Electric Bicycles

Last updated 2008.07.23

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We don't sell electric bicycles. We continue to provide unbiased information about the electric bike because we feel they are a superior urban transportation solution for many applications, notably commuting. For a list of electric bike suppliers (complete bikes, kits and components), please see the listing at the bottom of this page or the advertisements to the right. (We do sell Soneil battery chargers, some of which are ideal as chargers for electric bike batteries as they are small, lightweight, intelligent and affordable.)

Electric bicycle, moped, scooter and motorcycle producers seem to appear and disappear more frequently than the producers of larger vehicles, probably because start-up costs are relatively low, but market penetration is difficult, especially in North America for such vehicles. Therefore, this page will probably be continuously out of date, no matter how often I update it. Any additions, corrections and contributions are always welcome.

There are several typical configurations for adding electric assist to a bicycle.
- the hub motor - there are front wheel and rear wheel versions, brushed and brushless motors
- the friction drive unit - where the motor turns a roller that rubs on the tire or rim to turn the wheel
- the chain driver - which drives the power chain as the pedals would

Each approach has advantages and disadvantages. The friction drive is simple and usually inexpensive to implement, but typically leads to accelerated tire wear and is less efficient than the other modes, especially in wet road conditions. Some systems tried to overcome the slippage issue by "clamping" two power rollers on either side of the tire, which added complexity and cost, and changed the wear (engagement) area from the tread to the sidewalls of the tire. The hub motors are typically expensive, but are clean to implement, and in the case of the front-hub designs provide an effective (if a bit odd) all-wheel-drive capability to the bicycle. The chain-drive systems typically force the pedals to keep rotating, even if the rider doesn't wish to be supplying drive power.

There are a couple of primary control philosophies for the electric bike as well:
- the manual control, usually implemented with a switch and throttle control - the automatic systems which sense pressure on the pedals and supply assist accordingly - hybrids of the two

In any case, the basic recipe comes down to this:
1) take a bicycle
2) add an electric motor of your choosing (I have seen power drills, power saws and other interesting choices made here in the name of frugality)
3) find a way to transfer power from the motor to the bicycle wheel, and
4) add batteries and a means of controlling the amount of power being supplied from the battery.

Some care should be taken in the selection, mixing and cooking (preferably none) of your ingredients.

When I started this page for e-bikes back in 2000, the electric bike was a rarity and we had to campaign for its acceptance. In fact, in my home province of Ontario, they were actually illegal. However, electric bikes are going mainstream now, and interest in them is very high in the summer of 2008 with gasoline prices seeming to go up like a rocket. It seems like our original purpose for this page (acceptance of electric bicycles as a viable mode of urban transportation that is efficient, compact, and environmentally benign [lower greenhouse gas emissions than a cyclist that is pedaling - if the electricity comes from a green source]) has been accomplished. We will keep this page up, and update it occasionally, but our focus will likely now shift to projects that have not yet achieved this degree of success. My thanks to all of you that have worked on this issue and bought and use electric bikes and made them yet another electric vehicle success story.

My son is currently commuting with our operable electric bicycle, which is a hybrid bike fitted with a Crystalite hub motor and controller, 36 volts of 7-Ah sealed lead-acid batteries and a Soneil 3605S battery charger (recently replacing the original 3602S to speed up recharging time at work).

Our electric bike (Crystalite hub motor in front wheel)

One concern I do have about the recent and seemingly sudden success of e-bikes in North America is the number of low-quality units being imported to meet the surge in demand. In particular, I see a lot of chargers that do not carry a UL or CSA certification, and I worry that the frames used are from conventional low-cost bike lines and that they are not meant to carry the additional weight of motor, batteries and some of our larger North American riders. If your charger does fail or is causing you concern, of course we would love to sell you a replacement charger.

Several provinces have removed the provincial sales tax from electric bikes (e.g., British Columbia, Ontario). Check to see if sales tax exemptions apply where you live.

Batteries for electric-assist bicycles
As of the summer of 2008, the sealed lead-acid "brick" still remains the best value for the money in terms of watt-hours stored per dollar. Nickel-metal-hydride batteries are about half the weight and bulk for the same capacity, but so far tend not to come in convenient capacities or form factors, and are typically priced at 3-4 times as much for the same amount of electricity stored. There are several lithium-based technologies on the market, and some e-bike manufacturers have begun to supply lithium-ion batteries as an option, and the light weight of the packs is a definite positive feature. The recall of some early lithium e-bike batteries still tends to make some people cautious. Pricing of 4 times and more of the equivalent capacity in lead-acid is also a barrier to acquisition.

Update!! Ontario Campaign Successful!! (October 4, 2006)

The Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa's campaign has been successful! On October 4, 2006 Ontario Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Donna Cansfield announced a pilot program which allows the use of electric-assist bicycles on Ontario roads, by individuals 16 years of age or older, and wearing a bicycle helmet. You may see the government announcement here. More information at the EVCO Electric Bike Campaign webpage.

As of the summer of 2008, there is no word on the status of the pilot project, but with gasoline prices at historic high levels, e-bike sales are said to be growing.

