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Electric Bikes: Is It Really Time?

By An Xiao Mina - September 19, 2013

in Cars

An electric bicycle parked in Shanghai. Image CC BY-SA Lars Plougmann.

Here at Core77, we've featured a number of electric bicycles. In our 2012 Year in Review, we noted that vehicles are increasingly going electric, from motorcycles to cars to bicycles. And earlier this year we took a look at the nCycle, a notable electric bike concept that's sleek and modern like an Apple device. From folding e-bikes to retrofittable motors, electric assistance remains a holy grail for commuters who want the convenience of bicycles without the sweat equity demanded by having to pedal to work.

A recent piece in Atlantic Cities pointed out this emergent trend: "The electric bicycle has so far remained a novelty item in the United States, but manufacturers, retailers, and analysts say that will soon change. Fueled by soaring numbers of bike commuters and rapidly evolving battery technology, the electric bicycle is poised for a breakthrough, if it can only roll over legal obstacles and cultural prejudices." The article goes on to explore some of the bigger challenges, like legal restrictions. These barriers have prevented wide adoption in a city like New York, which is dense and flat enough to encourage electric bike usage.

It's easy to see these electric bicycle hype stories as just that: hype. But it's impossible to deny just how popular they are in other contexts. As the article points out, electric bikes are very popular in Denmark and Germany, both countries that have historically been friendly to cyclists. (Of course, this recent column in the Copenhagen Post suggests Danes are still adjusting to the idea of electric bikes.)The bigger example is China. Clunkily designed, they remain incredibly popular and part of the landscape in big cities. They represent a lower-cost mode of transportation than a motorcycle but are still faster and more convenient than a traditional bicycle. This FastCo Exist piece note that annual sales in China have reached 25 million, which represents 92% of the market for electric bikes. Visit a Chinatown in any major American city and you're likely to find electric bikes parked outside restaurants, as they're a favored transportation method for delivery staff.

It helps to understand why the electric bicycle makes sense in many Chinese cities. The streets already accommodate cyclists well; bikes zip down the same lanes as other bikes. Charging a bicycle is affordable and accessible, since it doesn't require a special charging station. The cost of entry is lower but the potential benefit—less sweat, more business opportunities—is higher. And the endless traffic congestion is prohibitive to bus and car usage. This sounds an awful lot like the challenges that face many American cities.

The secret sauce, then, as the Atlantic, Fast Company and many others have pointed out, is simply showing Americans that electric bikes exist and that they are a viable, convenient alternative to both cars and regular bicycles. Part of this includes a mandate for designers to develop both visual designs and rider experiences that make sense for the American market. But whether it's this year or a few years hence, it seems like a given that electric bicycles are on their way.

What do you think?

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David

11 years ago

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"Electric bikes are one of the worst ideas to come out- taking one of the most mechanically sound, healthy, environmentally-friendly machines and sticking a toxic cell in it while (mostly) removing the human-powered nature of the vehicle"

- imo very dumb idea, if people followed his advice would do exact opposite of what he claimed.

The most popular battery for electric bikes right now is lifepo4, not toxic chemicals.

I have driven all sorts of bikes. electric bike based on bicycle you still can peddle and I usually did, the difference is you go average of 25-30 km/h rather than 12-15 km/h which means possible to use bike 2x as often for trips as longer range.

Electric "scooter" style bike, yes nearly impossible to peddle, but it fits a comfort factor for some people for longer trips and can replace motorcycle and bus which both are many times worse as far as pollution, etc.

IMO the ideal which no one has built cheap yet is stick at least 3 wheels on a bike, with a partial enclosure (front windshield, roof, rear windshield) similar to a safari truck, and more cargo space. Simplest/cheapest would be delta style recumbent with human peddle linked to one wheel, motor linked to other rear wheel and just regular 26 inch wheels like normal bike, and wheel wells to protect from spraying mud. I already have a regular delta style recumbent and experimented with taping an umbrella on top and the extra wind resistance was not a problem.

