How do i prevent officers from unlawfully stopping me on a scooter?

best electric assist bicycle image

dan

I was riding an electric scooter on the side of the road like a bicycle(not in traffic). An officer gave me a ticket for operating an unregistered motor vehicle. Although New Jersey law dictates that it is classified as a moped, which must be registered and insured, under federal law any two or 3 wheeled vehicle under 1hp and has a top speed of less than 20mph and functioning pedals, it's actually considered an "electronically assisted bicycle" and is regulated with the same laws as regular bicycles, not as a motor vehicle. This federal law also specifically states that this law supersedes any state law which regulates such vehicles more stringently. (see link below) I plead not guilty and when I brought this to the judges attention he dropped the ticked. The problem is, since getting the ticket thrown out, I was stopped again and given the same ticket. I tried to explain the situation to the officer, but he wasn't having it. How do I go about insuring that I can ride my legal scooter without being harassed by misinformed police officers?


http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ319/pdf/PLAW-107publ319.pdf

PS if you choose to answer please answer the question asked. Do not respond and say "scooters are illegal to ride on the road" or something like that. It has already been confirmed that the scooter is legal to ride on the road by a judge, the question is how to display this fact to officers who may think it is justified to stop and ticket someone riding one
@igotaprank thank you for your input. A copy of the file i attached actually came with the scooter in a nice laminated page. The officer the first time refused to even read it, and became extremely angry when i began to read it aloud and told me to shut up and cooperate or hed impound the scooter. The second time i actually didnt have it with me (because i had taken it out of the scooters compartment to bring to court), but if the first cop wrote the ticket even with the info present i dont see why another wouldnt. Or even the same cop again, as i live in a very small town (the station is only 2 blocks from my house)

@Joey please leave me alone you are extremely rude and unhelpful you are actually almost the entire reason i included the Post Script. You are not even intelligent enough to comprehend that a judge has already confirmed it is legal and the question is not whether or not it is legal but how to prove to an officer it is legal. In addition you are the type of person who reso
@Prussia if you dont have anything constructive or helpful theres no need to answer
@Steven I dont see how a perfectly legal activity is looking for trouble, nor do i see how citing a section from an act of congress that pertains to the situation at hand to a police officer could be considered "mouthing off"

When i joined this site i thought it was here so people could help each other out by answering each others questions, not to make useless nonsense comments.
^^Richard, sorry

Answer
carry around a printed copy of the law thats the only thing i can think of

What are the electric scooter laws in California?

Al Francis

I'm unable to get a licence so the best I can really do is get a scooter. I'd like to at least get around town easier without relying on public transportation. I've done a little bit of research in which people say its possible to ride a scooter that clocks out at a speed of 20 mph and no more without a licence. The kind of scooter i'm talking about looks like a gas powered scooter but is actually just an electric assisted bike. there's so many places on the internet to look but I just want to hear someone from California to confirm what I can ride. I'd greatly appreciate your help`
the type of scooter i'm looking at is electric and does not require gas. it has slip on pedals and has no exhaust.

Answer
http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/motors.html is useless -- does not cover the new electrical scooters. Not to mention that the CHP sometimes ignores the law. It you want to be legal, read the law from the Legislature: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=veh

A CVC 407.5 "motorized scooter" is a stand-on vehicle, such as a Razor or Go-Ped. Such is legal on the streets, requires a driver's license of some sort. See CVC 21220-21235.

You want something that looks like a motor-scooter, that looks like a Vespa. That will be a CVC 406 "motorized bicycle" or "moped." If electric powered it can do 20 mph if it can also be pedaled, or if no pedals it can do 30 mph. To be legal on the streets you need to have a Class M2 motorcycle driver's license.

You say you cannot get a license? You are up sh*t creek -- there is *NO* motorized vehicle you can legally ride without a driver's license. Why not? Under age or what? If 18-20 years of age you can take the CMSP class, go to the DMV and pass the written and eye tests and walk out with a motorcycle permit. If 21, don't even need the CMSP class.

Otherwise, about all you can do is get a pedal bicycle. Legally. You can buy a bicycle wheel with a motor in the hub and a battery in your panniers and ride in stealth mode, illegally.

