Electric bicycle


An electric bicycle, e-bike, electrically assisted pedal cycle, or electrically power assisted cycle is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fall into two broad categories: bikes that require the rider's pedal-power and bikes that control the motor with buttons or a twistgrip, integrating moped-style functionality. Both retain the ability to be pedaled by the rider and are therefore not electric motorcycles. E-bikes use rechargeable batteries and typically are motor-powered up to, some to.
Depending on local laws, many e-bikes are legally classified as bicycles rather than mopeds or motorcycles. This exempts them from the more stringent laws regarding the certification and operation of more powerful two-wheelers which are often classed as electric motorcycles, such as licensing and mandatory safety equipment. E-bikes can also be defined separately and treated under distinct electric bicycle laws.
Bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters, alongside e-cargo bikes, are commonly classified as micro-mobility vehicles. When comparing bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters from active and inclusiveness perspectives, traditional bicycles can be range and speed-limited for weaker, older, or unused persons, or very fast and long-range for athletic persons. E-scooters, however, cannot be categorized as an active transport mode and offer no health benefits. E-bikes and especially pedelecs stand out as the only option that combines the benefits of active transport with inclusivity, as their electric-motor helps riders cover greater distances and inclines without the need for high physical effort, making them suitable for a wide variety of users. However, legal and technical issues limit speeds and distances, making them more suitable for shopping and commuting than long-distance touring and sport.

History

1890s to 1980s

In the 1890s, electric bicycles were documented within various U.S. patents. For example, on 31 December 1895, Ogden Bolton Jr. was granted a patent for a battery-powered bicycle with "6-pole brush-and-commutator direct current hub motor mounted in the rear wheel". There were no gears and the motor could draw up to 100 amperes from a 10-volt battery.
Two years later, in 1897, Hosea W. Libbey of Boston invented an electric bicycle that was propelled by a "double electric motor". The motor was designed within the hub of the crankset axle.
By 1898, a rear-wheel drive electric bicycle, which used a driving belt along the outside edge of the wheel, was patented by Mathew J. Steffens. An 1899 patent by John Schnepf depicted an electric bicycle with a rear-wheel friction, "roller-wheel"-style drive. In 1969, Schnepf's invention was expanded by G.A. Wood Jr.. Wood's device used four fractional horsepower motors connected through a series of gears.
Hub motors fell out of favor until the latter part of the first decade of the 2000s when they made a resurgence on inexpensive electric bicycles.

1990s to present day

From 1992, Vector Services Limited offered the Zike e-bike. The bicycle included nickel–cadmium battery batteries that were built into a frame member and included an permanent-magnet motor.
Torque sensors and power controls were developed during the late 1990s. For example, a Japanese patent was granted in 1997 to a team led by Yutaka Takada, for a "Sensor, drive force auxiliary device... and torque sensor zero point adjusting mechanism".
American car executive Lee Iacocca founded EV Global Motors in 1997, a company that produced an electric bicycle model named E-bike SX, and it was one of the early efforts to popularize e-bikes in the US.
By 2007, e-bikes were thought to make up 10 to 20 percent of all two-wheeled vehicles on the streets of many major Chinese cities. A typical unit requires eight hours to charge the battery, which provides the range of, at the speed of around.
In the 2010s electric bicycles attracted considerable traction in Europe led by government policies and environmental awareness encouraging sustainable technologies. Some countries such as Germany and Netherlands turned into significant e-bikes markets with the aim to reduce urban congestion and carbon emissions. Moreover, the evolution of lithium-ion battery technology contributed to e-bikes adoption. They provided faster charging times, lighter weight and longer range in order to make e-bikes more efficient and practical for daily use.

