May 12 '06 - 1239 W, 8 I - Vote Good + 14 :: Bad - 3 Electric Bicycles Calories or Coulombs?
Published May 15, 2006 by C.I.C.L.E.
Contributed by Harv
Motors
on bicycles have been around almost as long as there have been
bicycles. And just as long as there have been automobiles. Early
motor-driven 
bicycles evolved, of
course, into motorcycles. Here we are today in a motor-fuel crisis and
motors are again being applied to the basic pedal-bike. OK, so we are
all of the muscle-powered bicycle persuasion, right? But let's take a
look at the state of the art of modern electric motor driven bicycles
just so we know what's going on.
What is the appeal of such a
device? Well, sometimes (and for some riders) a bit of assistance would
be nice. Long distances, heavy loads, and hills are a few of the
reasons. Or maybe working up a sweat is undesirable. So we attach a
simple electric motor to the rear wheel, and hang a large enough
battery somewhere on the bike to make it practical. Then we wire up an
electronic control and away we go. After a while the battery runs down
and we need to charge it. That's all there is to it.
There are
some drawbacks. Electric bikes have limited range, limited speed, and
you have to replace the batteries fairly often. Most modern e-bikes are
powered by plain ol' lead acid batteries that are not designed to be
deep-cycled. Deep cycling means running the battery down to a low state
of charge and then re-charging to full capacity. Better batteries that
are designed for deep cycling are more expensive. Fuel cells for
e-bikes are a ways off.
Legally, e-bikes have a large advantage
over other motorized transport. No license, registration or insurance
is required if the motor power is below 1000 watts. Top speed must be
kept below 20 mph, even when pedalled. A bicycle helmet must be worn
and the rider must be at least 16 years old. Riding in bike lanes is
OK, and bike path riding may be permitted under some circumstances,
although the statute, California VC 406(b), is not crystal clear on
this. Any bicycle powered by a motor that is of the internal combusion
variety is considered a motorcycle for purposes of licensing and
insurance and is of no interest in this discussion.
Several
e-bikes meeting these technical requirements are currently being
manufactured. Overall, most resemble mountain bikes with a lumpy rear
axle (the motor) and a heavy package on the rear rack (the battery).
Other than these anomalies, its a regular mountain bike and shares the
same wheels, seat, frame, fork, pedals, crank, gears, etc. This makes
is easy to get replacement parts for and perform routine maintenance on
the 'cycle' parts. All-up weight runs between 50 and 75 pounds, so
pedalling with a dead battery is possible, but a bit more work than you
might want to do. At least you won't get completely stuck if you run
low on battery charge.
Briefly, the e-bike operating system is
typically this: electric energy stored in a pack of lead-acid batteries
is fed via an electronic controller, modulated by a twist-grip or
thumb-trigger, to a brushless DC motor directly driving the rear wheel.
A normal pedal-crank-chain-sprocket system is also in place and can
supplement the electric power to drive the bicycle, increasing its
range.
Most e-bikes are made,
like their pedal-only counterparts, in China or Taiwan. Several good
offerings are available locally. Prices start at about $300 and go up
from there. Hot rod e-bikes are available with quite high top speeds
and increased range. These are not legal for use without an M2 (small
motorcycle) or better endorsement on your driver's license and require
registration and insurance. Note that the CVC statute quoted above is
for *bicycles* not electric scooters. Scooters are much more regulated
and are not of interest here. The liberal e-bike laws were passed
specifically to encourage non-polluting alternative transportation, but
are tightly written to include only basic pedal-bikes equipped with a
small electric motor and a battery pack.
So let's take a look at
what is available out there. Relatively new on the market is the EV
Sunny Bicycle that has solar panels built into the wheels. While it
cannot operate continuously on solar energy, the battery will recharge
from the solar cells. Price is $1295 for the complete bike, less for
the kit to convert your bike.
