From EduTechWiki - Reading time: 17 min
Since I bought one (a Stöckli e.t.), this piece includes a somewhat expanded technical part. I do believe that e-bikes can be nice learning objects for a variety of purposes, but did not spend a lot of time searching for literature. - Daniel K. Schneider (talk) 14:53, 28 April 2013 (CEST).
Electronic bikes (ebikes) most often refer to some kind pedal-assisted bicycles.
Ebikes offer interesting opportunities for education:
The list below should be complete with both a literature analysis and by mining course materials. In principle, everything that can be research also can be education. Therefore we also listed a few items found in the literature. There are some interesting issues that refer to organizational and informal learning, i.e. users participating in design and policy making.
A good example is the Swiss Stromer developed in partnership with Bern University of Applied Sciences (Engineering and Information Technology), Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and arts and a Swedish Designer.
This is related to fab labs and other digital design and fabrication initiatives. For starters, one can upgrade a normal bike to an ebike using one of the many commercial kits.
A good example is the annual e-Kart competition (in french), e.g. Vierzon International and Educational Meeting of Electrical Gokart e-Kart 2013 in France
Understanding the electrical and electronics parts of an e-bike could be an interesting activity for a vocational school training electricians and related professions. We know, for example, one example of a french school who acquired a ebike for that purpose.
As you can see below, there is quite a large combination of features in current ebikes.
Since E-bikes are fairly simple "products" as compared others they are ideally suited for evaluation studies, marketing classes, etc.
A good example of a technical report is the report (in German/French) in the ATE/VCS VeloJournal made in collaboration with an engineering school.
E-bikes also could be nice object for innovative management studies with the advantage that there is a literature on ways to design products (e.g. Arnold).
“Changes in production and consumption patterns are a crucial element of the sustainability agenda. Communication between product developers and users, and user integration in product development, can serve as a means for organizational as well as individual learning processes, resulting in sustainable product development. [...] Improved methods, such as INNOCOPE (innovating through consumer-integrated product development), tested in this study with a cycle manufacturer and resulting in a new product, a pedelec, are needed for effective communication, activating consumers and enabling them to promote sustainability goals. Through co-operative product development processes key factors facilitating and obstructing the adoption of sustainable innovations may be identified. Such processes can enhance the emergence and diffusion of sustainable product innovations and different forms and bodies of knowledge can be combined. Integrating users' contextual everyday knowledge of the product with the technical knowledge of companies may lead to mutual learning, technical innovations and changes in consumer behaviour.” (Hoffmann, 2007).
We could distinguish roughly types of e-bikes
One also can classify designs according to usage. E.g. the German site distinguishes between 11 types:
We would add to this:
Motors
Motors can be front or rear wheel hub motors or in the middle. All decent motors are brushless, i.e. there is not friction that would reduce its lifetime.
Main motor makers:
Many makers have their own motor, though often (most of time ?) it's just a custom version of some known brand. E.g. Stromer uses a special Bionix line. Stöckli uses its own (maybe a version of the GoSwissDrive ?).
Power output
Horse power is not everything. Torque also counts. Loosely speaking, torque defines how much force is applied for turning the wheel. Typically, you get:
More torque means better acceleration. Typically, rear wheel motors have higher torque.
Choosing a motor/sensor combination
Available products (motors, senors, batteries, control systems. etc.) change fast since the e-bike market shows a strong growth. In principle, get a rear motor if you want a lot of raw power and acceleration (e.g. for a 500W motor). Middle motors are more energy efficient and less subject to problems (e.g. overheating). Middle motors usually are combined with integrated rear hub gears, and rear motors with derailleurs. Both have advantages and disadvantages. E.g. the former require less maintenance, are easy to use in go-and-stop traffic, but require taking off weight on pedals when shifting. Therefore the latter (derailleurs) are better for speedy overland and hills cycling.
But the whole is also influenced by the sensory systems which are very different from model to model. E.g. A typical 2013 Panasonic system requires pedalling for optimal support (55/minute?) and has both a pedalling frequency and a speed sensor. You don't get much assistance if you pedal very slowly or very fast. Typically, a rear motor has a force sensor, i.e. you get lots of support fast when you start pedalling in a low gear, i.e. it will "feel" your need for assistance.