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Can I use motorcycle batteries with electric bicycle?

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Valerka

Just want to save money on gas by going to work and back home (almost 40 miles per day) I don't mind putting a few batteries onto the electric bike (to meet the voltage). Do you think that is possible?

Answer
You will have to do a little research yourself, but a quick look it seems that a electric hub on a regular bicycle, capable of 15-20 mph, capable of 10 miles, would take a pair of 10AH 12V SLA batteries. For your capacity you will be looking at a pair of automobile batteries.

What form of transport is cheapest and efficient?

Anna

Hi!

Wondering if anyone has any ideas. I have M.E pretty bad and need some form of personal transport as i can't walk very far anymore.

I don't have enough money to learn to drive/insure a car so have been considering either a scooter or an electric bike....or any other form of transport you can come up with!!

My budget is up to £700, and I only need to make fairly short journeys, say up to 10 miles :)

Ideas really welcome! Thanks!

Agent Ginger

Answer
Not sure how bad you have M.E. but what about a electric push bike will keep you fit and if you get tiered switch too electric and go with the flow! On another note visit Forever Freedom products on the web there is a Aloe drink which could help your M.E. I know it has with others.

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Electric bike conversion kit that recharges as you pedal?

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ChemTalk

Basically what's in the question just wondering if there are any electric bike conversion kits that will partially recharge while you pedal. Kind of like a hybrid; and if you guys have any could you point me to them?

Answer
no
recharge as you pedal?
that would be about .001% efficient

if you are going to pedal, why not let THAT run the bike
instead of pushing a generator, letting that charge a battery, letting the battery run a motor
all of which have losses

just charge from the wall for about 1 cent a day

there is no need to 'charge' from pedaling

wle.

is it ok to put a 21 speed bike wheel on a 24 speed bike to replace the tire?

yoyo2852

I need have 8 cogs on my rear wheel, can I use a different wheel that has 7 cogs? I would like to use this electric bike kit but it comes with the wheel being 7 speeds. Can I still shift all 7 speeds with this new wheel, just not the 8th, or will all the cogs be different sizes so I cant use the pedals at all?

Answer
It's a bit of a hack, and not something that's easy to just switch back and forth on.

7 and 8 speed both use the same size of chain, so you won't have any immediate problems just swapping the wheel. However, the distance between cogs is different, so your derailleur will not function correctly - it might jump two gears, it might not shift at all when you do, and it may throw your chain entirely. At a minimum, you'll need to adjust your limiter screws to keep it from throwing the chain, but ideally, you should be replacing the shifting mechanism.

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What is the next most likely fuel for cars?

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Axel

I've heard of hydrogen, solar powered and ethanol powered cars, but is there another one? and is there any that could become standard within 15 years?

Please star this cause I want the most answers for this.

Answer
Some people think that natural gas could be the fuel of choice in some countries in the future as it burns cleaner and is more abundant in the US and others. Bio-butanol could also be one potential source...it's compatible with current engine designs and infrastructures and is renewable using bacteria.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110317102603.htm

Synthetic gasoline can be produced using nanopellets of hydrogen which flow like liquids and burn clean.
http://news.discovery.com/tech/synthetic-gasoline-for-150gallon-and-no-emissions.html

Hydrogen-powered bike..
http://news.discovery.com/tech/magic-powder-fuels-electric-bike.html

Renewable bio-fuels from algae...
http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Joule_Unlimited_On_Track_To_Beat_All_Known_Biofuel_Processes_999.html
http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jan-feb/37

Thermal conversion processes or microwaves can turn garbage, wastes, plastics, old tires, etc.. into oil and fuels...
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/innovator_2.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWf9nYbm3ac&feature=related
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/WPIO.php?printing=yes

Food wastes account for a lost 350 million barrels of oil per year in the US alone...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101003081627.htm

Cleaner fuels using plasma..
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100322121100.htm

I dont know what is wrong with my dirtbike crf230f 2011. Can someone please give me any tips/advice, thanks.?

