E-Bikes for Idiots

[elliothaughin]

So, I've spent the last 8 hours straight researching batteries.

My conclusions so-far.

1. I'm scared of Lipo, however I look at it, I just know I'm the kind of guy you'll see on the news in bits after charging his lipos in the shower whilst smoking.
2. A123s look very cool, but I'd need someone to build the pack for me with BMS/charging ready to 'plug and play'.
3. Headways.... why didn't I see these before!

Headway 40160S(16AH)
Normal capacity - 16000mAh
Normal voltage - 3.2V
Inter impedance - <8m¿
Maximum Charge Current - 5C(80A)
Maximum Charge Voltage - 3.65±0.05V
Maximum continuous Discharge Current - 10C(160A)
Discharge stop voltage - 2.0V
Diameter - 40±1mm
Height - 160±1mm
Weight - Approx. 500g

So, Headways in a 16S1P arrangement give you 48V at 16aH, which is brilliant! Plus, I could probably build a pack of these myself since they're put together with a screw fitting.
I could pick up 16 of them for $511.20. At 40mm wide, I could build a pack that's just 1 unit-wide, which would fit nicely in the frame.

The only 'complicated' part would be the BMS, but I could always find someone local to the bay area with a soldering iron and some technical skill to wire on a Goodrum/Fechter BMS (They look fantastic).

The largest Headway cell that we carry continues to have those great Headway C ratings! 10C continuous to 15C max (160A continuous to 240A max)

It seems a bit too good to be true really, the only thing I can't work out is if the 'C' rating for these is good enough to run an eBike with the 'ooomph' I need.
There's people using these batteries to power cars though.

Headway-headquarters also sell a 16S1P headway pack based on the same cells, and quote these as figures for power on the pack overall:

16 cell 48V16Ah Battery Pack
Max Motor Watt Capabilites - 2000W
Recommended Motor Wattage - 750W~1100W
Voltage - 48V
Capacity - 16Ah
Recommended Charge Voltage - 58.4V
Recommended Charging Current - <20A
Recommended Max Discharge - 48A
Max Discharge Current Available - 160A
Discharge Cut-off Protection- 60A

From the sounds of that 750W motor would be lovely! What do you guys think? Would headway be a good option for a noob to get started without killing myself, or have I missed something and these just won't work for what I want?

Thank you!

 

[dogman dan]

For some reason, past offerings of pre built headway packs had bms problems. Surely solved by now?

Anybody bought one of the prebuilt packs he's talking about? Chime in if you have a review. I may just be ignorant, I've been ignoring all headway talk since I went lipo.

For sure though, the bulk of headway packs vs pouch cells has made them less popular lately. Just a tad harder to fit on smaller frames. Should be no problem for a townie though.

 

[elliothaughin]

Thanks for your help dogman!

The idea would be to try and fit 16S1P or 16S2P in that big o'l frame (16S2P would be 48V at 32aH!)
I've read through almost all the headway and headway BMS posts on here. I think that building the pack myself would be within my technical grasp and would help me learn a bit more as I go. There's less soldering to do, but I'd buy some of the connector plates spare, along with a soldering Iron and thin cable, and learn to solder for the BMS connections.

If I went down this route, I'd either buy a signalab BMS (which most people seem to like), or pay goodrum or someone to build one for me. Like this: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StPgV_0K8fs&feature=related).

 

[torker]

Good that you are reading all you can. The info is here. Plus after you read 10 different opinions you can see who agrees on certain things. Also after reading enough you can figure out who really knows their stuff and also what kind of performance they expect. After awhile you can get a pretty well rounded idea of what will work for you. A while back I was really looking hard at Headway. I also like the screw terminals and how robust the cell packaging is. I think the biggest reason most here have gone towards lipo is the power density and amps they can put out. Also the size. Even though most lipo are 6 inches long as well they are a little easier to package than a cylindrical cell IMO Lipo is the lightest of all for sure. Also for me it was cost. I have 2 - 5s - 5000 Mah on my bike right now. So running 10s 5 Ah-- They cost 84 dollars and it will go farther than the 28 lbs of lead I had. And it cost about the same.

 

[zombiess]

If you are going to look at lipo, bear this in mind, 14s fully charged is 59.5v. So 16s won't work with a 48v controller. Some get away with 15s, and some blow controllers on 15s. It's right at the limit for most 48v contrllers to run 14s lipo.

