In the world of electric unicycles, having precise knowledge of wheel operating parameters is crucial both for safety and for understanding the capabilities and limitations of the device. One of the parameters you can see in the EUC World app is battery current — though the app may also display phase current. Here, I’d like to explain the differences between these two parameters, because understanding them allows for better data interpretation and helps avoid drawing incorrect conclusions. For simplicity, the app refers to battery current simply as current. However, in this article, I’ll use the full names to avoid confusion.
What is battery current?
Battery current is the value that shows how much current flows between the battery and the mainboard. This is the actual energy drawn from the battery or flowing back to the battery and is often used for:
- Estimating energy consumption,
- Monitoring efficiency,
- Detecting overloads or approaching the battery's performance limits.
This value allows you to assess how intensively the battery is being used — and how fast it will drain. A positive value indicates battery discharge, while a negative value means the battery is being charged (for example, during braking).
The battery in your unicycle is one of its most expensive and most sensitive components. While there's no need to go overboard with battery care (such as avoiding full charges), it’s definitely worth avoiding frequent overloading with excessive current.
EUC World can help you avoid situations where you excessively stress your battery. Make use of the current alarms feature, which will notify you through sound, vibration, and visual alerts when the set limits are exceeded. To enable this, go to the section in the app menu. There you’ll find a section with two sliders:
- – the alarm is triggered when the battery current exceeds the value set here
- – works similarly to the above, but ignores brief current spikes caused by, for example, hitting a curb or uneven terrain
As a starting point, you can set to the maximum allowable current for your wheel or battery, and set to 150–200% of the value. For specific recommended settings for your wheel, feel free to ask on forums or social media groups. Remember to change the alarm settings while your wheel is connected to the app. Alarm settings are stored individually for each of your wheels.
What is phase current?
Phase current is the current flowing between the mainboard and the motor, through the windings of its phase coils. This current is typically much higher than the battery current, but don't ask me why — it's a bit complicated and I'm not going to give you a lecture on electrical engineering, control theory, and AC circuit analysis. In a very simple words it's because the mainboard can convert voltage and current to deliver the required torque. So just take it this way: battery current reflects power, while phase current reflects torque.
For example: under heavy load, such as riding uphill, phase current can reach 200 amps or more, while the battery current may be only a few dozen amps. This is not something to worry about. Just gear up fully and pray your wheel doesn't fry. Okay, just kidding :)
Phase current is useful for assessing the load on MOSFET transistors, which control the motor windings, as well as the windings themselves. In practice, this parameter is less significant than battery current, but for advanced riders who ride very aggressively and want to push their wheel to the limit, it can be important.
Why does the app show two different currents?
Depending on the unicycle model and manufacturer, the app may show only battery current — and in this case, it's a relatively accurate value measured by the mainboard. However, the mainboards of Gotway, Begode, Extreme Bull, and Veteran unicycles only measure phase current. In the case of these wheels, battery current is estimated by the app, with limited accuracy. While some models from these manufacturers do have battery current sensors, in practice they often don’t work very reliably.
Summary – What’s worth to keep in mind?
| Type of Current | Flow Direction | Typical Value | What it Reflects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Current | Battery ↔ Mainboard | 1–60 A | Energy drawn from the battery |
| Phase Current | Mainboard ↔ Motor Windings | 50–300 A (peak) | Load on the MOSFETs and motor windings |
So if you're in a discussion and someone is concerned about high current values shown in the app, it's worth asking whether they're referring to battery current or phase current. Also remember that the EUC World app may display very high maximum current values on the stats screen. Don’t worry — this is not a cause for concern.
Your unicycle is working hard to provide you with a stable and safe ride. To meet this challenge, it can momentarily draw from the battery or supply the motor with much higher currents than usual. And these short spikes are exactly what you’re seeing in the maximum values in EUC World stats.