josh

So I was riding with some mates in the local river, bike was running fine all day oil and fuel was all topped up. There was a deep part in this river we had to cross and one thing lead to another my bike fell in the water and was completly submerged under. We got my bike out and turned it up so the water would run out of the exhaust. After a few minutes we tried to start it and a few minutes it started but it wasnt running good at all. It was real soggy, ran with hardly any power at all. About 20 minutes later it ran like it used to before I drowned it and I thought everything was okay. We went back to my house because sand was stuck in the throttle. I took the grip off cleaned all the sand out and removed a plastic part in the throttle that I didnt put back in. After this the throttle was loose but it didnt bother me. 5 minutes later I started the bike and went down my road and went to take off with some power and I heard a pop and the bike stopped working. My bike is an electric start only it makes a weird buzzing sound when I try start it. Also the biggest mistery is that you can push the bike forward when its in gear like its in neutral but takes a little more effort, however it will not go backwards the back tire locks up as it should in gear. The oil was still good so im not sure its seized? Can someone please help thanks

Answer
buy yourself a multimeter, a service manual. replace all the fuel in the tank and carb with fresh. get someone to check that you did ok with throttle (and left the right amount of slack in it) and didnt crush a wire to the kill switch for instance..

the starter isnt engaging ???? that could be a low voltage / failing battery situation which you will have to work through.


then check the fuses and this time try to put all the part back on - muppet.

gear/neutral etc is normal.

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What is the lifespan of an electric bike?

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archa_pyus

Say you have an electric bicycle that is used daily, capable of a 30 mile range before needing re-fuelling and a speed range of 3-15mph.

What would be its likely lifespan, i.e. when would the whole thing have to be replaced?

I do not need exact measurements, just the general idea, as it is for a project for which i have to design an electric bike, which i know nothing about.

thank you!

Answer
The life span of an electric bike is mostly determined by the battery. Batteries can have a memory and if recharged before depleting it completely will reduce the capacity and can affect the range.

I would do some research on batteries. You can also look up motorized hubs to put on bikes, they make for the cleanest design.

Motors are rated in watts and most states have regulations that control the maximum amount of power that you can use.

http://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/info/buyingguide/

Should China move the capital from Beijing to somewhere in the interior heartland because of overcrowding?

Q. I know that South Korea is looking to move their capital out of Seoul because of the same reason.
I read this article on the BBC News about the proliferation of electric bicycles in Beijing:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8538221.stm

Then I thought, wouldn't moving the capital to an interior location help in economic development there?
Would you support such a move?

Answer
Most traditional capitals tend to be the largest city around. Though some countries, like Australia, have their capital in the what amounts to the countryside (canberra).

China has a huge government, moving it would be difficult. Certainly many of the government people might not want to go.

In addition, beijing is one of the traditional capitals. They could move the capital to Nanjing (another traditional capital). While nanjing is smaller, it is much more crowded than Beijing.

Finally, I really have not seen many reasonably sized cities that were overcrowded. For this reason many citis are moving their government functions out of the city to the surrounding countryside.

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What are some everyday steps to reduce fossil fuel consumption?

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jordan4391

Answer
1 - drive less (if you can walk, bike or take a bus/public transport there, do it)
2 - Check where your electricity comes from? If the plant that produces it is based off natural gas, burning coal, or anything other than nuclear or hydro-electric power (water running through a dam), then use less electricity by turning off the lights, setting the A/C to a higher temp, etc.
3 - Recycle! A lot of products are produced using fossil fuels (plastics, glass, etc)... Recycle your waste from what you consume!

What are the essentials you clean or upgrade on a old motorcycle??

z3r0s0n1k

Inherited a 1972 Honda CB500, hasn't been started for 12yrs. Been stored inside since 1989. Motor rebuilt and overhauled, have front clip (fork,handlebars,tire,susp.) from a 74' 750?, no berring. All i know bout it. Seems pretty logical, but I'm not familiar with motorcycles yet. Wanted a experienced opinion(s) before I tore apart the motor lol. Any advice would be appreciated, Thank you.

Answer
You're looking for way more information than I can give you here so I'll give you a "brief" rundown. Bare in mind this is not an all-inclusive step-by-step list, but it should give you an idea of what you'll be in for.

