Battery Comparison Table
| Type | SLA (Sealed Lead Acid)  |
LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphorous)  |
| Weight | 18 Lbs | 13 Lbs |
| Size | 4″x4″x12″ | 6″x4″x13″ |
| Range | ~12 Miles | ~25 Miles |
| Ride Time | ~45 Minutes | ~120 Minutes |
| Charge Time | 5 Hours | 3.3 Hours |
| Charge Cycles | 400 Cycles | 1,500 Cycles |
| Life Miles | ~4,800 Miles | ~40,000 Miles |
| Price | $125 | $795 |
Sealed Lead Acid (SLA)
The SLA Battery is like a wheelchair battery. It is sealed and has a gel inside, so it is safe when turned upside down. (Unlike your car battery.) It is made from 60% – 80% recycled materials and is easily recyclable (please do your part!)
A SLA battery is ideal for the Ridekick power trailer. First, an SLA battery is more affordable for everyone. Second, your bike steers and balances naturally even with extra weight in the trailer, so a heavier battery is A-OK. Electric bikes benefit from lighter lithium batteries because the bike handles more naturally without extra weight. Ridekick International is interested in making the SLA battery available so more people can access and try an electric-assist for bicycles.
Lithium Batteries (LiFePO4)
Lithium batteries are a newer technology with better range, lower weight and smaller size. Go twice as far on a single charge!
You may have heard how they are not safe and may catch on fire. There are many types of lithium batteries, and we chose LiFePO4 (say “Life-PO”) because it is the safer style and well-adapted to the Ridekick power trailer.
Will it fit in my Ridekick trailer? Yes. The LiFePO4 battery pack fits in the same area as the SLA pack. Since the lithium battery is a slightly different size, Ridekick provides a new strap and bracket to make it secure in your trailer.
36 Comments
Is the 579 price on top of the price of the Ridekick?
The $579 price is for the lithium battery only. The price of the Ridekick power trailer with a lithium battery is yet to be determined. If you would like to be notified when a price for the Ridekick power trailer with the lithium battery is available, please sign up for our newsletter at the top of the page, or email info@ridekick.com and we will contact you with updates.
Thanks, Cheddy64!
wow, the price of the ridekick is way too high.. but the price of the replacement battery is positively insanely overpriced. in this economy i’m not sure you can find enough suckers.
the ridekick battery is the sealed acid… the $579 would be the desirable one to have but would increase the price granted. BUTTTTT…..look at the extended range the SLA may be good for the valley. I would need the LiFe for the mtns I live in. of course you can always coast down the other side once you summit!
Thank you for your comments on lithium batteries.
Choosing lithium batteries requires some deep research. Price, density, power per weight, and peak current per cell all play a role in choosing between lithium-iron, Li-ion, Li-poly, LiMn, etc. Additionally, choosing a supplier with consistently good quality is important to insure that everyone gets a high quality battery. We also learned that some suppliers don’t transport according to safety standards, and put airlines in jeopardy with lithium on board. We chose not to support those businesses.
Ridekick chose LiFePO4 because it performs well, and our supplier exhibits practices for good quality. Furthermore, the supplier provides US support and warehousing, which reflect our goals of doing as much US-based business as possible.
In the final analysis, when compared to other lithium batteries for e-bikes (see examples posted on the left side of our web page), the Ridekick battery costs nearly 1/2 the price-per-mile as e-bike branded batteries. And the Ridekick battery is nearly the same price-per-mile as the raw battery pack cited. We could choose to sell a 24V 10AH battery at lower price, but the range wouldn’t be as compelling to switch from SLA.
The Ridekick battery pack comes with protective BMS (battery management system electronics), a fast 6A charger, and the custom bag with carrying straps. The system has been tested for over one year and carries our 1 year warranty.
Please continue to comment or write us directly at info@ridekick.com. We thrive on your insights.
While I would love it if the price were lower, I’ve tried to figure out how much it would cost to build a similar powered trailer with commercially available parts, and the only way I’ve found that I would be able to do it for less involves a lot of looking for used/discarded parts. Having actually seen the unit in person, and knowing that an unpowered cargo trailer will run you anywhere from $150 to $300, I think they’ve probably set their price to afford themselves a reasonable (but not exorbitant) profit on a total production volume that, at this point, doesn’t afford them a ton of savings via economy of scale.