Same thing for the ping 60v. It's gonna be much more than 60v fully charged, and is gonna blow a 48v controller.

I can't stress this too much, ride somebodies 48v (nominal) bike before you start building a bike to run on 60v with a 2806 motor for the first try. That would be a lot of bike for a newb. Are you an experienced rider of motorcycles and bicycles? If so, then maybe not too much. But if you don't have tons of two wheel riding under your belt, you may be headed to the E room with even a lame 25 mph 36v bike.

You may find the mundane 48v 2807 bike that goes 27 mph a bit fast. You WILL find the electra townie uncomfortable at speeds over 30 mph, unless the roads are perfect, or you are on a race track. To blast 35 mph on rough roads for more than a few miles beats you up, and beats the bike up. So for that you may want full suspension.

My advice for a self described ebike idiot, is still the same. An ebikekit 2807-- 20 amp controller kit, and a 48v 15 ah pingbattery. Ride a thousand miles or so, then start modifying stuff when you are not an idiot anymore. This kit will only set you back about a thou, plus the bike. Leaving much money for the really cool stuff later.

This is good advice if you don't have much 2 wheeled experience.

I just got my 1st ebike running a few days ago (9c 2806@44V) and it moves better than I thought it would. If your roads aren't perfectly smooth I'd also suggest a dual suspension bike for 30+ mph. I found my bike to have touchy steering over 25 MPH until I uncompressed the front shock (it was travel limited) all the way out. Choosing the correct bike for your target speed is very important.

 

[elliothaughin]

Good that you are reading all you can. The info is here. Plus after you read 10 different opinions you can see who agrees on certain things. Also after reading enough you can figure out who really knows their stuff and also what kind of performance they expect. After awhile you can get a pretty well rounded idea of what will work for you. A while back I was really looking hard at Headway. I also like the screw terminals and how robust the cell packaging is. I think the biggest reason most here have gone towards lipo is the power density and amps they can put out. Also the size. Even though most lipo are 6 inches long as well they are a little easier to package than a cylindrical cell IMO Lipo is the lightest of all for sure. Also for me it was cost. I have 2 - 5s - 5000 Mah on my bike right now. So running 10s 5 Ah-- They cost 84 dollars and it will go farther than the 28 lbs of lead I had. And it cost about the same.

Still cracking on with the research! I think lipos are out of the question for me, I've just not got the balls for it. Instead, I'm looking seriously at A123 26650s and Headway 16Ah options.

I sent cell_man a PM a few days ago but haven't got a response, but after doing some research I've now sent him an email directly with more specific requirements (16S10P A123 26650s) mmmm....
I was really trying to make sure these would all fit in the frame before I emailed him, but using Nick's black townie Images, and some photoshop wizzardry I managed to get a scale based on the 50mm wide lipo packs he was using. Then, I did a photoshop layout mockup.

16 10P packs will fit in the frame! There are a few different ways to do it, but I'll be placing them 'lengthways' so, the cells end up sat on their sides.
Uploading images isn't working so I'll have to throw this on my domain... hopefully this will give you an idea of where this is going.

Obviously that won't be cheap, but the A123's are probably the best LIFE at the moment, and it would leave some room for a BMS in the frame too. Might end up having to put the charger and controller on a rack though. Eitherway, 48V (Well, quite a bit higher at full charge) with 23aH with really fast recharge/discharge rates, and low fire risk would be lovely!

What do you think?

That's 160 cells.

 

[elliothaughin]

Time for a major rant...

I've spent a week learning about powering e-Bikes, the wiring, voltage, amps, What the hell '16S10P' means, and I've got my plan in place.
I know that If I could build this system, it would just rock.

Sourcing these 10P packs is becoming really really difficult. I know lots of people here have had cells from 'linda', so I thought I'd jump on skype and see if she could hook me up with these packs.

I know most people would say go with cell_man, but I can't get hold of him at all.

Honestly, if someone from the USA or Europe (or anywhere!) could source, and build great quality A123 packs they'd be a fricking millionaire. Finding someone with the technical skill, as well as communication and good 'customer service' is pretty much impossible.