Batteries and range
Battery position is most often somewhere in the middle. Some high-end models integrate the battery in the frame. Others on top of the rear wheel. Many models offer a choice of batteries, i.e. smaller/bigger and also with respect to quality. Currently, most batteries are either NiMH or the lighter Ion-lithium batteries.
More output means more weight and more money. A high-end Lithium-Ion battery costs at lot. E.g. For the Stöckli E.T. (4/2013 in a Swiss shop) you get the following specs and prices:
Th 32.2 Ah model has a huge capacity compared to what most other makers offer. But 500W also do eat up a lot more energy than let's say a 350W middle motor model that is almost as good for pedalling in a mostly flat topography. I.e. on a different bike you can get away with smaller batteries and still get range.
In principle, you would use about 100W (your own energy) for moderate pedalling at 22km/h. If you select 300% assistance (high), that will add another 300W and you can pedal almost twice as fast, i.e. about 27km/h (you will encounter increasing resistance from wind). Therefore, if you got a 400Wh battery, you got a range of about 37km at 37km/h. If go more slowly and use less support (200%), then you can drive further, e.g. 60km with a 400Wh battery. (Read more in die Die Schnellen im Vergleich)
Main makers: Panasonic, Bosch, Samsung
Electronics and motor control:
All pedal-assisted ebikes offer to control the degree of assistance (from none to high), usually about 3-5 levels. Support ranges from 30% extra power to 300%. For example:
The motors can be controlled in various ways
According to Wikipedia (March 2013):
For switching or control of the motor, there are several possibilities:
In addition, the speed of the vehicle are measured on the wheel, in particular, for example, to drive the motor from 25 km/h off. The measurement can be further processed mechanically or electronically and is used to control the motor on and off or to regulate a control function based on continuously.
The fed power is based on the sensor data (force sensor, crank speed, ground speed) is calculated based on the chosen level of support from the motor controller. The so-called support levels, that is, how much the motor supported in addition to the driver's performance lie in horizontal drive 5-400 percent.Examples:
It is very important that sensors work well and that they are integrated/tuned for good usability. Although ebikes do need some initial mental adjustment from riders, some model do much better then others, e.g. most testers seem to prefer the TDS Impluse over the Stöckli E.T. over the Stromer (which model?) with respect to reactivity. Of course, usability is subjective and some people may prefer one behavior over an other. However, cheap bikes may be just plain bad and this is why test driving is important.
Different control design (various combinations of sensors and software) require different behavior from riders for an optimal experience. E.g. on some bikes like the KTM Amparo, you would have to pedal fast (effortlessly though) in order to get more support.
Controllers:
A decent controller should offer at the least the following
Optional:
Frame
Frames are usually made from aluminum since both the motor and the battery will add weight.
Gears
Gears are either in rear hub (typically for models with a motor in the middle) or derailleurs (for models with a rear hub motor). Nearly all models require manual shifting, but some models exist that will select a gear to match your cadence, e.g. the NuVinci Harmony.
Brakes:
Ebikes should have strong brakes, either disc brakes (preferably hydraulic) or hydraulic rim-brakes (e.g. a Magura HS 11). Some models offer regenerative braking, i.e. an interface with the motor and the battery to generate energy when you break.
Suspension
Some argue, that an ebike should have some kind of front suspension, i.e. be able to cope with potholes at higher speed or off-road conditions. However, in countries with flat roads (e.g. Switzerland, Germany or Holland) you don't need that extra weight for extra price if you stay on roads and/or drive slowly in difficult terrain. Some makes (like the Stromer) let you choose.
Of course, you always can get nice bargains for older "last year's" models.
In general, more expensive bikes are better. However, this is just a trend. E.g. the "Kassensturz" Consumer program from our state TV found in a 2012 study confined to an engineering school, that "Supermarket" bikes, e.g. the 1400 CHF (1200 Euro) "Leopard" bike from COOP did very well. Evaluation is "good" (almost the same as the three times more expensive 25km/h Stromer). They also pointed out a very bad model from a discounter. In other words, you can find good cheap models, but read the tests first.
