India, the seventh largest but second most populous country in the world, has good reason to encourage electric vehicle sales, considering that its automobile market is growing very rapidly. Pollution could become a much larger problem than it already is if steps are not taken to manage it now. India's government realizes this fact, which led it to recently waive the excise duty for electric cars. Up until now, though, the tax has stood at 8 percent for electric bikes. Not anymore, as both two- and three-wheeled electric bikes are now duty-free, enabling them to be more cost-competitive against the gasoline-powered motorcycles they compete with. According to The Economic Times, electric cycles currently cost between Rs 20,000 to Rs 36,000. After the excise waiver goes into effect, the price for electric bikes should drop by Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,400.

[Source: The Economic Times]

Click on the image for more high-resolution shots of the E+

Electric bikes are becoming an increasingly intriguing option for commuters who live relatively close to work or for avid outdoor enthusiasts. As battery and motor technology forges ahead, the speed and range of ebikes surges with it, as evidenced by the new Electric Motion Systems E+. Although DOT requirements force a road-going electric bike to twenty miles per hour, tops, the E+ is actually capable of thirty when traveling off the beaten path. With no pedaling at all, the E+ can manage twenty miles on a single charge of its 36 volt nickel metal hydride pack, which is mounted in the front hub. Pedaling along can more than double the range. A 750 Watt electric motor comes standard, mounted to the rear hub, while a 1000 Watt upgrade is available. The E+ uses its own aluminum frame and comes equipped with a decent SR Suntour front suspension fork.

Other cool details include the ability to dial in resistance to your pedal strokes for fitness reasons and a built-in security system which makes the bike all but impossible to pedal. All of these propriety features and high specifications do not come all that cheap, though, with the E+ starting at $3,495.00, available with either a cruiser or mountainbike frame.


[Source: Electric Motion Systems]

You may never have heard of the French automotive company Matra. You've probably seen some of their designs and cars that they have built for other companies such as Renault, though. For instance, the strange and strangely popular Renault Espace minivan was initially made by Matra for Renault. They also have a rather successful history of racing, in Formula 1, Formula 2 and at Le Mans. The moped-like bike you see above and here in our gallery seems to be from the same company, although they do not produce cars anymore. The bike is electric and also allows for pedaling. The range of 60 miles or so could be increased with human power. Although limited to a bit less than 30 miles per hour, the bike can likely go faster, but it would lose out on being considered a moped and therefore would require a motorcycle license. This electric bike should be available for sale in Europe in the not-too-distant future, but no word on whether it'll make it to the States.

Interesting features of this electric bike include the disk brakes and their unusual mounting-system. The bike also supports regenerative braking. My guess is that batteries are stored in the rack above the rear wheel, but the round enclosure around the hub of the front wheel probably has batteries in it as well, while the other one at the rear is likely the motor. Looks like a fun little commuting machine!

[Source: Bikes in the Fast Lane, thanks Mike!]

Let me get this fact off my chest before I write anything else: this thing is flippin' expensive! Alright, now that we're through with that, let's analyze this electric bike, known as Pi. The frame is an aluminum monocoque, meaning that it is a single piece made up of metal which is all a similar thickness. Moving on to the electrics, the batteries are nickel metal hydride, not the better-but-pricier lithium ion. The motor is a 36-volt brushless DC model which produces about 1 horsepower, or 750 watts. Of course, add your human power to that power amount if you are willing to pedal. In case you were wondering, you are capable of producing much less than one horsepower! If you are willing to pay the $7,500 (!) asking price, you can find the bike at Design Within Reach.

If you do manage to cough up the money, you will be rewarded with an electric bike capable of less than 30 miles per hour box-stock. The bike has the power to go faster and can be geared to do so, but you'll need a motorcycle license for that. The asking price does include a designer helmet... The circular frame is probably where the name came from, you think?

One very cool piece of technology buried in that aluminum frame is the NuVinci planetary gearbox. This piece of hardware allows the bike to change gear ratios without actually manually switching gears. Click here for more on that. If you can afford the bike, you may also be able to spend the extra $1,800 for the solar charger, which further lowers your carbon footprint. Speaking of that footprint, just about any electric bike will offer similar CO2 output, but the Pi from Electrobike is designed with the reduction of emissions in mind, so you can feel good about that. Unless you get the gas/electric hybrid model (which will get its very own dedicated post later), which seems to fly in the face of the rest of the concept. If anybody actually does get one of these, make sure to let us know about it. It'd be interesting to compare it with a Segway, which is another really expensive way to get from point A to point B.

Related:

• A very nice (but very expensive) automatic commuter bicycle option

[Source: Electrobike and LA Times, Thanks for the tip, Domenick!]