1. Should you decide to go through with a restoration of this bike go into it armed with lots of information before spending 1 cent on it. Go over the entire bike for the things you'll obviously have to replace for road-worthy condition. Brake pads, rotors, lines? Master cylinders? Shocks? Tires? Body parts? Seat? Lights? Chain and sprockets? Exhaust? Figure out what it will cost you to replace all of these items that you know are bad. Consider this a minimum baseline on what you'll spend. Minimum.

2. Get yourself the pertinant Clymer mechanic's guide for your bike. Study it like you're going to be tested on it.

3. Early steps: Fresh oil and coolant (for liquid cooled models), new plugs, air and oil filters. Check inside the gas tank for rust or sediment. Pull your carbs and clean them thoroughly, especially the jets and float needles. Check static timing and point gaps. You will also need a new battery. I always use a well charged truck battery and jumper cables (no battery in the bike) when doing early testing.

4. With bike on centerstand, shift transmission all the way through the gears up to 5th and then back down 1 to 4th (your transmission appears to have full range). Gently turn rear wheel several revolutions to be sure engine turns freely. If it turns, you can move on. If not, you already have issues to track down. Turn ignition on, set choke and try to start the bike with the electric starter (you can also try the kickstarter if your starter motor is dead). It may take some fussing and adjusting to get the bike to start. If the bike refuses to start you'll have to track down why. Do you have spark, fuel, and combustion? All these things are necessary for a running motor. Ignition system, fuel system and charging system including solenoid, coils, plugs, wires, points, generator, starter, fusebox, carburetors, wiring harness etc. can all be suspect until they are eliminated. Remember that book I told you about? This is where it comes in handy.

5. Once you have a running motor, you can start looking to get it on the road. Go ahead and start getting together the parts you know you need (remember step 1?) It might take you awhile to learn to do the work yourself, but with patience and hard work (and that book) you will find yourself becoming familiar with the workings of your bike. Oh, whenever you replace a part, examine it. Know what a bad part looks like vs. the new part you have next to you.

-- I'm not going to cover the front end here. You'll have to do some research on how to mount up the clip to your steering head. It may fit right on, but don't be surprised if some modifications need to be made.

6. From this step on, much of your work is trial and error. New problems can pop-up at any time and you'll have to track them down and fix them. If the bike stalls everytime you stop at a light, Its back to the garage and troubleshooting time. If it makes a funny grinding sound and you lose power at 3,500 rpms, its back to the garage and troubleshooting time. If you start blowing main fuses constantly, well you get the idea. Once I get the obvious things, the annoying things, and the what-is-that-noise things taken care of, I take my bike to a professional shop for a once over to make sure I've dotted all my i's and crossed my t's.

7. By now you should have a functional motorcycle that you have sunk anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars into. I hope you enjoyed the process (I do!), because you'll likely never sell it for enough to break even on your investment. Personally, I recommend riding the hell out of it with a huge grin on your face. A bonus is that older bikes like yours are becoming rarer every year and there are often curious drivers or other bikers that will want to chat you up on your ride whenever you're stopped somewhere.

Good luck!

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What do you think of Electric bicycles?

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Eartha Q

are they worth the price?
bikernoj ,
Gosh ! Maybe I have a reason for asking besides being fat and lazy???
Me too M R ! It's a simple question for goodness sake.
Dear Lime ..did it ever occur to you that I might have my reasons for asking!! Is that OK with you???
Thanks Bob Lahblah ..I was trying to get some informed information..but it seems the bike enthusiasts are not very nice people.

Answer
Legal Low Powered Electric Assist bikes are now becoming a great alternative for tens of thousands of commuters in the US. Use an ebike for commuting and save the price of the ebike in insurance savings and service costs, And still get a workout- no more time on that dreaded treadmill at the spa.

Some young fit folks may never need one, but, if you are one of the folks that really does not want to take their car EVERYWHERE, especially to just get a loaf of bread, Ebikes may be the thing for you.

They all have on/off switches and a way to control the level of assist. People might use maximum assist going to work, but minimum assist going home for a workout. If you have asthma or arthritis, an ebike makes the bicycling world yours again- on good days- minimum assist, on bad days - you still don't have to get in the car- just use more assist.

