The Pendix 160W and 200W charging units compared

The new 160W battery charger from Pendix weighs a kilo less than the 200W variant. That sounds attractive, but is it just as good? Ronald Spijkerman tested it for you.

Ronald Spijkerman
Travelmaster 3+ PX

Recently Pendix started shipping their new 160W charging unit. Most significant are its smaller size, weight, and capacity. How does this compare to the previous 200W charging unit?

The 200W charging unit:

Weight with all cables and socket: 1.510gr
Weight with all cables but without socket: 1.093gr
Input: 120-240V AC, 50/60Hz, 2.1A
Output: 54,6V DC, 3,6A

The new 160W charging unit:

Weight with all cables: 591gr
Input: 200-240V AC, 50/60Hz, 1A
Output: 54,6V DC, 3A

The new 160W charging unit has a compact, 2-wire power cable. The transformer and socket are integrated into one design. All this at almost half the weight. A perfect solution to bring with you on your (long) bike journeys. This charging unit works only with 200-240V, making it unsuitable for travels abroad in countries with a 110V power system, like the USA or Japan.

At room temperature, I timed the charging level of an ePower500 battery every 5 minutes, starting at 7% until fully charged. The difference in charging time for the 200W and 160W charging units are shown in the graph. What can be noted:

With the 200W unit, there is a bend at 80% and 90%, where the charging slows down.
With the 160W unit, there is a bend at 90%, where the charging slows down.
At 95% for both units, the level jumps to 100%. This would be the Battery Management System (BMS) kicking in to extend battery live by preventing a full 100% charge.
The 160W unit makes a kind of final sprint and takes only 30 minutes longer than its big brother to fully charge the battery.

Recharging on the road while having a break, the 160W unit delivers a slightly less battery charge during the same period, but the significantly lower weight and compact dimensions make the new 160W charger an excellent travel companion in 200-240V countries.