You want wheels same as conventional bikes so easy to swap if bent rim, etc. electric motor chain drive to other side wheel for similar reason. It could even be made out of wood if required, already did some experimenting with 2x3 lumber and screws and/or glue, and cutting notches in angle iron or flat metal pieces for where the wheels bolt in. Front part of bike can come from a full suspension bike, can unbolt rather than have to even worry about welding. (Yes a little welding would make more ideal product)

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Bob Slimak

11 years ago

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I would have one if they would work for where I live, but they don't. Where I live there is another city right across the harbor in another state and I am frequently crossing back and forth. The problem is that the speed limit on both the bridges is 55mph as they are highways, not city streets. If you tried riding one of these across the bridge at the slow speeds they operate at you would probably be run over and killed.
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slippyfish

11 years ago

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About 75% of my bike commute is on a multi-purpose bike/walking path. Most of the users of this path are on bicycles, or walking/running, with the odd rollerblader and roller-skier. Oh and one or two Segways, infrequently. Been seeing more e-bikes on this trail and while oddities now if they increased in numbers it would ruin the trail for everyone else. Not to mention these things weigh a lot, and the riders aren't very good bike handlers in general.
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dave

11 years ago

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I live in a rural part of the UK and commute about 10 miles to town. I Bought an electric bike 2 years ago and I have just about made my mind up to get rid of it, here's why:
1. I needed a bit of help to get me started with cycle commuting, it was expensive but I wouldn't have got going without an electric bike. No regrets, but I can manage without it now.
2. the thing is, it's really heavy, about 30kg, and even the high-end ones are not a lot less than that. my old (30 years old) ten-speed is not a lightweight bike by any means, but at 10-12 kg I wonder whether over the distance travelled in a day it is easier to use this than an electric bike. My battery on the electric bike lasts 4 days of this round trip.
3. I especially don't like the feeling of conspicuity when locking the bike up, it is obviously electric, and I unplug the battery and take it with me, which is a nuisance. it is also more complex to maintain, and thus some major advantages of a bicycle are lost.

I think there is space for them on the road, though I seem to be in the minority. There is still room for improvement in the design; and I do believe it is a design issue now, not purely technical advancement.
I think battery weight is an interesting area: we need a battery pack with separate cells that can be clipped in individually to suit the daily distance of the rider. carrrying extra battery weight soon negates the advantages of the power supply. I am none too happy about hub motors either, I think they are a bit of a gimcrack solution- let's have the motor using the bike's own powertrain.
These bikes also need to distribute the weight succesfully- some already do this, others not so much.
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Tyler

11 years ago

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The upswing of electric bikes is why we started our business in Chicago.
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peterwyattmiddleton

11 years ago

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living in SF I am on a very steep hill (go figure). I see a few dedicated bicycle commuters ascending that beast, I do it occasionally. Now days I see one older gentleman daily pedaling up hill leisurely while singing.. I need one a those bikes.
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Juan Cano

11 years ago

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I was just in Mexico, and there, motorcycles are everywhere, seems like half the vehicles are motorcycles. But in the city I was in (Merida), which is over a million people, there are no highways, just streets and avenues, so it's simple to move around on a motorcycle. In the US, you have to go in a highway unless you live one mile from where you work, or are willing to add a lot of time to your commute by going on regular streets. Motorcycles are not even used as a regular mode of transport in the US, they're more like fun toys like Jeeps or convertibles; get them out when it's nice. Don't want to be all pessimist, but our cities are just not designed for small nimble moving vehicles, they're designed for fast large cars.
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HG

11 years ago

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Electric bikes are one of the worst ideas to come out- taking one of the most mechanically sound, healthy, environmentally-friendly machines and sticking a toxic cell in it while (mostly) removing the human-powered nature of the vehicle. I would ban the hell out of these right after banning stores that keep their doors spilling cool air in the streets of NYC in the summer.
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