So, here's my conversation with linda. Is this what all trade is like these days?

linda lin 04:53
hi

Elliot 04:54
Hey

linda lin 04:54
you want to buy 26650 or 32157

Elliot 04:54
266650

04:54
The 2.3maH

linda lin 04:54
ok,it is 2.3ah

Elliot 04:54
sorry, yeah

04:54
it's late here!

linda lin 04:54
ok

Elliot 04:54
I have a few questions... firstly, are they the real deal?

linda lin 04:55
yes

04:55
we have store

Elliot 04:55
most poeple on the endless sphere forums say they've had good headway stuff from you

linda lin 04:55
yes

Elliot 04:55
but I can't find anyone who's got good A123 cells yet

linda lin 04:55
i am from headway

04:56
where are you from?

Elliot 04:56
what I mean, is that plenty of forum members say you're good for headway. But I can't find any members who have got A123's from you (with pictures, reviews etc)

04:56
I'm from the UK. Will be moving to california in a few months though

linda lin 04:56
ok

04:56
i have uk customer named spacay

04:56
<ss type="smile"></ss>

Elliot 04:58
But he bought headway stuff right?

linda lin 04:58
yes

Elliot 04:58
I'm looking for a forum thread with someone who's bought thes A123 cells, so I can verify them

04:58
I'm looking for around 160 - 180 of them

linda lin 04:59
usa named dennis

Elliot 05:00
can you point me to the thread?

linda lin 05:00
yes

Elliot 05:01
do you have a link for that?

05:12
anyway, how much for 160 of the 26650s?

linda lin 05:20
it is 5.5usd

Elliot 05:20
bargain! 160 of them for $5.50!
05:20

I'll take 10,000 at that price

linda lin 05:20


Elliot 05:21
how old are the cells?

linda lin 05:21
they are new

Elliot 05:21
what color are they?

05:22
Can you suply them in a 10P format? 5 x 2, terminated, with BMS sensor wired?

linda lin 05:23
yes

05:23
of course

Elliot 05:24
so that would be 16 x 10P packs, for $8.50?

05:24
I mean $880

linda lin 05:32
please tell me your need of bms nominal discahring current ?A

Elliot 05:33
at least 50A

05:33
preferably 80A

05:34
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=25670

05:34
There's my post asking for them, so you get a better idea of what I need.

linda lin 05:35
i see

Elliot 05:36
these 10P packs will be connected together to give 16S10P, the BMS wires will need plenty of length on them too

05:37
At least 600mm, possibly 800mm length to be able to reach from the furthest pack to the BMS

linda lin 05:39
?pcs do you want to buy?

Elliot 05:40
16 X 10P Packs

linda lin 05:40
the bms is 60usd

Elliot 05:41
what BMS is it?

05:41
so, that's 160 cells total, in 16 packs wired in 10 x Parallel (giving 16 packs at 3.2v 28aH)

linda lin 05:41
so totoal is 880+60=940usd

05:42
the bms is protect the battery

Elliot 05:42
Yes, I know what the BMS 'is', I'm asking what brand it is, what Amp ratings it has, is it capacitor based? LEDs?

linda lin 05:43
where is your bms used for?

05:43
the bms is protcet the battery,inluding protect low voltage.over charging

Elliot 05:44
Yes! I know what a BMS does!!!

linda lin 05:44
OK

Elliot 05:44
I want to know what brand of BMS you will supply, the details of it.

05:44
Amp ratings (continuous and burst)?

05:44
Brand?

05:44
Charging rating

linda lin is sending you a file 05:46

bms specifications.doc
347.0 KB

Elliot 05:46
Lovely, that's what I was after!

05:47
48V BMS 16 Cell

05:48
Either the 60A or 80A would be ok

05:48
do you have any pictures of these units?

linda lin 05:48
you can see specificatoins

Elliot 05:49
yes, but the specifications don't tell me if they've got status LEDs, what type of capacitors they use, what sort of PCB etc.

05:50
And if they have a large 16-wire 'plug' on the board for the sensors, of if the sensors are hard-wired

linda lin 05:53
please tell your leds power ?w

Elliot 05:53
forget the BMS, I'll get one seperately.

05:54
But the 10P packs still need 800mm of BMS sensor wire terminated

linda lin 05:54
seperately

05:54
ok

05:54
i can give you 800mm

05:55
we have store

Elliot 05:56
Sorry, this is getting rather tedious. I don't believe you have the technical knowledge to supply these packs. I guess you may be fine for individual cells, but I don't have the confidence to order pre-built packs from you.

linda lin 05:57
you can buy some one to text it

05:57
lots of customers buy it

05:57
not only you

Elliot 05:57
that makes no sense to me whatsoever.

