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Battery keys & locks

Lost your eBike battery key?

The usual advice — "find the code on the barrel and order a copy" — only works for some brands. Plenty of manufacturers do not cut replacement keys at all, and say so in their own documentation. Here is what each one actually does, what the fix costs, and the one thing not to try.

Find your situation Does my brand cut keys?

Start here

Which situation are you in?

The cost swings by a factor of thirty depending on which of these you are reading, so start by placing yourself accurately.

1

You still have one key

Stop and copy it today. A blank cut from a working key is a few dollars at any hardware counter or locksmith, and it is the only moment in this whole process that is cheap. Once the last key is gone every route below costs ten to fifty times more.

$3 – $10

2

Both keys gone, code visible on the barrel

Look at the metal lock cylinder on the pack, not the frame. Many brands stamp a short code there — Rad Power uses F01 to F20. If your brand runs codes, that code is all you need to order a factory-cut key.

$15 – $30

3

Both keys gone, no code or no key service

This is the common case for budget and direct-to-consumer brands, and the table below shows why. A locksmith can usually fit a key to the existing cylinder without removing the pack. Failing that, the lock cylinder gets replaced.

$40 – $90

4

Key turns but the pack will not release

Not a key problem. Either the latch is fouled with grit, the pack has swollen slightly against the mount, or the rails are bent from a knock. Clean and lubricate the latch first. If the pack looks swollen at all, stop — see the warning below.

$0 – $40

5

Key snapped off in the lock

The broken half has to come out before anything else can happen. A locksmith extracts it with a spiral extractor in minutes. Do not dig at it with pliers or superglue a handle to it — both usually push the fragment deeper and turn a $40 job into a cylinder replacement.

$40 – $80

By manufacturer

Which brands actually cut replacement keys

Taken from each manufacturer's own published parts pages and support documentation, checked 11 August 2026. Policies change — the source link is on every row so you can confirm before you call.

Rad Power

Order a cut key

Cut key, $15

Runs a proper key-code system. Codes F01 through F20 are stamped on the lock cylinder itself, and a matching key is a stock item. Codes outside that range, and integrated packs, go through the help centre instead.

Source: radpowerbikes.com →

Lectric

Locksmith

Locksmith

Every bike is keyed uniquely and there is no published code system to order against. Lectric’s own help documentation says that if both keys are lost, a locksmith needs to fit keys to the locking mechanism.

Source: help.lectricebikes.com →

Nakto

Replace the lock

No copies made

States it plainly on every battery product page: "take care of your battery key — we don’t have copy keys for sold battery." There is no key service to call. The pack or the lock has to be dealt with locally.

Source: nakto.com →

Vivi

Replace the lock

Sells the lock, not the key

Battery keys are listed as a customised item at $999.99 and have been out of stock — a price that is a polite no. Vivi does sell the battery lock outright at $49.99, and per-model battery bases from $29.99, which is the route that actually works.

Source: viviebikes.com →

Jetson

Replace the lock

Keys ship with a new pack only

Keys are not sold separately. Each spare battery comes with its own unique set, so the manufacturer route to a new key is buying another pack — rarely the right answer on its own.

Source: ridejetson.com →

Brand not listed?

Assume no key service until you have confirmed otherwise, and check the lock cylinder for a stamped code before you contact anyone — it is the difference between a $15 part and a $90 call-out. Most budget and marketplace brands sold without a dealer network fall into the third category: no codes, no key service, and a lock cylinder or battery base as the real fix. A local shop can source and fit either.

2026 pricing

What a battery key or lock costs

Typical US rates. Parts and labor are listed separately because on many bikes the part is cheap and the time to get the pack off is not.

Job What it covers Typical cost
Copy of an existing key Blank cut from a working key at a hardware counter or locksmith $3 – $10
Factory key from a code Brands that run a code system, cut to the code stamped on your cylinder $15 – $30
Locksmith key fitting Key fitted to the existing cylinder with no code, usually on the bike $40 – $90
Broken key extraction Snapped blade removed from the barrel, existing lock kept $40 – $80
Lock cylinder replacement New barrel and keys where no key can be fitted to the original $25 – $60 part
Battery base or mount Per-model mounting base, where the lock is built into the base rather than the pack $30 – $50 part
Shop labor to fit Removing the pack, swapping the cylinder or base, testing the latch $30 – $70

Pack itself failing rather than just locked? See full battery repair and replacement costs.

Safety

Do not drill the lock

This is the one shortcut worth spelling out, because it is the obvious move and it is the wrong one. The lock cylinder sits directly against the cells, and the mount it holds the pack against also carries the main power contacts. A drill bit, a pry bar or an angle grinder in that space can puncture, crush or short a cell.

A damaged or defective lithium-ion cell can enter thermal runaway — a self-sustaining reaction that spreads cell to cell and can reignite hours after the fire looks out. Fire crews do put these out with water, but it works by cooling the pack rather than smothering it, and it takes far more than a household extinguisher holds — on the order of a few hundred litres for a typical eBike pack.