In short, it’s a good product, and I don’t see how they can get the price a whole lot lower and still make money.
Honestly do some research! The price point for this product is not unreasonable.
Will you be offering the Ridekick with LiFePO4 instead of the lead acid? And any idea of a time frame?
Yes, you will be able to purchase a Ridekick power trailer with a lithium instead of a sealed-lead acid. We are hoping to have the lithium batteries out on the market in the next few months. Pre-order your LiFePO4 above, and we will send you updates on the status of the battery. Thanks, Kayo!
Can you purchase the Trailer Kit without a battery? Many of us already have batteries for other ebikes.
Mikeresnick – We have the SLA battery in a neat set-up with a customized Ridekick battery bag and charger, but email info@ridekick.com to with us discuss more…
http://www.pingbattery.com/servlet/the-15/24v-30ah-lifepo4-lithium/Detail
What capacity is the Lithium Battery?
I have been riding the Ridekick for a week now and like it a lot. However, I do need the extended range that the Lithium batter will give. Is there an update on when they will be available?
Mary – we are working on it. The new lithium battery should be available in a month or two. When we know more, we’ll send out an update. Thank you, and happy riding!
Can I sell my old battery back to you when I buy the new LiFePO4. I understand I would not get the full 125 for it. That would help me a little with price.
Hi Katie – Yes, we will offer a battery exchange program for Ridekick trailer riders who currently have the SLA battery and wants the new lithium battery.
I have two sla battery packs that I rotate every week. I’d be interested in how much you’d give me in trade for them. I’m pretty sure it won’t be enough to get me into a lithium pack but I’d still be interested in knowing.
Thanks.
Would a LiFePO4 / 2 (half the performance, price and weight) with the capability of parallel hookup (2, even 3 or 4) make sense?
When will the Lithium batteries be offered to be bought?
Next month! We are excited to get the lithium batteries out on the market for the people needing the extended range. We’ll let you know an exact date soon…
How much are the new lithium batteries?
We are working on a exact price as we speak. When the price is determined, we’ll announce it over email and on our website. Stay tuned!
Look’s neat & practical. Especially the Lithium battery 1.—- Now for the price.
As Schultz’y on hogan’s Hero’s,—- Very interesting!!
Ready to order a lithium powered Sidekick.
Hi! I have been enjoying ridekick with my carbon fiber bike it really helps up hills, the sla battery has enough range to get me to work and back without me having to do any pedaling and that is just fantastic. I also enjoy snowboarding and I was just wondering if with a different tire or attachment for a better snow grip if the ridekick might be able to push me uphills? I weigh around 185lbs! Are there any plans in the future for this possibility?
Hi Aquaman – great idea on Ridekick snow tires for winter riding!
Here is an idea that may work for snow and ice – and we can get you a spare tire!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVsoE_emfM
Any current news on the lithium batteries?
News on the lithium battery coming soon (within 2 weeks!)
I am ready to buy 2 as soon as the Lithium Battery is availbale.
I wonder of you could put two Lithium Batteries in these and toggle back and forth to give twice the range.,
Yes, Gkercher. You could put two lithium or SLA batteries inside the trailer and get twice the range.
when will the ride kick be sold with the LiFePO4 instead of SLA? I am ready to buy once that is available…
OK. We took the new Lithium Models out for a spin and had a ball. Only went 20 miles and was still on L9 at the end. Very happy so far. The only problem so far is we had them stop working a few times but after turning off and then back on they started right back up.
Also I had one of them run without the throttle being activated. Same thing turned off and then back on and that fixed the problem. We are taking them out for about 40 miles tomorrow. Gradually working our way up.
Great Product. Having a blast. Very nice product.
Took New Ride Kick trailers out for a work out again today and they performed beautifully. No issues. We started out going down a 5 mile incline and I was wondering if we would make it back up with our Trikes. After riding about 20 miles the Ride Kick took us up the incline perfect and at the end of 24 miles of hills they still had plenty of charge left. Looks like a success. Planning on a 50 mile ride next weekend putting the Ride Kick thru its paces. I love this product. Best accessory for the trike.