05:58
I can 'buy some one to text it' ? I don't want to buy a person, and I don't know what you mean by 'text it'

linda lin 05:58
to test it

Elliot 05:59
This will give me a better idea of if you understand my requirements....

05:59
What size will each pack be once assembled? And how much will each pack weigh?

05:59
How many cells will each contain?

linda lin 06:02
please tell me your need of size?

Elliot 06:04
I've already said I'd like 16 x 10P packs (in a 5x2 arrangement). Based on that, I'd like you to tell me what size each will be? The diagram I posted here clearly shows how the 16 packs will be arranged: http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25600&start=30


linda lin 06:09
our enginner say we can make

06:12
i can give you Ａnderson connector

Elliot Haughin 06:15
The communication here is very very difficult for me, It might be best for me to order 1 pack first, to make sure you've got it right.

Now, I know I'm a newbie, and maybe I've not been very clear with my requirements, but I'm pretty sure that anyone who builds these packs would completely understand what I'm after?

I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall now. This is a lot of money's worth of kit. As I said earlier, there's lots of money out there to be made if anyone can reliably produce and ship quality units whilst maintaining good customer relations and having sales people with solid technical knowledge.

I believe cell_man would have ticked all those boxes, but I can't get through to him!

Is it just me? Am I being too harsh?

 

[dogman dan]

People do take days off ya know. Many folks aren't full time vendors, so real job and family take the first grab on thier time.

Meanwhile, breaking into ebikes with an ebikekit 9 continent and a pingbattery is still good sense and may be all you need.

I bet a lot of the big ebike kit vendors wish they could easily offer an A123 bike pack. I don't understand it, but I think A123 has some kind of restriction on selling packs above a certain size, unless you have a contract with them directly. So you only see loose cells for sale, and bogus 1c cells with pirate labels.

 

[oldpiper]

I believe cell_man would have ticked all those boxes, but I can't get through to him!

Is it just me? Am I being too harsh?

I saw (maybe on another thread) that he is away for a week.

Cameron

 

[ryan]

Contact Ilia over at ebikessf.com. He'll help you out.

 

[nicobie]

I agree. When in the SF area, it's Ilia and Lyen to go to for ebike help.

BTW... Glad you liked my Townie.

Nick

 

[amberwolf]

Sourcing these 10P packs is becoming really really difficult. I know lots of people here have had cells from 'linda', so I thought I'd jump on skype and see if she could hook me up with these packs.

Keep in mind that "Linda" is (AFAIK) dealing with Headway cells, not A123; if they also do those, then I hadn't heard about it yet (I'm not an expert on them, though...).

I know most people would say go with cell_man, but I can't get hold of him at all.

As someone else said, he is probably away for the week; I can't remember where (or if) that was posted, either. But I'd give him time to respond, as he's probably the best place to get custom-made A123 packs you should be able to trust, based on everything I've seen with him on the forum so far.

Ilia should also be good to go with.

Honestly, if someone from the USA or Europe (or anywhere!) could source, and build great quality A123 packs they'd be a fricking millionaire. Finding someone with the technical skill, as well as communication and good 'customer service' is pretty much impossible.

That is unfortunately true. But I doubt you'll ever (or at least in any reasonable number of years) find anyone making/selling A123 packs that arent' made of used toolpack cells here in the USA (and probably not in EU) due to licensing issues with A123 Systems themselves, based on past stuff I've read about this situation.

So, here's my conversation with linda. Is this what all trade is like these days?

With Chinese vendors, pretty much. Most apparently have very little English translation ability, and I have no idea how much technical knowledge, but I suspect very little of that, too. I tried the same thing a couple of years ago, with various vendors of batteries, to get prices, specifications, shipping costs, etc., and it was a several-months-long fight to get even the basics out of some, and weeks out of even the best. None could even comprehend most of the questions I asked, and if I asked more than one simple question per email, all of the others would be ignored except the first one. Sometimes *all* of them would be ignored, with a nonsensical reply.