Fifty percent of households own bicyles but less than 5% of them use them regularly. Over 50% of households with ebikes use them on a regular basis.

Some people use their $2,000 racing bike as a roof ornament and a badge of being a yuppie. Other people take ebikes every where, saving lots of money, helping the environment, and stayiing quite fit. YOU DO HAVE TO PEDAL, other wise your range is really shortened.

Right now you can get an ebike that will go 30 miles, (with your pedal assist) make it up most any hill in most cities, feels like a normal bike, can bring home 40 lbs of groceries and has no more service issues than a normal bicycle -for about $1500. And have local service in MANY US cities.

There are today some really great ebikes, much better than 3 years ago. The Bionx, www.bionx.ca , has the most bicycle like feel, and great range. Cyclone, www.cyclone-usa.com , has the most power.
Crystalyte system kits have pretty good value
http://www.poweridestore.com .

In most US states, Ebikes are legally limited to 20mph under electric power, must have pedals that work, less than 750 watts of power, and 2 or 3 wheels (not 4), and are legal where other bikes are legal. Check your state though.

For reasons of test riding and long term support, it is highly suggested that you buy your first one from a local dealer, unless you like to work on such things your self.

The average ebike rider puts on more miles than the average regular bike rider. Why? Ebikes are more fun, less hassle, and there are just less excuses to take the car.

Many ebikes are also light enough to be put on many city busses and trains- helping with "multi-mode" commuting.

(But be careful, there is some junk out there)

What is the best kind of bicycle? The one you will ride.

Try the following yahoo discussion group for indepth information on specific ebikes:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/power-assist/

There are great ebike dealers in Texas, Colorado, Seattle, Georgia, New York, California, Kansas, Illinois, Utah, Nevada; the list goes on and on.

good dirt bike size for me? 15?

Don

im about 150 pnds/. almost 15 yrs old and about 5 foot 6-7.. i kinda want to buy a used kx or ttr for like 1500 is my budget and im not sure if i can get a 250 for that much thats at least a 2002 yr. i was thinking about a 125 ttr or a 125 kx but i dont want to out grow it.

Answer
I am 15 also i am 5'9" 160 pounds and i got a yz250f and it sick! So much power. I have saved up for a year and a half and bought it for $2200 and its a 06. I have seen like >2003 for under 1500 though. For me i didnt want to buy a bike after all that saving and hard summer jobs for me to outgrow it. I would go for the 250. My friend has a 2007 crf230 with electric start thats pretty sick. You might wanna check out the 230's more power and quite a bit cheaoer then 250s. Tgey are trail bikes though.

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How long and how often should I trickle charge my motorcycle battery for?

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Jason

I've bought a new battery for my bike. I only use it once a week for commuting to and from work which is only about 4 miles, so isn't really long enough for the alternator to charge the battery up.
So during the week when I'm not using it, how long should I charge my battery for and how often?

Answer
Trickle charge it with 1-2 amps for a couple of hours every two days. You don't want to overcharge it, as it will boil it dry,and ruin it. Or remove the neg cable from the battery, when not in use, or install a switch which will disconnect the power completely, when not in use.

Do you need a battery if you have a kick start?

Shane

Im about to buy a motorcycle and the guy said it could use a new battery but this bike dosnt really need a battery because its kickstart and it could do everything fine without one? Is this correct what does he mean?

Answer
If it's a street-bike, it needs the battery to run the lights and other electrical accessories. Otherwise, they will dim a nd brighten according to the RPM of the motor.
As others have mentioned, only a bike with magneto ignition will have an ignition spark without the battery. And many bikes will suffer damage to electrical components if run without a battery.

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What is riding one of the electric power assist bicycles like?

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Q. The only thing I've heard is that they even out hills a little. What else have you heard? Are they worth the high price?

Answer
You can buy a nice shop quality bike for the same price as a cheap electric bike. You will benefit from the exercise and be a lot healthier. Don't expect the batteries to last long on the cheap bikes so you end up with a 70 lb bicycle or ending up pedaling harder then a regular bike. Expect to buy a new battery pack every 6 months or so.

what is stopping people from just replacing a gas engine with an electric engine?

