If you do not want your e-bike battery look like this...

   If you do not want your batteries look like in the picture above, here's my personal humble piece of advice that works with any charger. Just to be on the safe side after one morning I've found my battery almost "red hot" (but luckily not melted, swollen and fused together) I've got the idea to use a regular cheap mechanical cyclic timer along with the chargers I plug in the timer. I set the timer to turn OFF and ON every 15 minutes, so the batteries and chargers have time to cool down and chargers detect the charging state of the battery better when just turned ON as I've noticed after dealing with about a dozen of  different chargers for the last 5 years of e-biking.

   This way chargers do not have a chance to get stuck in the ON state charging indefinitely until the battery melts. Besides, since the timer is 24 hours while only approximately 6 to 8 hours is needed for a complete charging of the battery, you can set up additional 3 or 4 zones or charging modes for your battery like extended charging periods or extend the cooling time. If that sounds too complicated or too "techie" to you, you can always order the right timer already setup for all these modes just by letting me know that you need one, pay by PayPal or e-mail and get it soon by a regular mail or UPS or you can purchase it thru E-bay if  it is more convenient or preferable way for you.

   You can find timers anywhere, even in dollar store these days, but make sure they are mechanical, cyclic and are able to switch as often as every 15 minutes to make sure your charger doesn't get too much rest during the night shift :-). Usually cheap timers are able to switch ON and OFF only every 30 minutes, so those with better 15 min timing resolution are a bit harder to find, but not too hard. I picked one from Walmart for 20 bucks or so which comes with the power bar, so you should find one like those easy as well.  So, that's just my two cents in preventing battery melting - the cheap and easiest way (at least until you're rich enough to afford a better charger that does not melt any batteries at all :-) Obviously aforementioned method is just a preventive measure, it is not a panacea to prevent overcharging. After all there are also just plain faulty batteries with shorted cells and so on, so keep an eye even with timer on your charger and battery as often as possible. But panacea or universal and foolproof method of preventing battery melting actually does exist. That would be a thermal shutdown protection, which turns off the charger as soon as the battery temperature reaches the certain temperature threshold like let's say 40C. I'm going to look for this sort of solution, so stay tuned and visit my blog or sign up for updates.  

   And if you find a better solution or even cheaper 15 minutes timers here in Toronto, let all the readers here know posting down bellow your findings in the comments. That would be your two cents :-) Thank you in advance!

Lubo Ebiker.

If you can ride a bike, you can ride an ebike

Retwitting good news from Niagara! :-)

   

If you can ride a bike,
you can ride an ebike!
  

By Penny Coles

   

 

   Billy Lake is not only getting around town a little easier, he is having a blast while he's at it. The Shaw Festival actor has never driven a car or had a driver's licence, so he is accustomed to relying on a bicycle for transportation. But he recently discovered ebikes, and now can not only get around town but to Niagara Falls or St. Catharines without arriving exhausted and sweaty, he says. "All my friends want to borrow it," he says, "but that's not happening." He's having too much fun with it himself. "There's no gas to worry about, no parking problems, no registration and no hassle. And I can go to work in style."

 

   An ebike is powered by a battery, can go up to 32 kilometres an hour, is more eco-friendly than a car, and no licence or insurance is required. If you can ride a bicycle, you can ride an ebike, assures ESkoot owner Colin Telfer—rent one to tour around town in style, or if you want an alternative way to get to work, you can purchase one. You've likely seen a few locals scooting to an afternoon Shaw performance or on errands around town, he says. "I expected rentals would be the majority of our business, but so far it's been sales to residents. Some are seniors who are using it instead of a second car, and some people just like the convenience of not having to look for a parking space." There are no gears to worry about and no clutch—it's almost like driving a golf cart, except that it requires the same balance as riding a bike. It takes just seconds to get used to it, says Lake.

 

   "I was a little nervous at first, but it is really very easy to ride—easier than a bicycle, because you don't have to pedal. I think it took all of five seconds to figure it out."

The smallest of the models, which sell for less than $900, look like a bike with a battery, while the larger models, all EMMO brands, go for up to $1,595 and look more like a scooter.