One thing to beware of is that when you are dealing with shipping larger quantities of stuff from China, it's possible for them to be held in port customs/etc., or to have a lot of fees attached at the receiving end that the vendors have no say in, part of, or even knowledge of, and that it could take in some cases more time to clear port than to ship from China itself. I've read a few "horror stories" about this over on DIY Electric Car forum, the web in general, and here on ES. I expect that with someone in China like Cell_man that knows both sides and uses English as his first language, you'd have less issues with this, compared to someplace like Headway direct (Linda).


I think it might be Jack Bauer over on DIYEC forum that said something like "usually the first time someone orders Lithium is also the last, due to the frustration, costs, and problems involved", basically because they forego ordering from a "local" distributor due to the extra cost involved, figuring it's cheaper to go direct to the source (but not knowing about all those other hidden costs, potential problems with getting any kind of warranty action, etc.).

I'm one of the really cheap guys, because my budget doesn't allow anything else (actually have to use recycled stuff in most cases, or buy used stuff when I have money for it; rarely have enough to buy new), but if I had the money, there are some things (like batteries) I'd buy from a local distributor if they were reputable and I could expect them to be around for the warranty period, even though I'd be paying a premium for it. Well, as long as the premium was worth it, which can be hard to decide until later, when there's a problem.

 

[1leg]

Elliot,
I, like you, want my build to happen NOW. One way to jump through all this study and waiting is to purchase a ready-made. You can have the exact bike you want by buying a ready-made. I assure you someone on this THREAD will build you exactly what you want for the 6 G's you have. It will cost about $150 to have it delivered to your front door. Amberwolf, Nicobie and Dogman are just a few of the gurus that teach the rest of us grasshoppers to study, listen, be patient and KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID. Each one of these guides were exactly where the rest of us newbies are now. I intend to build my bike, learn from ES posts and then I will become an apprentice guru and I will guide my amputee friends in their builds a year from now. My patience is being tested by while I wait for my LiFePo, 36V package to arrive from those inscrutible Chinese. This is my first build and I haven't had my first ride, I will make other choices on my next build. My knowledge has tripled and I spend hours each day on ES...thanks, j

 

[dogman dan]

Aww shucks.

Once you are in the bay area, you really have some good resources around locally. Lucky you.

 

[parabellum]

and maybe I've not been very clear with my requirements, but I'm pretty sure that anyone who builds these packs would completely understand what I'm after?

The main problem is the lack of any similarity between English and Chinese (mandarin or what ever). For many years I was working professional translator in 4 languages (not English, I came to English in last few years of internet using and I still have not learned 1/100 of what I would like to). Importance of English language is indisputable but I noticed that first language English speaking population is most surprised (or even shocked) if somebody else does not speak their language. In fact on this planet are more firs language speaking Chinese people than English speaking and more Chinese speaking English then English people speaking any dialect of Chinese.
My point is, if you want some think from china and you notice that you are dealing with somebody who dose not understand your language very well, try to be patient, repeat and try to use simplest sentences you can. Multilanguage people are good paid, even in China and if do not want to pay (or make us pay) the double price for your product, do not expect too much from the (foreign) vendor (salary dependent worker). I personally do not think, Linda (if it is"her" real name) is standing there with a big Iron soldering packs.

 

[sk8norcal]

elliot, if you are moving to silicon valley,

check out Jon at,
http://jdobikes.com

 

[Gordo]

Jon's site appears to be down to night?

Elliot;
Your conversation with Linda is all too typical. For your first build, you might take the advice that many who have considerable experience have given you. Especially with all the talented people in the Bay area who will take all the pain out of the build. Don't worry about "not learning anything." You will still have "accidents" with connection, loose corroded connectors, etc which will give you plenty of puzzles to figure out in the future.

Several months ago I asked a Chinese supplier about a Battery Management System. Suzie replied, "yes we have a BMS." I asked is it for LiFePO4? Yes it is for all battery, all cell. I asked what is the HVC and LVC. She replied it does all. I puzzled over this for awhile and then asked is it a Battery Management System or a Battery Monitor. She replied it is Battery Management. Emails went back and forth for days and it became obvious that Suzie was many different people and their BMS was a Monitor, showing Volts, Amps and power in/out. No cell management whatsoever. Sadly, this is the norm when trying to deal direct with most Mainland companies.

 

[elliothaughin]

Wow, thanks for all your replies!

