Anyone into electric cycling? Electric Bicycles

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I pictured a trike with a big basket! In this case the rider definitely assists the motors, more than the other way around. And once they deliver a few packages, they have a rain shelter!
 
Here's what I am seriously considering - the Better Bike PEBL:

http://www.better.bike/

IMG_3649.JPG


750W mid-drive motor, ~25 mile range (up to 75 miles with optional batteries), 4 season, regen, rollup doors, backseat standard.
 
NeilBlanchard said:
Here's what I am seriously considering - the Better Bike PEBL:

http://www.better.bike/ [snip]

750W mid-drive motor, ~25 mile range (up to 75 miles with optional batteries), 4 season, regen, rollup doors, backseat standard.
H'mm, 195 lb. Definitely more pedal-assisted motor than motor-assisted pedaling, I'd say. As for the claim of "great visibility", I'm throwing a flag. :D
 
On the one hand, that would certainly make for more tolerable Winter riding. On the other, I suspect that the fun gets lost, leaving one pedaling a small, very drafty, car. Can you get a heater for it? ;-0
 
I just took a longer look at the PEBL, which I think has come up before in this topic. Nice job, and I'd guess much more muscular than the ELF because of the mid-drive. But..."starting at $5995"? STARTING?!? I think I'd get a used Leaf S with 10 bars and make it a convertible, first...
 
LeftieBiker said:
On the one hand, that would certainly make for more tolerable Winter riding. On the other, I suspect that the fun gets lost, leaving one pedaling a small, very drafty, car. Can you get a heater for it? ;-0
From the specs page of the website:
We live in western MA. We know about varying seasons. We want to ride our PEBL all year. The PEBL comes standard with a carpeted floor, heel wells and roll up doors to make it fully enclosed. The doors are vinyl and roll up under the roof when not needed, but can easily roll back down if they are. This feature, combined with removable flooring and heel wells under the pedals, create a tremendous sense of freedom when PEBLing in the warmer weather. For colder weather, we offer a powerful, custom built, 600 watt heater as an option!
I can't imagine using this thing in good weather, so the price is pretty steep for a winter-only car (Note: S.F. Bay Area resident. YMMV.). It's essentially a lightweight NEV.
 
On the one hand I'd think a good propane heater would work best. On the other, if you want to be fossil fuel-free, then a good 600 watt electric heater would probably suffice, at the expense of a lot of range. I'd want a handlebar heater as well...
 
LeftieBiker said:
On the one hand I'd think a good propane heater would work best. On the other, if you want to be fossil fuel-free, then a good 600 watt electric heater would probably suffice, at the expense of a lot of range. I'd want a handlebar heater as well...
Heated gloves.
 
Having used battery-electric gloves for many years, I can vouch for how much of a PITA it is to keep them charged and ready - especially lithium battery gloves. Heated grips are relatively easy to implement.
 
LeftieBiker said:
Having used battery-electric gloves for many years, I can vouch for how much of a PITA it is to keep them charged and ready - especially lithium battery gloves. Heated grips are relatively easy to implement.
I wasn't suggesting using gloves with their own battery, just plugging them in and running them off the vehicle battery, just like any seat heater works; it might take some kind of converter to get the right voltage. The company gives you the option of various battery sizes, many of which far exceed the range over which a vehicle like this is likely to be used, so you've got plenty of reserve for heating, whether air or contact. Whether you opt for gloves or a heated wheel is your choice - the former will save some energy, the latter's more convenient and less efficient, but it's unlikely to be an issue either way.
 
A seat heater would be my suggestion. The option list is pretty short - many bigger batteries, a solar PV array for the roof, custom colors, and few other small things.

There are bicycles out there that cost at least this much. I am hoping to go take a look at the PEBL in the spring.
 
So, I ordered a red PEBL on Saturday! I am getting it with the 100 mile battery, which is 48V 64Ah, the windshield wiper, interior lights, 12V power outlet (which I plan on using an electric vest/jacket in the winter), the 3" cruiser tires with puncture protection. The total price is $8605. Expected delivery is in the October / November time frame.

They will be lowering the seat a couple of inches to provide more headroom. I'm 6'-4" and my hair was lightly brushing the headliner, with the optional ~1" mesh seat cushion.

Standard features are the rollup doors, floor panel, electric reverse, cruise control, regenerative braking, lights and turn signals and horn, 8-speed rear hub gears, USB charging, voltmeter, front drum and rear disk brakes, fully suspension, rear bench seat.

I decided against getting the 120watt solar panel, because we have so many trees, that it would only make a small difference, if any, much of the time. I will be having a 10kW solar PV system on my house, so that is the best way to do it. And the other option I passed up is a 600watt heater. I will use an electric vest / jacket in the winter, and if I am out in a snow storm, I'll just have to deal with things.

Doing the rough math, the 48V 64Ah battery is a touch over 3kWh, and if it goes the estimated 100 miles, that is ~30Wh/mile - which is over 1100MPGe. Paying our high retail electricity rates (about 21¢ / kWh), that would be about 0.63¢ / mile.

That is roughly 8X better than our EV's, which is really good, already.

IMG_20170701_104730_zpsfjvuknc2.jpg

IMG_20170701_104722_zpswazrmkfb.jpg

IMG_20170701_104654_zpsi5g50cpe.jpg
 
Please do give us the occasional test report/review, after you've lived with it for awhile. Whereabouts are you that it's cold enough to need heated clothing in winter, if you're peddling and not exposed to the wind?
 
I live in Massachusetts. Motorcycle heated vests are 50-75W typically, so this would be a lot more efficient than the optional 600W heater you can order with the PEBL. The other thing needed is a battery heater, for temperatures below freezing.
 
Via IEVS:
Yamaha Enters U.S. Electric Bike Market
https://insideevs.com/yamaha-enters-u-s-electric-bike-market/

Yamaha announced that it will ride on to the U.S. electric bicycle market with the launch of its Yamaha Power Assisted Bicycles line of bikes at the Interbike trade show this year. . . .

The parent company launched the world’s first electrically power assisted bicycle in 1993 and has since produced more than four million drive units and sold over two million Yamaha power assist bicycles. Yamaha supplies class-leading e-Bike Systems to select OEM partners worldwide.
. . .
"Power assist" = pedelec.
 
NeilBlanchard said:
I live in Massachusetts. Motorcycle heated vests are 50-75W typically, so this would be a lot more efficient than the optional 600W heater you can order with the PEBL. The other thing needed is a battery heater, for temperatures below freezing.
Enjoy!
Are you planning to use it in the snow ?
 
SageBrush said:
NeilBlanchard said:
I live in Massachusetts. Motorcycle heated vests are 50-75W typically, so this would be a lot more efficient than the optional 600W heater you can order with the PEBL. The other thing needed is a battery heater, for temperatures below freezing.
Enjoy!
Are you planning to use it in the snow ?

I plan on using it all year, and if I have to drive it in the snow, it should be okay.
 
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