They can be pedalled for a short distance in an emergency, but they're heavy - you wouldn't want to go too far, says Telfer. A gauge on the bike gives lots of warning if the charge is running out, he explains, so there won't be any unwelcome surprises.
   

   You can go 40 to 70 kilometres on one charge, depending on your weight and the terrain, he says. And if you compare the cost of recharging to the price of fuel, it would be the equivalent of getting about 600 miles per gallon at today's fuel prices. It costs about 35 cents to recharge and takes six to seven hours, says Telfer. And you can enjoy our local bike paths—Ontario laws treat ebikes as they would a traditional bike, although pedestrians like to be warned when one is passing—they are just as quiet as a bicycle. "They allow you to travel a lot faster than on a bike, but you can still relax and enjoy the scenery, and even carry on a conversation if there are two of you," Telfer says.

     

   If you're renting one, a security deposit is required, and you're asked to remain within about a 12-kilometre radius of downtown, which will take you to Queenston, Virgil, and most area wineries for visitors on a wine tour. Riders must be 16 or older to rent one, and a helmet will be supplied.

  

For more information call 289-271-0663 or drop in to 376 Mary Street.

 

Cruisin': Electric bicycle combines aerobic exercise, transportation

 By Wayne Risher

• Memphis Commercial Appeal
• Posted October 6, 2010 at midnight

Photos by Greg A. Cooper/The Commercial Appeal
   

Charles McVean rides an Aerobic Cruiser Hybrid Bicycle on High Point Terrace near the Shelby Farms Greenline. McVean, 67, launched development of the Aerobic Cruiser four years ago in hopes of blending fun, exercise and profit.

The leader of the pack is a 67-year-old millionaire who wears a warm-up suit and a smile as broad as a kid with a new toy.
Charles McVean gestures toward a fleet of funny-looking electric bicycles parked nearby and tells his entourage "OK everybody. Let's cruise."
And away goes The Mild Bunch, nine laid-back riders gliding silently down High Point Terrace to East Memphis' new railbed-turned-trail, the Shelby Farms Greenline.