Q. What is stopping people from just replacing a gas engine with an electric engine. I know a little bit about cars but not enough to know this answer. What makes an engine go from 8000 rpm or so down back to like 1 or 2 thousand rpm when you shift gears. Could you do the same thing with an electric engine?
Where would i be able to look at find motors with the type of power a car would call for?

Answer
If you want the equivalent of a golf cart, there are companies that will make the conversion for you. It will cost you thousands of dollars and you won't be able to go from L.A. to Anaheim on a charge.

The biggest barrier is batteries.

Gasoline has an energy density of about 46.19 Newton-Meters per kilogram (energy units per unit of weight).

A lead acid battery (the cheapest kind) comes in at 0.11 NM/Kg. That means it takes more than 400 times as much lead-acid battery to get as much energy as the same weight of gas.

The next generation of battery, the nickel-metal-hydride (NMh) they use in most hybrids, has a better energy density, but it's still only twice as dense as a lead acid, or 200 times more weight for the same energy as gasoline. On an energy per cubic centimeter basis, it's a lot better, but still takes 100 times as much space per unit of energy.

The newest batteries, used in laptops and the all-electric Tesla sports car, are lithium-ion. An experimental Japanese sedan, the Eliica, with eight wheel motors and lithium-ion batteries ran 230 mph a few years ago, but it cost a fortune, and we haven't heard from it since. These batteries have an energy density by weight three times that of an NMh, and 5 times by volume. So gasoline is only18 times as dense by volume. Still, imagine having to find room for 18 gas tanks in your car!

As to gears, you need gears for mechanical advantage (like a lever) to allow the engine to remain in its most efficient operating range at varying speeds.

Most gas engines do their best work between about 2,400 rpms and 5,000 rpms. A high performance engine's range will be higher, but they all need gears, or else they either couldn't get going from rest (geared too high) or would run out of breath before they reached freeway speed (geared too low).

If you ever rode a ten-speed bike, you'll know that you need low gears for going up hills and high gears to keep up with the pedals going down. Same with a car.

the Tesla now has only one gear. That's because an electric motor produces its maximum torque (the force to move the car) at zero rpms (from a dead stop). If you want one, they are taking deposits. They only cost around $100,000.

BTW, if you want to avoid sounding uninformed, technically the electric unit is called a "motor" while the internal combustion one is called an "engine." It's an engineering distinction.

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Whats the best way to get an electric motorized adult bicycle cheap?

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srcme2001

Electric motorized bicycles are great but not the price...........help!

Answer
You can get a decent shop quality for the price of a cheap electric bike that wont last long.

Attaching an electrical motor to a fixed axle?

Ironic

I am connecting a 400 watt electric motor to my bike, along with a inverter since the motor runs of ac power. I am trying to find someway of adding a new and separate gear onto my bike without damaging the bike, or welding anything, and making the device possibly removable. I am hoping to run a chain from the motor to the gear I added on.

Answer
Find a DC permanent magnet motor. You can run such a motor directly off batteries without need for the added weight of an inverter.

Good quality DC motors are actually less bulky and produce more torque than the common type of AC induction motors used for appliances

Gearing it properly would be tricky. You'd probably need to remove the pedals completely and install a larger set of rear drive sprockets. You'd also need to get a small sprocket to mount on your motor shaft.

You can buy those at websites that sell go-kart parts.
http://gokartsusa.com/Sprocket-Gokart-Small-Engine-Minibike.aspx

Note that most electric motors can't be run at low speeds for long periods, or they'll overheat and wear out!

Therefore the rated operating speed of your motor needs to equal the average rotation speed of your wheels at cruising speed, multiplied by the gear ratio.

You will need to do some calculations. Your cruising speed should be around 15-20 miles per hour.

That's around 20-30 feet per second. That's 240-360 inches per second.

If you have 26 inch wheels the circumference is 84.1 inches. At a cruising speed of 360 in/sec the wheel rotation speed will then be:

360 / 81.6 = 2.8 revolutions per second, or
2.8 /sec * 60 / 1 min =

171 rev. per min. (rpm)

Write that down. 171 rpm.

