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).

Read the complete article at:
Panasonic’s newest electric bike features 97km assisted travel range

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Panasonic has finally secured a majority stake in Sanyo Electric following a long negotiation. Both of these Japanese firms manufacture lithium ion cells – could this merger see prices decline?

The $4.6 billion investment is part of Panasonic’s ambition to become the leading provider for batteries of fuel efficient cars and offshoot business, such as the production of lithium ion batteries suited to electric bikes.

Read the complete article at: PanasonIc/Sanyo merger to result in cheaper e-bike batteries?

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Dublin, Ireland — CircuitCycles are very proud to promote and market the Kalkhoff electric bike range in Ireland.

Derby Cycles in Germany are the manufacturers, who have over 90 year’s expertise in the field. The Kalkhoff electric bike uses the highly acclaimed Panasonic battery and motor technology.

The average journey made on a bicycle rarely exceeds 15 kms, so a round trip commute of 30 kms is well within the range of an electric bike. On an electric bike the cyclist is still required to pedal but the power from the motor assists the pedaling effort.

Some of the reasons to choose an electric bike are:

• Enjoy the great freedom of riding a bicycle – without any effort on starts, hills or headwinds.

• No road tax, insurance or license required.

• Substantial money savings compared to other forms of transport

• Protecting the environment.

• Add exercise into your day.

• Readily accessible point-to-point transportation with convenient parking spots and shortcuts.

CircuitCycles
43 Woodview Grove
Blanchardstown
Dublin 15
Website: www.circuitcycles.ie

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London, UK – The Urban Mover is a pedelec – it only supplies power when the cyclist is pedaling.

It retails for £1149.

The bike consists of an aluminium frame and suspension fork to house the power system — a 37v, 200W brushless hub motor in the rear wheel and a 9aH Panasonic Li-Ion battery which slots in behind the seat tube. Full mudguards, a chainguard and a rack included.

There’s a suspension seatpost and adjustable stem, and a Shimano Altus seven speed drivetrain. Tektro V brakes do the stopping, mated to levers that cut the power when you haul on the anchors.

Read the complete review of this bike at Road.cc.

Or visit the bike manufacturer’s website at www.halfords.com.

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London, England — Halfords has  reached an agreement with Urban Mover to be the exclusive online retailers of the Urban Mover range of electric bicycles.  They will be sold at Halfords.com. The range will still be stocked at IBDs in the UK, however.

The full range will be available online, including the £769.99 UM44L – the cheapest in the range.

TheUM26S Premium Folding Electric Bike, available for £929.99,  features five-speed Sturmey Archer hub gears, full suspension and an advanced Dahon folding mechanism, making the bike a perfect solution for inner city commuting or those with limited storage space.

The top bike in the range is at £1149.99 with the UM44S Hybrid. This model provides 40 miles from a single charge to the Panasonic Lithium battery.

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Tokyo: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 — The Japanese firm Sanyo announced that it had released a hybrid bicycle, which is powered by an Eneloop battery.

The SY-SPG226 has broad wheels, a large front basket and a rack at the rear to carry extra large items. Its range is 85 kilometres, however the battery re-charges when the rider coasts down hills. The bike is not specifically called a “men’s” bike, as it has no crossbar.

The Japanese government eased its laws on the power of electric-powered bicycles at the end of last year, which makes ebikes more attractive because they are allowed to go faster. The electric motor allows a ratio of motor to pedal power of two to one.

The number of electric powered bicycles sold in Japan grew 20 percent in 2008. The reasons for this are two fold – in reaction to higher fuel prices, and also because consumers see them as greener than motorbikes.

Sanyo’s competition consists of Yamaha, Bridgestone and Panasonic. Panasonic is on pace to acquire Sanyo later this year.

Source:
www.e-life-sanyo.com/eneloopbike

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Japanese electronics companies really seem to believe in the concept of electric bikes. Following Yamaha and Panasonic whose bikes were unveiled in July (Yamaha presented another one last month), Toshiba exhibited a model manufactured by Cannondale during the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), which was held in New York last week.

The bike is equipped with a battery module that is based on Toshiba’s proprietary quick-charging lithium ion rechargeable battery “SCiB”. Measuring 100×300×45mm, the module features a voltage of 24V (weight: 2kg). Toshiba says the bike reaches an assisted travel range of up to 30 miles with a single charge.

The bike is scheduled for release in America and Europe early next year with Cannondale reportedly planning to price it at around $3,000. And this time, the Japanese are left empty-handed since in its current form, the bike would violate the local Road Traffic Law (the other electric bikes mentioned above are Japan-only).

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