Posted on 01 September 2010
There’s one feature that makes the RX-10S [JP, PDF], Panasonic’s newest model, stand out: it boasts an assisted travel range of a a whopping 97km (60 miles) in “eco-mode” – on a single charge.
Panasonic says that the bike’s motor gets juice every time you hit the brakes, for example when driving down a hill or decelerating (only half the amount if you use just one of the brakes on the left or right).
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Panasonic’s newest electric bike features 97km assisted travel range
Posted on 25 August 2010
Honda announced on July 19, 2010 that it would get into electric cars and plug-in hybrids today, effectively becoming the last major car company to go electric. But it also went further by announcing plans in other product lines. Some of the highlights:
–The company will introduce electric motorcycles into advanced and emerging nations. While Honda didn’t provide specific details or release years, it’s a significant announcement. To date, the electric motorcycle market has been largely controlled by start-ups like Mission Motors and Zero Motorcycles. (see zany test drive here.)
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Honda: Electric Cars, Motorcycles, Solar Panels and Plug-In Hybrids
Posted on 19 August 2010
Toshiba and Mitsubishi Motors have teamed up to work on battery systems for electric cars. Toshiba is hoping to see its lithium-ion battery technology deployed in upcoming plug-in cars from Mitsubishi, which plans to bring its electric i-MiEV model to the U.S. market in 2011.
In 2008, Toshiba signed the first supply agreement for its rapid-charge lithium-ion battery, the SCiB (Super Charge ion Battery), in a deal with Schwinn for electric bicycles. The company has now lined up customers for the SCiB in applications that include an electric motorcycle and a microgrid system.
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Toshiba Leaps From Laptops to Electric Cars
Posted on 04 August 2010
DENVER, CO, Jun 07, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — BioSource Solutions Inc. (DE: BIA), after conducting extensive research and due diligence in the electric bike or e-bike market, has determined that a significant opportunity exists in this emerging field of transportation. BioSource Solutions would utilize its national and international retail contacts as well as the company’s warehouse and marketing infrastructure to move forward with this specialized division.
The bikes create no emissions and reflect the company’s commitment to “green friendly” environmentally responsible policies.
BioSource is a manufacturer of biodegradable, biological, botanical consumer cleaning products with products available in major retail outlets nationally.
The company will provide additional details in subsequent press releases and on the company website. BioSource Solutions
Press release from Marketwire.com
Posted on 25 July 2010
As electric bikes gradually grow more popular, the media starts to embrace them. Articles on their history abound. For example:
Hybrid electric vehicles were initially presented throughout the mid-1990 when oil downside reared its hideous head on the worldwide economy. All of a sudden, each automobile was conceivably powered by electrical energy. This was an important occasion in history and marked the beginning of the electrical revolution. And one fine day, someone decided to combine electric motor power to a normal bicycle and thus, a hybrid electric bike was born. Not like some of the other concepts of this period, hybrid bikes seemed viable and survived.
A sensible plan will not go in vain and shortly, retail shops were flooded with hybrid bikes ranging from basic models to impressive models. This dawn of hybrid bikes lead to an entire modification in the means people within the cities look at traffic. Vital research into this industry led to the evolution of better hybrid cycling technology, that permits the motor to work in tandem with the pedal power, ensuring in a proficient hybrid machine.
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History of Hybrid Electric Bikes?
Posted on 25 July 2010
While we here at ElectricBikesE love ebikes, it is not a universal feeling, apparently. Here’s what Steve at Circumcyclogation has to say about them:
On a conventional bike, a beginner’s range over easy terrain is 50km, say 25km out and 25 back with lunch in the middle. That’s nearly twice the range of cheaper electric cycles. Maybe you don’t believe you could ride that far without the electricals. On a “golden ride”, where you’re having a good time, you won’t feel that 50km until you get home.
If you find you’ve gone 25km with your friends, you’re going to be riding 10km without electric assistance. The last 10km, when you’re on your “last legs.” Your friends conventional bikes are probably also tired, but their bikes are no harder to pedal than when they set out. Yours now feels like it weighs twice as much as it did at the start and you have not much left in your legs – remember, you still have to pedal an electric bicycle to get the 40km range and that last 10 will be harder work than your friends have put in for the whole trip.
What Steve doesn’t seem to consider is that some people might have medical reasons for needing an ebike, they can’t handle hills without them, for example, or don’t have the leg strength to go 25km – especially with inclines.
Read more of Steve’s comments at:
Electric v. Human Powered Bicycles
Posted on 23 July 2010
News from the UK:
Meerkat electric bicycle
The Meerkat e-motion City Electric 7-speed unisex bike has a maximum speed of 15mph, and a range of between 15 miles and 25 miles. It has a 19.5″ frame and 26″ alloy wheels. It is best priced with Amazon at £349.99.
If you want to pick up the Meerkat on the high street then Argos is selling it for £574.99, while Tesco is a penny more at £575. Check in-store availability before you head out to buy it
Wisper electric bicycle
Wisper offer a huge range of electric bikes which run on lithium polymer batteries, safer and more efficient than standard lithium batteries.
The 905se City has a battery life of between 29 miles and 44 miles (depending on weight, wind resistance and tyre pressure), seven gears and a recommended price of £1,215. This varies from dealer to dealer.
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Electric bikes: Comparing the Meerkat and Wisper prices
Posted on 21 July 2010
PG Bikes is a bicycle manufacturer based in Germany. and their newsest offering is the Blacktrail.
It is considered to be the fastest bike in the world, with a top speed of 100km/h. The bike weights only 19.8 kilograms and is made using carbon, magnesium and titanium. The wheels were made using carbon fiber.
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Blacktrail from PG Bikes is the Fastest Electric Bicycle in the World
Posted on 19 July 2010
(I use that title because if there’s two people on a bike…like two people in a car…you should get to use the express lane!)
Joules the robot occupies the back half of a tandem bike. It’s actually an electric bike, but instead of an electric motor helping to turn the gears, you have a humanoid robot doing the same thing via pedals.
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Hop on board a tandem bike with Joules the cycling robot
Posted on 17 July 2010
Leesburg, VA — “The big advantage you have with an E+ Bike is it allows the average person to get out there and enjoy bicycling and the environment without having to put all the effort into it,” Ric Ruggiero, Electric Motion System’s production manager, said. “It allows you to get out there and use the throttle instead of the pedals to accelerate. With other systems, you have to pedal to generate the motion.”
E+ Bikes is Electric Motion Systems’ brand for the bicycle market. The company, located in Dulles, specializes in light electric vehicles, with a focus on bicycles since they are “the easiest platforms to convert into electric vehicles,” according to Ruggiero.
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E+ Bike Offers Environmental Alternative
