I
wise man once said ...
"If we are not part of the solution we are part of the
problem!"
Thank
you for your interest in sustainable transportation solutions!
ECO
WHEELS
researches, evaluates, tests, reviews, develops and
markets sustainable transportation technology. We focus
on eco vehicles for every day use that can make a difference
to our lives and our world.
We examine what is available, how it is performing and
what's new in the world of eco transportation.
We are currently featuring what's new in the fastest growing
sector of e transportation ... Electric Bikes.
SEE
What is new in ELECTRIC BIKES
If
you like biking but not always to pedal, a new electric
bike could be your best friend . See our newest reviews
of the E-Bikes currently avialable.
Todays
E-Bike has come a long way. With its strong 400 or 500
watts motor it will allows you to extend your distance
compare to a normal bike .
It
can replace the bus, the metro even your car for distance
that could not be possible with your
bike .
Some
of the new models come with 5 or 10 speeds to allow you
to pedal longer distance.
Weather
you are a student and home keeper or a commuter you will
appreciate all the things that an Eco Bike will do to
save you time, energy and money. Peoples who suffer from
heart problems or weight problems will also be able to
continue practicing biking, and this way keep a good shape
. But there are litterally hundreds of reasons to consider
having an E-Bike in your life.
Why
buy an ELECTRIC bike?
Here is ten good
reasons!
1. Hill climbing
That may sound obvious, but it's the primary advantage.
A good electric bike effectively flattens hills, increasing
your average speed and eliminating the 'groan' factor
when a gradient comes into view. Provided you supply a
reasonable amount of effort, you can expect to climb hills
of 1 in 10 (10%) on an electric bike with ease, and clear
a maximum gradient of 1 in 7 (14%), or much more.
2. Safety
It sounds unlikely, doesn't it? But the mathematics is
compelling. Think of a steep and busy road, with cars
climbing at 60km/hr. If you previously slogged up the
hill at 6mph, but can tackle the same gradient at 20km/hr
with an electric bicycle, you will see 33% fewer cars,
and they will pass you at 25km/hr rather than 40km/hr.
Or at least, we think that's right. Whatever the figures,
there's no doubt that an electric bike helps to keep you
out of danger. The same applies to road junctions - the
faster your acceleration, the sooner you can get out of
the way of potential trouble.
3. Cost
Purchase cost is broadly similar to a conventional bicycle,
mechanical wear and tear is unlikely to cost more, and
electricity is so cheap as to be largely irrelevant, but
there is an extra expense in terms of battery depreciation.
Consequently, an electric bike costs more to run - typically
$0.04-$0.08 per km against $0.03 per km for a non-assisted
bike (a). However, electric bike running costs should
really be compared with those of a moped, or a car, when
the electric bike replaces car mileage. With cars costing
$0.50-$0.80 per km, an electric bike can save a great
deal of money.
4. Personal
Fitness
Surely a conventional bike will keep you fitter? That,
of course, depends how much - if at all - you use it.
Research (b) has found that 46% of conventional bikes
are used only once or twice a week, with a further 30%
being used once a fortnight or even less. By contrast,
a recent survey of electric bicycle owners reveals that
a third ride their bike at least once a day and 81% use
the bike at least once a week. The figures confirm our
experience that an electric bike typically gets used at
least twice as often as a conventional machine. Because
riding an electric bicycle is a great deal more enjoyable
in hilly country, into strong winds, or when carrying
heavy loads, users tend to make better use of them. The
motor provides up to half the effort, but more regular
use means more exercise for the rider.
5. No Sweat!
Sweat may not be a serious issue when you're out for a
leisure ride, but it's more important if you're cycling
to work. Although some employers are rather grudgingly
providing showers and other facilities for cyclists, the
great majority have no intention of doing so. An electric
bike eliminates the problem at source. In hot weather,
it's possible to maintain a normal schedule by transferring
a bit more load to the electric motor. In colder weather
- or if you feel in need of exercise - just throttle back,
or turn the motor off.
6. Clean &
Green
Electric bikes obviously consume energy, where a conventional
bikes does not (if we ignore the environmental cost of
growing and processing food - see below). However, the
amount of energy used is very small compared to a moped,
motorcycle or car. The only consumables are the batteries,
and these can normally be recycled when life-expired.
As for energy use, electric bikes typically consume fuel
at an average rate of 100 to 150 watts of electrical energy,
against 15,000 or so for a car (admittedly traveling much
faster). In terms of fuel consumption, an electric bike
achieves about 290 - 700 litres/kilometer (d). No other
commercially available vehicle can match figures of this
kind. If it's hard to place these numbers in your own
lifestyle, think of a 100 watt electric light bulb burning
unnecessarily for an evening - that's enough energy to
propel an electrically-assisted bike for 35-70 km...
7. Genuinely
Sustainable
There's a lot of nonsense talked about sustainability
in transport, but an electric bicycle can be made genuinely
sustainable. Purchase electricity from a 'green' supplier,
or generate your own with a roof-mounted windmill or solar
panel array, and the vehicle's fossil fuel consumption
will be zero. Surely a conventional bike does that already?
Only if you grow the food you consume whilst riding it.
Unfortunately, most modern food production and distribution
is so fuel-intensive that the consumption of a typical
cyclist is not terribly good.
8. Faster travel
In theory a car can average a high speed, but in practice
speed often falls below 15km/hr in cities. The problem
is congestion - motorcycles get around this to some extent,
but they're still confined to the road network. An electric
bicycle can maintain a higher average speed than a bicycle
but take advantage of the same network of cycle facilities,
giving ready access to areas that cars and motorcycles
cannot reach. The result is often a faster door-to-door
journey time than any other mode.
9. High Resale
Value
Electric bikes are new technology, and it's early days
yet, but the evidence points to a much better resale value
than a conventional bike. True, a typical electric bike
costs more to buy, at $1000-$2500, but you'll get most
of that back if you sell the machine.
10. Motorized,
but no Red Tape!
You know how it is... MOT due, log book missing, insurance
cost rising year on year. Electric bikes are treated just
like ordinary bicycles for legislative purposes, so there's
absolutely no registration, licensing or extra insurance
or legislation to worry about. You are of course free
to insure the machine if you wish, but there's no compulsion
to do anything but enjoy yourself!
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are always open to constructive suggestions so feel free
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