At the head of the column rides McVean, financial whiz and principal in Aerobic Cruiser Hybrid Cycle LLC, a maker of plug-in electric moped bicycles.
The founder and president of McVean Trading and Investments LLC launched development of the Aerobic Cruiser four years ago in hopes of blending fun, exercise and profit.
To hear him tell it, the long, low-slung bicycle with a battery-powered motor between the driver's legs is a cure to what ails Memphis and America.
He believes it can help fight climate change, the obesity epidemic, the foreign trade deficit and a diminished manufacturing base.
McVean's company is assembling the Aerobic Cruiser in Memphis, albeit from mostly foreign-made parts.
"One of our objectives is to be a microcosm of the rebirth of manufacturing in the United States of America," he said.
It's developing a bicycle lifestyle center a few blocks north of the Greenline, in the neighborhood shopping strip where McVean rode his bike as a kid.
Cruiser's Lifestyle Center, 485 High Point Terrace at Philwood, will contain a bicycle service center, Cruiser showroom, convenience store, restaurant and public restrooms. First will come restrooms, opening in November, to provide pit stops for Greenline users.
Thinking big is old hat for McVean. In the 1980s he dropped millions on a proposal for indoor racing featuring hackney ponies ridden by robot jockeys. Six years ago he started the Peer Power Foundation at his alma mater, East High School. It cultivates high achievers to boost performance of their lagging peers.
McVean said he's invested "several million dollars" so far to create his own spin on the electric bicycle, a low-impact conveyance that sells tens of millions of units a year worldwide, primarily in Asia and Europe. His design combines pedal power with electric power so riders can go faster or further, climb hills or take a breather without stopping.
"It has not caught on yet in the USA because nobody has built the right machine," McVean said. "I think this is it."
"It's fun. It's exercise. But most of all, it's serious transportation," he added.
McVean has 12 to 15 people carrying out his vision, which sees Aerobic Cruisers dovetailing with efforts to make Memphis a bicycle haven.
McVean said the ultimate would be a bicycle lane atop the Mississippi River levee from Walls, Miss., to Vicksburg, with a high-speed ferry filling the gap between Walls and Downtown.
Employed by his venture are bicycle mechanics, competitive cyclists and business, retail and restaurant types.
McVean punctuated their cruise from High Point to the Shelby Farms visitor center with comments on marketing, economics and recent articles about the electric vehicle market.
"The Cruiser is a very unique project that's exciting to be a part of," said Jeremy Reese, who started working for McVean four years ago.
The Aerobic Cruiser is pricey: $5,000 for a deluxe model with well-padded semi-recumbent seat and shock-absorbing frame. The top-of-the-line can go 75 to 100 miles on a charge.
McVean's company has built 20 prototypes, outfitted with high-efficiency lithium iron phosphate batteries.
A lower-line model, the Commuter, will sell for less than $2,000. A three-wheeler also will be offered.
Kyle Wagenschutz, bike and pedestrian coordinator for city and county governments, said the Cruiser suits people who want both exercise and transportation out of a bike, but maybe need help covering longer distances.
McVean's plan for the High Point Terrace center is an example of economic activity spurred by the new Greenline, Wagenschutz said.
The trail's opening has been eagerly anticipated by the bicycling public, said Daniel Duckworth, general manager of Midtown Bikes on South Main.
"September was my best month all year," Duckworth said. "In my conversations with customers, it's obvious, whether they're buying new or dragging in something old to refurbish, generally most people have a high interest in utilizing that great asset we now possess."
As for the Aerobic Cruiser, Duckworth said, "The only segment that product will reach is well-to-do boomers."
Duckworth said purists, which covers most bike shop owners , "tend to have a general disdain for the electric bicycle. I embrace it."
He sells a plug-in electric unit for about $1,500 and can put an electric motor on a conventional bike for about $1,000. "Once people hear that price, they shy away."
McVean said he regrets initial prices are so high, due to the cost of batteries and components, but he expects costs to drop as production ramps up. "I hate telling the postman I don't have anything for him," he said.
He plans to target upscale retirement communities such as Johns Island, Fla., and Bay Harbor, Mich. It was on an annual visit to Bay Harbor that he got the idea for the cruiser, after seeing a man drive a plug-in electric car to and from a fitness center workout.
McVean views Memphis as a test market. "We're going to come in here and see if the concept has traction. If it does, we're going national fast."

Rabbi: Electric bike kosher for riding on Shabbat

9/16/2009 8:59:00 PM

A California rabbi has given an electric bicycle his OK for use on Shabbat. In a letter cited in press material, Rabbi Marc Rubenstein of Temple Isaiah in Newport Beach, Calif., states, "This letter is to assure you that the Pedego electric bicycle does not break any Jewish laws regarding work on the Sabbath." He further notes: "There are 39 prohibitions against labor on the Sabbath. The last nine of these are called melakhot. They include prohibitions regarding the releasing and termination of energy flow. Since the Pedego bicycle can be plugged in and left on the on switch at all times until use, the energy current is omnipresent. Therefore, under the strictest of orthodox Jewish law, we are confidently within the realm of the observance of the Sabbath while still using the Pedego bicycle. This bicycle can enable the most religious Jew to travel to his synagogue to pray on the Sabbath." The rabbi acknowledges that some Orthodox Jews might not feel that using the bike is in the "spirit of the law." "They would be completely wrong É . The use of the Pedego bicycle by the Orthodox Jew on the Sabbath falls within the parameters of Jewish law," concluded Rubenstein. Given, however, that Rubenstein was not ordained an Orthodox rabbi and his synagogue is nondenominational, it's unlikely that any Orthodox Jews will accept his ruling. -- compiled with reports from JTA News and Features, The Jerusalem Post and other sources.