Most countries put restrictions on specifications of e-bikes:
EU Standards:
Switzerland (not member of the EU) has a similar, somewhat simpler solution. From the official announcement (in German):
Caution
You are not allowed to drive S-Pedelecs in France even if they are registered legally in your country (e.g. Germany or Switzerland). In other words, if you plan to take your 45h bike that is legal in your country on vacation in another where it is not, you may violate traffic law. Remove the license plate or don't do it. People who commute between countries, are known to hack removable plates with magnets ...
Most 25km/h bikes can be easily hacked to go a bit faster. If you use the bike for commuting and you got a model with good brakes, there is no reason for going at 25km/h if you can get it going a bit faster.
Some 25km/h bikes (pedelecs) can be made to go a lot faster. In particular, the ones that have 350W motors can support up to 45km/h. In order to reduce production costs, the same motor can be used both for pedelec and s-pedelec versions of the same model. However, the s-pedelec version may have better brakes, a different frame, etc.
I do not recommend hacking a bike into s-pedelec, i.e. make a 25km/h bike go at 45 or faster. If you have an accident you will be in trouble. Just get a legal version. In addition you will have good insurance. Of course, in countries like France or the UK that so far do not know S-Pedelecs, you will have to make a difficult moral choice.... At least, make sure that your rig is safe...
In some countries mixed systems, i.e. pedaling and/or using a throttle is legal. In EU countries and Switzerland this is not the case. I.e. you can buy an electric scooter, but this is not considered to be an e-bike in the moped / light scooter category. That kind of hack is probably more difficult, unless the original design has been modified to fit with (s)Pedelec specs. E.g. The Ezee models are of that kind and modifications to revert to the original does not seem to be too difficult...
(As of spring 2013, i.e. it maybe be totally outdated sometimes in the near future)
Below a list of good well-looking designs for 45km/h bikes that are suitable for both city traffic and commuting and that are legal in some countries in specific versions. Most of these bikes do have version with powerful 500W motors and offer a choice of batteries. Most weight around 25kg, but that is somewhat compensated by the strong motors.
Currently, I am thinking of getting one of these. So far, I only tested the Stöckli and it does feel "good" right from the start. - Daniel K. Schneider (talk) 01:08, 27 April 2013 (CEST)
Both the Stromer and the Stoeckli are very nice looking designs and easy to handle. Reliability for both does not seem to be up to Swiss standards, e.g. some of the 2012 Stöcklis seem to have bad contacts. However, as of 2013, most of these problems should be fixed. The Cube got criticized for its battery/saddle system, but this has probably been fixed in more recent edition and it has less "punch" then the other's since the motor is smaller (324W?). I don't know about the BH Neo Nitro. Given the relatively low price of the BH Nitro, it may be the best buy in this category if you plan to cover smaller distances (the battery is limited to 9Ah, and Spain's industry does need some help ;) Anyhow, all of these models come with a variety of motors and country-specific modifications. E.g. in France, the BH Nitro comes with a 350W motor and is electronically limited to 25km/h, whereas in Switzerland you either can get a 500W - 45 km/h version or a 250W? - 25km/h version.
I bought a Stöckli E.T. in May 2013 and so far am very happy with it. Uphill performance is quite spectacular. Handling is easy and so far I didn't have any technical problems. My only regret is that I didn't get an (optional) front suspension. It would be useful since I do encounter dirt roads on the way to my work and I may change it later.
Both the Kalkhoff and the Stevens may be more reliable and a bit easier to use than the more sexy Stromer/Stöckli/BH emotion designs. But they got less power and less "punch". Best bet for a more traditional design is probably the "Vollblut", but it's more expensive.
There are dozens of good 25Km/h pedelecs. Our advice is to go the nearest good e-bike store and get it from there, because e-bikes may need good support. Only if you like servicing a bike yourself is buying from the Internet a good option. As of Spring 2013, a good benchmark to compare with is the Austrian KTM Amparo also called KTM Severo 8M or the German Kalkhoff Impuls or Agattu series. It has a reliable Panasonic middle motor and a good battery. If you want a more sexy design, try the SMART from the urban car maker of the same name.
Even bigger players now move in, e.g. the BWM Cruise is a very traditional build. SMART has a more original model. Others just go for cool prototypes, e.g. Audio and Toyota. In the future you may get one of these for reduced price if you get a new car ...
(needs to be written ....)
(2012/13)