Definition and classes

many countries do not have quality standards for ebikes, rules about who can ride them and where, or even a clear legal definition of what they are.
E-bikes are classed according to the power that their electric motor can deliver and the control system, i.e., when and how the power from the motor is applied. Also the classification of e-bikes is complicated as much of the definition is due to the [|legality] of what constitutes a bicycle and what constitutes a moped or motorcycle. As such, the classification of these e-bikes varies greatly across countries and local jurisdictions.
Despite these legal complications, the classification of e-bikes is mainly decided by whether the e-bike's motor assists the rider using a pedal-assist system or by a power-on-demand one. Definitions of these are as follows:
  • With pedal-assist, the electric motor is regulated by pedaling. The pedal-assist augments the efforts of the rider when they are pedaling. These e-bikes – called pedelecs – have a sensor to detect the pedaling speed, the pedaling force, or both. Brake activation is sensed to disable the motor as well.
  • With power-on-demand, the motor is activated by a throttle, usually handlebar-mounted just like on most motorcycles or scooters.
Therefore, very broadly, e-bikes can be classed as:
  • E-bikes with pedal-assist only: either pedelecs or S-Pedelecs
  • * Pedelecs: have pedal-assist only, motor assists only up to a decent but not excessive speed, motor power up to, often legally classed as bicycles
  • * S-Pedelecs: have pedal-assist only, motor power can be greater than, can attain a higher speed ) before motor stops assisting, sometimes legally classed as a moped or motorcycle.
  • E-bikes with power-on-demand and pedal-assist
  • E-bikes with power-on-demand only frequently have more powerful motors than pedelecs. The more powerful of these are legally classed as mopeds or motorcycles, but may not meet the legal requirements for registration as street-legal motorcycles.

    Pedal-assist only

E-bikes with pedal-assist only are usually called pedelecs but can be broadly classified into pedelecs proper and the more powerful S-Pedelecs.

Pedelecs

The term "pedelec" refers to a pedal-assist e-bike with a relatively low-powered electric motor and a decent but not excessive top speed. Pedelecs are legally classed as bicycles rather than low-powered motorcycles or mopeds.
The most influential definition of pedelecs comes from the EU. EU directive for motor vehicles considers a bicycle to be a pedelec if:
  1. The pedal-assist, i.e. the motorized assistance, only engages when the rider is pedaling,
  2. The motor cuts out once is reached, and
  3. The motor produces maximum continuous rated power of not more than .
An e-bike conforming to these conditions is considered to be a pedelec in the EU and is legally classed as a bicycle. The EN15194 standard is valid across the whole of the EU and has been adopted by some non-EU European nations including the UK, and also some non-European jurisdictions.
Pedelecs are much like conventional bicycles in use and function—the electric motor only provides assistance, for example, when the rider is climbing or struggling against a headwind. Pedelecs are therefore especially useful for people in hilly areas where riding a bike would prove too strenuous for many to consider taking up cycling as a daily means of transport. They are also useful for riders who more generally need some assistance, e.g. for people with heart, leg muscle or knee joint issues.

S-Pedelecs

More powerful pedelecs which are not legally classed as bicycles are dubbed S-Pedelecs in Germany. These have a motor more powerful than and less limited, or unlimited, pedal-assist, i.e. the motor does not stop assisting the rider once has been reached. S-Pedelec class e-bikes are therefore usually classified as mopeds or motorcycles rather than as bicycles and therefore may need to be registered and insured, the rider may need some sort of driver's license and motorcycle helmets may have to be worn. In the United States, many states have adopted S-Pedelecs into the Class 3 category, limited to of power and speed. In Europe they are likely to be classed as mopeds requiring a registration plate and a licensed driver. In Australia, they can only be used on private property.

Power-on-demand and pedal-assist

Some newer electric bikes include a pedal assist system with or without throttle, allowing riders to pedal while using the electric motor to increase range. There are electric propulsion conversion kits for ordinary bicycles.

Power-on-demand only

Some e-bikes have an electric motor that operates on a power-on-demand basis only; the motor is engaged and operated manually using a throttle, with control usually on the handgrip as on a motorbike or scooter. These sorts of e-bikes often, but not always, have more powerful motors than pedelecs.
With power-on-demand only e-bikes the rider can:
  1. ride by pedal power alone, i.e. fully human-powered.
  2. ride by electric motor alone by operating the throttle manually.
  3. ride using both together at the same time.
Some power-on-demand only e-bikes are very different from, and cannot be classified as, bicycles. For example, the Noped is a term used by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario for e-bikes which are not fitted with pedals.