So if your motor had a rated speed of 3000 rpm, you need a gear ratio of

3000 rpm / 171 rpm = about 17.5 to 1

if your motor was rated 5000 rpm, for example you'd need
5000 / 171 =
gear ratio of about 29 to 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welding is really the best way to mount your motor. A lot of bike shops or car shops could do it for you for about 20$ You'd need to sand or grind off the paint in the weld areas first.

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Where can I find info on Federal motorize bicycle laws?

best electric assist bicycle image

mstr_gekko

I hope that you can help me find some information on electric/gas assist bicycles.
I have bought an AeroRider, and it should be here soon. An AeroRider is a velomobile with an 500W electric assist. It has lights and signals and of course pedals. Capable of speeds of 20 mph.
I will be adding a 49cc motor with a CVT transmission to further the distance that can be traveled at speeds of 20mph. - getting GREAT gas mileage.
Due to the great aerodynamics of the velomobile, under pedal power the speed traveled can exceed the capability of the electric motor and engine.
I have tried to read some of WI state laws covering bicycles and low speed electric bicycles. But, this is a unique case. I would like to ride in Milwaukee's Critical Mass rides, but I want to be informed and documented before I ride.
My problem is - what type of vehicle is it? Moped? A bicycle? A motor-bicycle?
What laws govern a bicycle that is electric, gas, pedal powered?
What about lic and registration?

Answer
such vechiles would be under your STATE laws, not a federal law.

What is the best electric bicycle out there?

Tim

Looking for an electric bicycle for commuting...range isn't too crucial as long as it's greater than 10 miles. Affordability is important.

Answer
There are now many electric assist bicycles out there. Some come complete and some kits you adapt to your own bicycle. A great place to start might be here: http://www.electricbikesreviews.com/

There are two general types of electric assist bicycles. They are hub motors and friction motors. For either one the motor and batteries will add weight to the bicycle.

Features you will want to look for should include:

Light with a good power to weight ratio.
The added weight of the batteries should be well placed for the design of the bike and not simply put anywhere.
Ability to remove the battery for charging inside the home.

Regenerative braking captures inertial energy and tries to convert that back into electricity to charge the battery. Bicycles are much lighter than a car and so have less inertial energy to capture. Batteries can't accept a massive influx of energy at once. As a result batteries are not so good to capture inertial energy. The good news is that while this may not be an extremely useful feature it virtually comes free with an electric motor

A fairing of some sort will extend range probably more than regenerative braking. Because of its lower wind resistance an electric recumbant makes some sense: http://www.recumbents.com/wisil/e-bent/default.htm

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can drive a Electric bike in the state of california with a license?

best electric bike for 1000 image

Jill Valen

im a 16 year old the electric bike has less than 1000 watts and it go up to 20 mph on battery alone 10 points for a good answers with good resource

Answer
Yes they are legal on public roads you are required to wear a helmet I have listed to web sites with additional information if you wish to learn more about the laws.

1978 Goldwing--How do I remove the front light to replace the headlight bulb in a 1978 Goldwing 1000?

Jane L

We just bought a 1978 Goldwing and have some electric problems for our running lights and headlight. Any ideas what we should check? Also, someone messed with the rear lights and the pigtail is too short so it is very difficult to get it in and out. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

Answer
On the headlight case, remove the 2 screws (5 & 7 o'clock #22)
Careful, don't loose the spacers #18
Pull the bottom of the headlight ring (#2) forward away from the bike.
Don't touch the glass of the halogen bulb.
The oils in your fingers will cause it to overheat and burn out.
http://www.bikebandit.com/parts
Wires are to short - cut them and solder in some extensions.
Be more specific with your electrical problems.
Won't come on
Signals won't flash
Intermitent
Lights go out when high beam is turned on.
Etc.
It's like trying to solve a problem without knowing the question LOL

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Is a motorcycle practical?

electric bikes uk best prices image

Have a GRE

My husband and I need a second vehicle and I really want a motorcycle, but is it practical? I think Im safe to assume that a motorcylce gets better gas mileage than a car right? But by how much? Of course we will still have the car to get groceries and to haul around stuff. The motorcylce is mainly for me to get back and forth from work and school because i work in the city and my husband works closer. Oh and by the way Ive been riding dirt bikes and motorcycles for years so yes I know what Im doing lol. So, what do you think?

