ebikes

Electric bicycles have come a long way in the last few years. Despite originally being designed to provide cyclists with a relative amount of assistance, many companies are now pushing the boundaries of what can be considered a bicycle. From Vintage Cycle’s 36 mph retro-looking Scrambler to Onyx’s 30 and 60 mph CTY and RCR models.

The newest production electric bicycle to join the 40+ mph (64 km/h) club is the HyperFat HF1100 by Juiced Bikes.
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Ever since the Trump administration began its trade war with China, electric bicycle importers have been nervous about what it would spell for the e-bike industry. In June those fears were realized when the United States Trade Representative published a list of 284 categories of products covering over $16 billion in trade which were all tentatively scheduled to receive 25% tariffs.

A public discussion period was opened to allow for feedback on the proposal, with the USTR publishing the final list yesterday. Only 5 individual products were removed from the list, with electric bicycles and electric motors for e-bikes both remaining. The tariffs are scheduled to begin August 23rd.
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Electric bicycles are becoming increasingly popular forms of personal electric transportation, and rightfully so. They make it super easy to zip around crowded cities, usually arriving faster than cars, buses and just about every other alternative.

But one of the few downsides of electric bicycles is that they are usually fairly large and bulky, meaning they’ll take up a big chunk of your apartment or car – if they even fit. That’s where folding electric bicycles come in, and the 2018 Oyama CX E8D II is perhaps one of the nicest examples of a folding electric bicycle that I’ve ever seen.
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Whether you want to feel the rush of the wind in your hair like Tom Cruise racing an F-14 Tomcat down the runway in Top Gun or you just want to get to work faster, there are a number of ways you can increase the speed of your electric bicycle.

Here we’ll cover the top 10 methods to coax more speed out of your e-bike.
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After a lengthy review period, the European Union has decided to implement new tariffs on electric bicycles imported from China in an effort to clamp down on e-bike dumping in Europe.

The amount of duty being levied is determined for each company specifically, and ranges from 21.8% to as high as 83.6%, though most will receive a duty of 37%.
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Electric bicycles are usually quite heavy, though recent design innovations have been pushing the envelope to reduce motor weight. In the past, heavy-duty steel and aluminum frames, dense battery packs and bulky electric motors all helped tip the scales on these hefty metallic steeds.

The best way to get around the heavy e-bike problem is to design the vehicle from the ground up using lightweight materials and components combined with innovative weight-saving structures. And that’s exactly what Prodrive did with the new Hummingbird folding electric bicycle.
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There’s a new trend in the out-of-the-box electric bicycle design world: minibike styled retro e-bikes. A couple of years ago, Lithium Cycles debuted their Super 73 e-bike with a design that harkens back to something between an old 1980’s minibike and a Honda Ruckus. Unimoke then followed up with a strikingly similar design, which was then followed by a redesign and price drop on the original Super 73.

Now, California-based Juiced Bikes is getting in on the action with their own offerings in the same category.
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There are a number of impressive competitors in the high-end electric bicycle market, including innovative offerings from companies like Optibike and Stromer. To remain competitive, companies are racing to outdo each other on high-tech features and novel designs.

Haibike recently revealed their new FLYON line of electric bicycles, which have certainly embraced a creative approach to remain both innovative and creative. From an incredibly torquey in-house motor design to a ram air cooling intake, Haibike has embraced thinking outside the conventional e-bike box.
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This week has been a good one for innovation in the electric bicycle industry, with two major players both unveiling new designs for mid-drive motors built specifically for electric mountain bikes.

Brose dropped the new Drive S Mag, a magnesium update to their previous Drive S that both increases power while reducing weight, and Shimano showed off their new STEPS E7000 motor, designed for recreational riding.
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It seems like every week there’s a new electric bicycle company or model being announced. With so many different options available for consumers, it can be hard to keep track of which companies are which.

Fortunately, a few names stick out as having been around the block a few times. And when it comes to old school electric bicycle companies, Optibike definitely fits the bill. Founded in 1998, Optibike has been building high performance electric bicycles for trail riding and racing for 20 years. And in true old dog, new trick style, the company has released their latest offering which sets out to redefine what it means to be a high performance electric bicycle.
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Remember when you were a kid on those hot summer days and suddenly the jingle from an ice cream truck came winding around the corner? There were very few things more exciting than that surprise ice cream truck rolling down the block, chased by a pack of eager kids.

Now those kids are all grown up and some of them have realized that they could do the same thing, minus the truck. As it turns out, an electric bicycle works even better and can be much more profitable with a smaller startup cost. A growing number of inspiring entrepreneurs are now opening micro-businesses (small one or two-person commercial operations) based on electric cargo bicycles.
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Electric bicycles have consistently proven to be one of the best methods of navigating urban environments, especially when compared against other alternatives for city commuting.

