Electric Motion Systems E+ ebike: great features, high price

[Mugu]

by Jeremy Korzeniewski, autobloggreen.com

Electric bikes are becoming an increasingly intriguing option for commuters who live relatively close to work or for avid outdoor enthusiasts. As battery and motor technology forges ahead, the speed and range of ebikes surges with it, as evidenced by the new Electric Motion Systems E+. Although DOT requirements force a road-going electric bike to twenty miles per hour, tops, the E+ is actually capable of thirty when traveling off the beaten path. With no pedaling at all, the E+ can manage twenty miles on a single charge of its 36 volt nickel metal hydride pack, which is mounted in the front hub. Pedaling along can more than double the range. A 750 Watt electric motor comes standard, mounted to the rear hub, while a 1000 Watt upgrade is available. The E+ uses its own aluminum frame and comes equipped with a decent SR Suntour front suspension fork.

Other cool details include the ability to dial in resistance to your pedal strokes for fitness reasons and a built-in security system which makes the bike all but impossible to pedal. All of these propriety features and high specifications do not come all that cheap, though, with the E+ starting at $3,495.00, available with either a cruiser or mountainbike frame.



http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/04/24/electric-motion-systems-e-ebike-great-features-high-price/">Complete article

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. That is freakin brilliant

I'm a mechanical engineer so I find this really cool. I think that the downtube would be a better place for the battery pack though.

I wonder if regenerative braking makes any sense for an e-bike?

[napoleon_in_rags]

2. It does. Check out this system here, I want one bad.

http://www.greenspeed.us/bionx_motor_bike_kit.htm

This features regenerative breaking with 80% efficiency, lithium ion battery and its light as hell.

[phantom power]

5. cool to sell it as an upgrade kit.

[phantom power]

3. $3500 is quite cheap, compared to a car.

And downstream operating costs are also loads cheaper.

[yurbud]

4. couldn't you get a motorcycle for that price or regular electric scooter?

[Fumesucker]

7. A very nice motorcycle..

http://www.kawasaki.com/products/Detail.aspx?id=263&content=photos



http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/kawasaki/review-2008-kawasaki-ninja-250r-75782.html

[yurbud]

15. she'd have to take the helmet off before I'd pay $4K

[Fumesucker]

19. $3499 actually..

Personally I kind of like a woman in leather..

With the appropriate zippers. :evilgrin:

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. There are many kits available to upgrade your own bike.

Lots of bike hub motors. Build your own battery pack and mount it behind the seat for more range. I work with a guy who built his own and it's capable of 40+ MPH speeds.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. I'd rather have this as a commuter bike

This guy built his own bicycle from plans and its frame is made of foam covered in composite resin, very light and strong. The cost is between $500 and $800 to do-it-yourself. This is a long wheelbase recumbent with a a reclining seat and the bike gives a much smoother and more comfortable ride. If I were going to electrify a bicycle for long-range commuting, I'd do it to a bike that is low for good drag aerodynamics and that is comfortable to ride and easy on the back. And this bike will cruise over 30mph without a power source (in fact it set speed records in its class).

[Fumesucker]

10. Try riding that on any of the roads around where I live

And you would be road pizza within minutes..

Drivers are not expecting to see people down that low, they have a hard time seeing pedestrians and people on regular bikes, that bike, as nice as it is, would be invisible for all practical purposes.

We don't even have *shoulders* on a lot of our roads, let alone bike lanes..

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

11. That's why low bikes have tall flags that stick up into the air

Even bikes of normal height are too low for most SUVs to see. Low bikes make sense and are really not any more dangerous than bikes of so-called normal height. Either you think bikes are dangerous and don't ride them or you accept the risk. Nothing is 100% safe.

[Fumesucker]

14. My sister in law

Rear ended a school bus.. With her young son in the car.. If she had been going much faster she would have decapitated both of them since the car slid up under the rear of the bus.

A college graduate and by no means a stupid person, SIL really has no business driving a car at all and yet she is on the street every day.

A person on a regular bike, a scooter or a motorcycle is up higher than many cars like a Ford Focus or a Mini.. On a recumbent that is not so..

I used to commute by bicycle when I was much younger, it was cheap and much faster than taking the bus, so I'm not opposed to bicycle commuting in theory..

Where I live, it would be like playing Russian roulette with an automatic.

[riverdeep]

22. I don't imagine you'd cotton to riding this around town.

A recumbent lowracer. Very cool looking, futuristic thing.



This particular one is damn expensive, all carbon, and about 23 lbs. Actually, I don't think it's street legal.

You can also build your own, for much less, if you're so inclined. Here's a page full of homebuilt recumbents based on a particular design. Some are cool, some are funky and junky. All are intriguing. Interestingly, there is no traditional steering column- according to the builder, you center steer. You can have your hands free while riding.

http://www.python-lowracer.de/projects.html

[dkofos]

9. $3495 for a bicycle is fucking ridiculous.

[JCMach1]

12. Electric Bikes are around $150 in China

That's all you need to know... this is a ripoff

How do I know? I paid 90$ for a used one in the UAE

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. Figures. Why not rip us off. It's all the rage, especially within our own government.

[JCMach1]

18. The one I have is very cool....

Technology is a bit primitive, but well-built. Huge farkin' battery though.

[alfredo]

13. Crosswinds could be a problem. Wesley Clark is involved in electric

bicycles. http://www.greenspeed.us/wesley_clark.htm I wonder if the above bike uses the WaveCrest motor from Clark's company?

[taterguy]

17. The weight of the motor counteracts any advantage it provides

I asked an expert about bikes and that's what he told me.

Think about it: There's a reason that the most expensive bikes are also the most light-weight ones.

Extra weight on a bicycle is always bad.

[ret5hd]

20. Yeah, that's why pedal cars are so popular!

[Fumesucker]

21. Not so..

A human in quite good shape can put out maybe 200 watts..

That bicycle motor can do over 500

The most expensive bicycles are the lightest specifically because they are powered strictly by human muscles, adding power with electrics changes the equation drastically.

[riverdeep]

23. The point of the motor isn't to take over the job of pedaling, usually.

It's to assist. Especially in hilly terrain or high winds, when the upright position of the rider on a bike like this acts like a sail.

They also have folding electric bikes. People ride them to the train station or bus stop, and take it with them.

[smoochy]

24. I want one!

They're great ideas, but poor executions. Wasn't Lee Iacoco(sp?)'s E-Bike, only around $1700? Wasn't the beautiful italian made Aprillia electronic bike only about $2500?

The above bike though, looks like a $199 Walmart special, with a battery pack thrown on.