8 sourced reports, with what to check before you buy. Each one links to the page it was reported on.
Costly or dangerous
EF1 battery confirmed dead after new charger fails to fix charging issue
Vietnamese owner thread: battery intermittently failed to charge (red light blinking), then stopped charging entirely; buying a new charger did not help, confirming the battery itself is the failed part.
What to check. If the EF1 battery stops charging, a new charger will not fix it — the battery pack itself is failing. Budget for a full battery replacement, which is scarce and expensive (€250+ where available).
EF1 battery stops charging and no replacement battery or repair is available
An owner reports the EF1's battery stopped charging and that no repair shop or replacement battery can be found, making the bike effectively disposable since it is too heavy to ride unassisted.
What to check. Before buying, confirm a replacement battery or repair path exists in your market; if the battery dies, the bike may be unusable.
Qicycle EF1 battery fails to charge; no replacement available, making the bike disposable
Owner complaint (Nov 2024, Brazil) reporting the battery stopped charging entirely and no repair or replacement channel exists, making the bike unusable without electric assist.
What to check. Before buying, verify a replacement battery is actually obtainable in your market; the EF1 is heavy (14.5kg) and impractical to pedal without assist. The battery is the single point of failure with no official parts channel in several markets.
Battery replacement scarcity acknowledged by Spanish repair shop; €250 and out of stock
A Spanish battery repair shop lists the EF1 battery at €250, currently out of stock, and explicitly notes market scarcity makes finding a reasonably priced replacement difficult.
What to check. Replacement batteries are scarce and expensive (€250+); factor this into the total cost of ownership. Verify availability before purchase.
EF1 loses power within 2 weeks; battery reseating and cable checks do not help
Korean owner review (Aug 2022): power failure within 2 weeks of purchase; battery was fully charged, reseated, cables visually inspected — none helped. Service center experience was poor.
What to check. Early electrical failure is documented; if the bike loses power, basic troubleshooting (battery reseat, cable check) may not resolve it, and service support is inconsistent across regions.
EF1 replacement battery is scarce on the market and expensive
A Spanish battery-repair seller states the EF1 battery is scarce on the market and a reasonably priced spare is hard to find, so they offer cell-level replacement instead.
What to check. Budget for the possibility that a replacement battery is hard to source and costly; check availability in your market before relying on this bike long-term.
Spanish market has a repair service specifically for dead or non-charging EF1/EF2 batteries
A Spanish repair listing (Wallapop) offers battery pack replacement for EF1/EF2, explicitly targeting 'dead batteries or without charge' — evidence that battery failure is common enough to sustain a repair market.
What to check. Battery failure is a known, widespread issue; repair services exist in some markets (Spain) but are not official Xiaomi channels. Verify the repairer's credentials before paying.
EU-version replacement battery exists (36V 5800mAh) but requires checking charging port type
A UK seller offers a 'genuine' EU-version replacement battery (36V 5800mAh) for the EF1, but instructs buyers to verify their charging port type before ordering — indicating there are variants.
What to check. If replacing the battery, confirm your charging port/connector type matches the replacement; not all EF1 batteries are interchangeable.
These reports come from the pages linked under each item: owner forums, repair guides and workshops. They are not a diagnosis of any one unit, and a careful check of the one you are buying still applies.
Text from the Kriko Electric bikes catalog, version 0.1.1, under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license.