For
those interested in the bare minimum expenditure to enter the market,
the Mongoose ($349) has a 24 volt 450 watt motor with a claimed range
of 18 to 25 miles depending on the degree of pedal assistance. Note
that when 24 volts is specified, that means it has a two 12 volt
battery pack which would be less expensive to replace than a 36 volt
battery pack consisting of three 12 volt batteries. On this bike, the
battery pack is located behind the seat tube and in front of the rear
wheel. Most other battery packs are located in the main triangle.
An established e-bike maker, Currie, offers a 24 volt 450 watt, 18 mph
bike with a range of up to 20 miles for $699.
Expensive at
$2900, the WaveCrest M750 (pictured at the top of the article) has a 36
volt 750 watt motor and a range of 20 miles at 20 mph. Both battery and
motor are located in the bike's wheel hubs, which give it a clunky
look, not to mention the added un-sprung weight. I test rode one of
these at last year's Earth Day at the Audubon Center in Deb's Park and
was impressed with the torque (it does wheelies uphill) but not too
impressed with the design. There is a more powerful "X" version of this
bike but it is beyond the legal limits for license-free operation.
A
step-through design is used in the $680 Urban Mover which has a 36 volt
200 watt motor. Rated range is 12 to 18 miles.
Giant makes
the Lite which is available as a step-thru or sloping top tube model.
Price is about $1000, motor is 24 volt 400 watt, rated speed is 17 mph,
and the drive train uses an 8 speed hub.
Lastly, and my personal
pick, is the $750 Lashout with a 600 watt, 24 volt motor, full
suspension and standard mountain bike design. Rated top speed is 18 mph
with a range of 12 miles (no pedalling) to 25 miles (constant pedal
assist).
In summary, beware of
high-spec electric bikes which may fall outside of the legal definition
of an e-bicycle. Look for standard bicycle parts such as wheels and
tires, handlebars, cranks, chain rings and cassettes. Stay with 24 volt
battery packs for cheap replacements. Check for control system
operation: Must bike be pedalled for power assist to work? Can bike be
ridden with battery power only? Is battery pack quick-detachable? Are
standard batteries used? (Usually, two 12 amp-hour motorcycle lead-acid
batteries will make up the pack. These are cheap and readily available).
All
of the above said, a conventional pedal-only bike is still the best
bet. No speed limits, no charging time necessary, no batteries to
replace, no 
electronics to burn out,
no risk of getting stranded (due to dead battery or control system).
Not to mention the fun, freedom, and health benefits.
-
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You state that “no license, registration or insurance is required if the motor power is below 1000 watts”. This is not true in Pennsylvania. According to PennDOT, E-bikes must be lisenced, registered, and insured.
Philip D Jamison III (Email) - May 18 '06 - 10:11
Electric bicycles come in 2 types: “pedal-activated” and “power on demand”. “Power on demand” ebikes are like mopeds – just twist the throttle and go. “Pedal activated” ebikes require you to pedal in order to receive the electric motor assist – thus requiring some amount of physical exercise.You accidentally misquote the specs of the Giant Lite electric bicycle – it costs $1300, has 4 gears and a 230 watt motor. It is a “pedal activated” model. It basically rides like a regular bicycle, except that the motor really helps when climbing steep hills or against headwinds.
I would not recommend buying an electric bike that costs any less than $800 – below this price, the quality of the bike will probably be insufficient for daily vehicle use.
The website, http://www.electric-bikes.com,, is a non-commercial website that discusses electric bicycles.