While it is not uncommon for electric bikes to have a front hub motor or for them to have batteries mounted on the rear racks, these are the first pair of wheels that I have seen with solar panels integrated into them. I think that the idea is pretty cool, and can't really think of another place on a bike where there is enough real estate for an effective amount of solar cells to be mounted. Wheels like these are likely a bit more aerodynamic, but could pose a bit of an issue if there are heavy side-winds. Still, with this bike you could pedal when the going was easy and engage the motor when the going gets tough - and all the while never need to gas it up or plug it in.

[Source: Therapy Products via Reuben Miller - thanks!]

It's no secret that we like bikes around here. In fact, some of us AutoblogGreen bloggers have been known to ride to work now and then. Being that we've done it ourselves before, we can heartily recommend to you readers that you should give it a try. Especially with the invention of the electrically assisted bikes that are becoming commonplace, riding to work can save you time and make you feel better, not to mention the positive impact on the traffic patterns and environment.

But, we're also sure that you have your doubts, as well you should. So, to help you consider the pros and cons of riding your bicycle to work, Shane Jordan over at Green Options has made up a list of commonly asked questions and provided convincing answers to each of them. Check it out! To get you all ready to read the article, here is a list of what he's writing about:

• "But...it's too dangerous."
• "But... it's too far to ride."
• "But...it's too cold/hot."
• "But... there are no bike lanes/trails."
• "But... where will I put my briefcase?"

There you have it. Take a look and see if you could give it a try.

[Source: Green Options]

The more you read our blog, the more you probably realize that there is an absolutely huge amount of research going into alternative automobiles. Much of the research is on creating new fuels with which to run our internal combustion engines. However, a great deal of research is also being made into electric transportation. Batteries, capacitors and electric motors with their associated electronics are all being made better and more efficient. Thankfully, other transportation devices can stand to be improved by much of this same research, and ebikes are no exception. Assisted bicycles have been around for a good long time, and you may remember the days when mopeds were criss-crossing your country regularly. After the engine, electric bikes started showing up as well. Now, there are hundreds of electrically assisted bicycles from which to choose.

The HyperBike Feasibility Study in Austria is looking at ways to improve the electric bike's batteries, motor and overall efficiency. Being that the pedals still exist, this is a hybrid form of transportation. Check out their website and see what they are doing. Remember, the original language of the page is German, so the English is not perfect, but its pretty easy to understand. Have fun!

[Source: HyperBike]

We are getting mixed messages regarding Segways today. Yesterday, Engadget reported on the largest club dedicated to the not-quite-a-scooter, stand-up, two-wheeled, self-balancing machine. However, Segway themselves are reporting that sales are up. None of those things might matter to the man behind this blog, who truly seems to love his Segway. It seems that he has found ample use for the device, using it to commute, pick up groceries and more... to the tune of 300 miles. With that milestone passed, the author decided to share his thoughts on the device. It is the first item he discusses, "Efficiency and Cost", that caught my eye. For those of you who currently walk, ride a bike or take the bus, his commentary might prove useful to you.

I won't steal all of his thunder, but the part that I thought was most interesting was his calculation that his Segway is "literally paying for itself". Of course, it might not for everybody, but it might for some. However, let me remind all of our readers that they could quite likely do the same job with a much less expensive electric bike. You could even pull a trailer with the bike, and never run out of juice when you consider the fact that pedaling is still an option.

[Source: Before I Sleep]

The strange, peculiar bike-looking thing you see above, will outsell by three times even the most optimistic sales projections of cars in China this year. It in fact accounts for a third of all electric vehicle sales. Yes, the electric bike has rapidly become one of the most popular modes of transportation in China in the past few years.

The reason for this is ease of use, low sale price and high savings. For the most part, people in sprawling cities do not need to travel very far, so this has been a boon to Chinese urbanites. They have been on the rise from selling 7.5 million units last year to a projected over 10 million this year. A former R&D leader for GM says that this is "the dawn of a new era in electric bicycles," according to Peter Fairley writing in Spectrum.

Still, is America ready to lose a couple wheels? While they can be a lot of fun making speeds of 20 kph or more, Ed Benjamin, vice president of the Light Transport Division at electric-propulsion-technology firm WaveCrest Laboratories LLC, in Dulles, Va., says we don't know yet what we're going to do with them. Read the article at the read link.

[Source: Peter Fairley / Spectrum; Thanks for the tip, Kert!]

Do live in an area where the traffic congestion adds time to your daily commute to work? Have you ever wondered if there might be a better way? Perhaps there is. Watch this video made by Stephen Gale from Melbourne, Australia. He discovered that he could get to work much faster on his electric bike than he could be driving. How? Just watch the video above and it will all become clear.

To prove to the doubters out there that riding an electric assisted bicycle to work can truly be done, Stephen has organized a ride from Melbourne to Sydney, which he will perform while wearing a suit. Why a suit? Because, it proves that you can still wear a suit to work while riding your electric bike. He has a website called "Suitable Transport", get it - 'cause he's wearing a suit. Clever, huh? Wanna go for the ride too? Go ahead, you're invited.

[Source: Suitable Transport via Hugg]