Electric Bikes Fight High Gas Prices

Posted on 08 August 2009. Tags: audience, bike shops, bikeshop, billions, cars, e bike, ebikes, Electric Bikes, gas prices, gas station, gaudino, hasn, popularity, stuart florida, traffic, united states
 

 

Stuart, Florida — What driver hasn’t been stuck in traffic, wishing that half the cars on the road would disappear? What driver hasn’t stopped by a gas station to fill ‘er up, only to wince at the sight of the price per gallon.
Electric bikes will feel a need, and entrepreneurs around the country are starting up e-bike shops to sell this relatively new mode of transport. (Ebikes aren’t new, but they are only now gaining popularity in the United States.)
Linda Gaudino is one of these entrepreneurs. She has started an online site to purchase ebikes, the Electric Bikeshop at electricbikeshoponline.com.
“Way cooler than you think, you can ride a bike, they really sell themselves because they’re so cool,” said Gaudino.
The bikes she sells run anywhere from 500 to 1500 dollars.  Online sales have been just as healthy as in store sales.
Gaudino said, “It’s really really neat, there’s an audience of billions online.”

i-MiEV Electric Bikes - Mitsubishi’s mini “green” vehicle

• by Serkan Toto on October 12, 2010

If you’re just remotely interested in electric cars, you will know of i-MiEV, Mitsubishi’s mini “green” vehicle. The i-MiEV has been around for years in Japan (the US will get it in 2011), and now a local retail chain called AEON is offering two e-bikes [JP, PDF] whose design is supposed to resemble said car.
AEON chose white/light green and white/red as the colors, which are also used by Mitsubishi for the i-MiEV. The e-bikes have 20-inch wheels and are powered by a 4Ah lithium-ion (MiEV-branded) battery. Once fully charged (for 2 hours/$0.12), the battery makes it possible to travel about 15km.



AEON already started the bikes in Japan (price: $1,200), but don’t expect them to hit other markets anytime soon.

E. China's Shandong Province Introduces E-bike Subsidy

2010-10-13 19:25:53     Xinhua      Web Editor: Han

Shandong Province is the latest of 10 Chinese provinces to provide a subsidy on rural e-bike purchases, and it was just the incentive Song Yingxue, a farmer in the east China province, needed to buy a 2,410 yuan (361 U.S. dollars) "luxury" - electric bicycle. With the subsidy, which Shandong put into effect this week, rural consumers like Song can get a 13-percent "discount" on e-bikes. It used to take Song 50 minutes get to work on her old bicycle, but now it only takes 20 minutes. "I like the spot lamp best. It makes the bike safer than traditional ones, and is very useful when riding on dark countryside roads," she said.

Best Buy Wants to Become Top EV Seller; Educating Customers is Key

By Steve Puma      August 9th, 2010    8 Comments

When it comes to innovation, Best Buy continues to surprise me with with just how far ahead they are of every other big-box retailer. For example, they are currently the leading retailers of electric bikes and scooters, and have recently added Brammo motorcycles to the mix.
However, Best Buy's long-term strategy includes much, much, more than adding a few two-wheeled EVs to their huge selection of computer, electronics and appliance products. As I learned from Chad Bell,  Best Buy's director of emerging business,  the company believes that, by educating its customers about electric vehicles, it can become a preferred destination for them to purchase EVs of all kinds, up to and including highway-capable cars that one might normally expect to purchase at an auto dealership.

Through Geek Squad, the company provides repair and maintenance of the EVs it sells, and  is beginning to provide services related to EV charging stations.

At the recent Plug-In 2010 International Conference and Exposition, Mr. Bell represented Best Buy in a panel session called: "Innovative Business Models in the Electric Vehicle Industry", which also featured representatives from electric motorcycle startup Mission Motors, and EV infrastructure startup Better Place.
Mr. Bell explained that, as Best Buy has grown, so has its ability to impact the communities it serves. Its large number of retail stores, with their high access to consumers, gives the company its significant reach.
At the same time, he related, "Transportation is experiencing a paradigm shift on a global scale, as the industry move towards a more sustainable power model, and a behavioral change to customized solutions." Electric Vehicles are a good fit for Best Buy, for a number of reasons, one of those being that they have a lot in common with many of their other products, “Electric cars are basically computers on wheels."




