COLUMBUS, Ohio (BRAIN) — John Robinson, of Johnny Velo Bikes, responded to his customer and employee needs by developing a fire-resistant e-bike battery case, which he’s had manufactured in China. He’s now selling the cases to shop customers, using them in his store, and selling them wholesale to other dealers.
It all started when Aventon, an e-bike supplier to Robinson’s store, ran a promotion that included an extra battery with some bikes.
“Customers would always ask, ‘so how do I carry the other battery?’ So I started thinking about it a bit. With everything going on with battery safety and fires … we had a policy of no batteries left here at the shop (on repair bikes),” he said.
Robinson did some research, learning about fire-resistant cases used by airlines, and found some manufacturers who made safe carrying cases for radio-control vehicle and laptop batteries.
He came up with a design using the same three-layer material, including a foil layer, but sized for an e-bike battery. Instead of black, like most of the other cases, Robinson specified a silver material for visibility and reflectability. He added straps that work with most rear bike racks, a carry handle, and a charging port that closes with Velcro.
The bags fit almost every e-bike battery that Robinson has been able to find — only a 750-watt Bosch extra-capacity battery is too big, he said. The padded case is water resistant and because of the reflective material it cools the battery by about 11 degrees in the sun, he said.
It serves multiple purposes — consumers with an extra battery can store it at home or bring it on the rack during extra-long rides. They can also use it while charging the battery inside for extra safety.
In the shop, Robinson now accepts repair bikes with their batteries, but he asks customers to bring their key so they can remove the battery and put it in the bag. Shop techs hang the bags from the bike’s handlebars so they don’t get separated from the bikes during service. The shop also uses the bags when charging batteries.
“It gives you peace of mind,” Robinson said. In addition to testing by the manufacturer, Robinson tried some in-shop tests, including sticking a 2,000-degree blow torch inside the bag. “The only damage was melting the stitching off the (bag’s) handle,” he said.
Showing that burned bag to customers turned out to be a great sales tool, he said.
“The moment we show them what one looks like when it’s burned inside, they are sold,” he said. Now about 78% of the store’s new e-bike customers buy a bag, which retails at $49.99. He sells the bags wholesale for $24.99.
The bags are being sold under the brand Battery Safeguard. There is more information at batterysafeguard.com.
