Cartridge battery

20 July 2019, 21:56 UTC

As it is made now, the battery is part of the board structure. You get what you get from a charge and it takes what it takes to recharge. But if the battery was made cartridge style where it just inserts and locks into place (like every power tool, and other battery operated heavy duty hardware) you could carry additional batteries and just swap on the fly, you could also have a stand alone charging station keeping the board in operation while recharging. FM could sell multiple batteries per board and the user could double or triple the range while carrying an extra pack or if they are crazy enough 2. Also you could then make a smaller cartridge that is air plane friendly and still travel with a full size board. Or if the pint had a cartridge style battery it could get xr type range with a swap.

21 July 2019, 02:56 UTC

@phukendrew

I brought this up with them on the phone a few months back, they were receptive but couldn't comment on potential future upgrades to the product.

Since I retired I've done a sh#t ton of carpentry the past 15 years - bulletproof rechargeable quick-change battery tech is old skool now, no reason why it couldn't be done.

They could sell battery packs for $500 a pop and I'd still buy a couple.

All the major tool manufacturers these days pretty much sell the tool as a loss leader and make their bank on battery sales.

Not sure why they weren't already on this after the V1 with the release of the +.

21 July 2019, 06:29 UTC

Much of a fan of ow as I am, FM doesn't quite seem to have it together, they have a real "model - t" approach where you "can have any color as long as its black". And even though the model t set industry standards, the edsel (pint) . . . Was all too quickly forgotten.

In any case they seem to miss the target on what seems like no brainer stuff. Too focused on mass packaging a base product when just a couple minor options (extended rails, various tires, foot trap fender, cassette battery) would take the board over the top while saving the buyer from having to spend a small fortune in the aftermarket for what should come in the box. Hell you can't even upgrade to a hyperchager without HAVING to buy the home charger with the board . . . Wtf? Come on FM get with it! And yes I called them in regards to producing an injection molded polyethylene fender that integrated foot traps (flight fins) and I got that same skunk works type "thanks for the idea but we want sole proprietorship of our ideas" kind of response. This really needs to be more of an open source platform and if FM cant build what the buyers want they should just sell the components so we don't have to buy their sh** we don't. I'm good with xr battery, controller, hub motor assembly and pad sensor, the rest I'd rather just get somewhere else.

21 July 2019, 17:31 UTC

It's a niche product that started out on kickstarter. They don't have bottomless pockets, neither do consumers, and these toys are already out of reach for 99% of the world to begin with (price vs function vs necessity). Yes it would be nice to have all sorts of things, but your wishes as a consumer and their reality as a product/service provider are two different things with some overlap.

I'm sure that there are many products, enhancements, accessories, etc that FM would love to put into production, but they have to prioritize, make the best choices given their resources, and release product as they are able to do so.

I can't imagine the amount of extra cost involved in testing and certifying their products in additional configurations to the point where they can confidently provide warranty for all of those additional configurations (eg. longer rails). I have no idea how that fits with their current profits and R&D budget. The easiest argument is that there wouldn't be much harm in producing other rail colour options and assembling based on colour choice. That said, I'd guess that it's far easier and less expensive to create and store acrylic rail guards of various colours that might or might not sell well than to produce and store metal frames that might or might not sell well. It also gives consumers the ability to change the look of the OW whenever they please; I've made small changes to mine a few times, already.

The XR is a phenomenal product. Sure, there are things that would have been great to have, but by no means do I fault them for the the products that they've put to market or how they've done it (other than the lack of proper communication regarding delays for the people who purchased the Pint (I wasn't one of them)). With limited resources and a limited market you can't expect limitless options.

They've provided this "Product Wishlist" section to say "We are listening and open to ideas." I have no doubt that they want to provide a great product to consumers because that's what will drive sales and keep them in business, but they don't "owe" anything to anyone. At the end of the day they can only do what they can afford to do and will do what makes the most business sense given the information that they have (and we don't).

21 July 2019, 17:45 UTC

As someone who's used dozens of clip in battery tools in rugged environs over the last couple of decades, I can tell you clip in connections are weak, wear, and break.
I would hate to see my $500 battery popping off the rails after a rock/curb hit, or as it tumbles after an emergency dis-mount.

22 July 2019, 01:13 UTC

@b0ardski

I get what you're saying, but I've used just about every tool Hitachi, DeWalt, Hilti, and Milwaukee make, dropped them from buildings & scaffolding, seen them buried in dirt & mud, used them in pouring rain and freezing cold - maybe once in awhile I would get a cracked case - but short of a dead cell, they kept on running.

They wouldn't even need to modify the board other than a few connectors and screws.

But, hey, I'm happy to have what I have.

22 July 2019, 01:24 UTC

@Kielanders not saying it can't be done. I'm loath to even buy corded tools any more, it aint cheap and designed obsolescence is a thing, but I don;t think twice about my wheel rolling across the rocks, worry more so about my tools

22 July 2019, 11:19 UTC

@phukendrew @Kielanders @BNAS @b0ardski

When this was brought up to FM they said they didn't want to introduce moving parts and a potential failure mechanism.

So they opt'd to keep the battery internal, sealed and with factory installed connectors that they can warranty. I know the board's aren't all sealed up 100% from the factory but I believe that is really FM's intention. Some of the boards out there (cough cough Stroh) get ridden all winter in snow and slush and just keep ticking... other's die on a single 1/4" puddle.

And I know FM doesn't warranty all claims but I assume that number would just go up with a removable battery where the customer can be at fault for changing when damp or somehow damaging the connector.