Bicycles are a wonderful form of transportation. They are quiet, require limited material resources to produce, are relatively inexpensive, take up little space on roadways and parking lots, do not pollute, they provide the rider with exercise. They do have some drawbacks, even in suitable climates. The rider is often sweating from exertion at the end of the ride, and some people are not physically capable of powering a bicycle unaided up hills or for long distances. Over the years, there have been several power-assist units developed, including mopeds and gasoline-powered add-on friction drives. There have also been electric assist drives developed. In general, electric power for bicycles has been in the form of power-assist units, not a total replacement for the human-power component. This is more for legal reasons (vehicle is still considered a bicycle, not a moped or motorcycle, and is exempt from licensing and insurance requirements in most jurisdictions) than practical reasons (you can pedal home if the battery becomes totally discharged).

Possible sources of electric bicycles or add-on power-assist units include the following. I have not contacted most of these firms and am not familiar with the majority of their products. Several have contacted us to be included in this list. I hope this list is helpful in your search for personal electric transportation.
Acclivity Solutions provides and installs electric bike kits and components from multiple vendors. They provided our Crystalite motor and controller (we were one of their first customers).
ChargerElectric Bicycles produce a custom-built bike with electric-assist capability - this is not an add-on kit. The original company has stopped production, but the bikes and parts are now available through Electroportal.
Carmichael Cycle offers a line of scooter-style electric bikes, based in Toronto.
Convergence Tech offers the PedElec humam/electric hybrid bicycle and the no-pedals Slipstream electric bicycle.
Currie Technologies Inc. produces electric drive packages for 2-wheel, 3-wheel and 4-wheel bicycles under the U.S. Pro Drive label.
Currie Technologies - Australia carries the Currie line in Australia, and has links to other EV topics.
Daymak is based in Toronto, and carries a line of imported electric bikes (and some other small EVs).
Denali Cycles produces an EMX bike.
Eco-Brand Exim International Co., Ltd produces a line of electric bicycles, including a folding model.
eGO Vehicles are the producer of the eGO Cycle.
Electric Transportation Company (ETC) produces the Express electric assist kit and the Traveller portable (folding) electric bicycle.
Elebike International, Inc. produces an electric bicycle using a hub motor on the front wheel and human-power chain drive to the rear wheel, with a choice of three different types of batteries.
Electric Transportation Solutions carries a range of electric bikes.
Electric Vehicles Northwest carries a number of electric bicycles and broad expertise for servicing e-bikes.
Electric Wheels International is based in San Jose, CA and carry the Merida and ETC lines. They appear to be co-located with ETC.
Electrik Motion carries several lines of electric bikes.
The EV Rider is a series of electric-assisted bicycles that were introduced at EVS-14 in December, 1997. The line includes a scooter, a fairly conventional bicycle, a 3-wheeler and a police/security version of the bicycle. The company is based in Florida.
EV Global Motors are the producers of the E-bike, but probably best known for having Lee Iococca associated with them (after his conversion to clean-air technology, after his involvement with Ford and Chrysler).
Groov-E-Skootz has a couple of electric bicycles available.
Heinzmann electric bikes (and parts, such as the hub motor) are now handled by Kinetics-Online.
Omni Instruments produces the EROS electric-bicycle assist unit.
The PT50 is an all-electric pusher trailer for bicycles produced in Canada.
Soneil produces a line of small, lightweight, intelligent and affordable chargers for lead-acid batteries that are well-suited for mobile use on small electric vehicles such as electric bicycles.
Aerolope is an enclosed bicycle that offers an electric assist package as an option.
Electric Battery Bicycle Company at (813)566-1833.
Chronos at (800)989-4766.
Homebuilt electric bicycle projects are the main focus at the Homebuilt Recreational EV Design Showcase.
Based in Thailand, EV Thai produces the Wello electric bicycle and Lynx electric scooter.
Peter Vanderwal documents his building an electric bike.
Zapworld has electric bikes amongst its offerings.

University of British Columbia Electric Bicycle Club

There is an Internet discussion list for power-assisted bicycles.

Electric-bikes.com is another good page for a general survey of electric bicycles and other light electric vehicles.

While it is hard to keep up with all the manufacturers of complete electric bikes, kits and components that have popped up since 2006, the history dates back a little further than that. Here are a few examples.

General Engines

In the 1970s, General Engines produced a line of electric power assist units for bicycles and an adult tricycle equipped with an electric assist system.

EV Warrior

Announced with great fanfare in 1995, little has been heard of the EV Warrior since. Although the intention was to sell them through car dealerships, it appears few were sold in North America as of early 1997. Although details are elusive, there may have been legal (patent) problems with the sale of these units. The Los Angeles Times, on Saturday, June 21, 1997, reported that the Electric Bicycle Co. of Burbank filed for U.S. federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February, 1997, and then revised this to a Chapter 7 (liquidation) filing on May 23, 1997. Electric Bicycle Co. is the company set up by Malcolm Bricklin to produce and sell the EV Warrior. Reports in September 1997 indicated that the company was officially declared bankrupt and dissolved.

Sanyo

I have not yet seen this vehicle, or any confirmation of this announcement, but Sanyo is reported to be producing a bicycle with electric assist called the CY50. The same report states the bicycle has been on sale in Japan since 1995. Procycle is expected to market a private label version in Canada as the Mikado. The CY50 weighs approximately 48 pounds (including the drive system and battery), and is expected to retail for about CDN$1,300. It does not have a regenerative charging capability. Sanyo was one of the investors in Bricklin's Electric Bicycle Co. that marketed the EV Warrior. For more information, contact Sanyo Canada Inc., 50 Beth Nealson Rd.,Toronto ON, Voice:(416)421-8344, Fax:(416)421-5878. It seems that Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha also produce electric bicycles for sale in Japan.

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