The e-bike
A South African company called Adequate Energy has developed an e-bike. This is basically a normal bicycle that is powered by a brushless and gearless electric motor driven by a sealed lead acid battery.
The motor can drive the e-bike without any input from the rider, or it can provide assistance to the rider while pedalling. It has a range of 22-25km unassisted, and about 30-45km assisted. Its maximum speed is 32 km/h.
Some interesting facts in their e-bike FAQ with regards to energy consumption:
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Isn’t cycling a cleaner form of travel?
While we would never say “Don’t cycle”, US studies have shown that ebikes are more efficient than cycling, because of the transport used to get food to humans. Even the power used to charge batteries, is both a hundredfold less than motor vehicles, and power stations are actually far more efficient and cleaner burning per unit of power than motor vehicles.Cycling is a great option but not always practical in a hilly or windy environment.
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What does it actually cost to travel with an ebike?
Presently, if you take an average car to use 8 liters per 100km at R6 per liter, add in maintenance, the cost per km (not including the capital of the car) is R70 per 100 km (R50 per 100 km fuel, R20 per 100 km maintenance). If you depreciate your car you could double this but let’s not go there.A motor bike, which is extremely efficient will cost about R 23 per 100km including maintenance (and not including depreciation).
An ebike will cost you about R 0.38 per 100 km and if you include the battery replacement cost, another R4 per 100km.
If you happened to cycle, it would feel as if you are cycling down a gentle hill and mileage would increase per charge to 50 km.
Barring the fact that everything on an ebike is easily recyclable (including the batteries), the ebike has been shown by a number of studies to be the most environmentally friendly mode of transport available. Remember the electricity used in a charge is less than the equivalent of leaving one light on for 6 hours, and has been scientifically proven (by the University of ???) to be even more efficient and environmentally friendly than if you rode to work in the old fashioned way.
Furthermore, on the same road, 8 times more people can travel per hour using bicycles than using convention transport (cars taking an average 2 people – Sydney study), even taking into account speed differences. Congestion would dramatically decrease if more people used the bike.
Now ebikes are not the complete answer to transport for many people, but if you live with 25 km of work or struggle to cycle up hills, they are probably as quick as a car in today’s traffic.
Finally, ebike users tend to find that because they are powered, traveling on roads suddenly becomes a lot easier. Cycling on these ebikes is still active and healthy, but now no longer strenuous. Now all we need to do is convince authorities to have bicycle tracks and ebikes would be the complete solution to sub 25km travel.
E-bikes come as complete units (bicycle and motor & battery) or as add-on kits for your existing bicycle. I’m sorely tempted to get one of these puppies.
Adequate Energy also manufacture hydro-electric and wind power units. They are also trying to introduce an electric scooter into South Africa, but due to current legislation, these are currently illegal here.
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Comments
[…] great reason to go out and get an e-bike: you can become one of The Cyclists - “the intermediate stage between humans and pure […]
[…] South Africa’s own e-Bike from Adequate Energy which runs on lead acid batteries, all eZee bikes run off Lithium manganese […]
Just to say that I bought the Ebike conversion kit from Adequate Energy and I have been very satified with the results.
Just a pity that you do not sell Conversion kits as well also you product is very impressive but VERY EXPENSIVE
Hi Rob. A good friend of mine has the Adequate Energy bike and he’s very happy with it too. I think I need to clarify that I’m not affiliated with eZee Bikes SA, so they’re not “my products”.
Hi there,
I think the e-bike(electric scooter) will be the next best thing for South Africa.
I live in Wuxi, China where most of these e-bikes/electric scooters are being manufactured. There are literally hundreds of these e-bikes on the roads and they are very efficient for daily use.
Maybe someone will see the effectiveness of these e-bikes and start to import them in order to save the environment.
Wuxi is also known as “Scooter City” because of all the manufacturing plants here.
Regards
Gawie Liebenberg
South African living in China
That’s pretty cool.
It’s a pity I have to travel about 60km’s per day. As the article says, it’s ideal for short distance (city) travel.