A locksmith picks or replaces the same cylinder without any of that risk, typically for less than a tenth of what a replacement pack costs. There is no version of this where forcing it is the cheaper option.

Before you call anyone

Five minutes here decides whether this is a $15 job or a $90 one.

  1. Check the lock barrel for a code

    A short alphanumeric code stamped or etched on the cylinder face or collar. This is the single most valuable thing to find.

  2. Find the original key tag

    Brands that use codes often print the same code on the paper tag in the box. Worth checking before you assume it is gone.

  3. Photograph the lock and the mount

    A locksmith or shop can tell you over the phone whether it is a job they take, which saves a wasted trip.

  4. Note the exact model and year

    Lock hardware changes between model years on the same bike name. The wrong cylinder does not fit the base.

  5. Check the pack for swelling

    If it is bulged, hot or smells sharp, the key is no longer the problem. Take it to a shop as it is.

The directory

Find a shop that can do it

Bike shops handle lock cylinders and battery bases routinely; locksmiths handle key fitting and extraction. Plenty of eBike specialists do both in-house. Call first and ask whether they fit battery lock cylinders, and whether they can source the base for your model.

Alabama 61 Alaska 29 Arizona 184 Arkansas 61 California 1277 Colorado 380 Connecticut 81 Delaware 36 District of Columbia 16 Florida 673 Georgia 141 Hawaii 41 Idaho 101 Illinois 256 Indiana 125 Iowa 102 Kansas 54 Kentucky 45 Louisiana 57 Maine 51 Maryland 112 Massachusetts 224 Michigan 269 Minnesota 189 Mississippi 20 Missouri 131 Montana 65 Nebraska 44 Nevada 84 New Hampshire 69 New Jersey 217 New Mexico 53 New York 489 North Carolina 205 North Dakota 18 Ohio 225 Oklahoma 46 Oregon 164 Pennsylvania 331 Rhode Island 25 South Carolina 99 South Dakota 31 Tennessee 112 Texas 324 Utah 175 Vermont 80 Virginia 176 Washington 240 West Virginia 30 Wisconsin 217 Wyoming 37

Or search for shops near you from the battery repair page.

FAQ

eBike battery key questions

How much does an eBike battery key replacement cost?

It depends entirely on whether you still have a key. Copying a working key costs $3 to $10. If both keys are gone and your brand runs a key-code system, a factory-cut key is typically $15 to $30 — Rad Power charges $15 against the code stamped on the lock cylinder. If there is no code or no key service, a locksmith fitting a key to the existing cylinder runs $40 to $90, and replacing the cylinder outright is a $25 to $60 part plus $30 to $70 of shop labor.

Where is the key code on an eBike battery?

On the metal lock cylinder on the battery pack itself, not on the frame and not on the display. It is usually a short alphanumeric code — Rad Power uses F01 through F20 — stamped or laser-etched into the barrel face or the collar around it. It may also be printed on the paper tag that came attached to the original keys, which is worth digging out of the box before you assume it is gone. Not every brand uses codes; many budget brands key each bike uniquely with no code at all.

Can a locksmith make an eBike battery key?

Usually yes, and for several brands it is the manufacturer’s own recommendation. Lectric’s help documentation tells owners who have lost both keys to go to a locksmith to have keys fitted to the locking mechanism. eBike battery locks are simple wafer or barrel cylinders similar to furniture and cabinet locks, so a locksmith can normally fit a key to the cylinder in place, without removing the pack or destroying the lock. Call ahead and describe it as a cabinet-style barrel lock on a bike.

Can I get a replacement key from the manufacturer?

For some brands, not most. Rad Power sells cut keys against a published code system. Lectric refers owners to a locksmith instead. Nakto states on every battery product page that it does not have copy keys for batteries already sold. Vivi lists keys as a customised item at $999.99 and sells the lock itself for $49.99 instead. Jetson supplies keys only with a new battery. Check the table on this page for your brand before you spend time in a support queue.

Can I remove an eBike battery without the key?

Not safely by force. The lock holds the pack against a mount that also carries the main power contacts, and the cylinder sits directly against a lithium-ion pack. Drilling, prying or cutting risks puncturing or crushing a cell. A damaged cell can enter thermal runaway, which is the one failure mode on an eBike that is genuinely dangerous. A locksmith can pick or replace the cylinder without any of that risk, usually for less than the cost of a new pack — and far less than the cost of a fire.

My key turns but the battery still will not come out. What now?

That is a mechanical problem, not a key problem. The three common causes are grit in the latch, a pack that has swollen very slightly against its mount, and bent mounting rails after a knock or a fall. Clean the latch and rails and apply a dry lubricant, then try again with the bike upright and the pack supported. If the pack looks even slightly swollen or bulged, stop immediately and take the bike to a shop — swelling means the cells are venting and the pack needs professional handling and disposal, not more force.