David (Email) - May 21 '06 - 18:09
Has anybody seen a real live EV Sunny? I think the consensus opinion is that the image is Photoshopped. They’re willing to take money but the EV Sunny website says production isn’t until later this year.Fritz (Email) (URL) - May 22 '06 - 12:47
In response to the first two comments above, I cited the Calfornia Vehicle Code for the legal status of e-bikes. Other states could have differing laws. Regarding the specifications for the Giant Lite e-bike, yes I got erroneous specifications from the web site that I first found. Further checking verifies the $1300 price, the power rating is 250 watts continuous with a peak power of 450 watts, the drive system contains a 5-speed hub. Evidently there is quite a variation among the web sites quoting these specifications. The above specs seem to be the concensus, however.Harv (Email) - May 22 '06 - 18:11
my information about what makes an electric bicycle (in a legal sense) is that pedals are not required, as long as the other requirements (20 mph max, less than or equal to 1000 watts power, etc.) are met… what is the basis for your “pedals only” opinion?Dan (Email) - May 23 '06 - 10:03
Sorry for the delay in responding, Dan. My reference for the requirement of pedals is the California Vehicle Code section 406(b) which describes an electric motor powered bicycle that may be operated with no requirement for license or insurance:406(b) A “motorized bicycle” is also a device that has fully
operative pedals for propulsion by human power and has an electric
motor that meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts.
(2) Is incapable of propelling the device at a speed of more than
20 miles per hour on ground level.
(3) Is incapable of further increasing the speed of the device
when human power is used to propel the motorized bicycle faster than
20 miles per hour.
Harv (Email) - June 22 '06 - 19:26
I am just a little curious about the specifications on the e-bikes. I have a couple of e-bikes now. although I have them I don’t like them to well. I use one of them to travel to and from work. I am not too fond of it. and the other one I am getting ready to put up for sale. Anyways, the reason I am not too fond of the e-biks is that I end up pushing the trike up the hill wich by the way is 1.2 miles long. I thought these things had a range that varies on bikes to 10-20 miles?Greg (Email) - October 03 '06 - 06:46
There are many variables that determine the range of an electric bicycle. Under ideal conditions (light load, fresh battery, full charge, level ground and a lot of pedal assist) the range is as you quoted. Alter any one or more of these ideal conditions, and the range will go down. As batteries age, they don’t re-charge to full capacity. If you are pulling a big load up a hill, battery power will fall rapidly. Starting with battery power from a dead stop takes more out of the battery than pedalling up to speed, then cutting in the electric assist.How old are your batteries? You could fit larger batteries (amp-hours). You could use more pedal-assist.
Harv (Email) - October 03 '06 - 08:37
I built an electric bike last winter, using a Wilderness Energy kit and a Nashbar frame. I cruise the 7 miles to work without getting sweaty, pedalling as much as I need to to stay warm in the cooler months (I’m in N. FL). In the afternoons, I get my exercise. So far I’ve lost 25 pounds. This year, once the morning temps drop below 55 or so, I’ll start commuting on a singlespeed/fixed gear bike that I built from an old Dawes frame ($15, eBay).Electric bikes certainly have their place, and when you’re on one you’re still one less car on the road. My biggest problem has been broken spokes on the rear wheel. With 30 pounds of batteries on the rear rack and a 220 (now 195) pound rider, the rear wheel has a hard life. I just built a new wheel using DT Alpine III spokes (13/15/14ga) and a Mavic A719 rim. Hopefully this will hold up!
Axeman (Email) - October 07 '06 - 12:35
What’s the average maximum range that you get on that set up?Shay (Email) - October 07 '06 - 19:59
why is anybody concerned with petty, stupid E-bike ” laws ”..?Just ride the damn things
You’ll all sound like skeerdy kats
Andy (Email) (URL) - December 12 '06 - 20:29
I recently bought a wilderness front wheel kit and it does great. Is there a cheap rear electric wheel i can get to add to a 26” beach crusier.jerry smith (Email) - January 24 '07 - 13:25
Why be concerned with laws? In Pennsylvania, you need registration and insurance. Sure you can ride without it. But because of the laws, I suspect that’s why it’s not possible to see any electric bikes in the stores. Too much hassle.Adam - May 16 '07 - 05:03
Pa. laws will kill electirc biking in the state. NY isn’t far behind. Now enacting licenses/permits/fines for salt water fishing, kayak or rowboats in the ocean, and biking laws/permits/fines are next. Big government/big money/big brother. Anything for tax dollars. This country is going downhill fast.BIGBOBINNEWYORK (Email) - July 09 '08 - 12:26