Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Electric Vehicles Get You Going



How far do you travel to work? Less than three miles? Three to six miles? Seven to twelve miles? Or more than twelve miles? Imagine the amount of gas you consume every day, or how much money you spent on buses and trains just to get to work. This is somewhat costly, if you're working in a small company with a base salary, how much of your pay goes to your personal needs, and how much goes to your transportation?What if you were given an option to go to work without spending anything? No need to commute or pay for gas. Just an easy, fun rides to work every day. If you have that option will you seize it? 

An electric vehicle is a vehicle powered by a motor with lithium batteries. These vehicles were devised to maintain energy, eliminate pollution and save on petrol gas. There are several electric vehicles that went out in the grocery store, but only a few were really supported by the masses. Electric cars were too expensive and costly to maintain. The scooter is cute but has issues with the batteries. The most popular electric vehicle that everyone likes is the e bike. Besides its simplicity, an e bike is not expensive. Its price if the purchase is reasonable, considering the big saving on petrol it brings. 

An electric vehicle like an e bike is earth friendly, affordable and easy to assemble. If you don't have a budget on buying a new e bike, you can convert your old bike to an electric vehicle. There are many conversion kits available in the market. An e bike is easy to install. All you need to do is find a durable bike, add a motor and lithium batteries, then you're ready to proceed. You can check out some video tutorial on how to change your regular bike to an e bike to popular video sites. If you have $400, you can actually buy a decent electric vehicle like an e bike which you can use to work or school everyday. 

If you can only imagine how wonderful saving you get out of an e bike than commuting. You get to practice your body every day, no need to buy petrol gas, no more hassle commuting via buses and trains, or even cars. Plus you get to cross and pass traffic jams without a sweat. You get to come to work early making you productive. Your boss or business partner will be delighted. What you always need to remember when using an e bike is to charge the battery to its allotted time, take good care of your batteries to prolong its shelf life. Always clean your electric vehicle, hang it if you're not using your e bike and turn on the battery even if you haven't used it for 3 days. That way, it wouldn't accumulate molds which can reduce its shelf life. High quality lithium batteries can last up to 2-3 years if taken proper care.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Tips in Choosing an E Bicycle



Are you looking for an alternative inner city travel with less impact to the environment than your big V8 car? Then E bicycles are for you! These types of bicycles are now becoming very popular because of the number of benefits that it brings not only for the riders but also for the environment. As such, many manufacturers and suppliers have sprout for in and out of the corner giving you the luxury to have a wide variety of options.


However, the sheer number of manufacturers and suppliers not only gives you options but at times will also give you a hard time which E bicycle to go for. To help you decide which is the best for you here are some nifty tips that you will find handy in shopping for an E bicycle.

Price point – Obviously one of the most important determining factors would be the price. These types of bikes range from a couple of hundred bucks to a couple of thousand bucks. Be sure that you compare the price between suppliers and try your best to understand what you will be getting out of your money. Like any other purchases it is the value for money that is important. It is handy to create a spreadsheet of the different make and models that you are eyeing on and list down all the benefits of make and model and select the one with the most number of yes.

Warranty – Like in purchasing a car, warranty is very important it is advisable to go for the supplier that offers the longest and most comprehensive warranty schemes to get rid of worries. If the supplier offers an extended warranty it is advisable to drop a few more bucks for this.

The power train – Try to get answers for these questions, what is the electrical motor like? How much power it produces? What is the energy consumption per mile? You also need to check the battery pack included, its range, charging type and lifespan. 

Safety – Blatantly safety is very important in any vehicle thus you need to check the quality of brakes that is used with E bicycle, the type of tires, the suspension and the safety gears that is included like helmets, knee and elbow pads.

Convenience – Some bikes are very light weight allowing you easily load it in your truck and some are foldable so it can fit in your minivan and so on. Choose the one that best suits your situation and your needs.

The bottom line is that you choose the unit that best suits your needs, the things you intend to use it for and more importantly the value that you will get for your money.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Electric Vehicles - Then and Now



Ever since the electric vehicles were invented, keeping its batteries running has been a challenge. In 1828, a small scale model car powered by an electric motor was designed by a Hungarian inventor Anyos Jedlik. But it was in 1842 when Thomas Devenport and Scotsmen Robert Davidson invented the very first successful electric road vehicle.  At that time, they used non-rechargeable batteries that drain easily. In 1865, they met a Frenchmen Gaston Plante, which introduced to them his invention, a better storage battery. Even then they realized that a better storage battery is needed for electric vehicles to work and be considered practical.

After that numerous invention was introduced, different designs of electric vehicles were used by the masses and some of those are the ones were still using up these days.  In the 90's, the rising sale of an electric bike has made it to the news. People got curious of this new invention and wanted to give it a try. These electric vehicles are affordable and will easily be acquired by people. True enough in 1998, 200 units of electric bikes were sold and is continuously making it up to today. It is said that by 2020, 200 million electric bikes will be sold and used, that some government in different countries are finding ways on how to plan a respected area for these electric vehicles. 

