ONYX Battery Safety Notes

  • Do not fast charge a hot battery that’s 135°F at 10 amps immediately after racing on hot summer days. Always let the battery rest until the BMS app shows it has cooled down to 105°F.
  • Monitor your battery temperatures using the BMS app when pushing your bike hard. A maximum temperature of 135°F provides a safety margin before the BMS shuts off the battery discharge.

ONYX 45AH BATTERY BMS APP

ONYX 41AH BATTERY BMS APP

ONYX 45AH Battery Protective Case

ONYX Motors, prioritize safety by providing customers with durable external protective metal cases for their batteries. ONYX Motors exemplifies this commitment by securely housing their 45Ah battery in a sturdy metal enclosure, as shown in product images.

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Metal Case UL Lithium Safety Standards

According to UL lithium battery standards and regulations, all lithium batteries must be housed in an external protective case. Batteries without a proper external metal enclosure are vulnerable to physical damage or compromise, posing significant safety risks. This makes a secure metal casing an essential component for safe operation.

The protective case safeguards the battery from punctures and deformation, provides structural rigidity, and features a handle for easy and secure transportation.

ONYX 45AH Battery Power and Price

ONYX Motors achieved significant battery cost reductions while enhancing both internal and external build design, prioritizing safety and performance. The price of their stock battery was reduced to $949, accompanied by substantial upgrades. The battery capacity increased from 41Ah to 45Ah, the peak discharge improved from 110 amps to 180 amps, and the constant discharge rose from 90 amps to 120 amps. These advancements deliver enhanced performance while making high-quality upgrades more affordable and accessible for riders.

Safer Aftermarket Batteries

In 2024, the ONYX community partnered with various aftermarket battery builders to create batteries with higher continuous discharge rates, improved thermal performance, enhanced quality, and greater safety. These collaborative efforts resulted in significant advancements, including complete internal redesigns, advanced battery management systems, thicker copper gauge, thicker busbars, higher-gauge wiring, cell spacers, thermal silicone, and durable metal protective cases, as illustrated in the image below.

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Safer Aftermarket Battery Prices

The ONYX community worked closely with aftermarket custom battery builders to achieve significant cost reductions, driving prices down by as much as 60%. This collaboration brought the cost of 45Ah batteries down from $2,200 to an impressive $880, making high-performance upgrades more accessible to riders.

Negligent Aftermarket Battery Builders

Protective cases are a safety standard, but some aftermarket battery builders cut costs by skipping them. Many rebrand to hide past safety issues, including battery fires. Claims of extended warranties and insurance are often misleading, as attorneys confirm no reputable insurer covers unofficial battery builders due to high risks and non-compliance.

A history of not providing protective cases is a clear indicator of an aftermarket battery builder’s lack of professional responsibility. Even if they start offering cases in the future, it doesn’t guarantee a genuine commitment to safety-true safety standards should be upheld from the very beginning.

Unprotected Aftermarket Battery Fires

In 2024, the ONYX community discussed six incidents of unprotected aftermarket battery fires involving bike owners who unfortunately experienced this hazard. In the referenced image below, one bike owner had simply removed their battery from the bike and placed it on the ground at the entrance of their garage. This seemingly routine action triggered a thermal runaway because the corner of the unprotected battery made contact with the ground first, causing physical deformation at the point of impact.

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Unprotected Aftermarket Batteries

Unfortunately, the right side of the image showcases three unprotected battery builders who neglected to prioritize safety or adopt these improvements. Their batteries are merely shrink-wrapped or encased in plexiglass, which provides no adequate substitute for a sturdy metal protective case.

On the left side of the image, the ONYX community’s commitment to safety is evident. Members went so far as to unwrap batteries to examine their internal builds, revealing unsafe, subpar construction that fell far short of what was promised.

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Range Marketing

The inflated prices of aftermarket batteries often fail to deliver real value, even when advertised as larger or higher capacity. A bigger battery doesn’t always guarantee more range, especially if the internal build suffers from issues like hotspots, high resistance, or the use of low-quality bargain cells-such as those shown in the image. Despite being marketed as high-range solutions, these batteries frequently underperform in real-world conditions. In response, the ONYX community took initiative, customizing their own batteries and carefully selecting high-quality cells to achieve superior performance and reliable range.

Regulating Lithium Battery Builders

For example, negligent aftermarket battery builders are unable to operate in New York due to stringent lithium regulation laws and their refusal to obtain the necessary certifications for each battery model they manufacture. As a result, many of these irresponsible builders operate out of New Jersey, where state regulations have not yet fully caught up. However, efforts are reportedly underway to update and strengthen New Jersey’s laws to impose fines and shut down these operations.

ONYX Battery Storage

Explore the detailed post on year-round battery storage to learn the best practices for maintaining and protecting your ONYX Motors battery. It covers what to do-and what to avoid-to ensure your battery stays in optimal condition throughout the year.

Battery Discharge Marketing

Batteries advertised with phase AC discharge details are a clear sign of marketing hype. No aftermarket battery builder should list phase discharge numbers without dyno testing to back them up. I’ve written a post explaining how power flows from the battery to the tires for a clearer understanding.

False advertising poses serious safety risks and can lead to potential damage to the bike’s controller and motor, making the bike unreliable and unpredictable.

Battery Discharge Amps Top Speed

As a reference, assessing a battery’s constant DC line amp output can help you decide if stock controller settings are your limit or if advanced tuning is possible. For instance, a 72-volt battery with a constant 100-amp output can reach 70 mph with the right setup. Stay tuned for details on my upcoming Jaws Mode modification, designed to push speeds beyond 60 mph.