Why get a bike with SLA then?? Well, do you want to spend $700.00 on batteries alone and the bike on top of that? I didn't think so. Think of the SLA batteries that come with the bike as a low cost test battery while you decide upon which route to go with the modern battery chemistries. More modern batteries come in numerous varieties. Nickle Cadmium (NiCd) is toxic but performs well in the cold and is lighter than SLA. Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) is a little lighter and has more power per same weight. Lithium comes in a dozen varieties Manganese, Thionyl chloride, Bromine chloride, Sulfuryl chloride, Silver chromate etc... The new chemistries however all have one thing in common, they are much more expensive, but you get more power per weight, and a longer lifespan. If the manufacturer built the battery on the cheap, or they are misused then there are some safety concerns regarding charging. With the more modern batteries there is a fire concern if you force an over charge or charge too quickly with an inappropriate charger, or even attempt to charge visibly damaged batteries. For more information check out http://batteryuniversity.com.  Don't let this scare you needlessly, you use these types of batteries every day in remote controls, shavers, cameras, laptops and cellphones.

Why do I only supply SLA with the bike??  There is simply too many choices for alternatives to do otherwise, unless I want to go into the battery business. There are also legal issues with people not understanding the charging precautions. I prefer that the end user make those decisions for themselves rather than spend $1000 on a bike and $700 on batteries then decide they would prefer a different battery type.

For replacement batteries you can look at http://www.hightekbikes.com/battery48.html http://www.kennedyalternativeenergy.com/ http://www.evcomponents.com/ http://www.ebikes.ca, http://www.batteryspace.com , BatteryBuyer CanadianTire 12 or 14AH is needed and many others sources.

In Saint John you can look at clearpowersolutions.com eareevey@nbnet.nb.ca  Prices were given in Dec, 07 and have changed since so contact them.

PSH12180FR PowerSonic Sealed Lead Acid 12 Volt 18.5AH @ C5 Cost $52.93/ea (Need 4) Charger - JAC0436 48 Volt 15AH Cost $357.14/ea.

PHHR850D80ZC NIMH 48 Volt 9AH Cost $700ish/ea

Li-ion not offered

http://www.electricbikestop.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=23&lang=en 12 or 14AH
http://www.batterybuyer.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=12v&osCsid=ac7f1c423eaeb0a6188aebd88ba89793
http://www.mobilityunlimited.ca/battery_specs.htm
http://www.ca-battery.com/

I would encourage you to use the SLA's that come with the bike until they are used up before going out and buying replacements, perhaps buy a small amp hour modern chemistry pack as a range extender. Once the SLA's have reached their life end you can either revive them by adding more chemicals to the batteries or you can recycle them and instead buy more modern batteries for less weight and longer range (at a higher cost than lead).  If you wish to buy the bike without the SLA batteries and go and purchase an alternate chemistry that will work as well.

I picked up three of these NiCd packs and chargers from ebikes for my own personal bike.  Three of these fit in the battery case on the wide scooters perfectly with just enough space left over for the wires. Cost was roughly $870. $260 for the three chargers. $480 for the batteries, rest shipping and taxes.