Mr. Bell noted that Best Buy was already well-positioned to become an early EV leader. In a December, 2009 poll, 240 people where asked, "Where would you think to buy an electric vehicle or scooter?." The leader, by far, was Best Buy (7%), outpacing Amazon.com (3%), and, surprisingly, beating out motorcycle dealerships (3%), bicycle shops (3%), and even Wal-Mart (1%).
However, since EVs are a completely new market, one that customers are unfamiliar with, this emerging business model will only drive long-term value for Best Buy if the company can successfully communicate the benefits of sustainable transportation to its customers. The best way to do this, is through education. "Our mission is to take a leadership position in alternative transportation by educating the customers about better ways to get around."
Like any smart car salesman, Best Buy knows that there is no better tool for educating customers than letting them try out an electric bike or motorcycle for themselves, so having customers test drive the vehicles is critical for success, along with quality after-market service, which will be provided by the Geek Squad.
(One interesting concept, related by Mr. Bell, was the notion that EVs, and specifically electric bikes, could have plenty of unexpected benefits for customers. For example, he related a story about a customer who could not ride a standard bicycle, due to back problems. She was quite ecstatic to find out how easy an electric bike was to ride, and that, if she had one, she would be able to ride along with her children, something that she had not previously been able to do.)



Mr. Bell laid out the company's strategy for moving into different segments of the EV market, with each successive entry representing a larger market opportunity, and requiring a larger education effort for Best Buy. This education process starts with currently available product offerings, starting with non-licensed electric bikes, such as the A2B, and then moving into motorcycles, such as the Brammo Enertia.
The next step is to begin testing out early-generation electric cars, such as the Mitsubishi i-MEV, and, in 2009, four i-MEVs were painted in Geek Squad livery, and are currently part of the fleet. Rick Rommel, senior vp of emerging business, told BNET's Jim Motavalli, “We like what we see...They're pretty good and our agents like them."
Subsequent steps include bundling car-sharing programs, such as Zipcar, with its EV products, offering access to the company's on-site charging infrastructure (used to charge Geek Squad vehicles) , introducing Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), such as the Miles ZX40S or the GEM, and potentially introducing, mass-production, full-speed, electric automobiles.
Although they appear to be off to a good start, the success of Best Buy's strategy is certainly not a given. As Russ Finley of Grist.org points out, "customer support is critical for retail sales, however, they are about to embark on a steep learning curve. Many bikes will be returned because they don't meet the near infinite variety of customer expectations. A 300 pound guy who thinks he is getting a scooter will not be pleased to find his range is only five miles..."
Of course, this is all the more reason why customer education is so important.

Putting the brakes on pedal power

LETTER FROM CHINA

Bicycles give way to automobiles, but e-bikes keep two-wheel tradition alive

A member of China's People's Liberation Army rides an electric bicycle in Beijing. The "e-bikes" are especially popular in big cities, where urban realities provide at least some disincentive to car ownership. (Nelson Ching/bloomberg News)

By Keith B. Richburg and Zhang Jie

Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 

 