As the years have passed, people are getting more realistic and mature as their preferences may it be food or transportation. The number one factor why people choose electric vehicles is because of its affordability and low maintenance. An e bike is an electric vehicle with affordable parts. It has reached its market potential making almost all spare parts available for everyone. China has the biggest manufacturer of rechargeable bike parts. Some are even exported to other countries such as the UK and Australia, places which known to have a big population of e bike users. 

Although China is known to produce good quality products, it is all known to “re-produce”. So make sure that all parts you purchased has passed the quality control. Look for markings of authenticity and check the quality of materials used as well. There are several government agency that handles all imported and exported products, checking all items and manufacturers and making sure that it passed all the standard guidelines. Every trade and industry department of whichever country should have a list of things to look out for in buying electric bike parts. It is still best advised to purchase only at reputable bike shops and manufacturers. Remember that this is something that you’ll be riding everyday and your safety and life and whoever uses that electric vehicle depends on it.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Things to watch out for in buying an Electric Bike



With the rising prices of almost everything, people will always find ways on how to save money. The continuous Oil price hike has left commuters to look for solutions as to how can they reach their destination without overspending. 

Others choose to just ride a bus or train, but let's face it, sometimes we don’t get to our destination on time especially in peak hours were in more passengers are waiting for the public bus and trains to arrive. It is totally expensive to get a cab too, which is why more people are thinking of using a bicycle as a form of transportation. 

Back in the days, the invention of the bicycle was an answer to commuters prayer. This has become their form of transportation especially to those who work as a delivery boy or messenger. But as the year progresses, the use of the bicycle has changed. From a basic form of transportation to just a simple bicycle which we use when we are bored. The birth of motorcycles and cars has changed the way people look at bicycles. Except for places like in Asia from where they use bicycles to virtually anything even up to this day. Just as we all thought that the bicycle is just a form of exercise, it's when electric bike was developed. 

Electric bikes are usually bicycles ran by a motor. So it’s a battery operated bicycle invented for the ease of use and to be able to climb uphill even with a heavy package, without having to use all your energy in pedaling. Instead, you have an option to just use the motor on this electric bike to smoothly climb uphill. These bikes are wonderful and easy to use, but you have to be careful in choosing the right materials if you plan to set up an electric bike or if you plan on buying one. Watch out for counterfeits. 

There are several bicycle body parts that are imported from China which is said to be low quality. Make sure to check what you purchase. Check if there’s a warranty, look for authenticity sticker and make sure that the electric bike you are purchasing has passed the consumer advisers in whichever country or state you're from. The battery is said to be the Achilles heel of these motor vehicles. So make sure that the batteries used are of high quality and longer to discharge. Check if all gauges work. Don’t be afraid to give it a test run, and lastly be sure that your comfortable in riding one to avoid accidents while riding these electric bikes.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Fun facts on E bikes



If you want to avoid a sweaty bicycle ride, why don’t you convert your old bicycle to an Electric bicycle? Recycle a bicycle! Isn’t it a great idea? An easy uphill ride with a converted e bike. But before you think about converting your old bike, check out these fun facts about e bikes.

  
The Beginning: 

E Bikes was first seen in 1970's during the energy crisis. In 1990's e bike was gaining more notice, by that time they use hub motors to activate the pedal power.

In 2005, E bikes are gaining its popularity. An estimated 100,000 units were sold nationwide.
It then again was said to have reached 200,000 units sold in 2009. A whopping 100,000 e bikes sold in a span of 4 years. 

The E Bike Fun Facts:

Including energy cost, purchase price and expenses on running the vehicle, an estimated total cost per mile of an e bike is less than 5 cents compared to a car's 71 cents. This is according to NY times.
An E bike can run up to 20 to 50 miles on a battery charge; can even go higher up to 60 to 70 miles depending on battery used.

  • An average of 25 gallons of fuel is saved for every 500 miles an e bike is used in place of a car.
  • 3.42 pounds of hydrocarbon, 25.28 pounds of carbon monoxide and 1.77 pounds of nitrogen oxide was prevented to cause pollution, in every 500 miles an e bike is used in place of a car. Wow!
  • The e bike's energy consumption in terms of fuel economy converts into about 1000 miles per gallon.
  • More errands at a 10 mile range from home were done using these e bikes.
  • E bike batteries can be charged by plugging into an electrical outlet or by pedaling.
  • An average e bike can go up to 20miles per hour.
  • And lastly avoiding just 10 miles of driving per week can eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

See? There are more than a hundred ways we can benefit out of an e bike. This is one vehicle that is slowly gaining popularity due to more people are more conscious of their health, conscious of the amount of money spent and the awareness of helping solve the pollution problem all over the world.

By using an e bike we are taking a step in helping clean the environment and once again making it a 
habitable place for our children’s future.