Replacing electric bicycle batteries with cheap, high-capacity modified products is becoming popular in Indonesia.

The number of companies replacing electric bicycle batteries with inexpensive homemade ones is increasing in Indonesia. Experts have expressed concerns about the safety of home-made batteries, which are widespread in Indonesia, where there are no regulations regarding batteries.

Indonesia's e-bike shops are building their own batteries

Starting in 2023, Indonesia will provide subsidies of up to 7 million rupiah (approximately 70,000 yen) to new electric bicycles manufactured using a certain amount of domestically produced parts. As a result, the number of registered electric bicycles has increased dramatically, and as of September 2023, there are 62,000 registered electric bicycles, almost triple the number of the previous year.

On the other hand, since Indonesia does not have any regulations regarding batteries, there are many users who try to install batteries that are cheaper and have a higher capacity than genuine products, and companies that manufacture and install homemade batteries to accommodate these users. It seems that the number is increasing.

According to local residents interviewed by overseas media, Rest of World, most of the people they know use home-made batteries because they are cheaper and have a longer range. Because genuine products are more expensive, some people said that they had made a profit of about 4 million rupiah (about 40,000 yen) by selling genuine products and buying their own products.

People who actually manufacture their own batteries do this by connecting about 100 18650 lithium-ion batteries, each about the size of a dry cell battery, into a pack and connecting it to the vehicle through a battery management system. I talked to him.

Agus Purwanto, a chemistry lecturer at Severas Marais University, said: ``Normally online sellers only list the voltage and amperage of the battery, but all batteries have a rating that indicates the rate of discharge of the battery, so it's important to know the basics. If the discharge speed of different batteries differs, it may lead to battery damage,'' he said, suggesting that if you are purchasing a homemade battery, it is important to do detailed research to ensure safety.

According to Rest of World, the electric bicycle industry in Indonesia is extremely chaotic, as battery sizes and design philosophies vary by manufacturer, and it is difficult to find batteries that have been officially certified by the manufacturer. Some believe that this situation may be a contributing factor to the proliferation of commercially available batteries.

In addition, as the exchange of batteries, which contain valuable resources, has become more common, demand for recycling businesses that process batteries is increasing.