It looks like I've hit on a common problem people have when dealing with some suppliers overseas. Luckily, I might have a good source for the A123 cells! A very respected forum member has some, which is fantastic. I've offered to pay soon then he can just 'keep' em for me for a few months till I move.

I am definitely going to hook up with some guys in the valley once I get over there.

I'm basically thinking that as soon as I've got my accommodation sorted (now with a garage as a requirement!), I'll get in contact with some of the bay area boys (and girls), and maybe arrange like a build day/meetup. I'll supply unlimited beer, pizza, coffee, whatever, and some guys come over and help me build this thing! Would be cool, we could get all nerdy about each others setups, have a few test rides on each others bikes, etc.

Obviously I could just pay one person to come round for the day, but where's the fun and community spirit in that!? The idea of a party style build sounds like great fun. Any of you guys done this before?

Will make sure I have my stuff ordered before the big day, could even give everyone a 'thank-you' gift (maybe like a generous giftcard for a good local bike shop, or something?)

I'll use this thread to remember the names of all the local e-bikers.

I'll let you know how I get on sourcing these cells. Hopefully this forum member will come up trumps for me!

 

[dogman dan]

Makes me wish I lived there, to come to the build day. Sounds like a blast.

 

[elliothaughin]

Hey Dogman,

Glad you like the idea!

I've pretty much secured 200 A123 26650A cells, they're coming from dewalt packs from a very respected forum member. Out of these I expect to get at least 160 great cells which will make up the 16S10P. (51.2V 23aH, 57.6V hot off the charger).

I'll probably use parts of the original dewalt housings to make the 10P packs since they house 10 cells already. This way I can do it with minimal soldering.

If I end up with 10-20 cells left over I'll probably build a little backup battery pack, or maybe a pack to run 12V for lighting etc.

At the moment I'm doing research on precharge and ignition with killswitch. Trying to get my head around how you turn off the bike in a way that doesn't spark, and doesn't leave drain on the system.

Out of interest, how much range would you expect to get out of 23aH if you were going easy on the throttle?

 

[nicobie]

Out of interest, how much range would you expect to get out of 23aH if you were going easy on the throttle?

It really all depends on what voltage you are running and how fast you are going.

You can pretty much be assured of getting 1 mile/ah with no pedaling. If ridden conservatively, I'd expect 35-40 miles.

Check out this thread for more info:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6615

 

[elliothaughin]

Ah cheers nick.

Any chance you took more pics of your build btw?
Would be a really good reference. I'm particularly interested in how you wired your ignition/precharge, and how you built the casing. Would be a great reference for anyone wanting to get into townie e-bikes.

 

[dogman dan]

Full throttle, on 48v nominal battery, .75 AH per mile is a good rule of thumb. So thirty miles at full speed, using a 22 amp controller.

Yeah, I hear the groans, watthours per mile is the real measure. 35 -45 wh/mile is common.

 

[elliothaughin]

Thanks dogman,

I'll probably be using a higher rated controller (35A), but I am a very light guy (60Kg / 130lbs), and the townie is a light frame too, so that might help me out a bit. If I get enough good cells I might even try to go to 11P, even though it's an odd number, I'd rather have 25.3aH than 23aH.

I'm currently weighing up places to live. The shortlist is Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara

Looking at the map, Palo Alto would be the furthest away from work. Based on google maps, (cycling route), that would be a 12.3Mile commute (24.6 mile round trip). It's completely flat as far as I can tell.

Would be great if I could have enough charge to do a full round trip without having to charge at work. Not that it would be a problem, this is silicon valley. I'm sure electric bikes probably get the 'cool' factor with us geeks, especially if I stuck some stickers on it saying it was 'powered by' my employer's company in some way.

 

[RICK]

I think you're making this more difficult than it needs to be. If you go to ebike.kit and get:

2807 9c front motor
infineon controller
cycle analyst
torque arms

all the connectors will plug together.

get a 15 ah 48v ping with 2 chargers (one for each end of the ride), you won't have to wonder if it will work.

get a stout rear rack for the battery (maybe you can sling the ping in the triangle), good led blinky headlight and tailight, mirracle mirror

you can go 20-25 miles cruising at 26-28 mph; plenty of power for moderate hills
i have 2500+ miles on that powertrain, works great.
I'd put on the biggest tires that will fit, and I'm running a Thudbuster seat post.

Most important is that you'll get out there with a known quantity, and the support of trusted vendors behind you.
Good luck!