What Are Electric Power Bicycles?

There are many names given to this new form of transport... electric power bicycles, e-bikes, electric assisted bicycle, or just the simple electric bicycle. Despite this confusion, one thing stands true above all, electric bikes are fantastic! Here is why...

What They Really Are...

Electric power bicycles are bicycles that have an electric motor and a battery attached. These provide the power that can help you up hills and through difficult terrain.

Often a hub motor is used. These are attached to the wheel and are well disguised making the e-bike look like a regular bike.

Electric powered bikes can reach speeds of up to 15 to 20mph, depending on what the regulations require. Off-road e-bikes are able to reach much greater speeds.

You can find the fastest e-bike here if you're interested.

The electric bicycle battery will provide power that can last many miles, with many offering a range of 20-30 miles on just one charge. It is also easy to charge the battery from a socket in your home by using the charger provided.

It will only cost you aprox. $5/£3 per year to fully charge your electric powered bicycle on a regular basis.

You should aim to recharge your battery as often as possible, unless it's a deep cycle battery that is made to run until it's discharged. Keeping your battery topped up will give it a longer life. Many electric bicycle batteries come with over a one year guarantee.

Toshiba have recently invested $223 Million on developing battery technology for electric power bikes. You can find more on this and battery information here.

What's The Difference Between A Pedelec And E-bike?

There are two types of electric powered bicycles:

Pedelec: These are most popular in Europe due to law. The pedelec has a pedal sensor that will cut the power if you're not pedaling. That way you're only ever being assisted by the power. If you're more interested in getting fit, the pedelec would be a good option for you.

E-bike: These allow you to choose how much power you want and when. Many e-bikes use a throttle for this. So this way you can cycle without the power like a regular bicycle, you can go half and half, or you can let the motor do all the work for you! The e-bike is the more popular option in the US.

Although these machines sound quite simple, it is extremely difficult to create the perfect electric powered bicycle! Even big name manufacturers have struggled to create a very good electric bike.

• Charges quickly,
• Is good value for money,
• Is light, robust and able to handle well,
• Comfortable and effective at climbing hills (good gears),
• With the battery offering a long range on one full charge, with a good guarantee.

However everyone's preferences are different. Reading our tips on electric power bicycles could save you a lot of money, and hastle. You can find them here.

Why Buy An Electric Bicycle?

A big plus is that you can drive electric power bicycles on the road without having to pay tax, petrol, or insurance, and there is no licence required! You can read our list of great benefits, but also the problems with electric bikes here.

We at E.B.K truly believe that electric bikes are the best form of transport for most commutes. Here is why...

58% of journeys to work are under 11 miles. E-bikes can achieve that and the return journey easy.

And only 10% of journeys are greater than 31 miles.

What does this show? This shows that most people can travel using electric power bicycles... which will save you significant money, increase your fitness and help the environment.

A large amount of interest comes from all age groups, but most interest comes from middle aged men.

Are you a boomer looking to improve fitness? Find your boomers guide to fun and fitness through cycling at Bicycle Riding For Boomers.

Electric Bicycle Sales Increase Continues!

Now that electric bikes have moved on from the early days of heavy and unreliable machines, more and more people around the world are buying electric power bicycles. It confirms that electric bikes are now a great form of transport, thanks to improved technology.

It seems that e-bikes are one of few things that are recession proof.

Europe has seen a huge increase in sales with Holland leading the way, reporting over 100,000 units sold in 2007. However China lead the way by a huge margin, selling 10 million in 2005.

Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US are also starting to see huge increases in sales. The US are set to double sales from 100,000 to 200,000 in one year. Considering this is a new form of transport, these figures are well beyond expectations.

When Buying Electric Power Bicycles...

Prices for a decent electric bike start from around $500 (£350). The average price varies in different countries. In Holland they are willing to buy quality at prices around $2,000 (£1,400). Whereas in the UK they spend closer to the $650 (£450) mark.

But you can only spend what you can afford. There are good electric power bicycles at price ranges starting from around $600 (£400).

The prices may sound expensive at first, but for what you are getting, they are well worth the investment.

You can find our list of pros and cons here.

Buying electric powered bicycles is the same as buying a car. There are good and bad models, plus those that are worth their price, and those that are not. But, unlike cars, few truly know what electric bikes are actually good or bad.

However our knowledge will find you the best value for money electric bicycles out there.

Enjoy this and want to find more?

If you already own a bike, you can convert it to an electric bicycle with a hub motor kit.

Find the best hub motor kit here, the Nano Brompton.

Or you could return to the homepage by leaving our electric power bicycles page here.