Came across this set of photos of the battery pack.
Looks incredibly well done which is to be expected from these folks.
A couple of tidbits about the pack from Mellow.
Looks and function: the TPE coating and RoPD connector were added in to withstand vibration and shocks.
I really appreciate how easy they are making it for typical users. Once they get costs down they will have a killer product. Hopefully they won’t get scooped by lower-quality (but similar looking) products.
Update #49 There’s batteries and there’s better batteries…
Did not make a new thread cos this is still related to this thread.
But only 99 watt hours. Good for a plane but range…
For what it’s worth, the pack is swapped so easily. Would take 10 seconds. I’d just carry 1-2 extra batteries.
sure for like 250€ a piece 
Yea, cost is out of control. Just price out a 4x4 with 2 spare batteries. But per mellow, in the long run it will cost less.
Whoops, double posted. Thanks, Brad.
Hummie, higher capacity batteries are planned. Also, quick charger takes 45 minutes, that’s quite a long coffee break we know.
That is absolutely wonderful to hear.
Do you have any idea what size the new higher capacity batteries will be?
Also in the pictures, the battery pack looks pretty full, how would you put in the extra batteries? By making the battery pack thicker?
Brad, how does a TPE coating reduce vibration and shock in this configuration? I thought they were used on equipment where vibration led to fatigue (i.e. hands). In this case, the TPE coating is on the outside. The battery is on the inside. No?
I didn’t see how u integrated the truck into it. Super nice. Is it flexible enough to bolt on any board? The plug has got to be the nicest plug.
How many watts does it charge at?
how many watts will the whole system put out when you want as much power as possible? Can you give a quick explaination of how power is reeled back such as if you were riding up a mountain and very heavy. Or does it not adjust limits and have a temp limit? Or would it keep chugging along and overcook eventually?
Would not the vibration be reduced from the frame towards the inside of the battery if there is a TPE coating in between the battery and the frame? I think TPE does have some properties of rubber.
You might want to think of the battery as the hand and the frame you put the battery in as the equipment.
If for some reason it still does not add up, @Mellow might comment on this.
Thanks. Would like to hear from Mellow too. Can’t imagine a thermoplastic elastomer coating would do anything except add a little tackiness. I think the battery is attached to the bottom side of the board and the TPE case is just a cover. Thanks again.
I’m trying to work out if we are talking about the same part or a different part.
I was thinking the blue lining around the battery pack is the TPE? Were you referring to the charger and USB port cover?
The line “Looks and function: the TPE coating and RoPD connector were added in to withstand vibration and shocks.” in the topic post was from Mellow themselves. I just assumed that the blue part was the TPE.
The blue is indeed the TPE coating. The black plastic of the housing and the cell holders are made of this stuff: http://www.lgchem.com.tr/products/12122012-220157-astm-lupoy-gn5001rf_eng.pdf
@Hummie, the base plate and frame are the same rigid piece. On a flexible board the Drive will move with the plane of the truck’s bolt holes.
Publicizing mechanical and system power leaves us open to those who misuse such numbers deliberately or through ignorance (just reading them off the motor can), while leaving out heat dissipation and motor/system efficiency. Yes, we do monitor temperature in the motor, just as we do the battery and control electronics.
I’m trying to imagine how many amps you system puts out and is it the motors continuous rating or does it use a possibly greater peak amp draw but reduce it at a temp limit
So the only connection between the truck/battery and the board is at the baseplate. Nice.
Still can’t see how the blue TPE coating (emphasize “coating”) dampens vibration to the battery in any meaningful way. Mellow, have you conducted tests to support these claims? The link you shared looks like a typical ABS plastic used in plumbing. Not trying to be a jerk. Just want to be sure claims are performance based, not just tech talk to impress.
I drew something for you:
Red is the plumber plastic you are talking about. Blue is a softer TPE coating that the battery “sits” on (like soft smartphone case rubber) and that is supposed to dampen vibrations. Any soft material should dampen vibrations - just how much is the question.@Hummie, attaching any part of the Drive elsewhere to the board excludes the use of any deck with the slightest flex. So we went with uniquely the truck holes and strengthened the entire structure accordingly.
Thanks @Maxid. @Spencermiller: the battery is indeed plastic, covered by the blue TPE over half its surface. The rest of the Drive is a magnesium alloy painted black. The TPE is positioned to cushions any contact between the battery’s plastic case (when seated) and the metal housing, to stop transmission of shocks and vibration between the two and keep the fit tight.
A few corrections on your comment: The plastic is not ABS but PC/ABS: an alloy of Polycarbonate and ABS. ABS alone is actually quite flammable. The combination of heat resistance (PC) and impact/mechanical resistance even at low temps (ABS) wouldn’t prevent its use in plumbing, but might be seen as overkill. Its usual applications are in PCs, TVs, mobile devices and most of the plastic in your car.
We’re open to feasible suggestions on how to reassure you our specs are what we say. The presence of a $40 RoPD connector is perhaps salient enough proof to show we wouldn’t skimp on a few dollars of plastic. (Compare with $0.20 Chinese magnetic connectors on Alibaba.)
We welcome independent testing (at one’s own liability, especially for destructive testing). 5VA (thickness is 3mm if you are looking at the pdf) is the highest level of flame retardancy rating possible and thus easily verifiable.