NYC appears to agree, and will be relying on them to help commuters cope with the temporary closure of a section of the city’s subway system early next year.
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We’re proud to announce Electrek is sponsoring the American Solar Challenge this year. The 2018 event (PDF Flyer), which begins next weekend, will see racers take their Solar-powered “cars” from Omaha, Nebraska to Bend, Oregon loosely through the Oregon Trail. I use quotes because to get the Wh/mile equation on these vehicles to within what’s possible with a car footprint solar array, you’ll essentially need 4-wheeled electric bicycles.

The American Solar Challenge (ASC) is a multi-day, 1,500-2,000 mile cross-country endurance rally across North America. The event is typically held every other year during the summer and is open to collegiate level solar car teams from countries all over the world. The routes have varied greatly over the course of the event’s rich history, but they are always designed to provide teams with a great opportunity to demonstrate their solar cars under real world driving conditions and thoroughly test the reliability of all onboard systems.

This year is a bit more interesting also in that they are now racing a cruiser class which will act and look a lot more like traditional road vehicles…

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The “last mile” problem is one that cities have been trying to solve for decades. While it is fairly easy to get to most cities, getting around that last mile to your final destination is often anything but simple. On the other end of the trip, “first miles” often have the same issue. How do you get from your home or apartment to the closest bus stop or train station that will take you to work?

That responsibility has often fallen on smaller one-person forms of electric transportation, also known as personal electric vehicles (PEVs). These can be anything from electric bicycles to electric scooters and electric skateboards. Basically anything small, quick and convenient to move someone around a crowded urban environment.

In an effort to determine which of these PEVs is the best option for urban commuting, I spent the last two weeks commuting entirely by personal electric vehicle, and now I want to share my experiences to help you determine how best to get around your city. Read on to see what I learned.
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The Los Angeles Police Department is no stranger to incorporating electric vehicles into their motor pool. Back in 2015, they made a big deal out of announcing that they were using a Tesla Model S and leasing 100 additional battery electric vehicles (BEVs), mostly BMW i3s. They also announced that they had purchased 23 electric scooters and 3 electric motorcycles. And that was in addition to the Zero electric motorcycles already in the LAPD inventory which can travel 178 miles (286 km) and at speeds up to 98 mph (158 km/h).

Now the LAPD is making the jump to electric drive for the bicycle-mounted officers too, with a purchase of 20 tactical electric bicycles.
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The Chinese company Xiaomi has an impressive line of affordable products, ranging from consumer electronics to sofas. They are no strangers to personal electric vehicles either, having produced a very popular electric bicycle as well as an equally popular electric scooter.

And now they are doubling down even further on affordability with their newest electric bicycle, the 1,699 yuan ($261) Himo electric bike.
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Electric bicycles are a lot of things, from convenient commuter vehicles to fun recreational rides. But one word rarely used to describe e-bikes is ‘inexpensive’.

And now thanks to a new tariff plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, even the most affordable electric bicycles from China will be slapped with higher price tags.
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• 2018 E-JOE EPIK SE Sport Edition Electric Folding Bike 500-700W/48V – under $1500
• 50lb foldable bike with enormous range and power, 2x competitors or more
• Includes premium components: oversized 180mm disc brakes, lights, rack
• Downsides: soft front suspension, sticky throttle, too much speed

Folding bikes are a curiosity for most. They imply that they need to be packed up whether on a plane, train or automobile (or boat, RV etc.). They are great for commuters in their last miles and if you live far from a rideable habitat, they are great companions. A foldable bike allows you to forego that air resistant bike rack on the back or top of the car. But they do have their downsides. They aren’t great for long distances, their often small wheels and multiple piece frames aren’t great for long trips and they are more heavy and complex than equivalent traditional bikes. Also, you often ride higher and less aerodynamically because of the different geometry.

Electrified folding bikes are no different. While the battery and motor add significant weight to the equation, they also obviously add propulsion that helps get you to speed on hills and from a stop. There are a ton of these which have 200 or so watt motors and about 10 miles of range. Usually they start at around $1000.

The 2018 E-JOE EPIK SE takes this idea and nukes it with a 48V 500W or 700W burst rear brushless geared hub motor and 500Wh battery, both of which are at least double the standard you see on typical foldable ebikes. Even better, it looks and feels like a mild-mannered foldable bike that no one would suspect hides a moped level turbo boost. Let’s dive into this…
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When it comes to electric transportation, it’s hard to beat an electric bicycle on efficiency. They are lightweight, narrow and can cram batteries in the negative space of standard bike frames. But one Danish startup appears to have gone even further, and all they had to do was lay down.

Engineer and designer Lars Oksbjerre built the VELOKS MK3, a full suspension electric recumbent tricycle that has a range of 660 km (410 mi).
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Electric bicycles are becoming increasingly popular forms of two-wheeled electric transportation for both commuting and pleasure riding. The two most common electric motor styles used in today’s electric bicycles are hub motors and mid-drive motors. Which one is best for your needs? Read on to learn more and find out!
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