Your Guide to the Bosch Battery Family
Looking to add some extra range and flexibility to your rides? You’re in luck! Upway sells brand-new OEM Bosch batteries for those looking to have a spare on hand. Bosch is without a doubt one of the best e-bike batter manufacturers out there, with a company reputation that reaches back over a century.
Check out this short video from Bosch, which covers the details of how they became one of the world’s best-loved, most-trusted makers of e-bike batteries.
How do I know which generation of Bosch system I have?
Bosch batteries come in many shapes and sizes. However, the first thing to check is whether you have a Smart System (the newest generation of Bosch e-bike system, which started releasing in 2023), or Bosch System 2 (the previous system). This will let you know what generation of batteries you can start to look at.
As the Smart System is very recent, it is more likely that you have a System 2 on your e-bike (Upway’s Bosch e-bike stock is comprised of about 95% System 2 to 5% Smart System e-bikes, as of early 2024 for example).
The easiest way to confirm your Bosch system generation is to check if it has a component with colored LED lights (as shown below) - if you have this, it indicates that your e-bike is equipped with the Smart System. If your bike does not have a component as shown below, your bike is equipped with Bosch System 2!
Ok I have System 2. What kinds of batteries can I purchase?
There are three categories of batteries in the Bosch System 2 generation, including the Powerpack (frame battery), Powerpack rack (rack battery), and the Powertube (integrated battery), as displayed below. You cannot switch between form factors of batteries on your e-bike, although certain high-end e-bikes allow you to combine two different forms in a dual capacity system.
Powerpack Family
- These are the most common form of battery in the System 2 generation and are generally found on cargo and city bikes
- All options are freely interchangeable
- The 300Wh size is no longer sold
Rack Family
- Usually on more economical city bikes
- All options are freely interchangeable
Powertube Family
- This is the typical form factor for road and mountain e-bikes
- There are two types of Powertubes depending on orientation: Vertical and Horizontal. The Horizontal variant is extremely rare and typically only on high-end e-bikes with a dual battery setup
- Within the Powertube family, the 400 and 500Wh options are freely interchangeable. The 625 option requires a different-sized compartment in your bike compared to the 400 and 500Wh.
How far can I ride with a Bosch e-bike battery ?
Range anxiety is an issue many e-bike riders encounter. Will your e-bike have enough juice to get you to work and back all week without needing a charge? How does the capacity (given in Wh) relate to the power of your motor? And does it impact things if you’re carrying extra weight on the bike? To help ease these worries, Bosch has developed an amazing e-bike battery range calculator.
This neat tool lets you input some key datapoints and then spits out an estimated range. It’s as simple as that.
I want a battery that Upway doesn't sell !