Of all the signs of China's growing prosperity -- the gleaming new office towers, the glitzy shopping malls and designer boutiques -- perhaps the most visible is on Beijing's streets and highways, where noxious traffic jams have replaced the free flow of bicycles.
Domestic sales for cars and sport-utility vehicles passed a million a month in November, making China the world's new automobile capital, at the expense of one of the world's great bike cultures.
Bicycles were ubiquitous in Beijing not long ago -- the preferred mode of transportation for millions of Chinese. Major streets boasted wide bike lanes, sidewalks carried ample parking space for bikes, and bikes usually had the right of way at intersections. But lately, public space for bicycles has been shrinking under the tyranny of the car.
"The drivers are very aggressive. They won't wait for you for a second," said Wang Litang, 65, a retired government worker who still takes his singing thrush on long bike rides, the cage dangling from the handlebars, a common Chinese practice. "The road belongs to them now."
But the battle of the byways is not over yet, as two-wheeling enthusiasts have a popular new competitor in the marketplace that is giving the car a run for its mileage. It's the electric bicycle, or e-bike, which operates on a rechargeable battery. While China is on target to sell more than 12 million cars this year, it is also on track to sell 20 million e-bikes, if trends hold from 2007 and 2008, when 20 million e-bikes were sold each year. E-bikes are proving most popular in Beijing and other big cities, where some commuters are realizing that owning a car may bring a certain prestige as a sign of affluence but also comes with gasoline prices, parking fees, the odd traffic ticket and the notorious traffic jams.
"My family bought our first car in the 1990s, but we sold our car last year," said Bai Liping, 45, a saleswoman in an insurance company and an e-bike rider. "Having a car is not that convenient, compared with an e-bike."
Besides the lower costs for parking, and the convenience of whipping quickly through intersections, she said she spends far less on maintenance than she did on a car. E-bikes need their batteries recharged overnight, and the battery typically lasts about a year before needing to be replaced.
They are also relatively inexpensive, from about $219 for the smallest models to about $366 for the largest, fastest variety.
"The real sweet spot will be if China's e-bike explosion leads to the development of electric cars and the infrastructure for charging these e-vehicles," said Alex Wang of the Natural Resources Defense Council office in Beijing, and an avid e-biker. "China is probably better positioned to make this leap than any other country in the world."
But interviews with several e-bike owners showed that convenience, not the environment, was foremost in riders' minds. "It only takes us 15 minutes from here to our store," said Zhang Shu Mei, 39, who was at Beijing's Eastern Suburban Market loading up her e-bike with goods for her grocery store. "We feel freezing riding on this e-bike in the cold wind. But there's no other choice. What would we ride if we don't use this?"
The growing popularity of e-bikes also seems to be threatening the dominant position of traditional bicycles, at least in the big cities. According to the China Bicycle Association, the peak for traditional bicycle sales in China was in 1988, when 40 million bikes were sold. That number has steadily dropped, and it has stabilized at around 20 million locally, with more Chinese bikes sold for export.
The nature of the bicycles being sold here has changed, said Niu Qing, general manager of the bicycle association. Urban Chinese are increasingly buying mountain bikes and multi-geared bikes, to be used for weekend recreation, instead of the old-fashioned commuter models.
"The bike is transforming gradually from purely a traffic tool to an entertainment and body-building measure," Niu said, adding that predictions of the death of the bicycle in China may be premature. "The industry is not going into a nose dive like people think," he said. "It will never vanish."
There may be one unintended side effect of the explosion of e-bikes and fewer people going to work through pedal power: According to the Health Ministry, 22 percent of Chinese adults are overweight and 7.1 percent are obese. In the cities, those numbers rise to 30 percent overweight and 12 percent obese. The statistics mark a dramatic rise from the 1990s, the ministry said.
"People are lazier than before," said Jin Shan, director of the sports culture research center at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences. "Before, no matter how far it was, the bike was your only choice. Changing from bikes to cars and e-vehicles is one reason Chinese people are getting fatter."

Charge Your E-Vehicle at McDonalds… Soon

McDonalds announced that it was building the “first green restaurant” in Cary, North Carolina.
Gizmodo reported that McDonald’s says the facility will not only be built using all green construction materials, but will be complete with free-to-use charging stations for your electric vehicle.
McDonald’s has recently changed much of its packaging to be more eco-friendly. They have also attempted to reduce the amount of pesticides in the potatoes they purchase for their fries. (McDonald’s is the largest buyer of potatoes in the United States.)
North Carolina ranks twelfth among adults in obesity rates, and fourteenth among children.
One of the biggest obstacles to electric vehicles is the availability and the difficulty in finding charging stations outside of your own home.  Perhaps more restaurants will follow McDonald’s lead.

Posted on 19 July 2009

1 Comments For This Post

1. Ahmet Says:
   July 21st, 2009 at 2:30 am
   
   Hi, interesting topic – I have just bought an electric bike that I use to get to work everyday. I Just plug in at work to recharge it and then cycle home.
   Absolutely love the bike, it was cheap and simple to use. I got it from http://www.elecbikeco.com they seemed good but I am sure there are many other companies out there too.
   Good luck
   Ahmet

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