.

At the moment my care giver is dtiving me to The Mayo Clinic. I can no longer pedal using any strength. I can “clown pedal” meaning moving my legs with zero muscle dtress butvevdn that is sometimes painful. So for me its a trike converted to a electric vehicle. Pedals to confirm to eBike laws but it will unlikely be pedaled. It has a 50W solar pandl rhat charges lights, horn, and phone. I live in Minnesota so 3-4 months are cold sometimes below zero F. I put a battery warmer together for tha main and auxiliary batteries powered by the auxiliary battery snd solar.