Answer
As a 'motorcycle only' kinda guy, I may be biased! But looking at it logically, yes it is.

To answer your sub-question, yes motorcycles get better mileage than cars - although it has to be considered what bike you're talking about. An average 500cc twin for example can get 50-70mpg, but a litre sized sportsbike really isn't much better than your average 'sensible' car. It very much depends how you ride of course - burying the needle in the redline or using maximum exceleration doesn't help! The main benefit (fuel wise) is that you make more efficient use of the fuel, by safely filtering you're not sitting stationery while fuel is being pointlessly burned away.

The other issue is weather, you really need good gear if you're going to make a go of it. You can buy an average textile jacket for £70-140, it will last 3 months of British weather. A good investment is paying a little more for long lasting and quality gear, such as Rukka. For many years I bought cheap waterproof trousers for £60'ish and they lasted 3 to 6 months. I've had my Rukka trousers for 3 years now and they've never let me down - and that includes in severe downpours. They cost £180 BUT they're guarranteed for 5 years - so do the maths and they work out cheaper! As yet I've not managed to save up for one of their £400+ jackets...that's just too much in one lump!

If you didn't have children I would even suggest selling the car and just hiring one when you need it. For £25 you can get a reasonable sized car for a day, all taxed, mot'd and insured. That's not applicable for you so I won't go on!

In this petrol dependant world we live in, you may even want to save money by considering an electric scooter for the shorter journeys your husband makes. It's not macho but large cc's and short journeys are not a good mix for maintaining reliability. An example (top end) electric scooter is a Vectrix (I may have mis-spelt), here is the spec:

100% charge takes 3 hours (cost equivalent to boiling the kettle for a brew)
80% in 2 hours)
60-70mile range
62mph top speed
re-charges going downhill
has a reverse gear(possible due to weight)
Informative display (precise)
3metre charging cable with typical 3 pin UK plug
£0.00 Road TAX.
Battery lasts approx 10 years
downside is price tag: £5,500. :-(

Motorcycles do need more TLC than cars, for example a chain driven (shaft is easier to live with, but boring) bike needs regular lubing and adjustment - although the latter is a more regular thing for powerful bikes. Then there's tyres - bikes do wear them out quicker than cars - and you can't go and buy cheap rubber as you need stability and grip.

Then there's the safety - "everyone on the road is an idiot". To ensure your children continue to have parents I would advise you enroll in some sort of 'advanced' training. There are many organisations and the police organise this themselves, although there are others. IAM and RoSPA immediately come to mind, These are very different in skill levels and IAM is generally much much easier than RoSPA, but nonetheless beneficial.

Just something to consider, hope that helps!

Keep the rubber side down!

Where can i find rented room for long term stay in Nepal?

ScotNepal

Namaste mero nepali satiharu.

Mero naam James ho. Mero nepali naam Roshan ho.
I am friend of Nepal. I have visited many times before and now i am planning to come for long term stay. Maybe 5 or 6 months minimum i will live in Kathmandu.

I do not want to stay in hotel or guesthouse for this amount of time because it will be very expensive for me. So, i have been thinking about renting one room or apartment for my stay.

I am not rich Westerner. I come from working class family in UK, so i do not have enough money for very expensive room. I am looking for somewhere cheap. I need this flat to be completely furnished with bed and TV and cooking equipment.

I have been looking on my laptop at one website but the price is very expensive. Can you please show me any website where i can look at different rooms in Kathmandu for rent?

I need any information.

Thank you my friends :) Have a nice day!

Answer
i think i know one place where you easily stay in there and there was no any expensive cost and there is very nice facilities like We have a beautiful fully furnished one bedroom apartment for short stays in Kathmandu. Our first floor apartment is centrally located and is just 100 meters from the Indian and British Embassy. You would get lovely views of the mountains from the bedroom windows. The accommodation comprises of one bedroom ( Double Bed, TV with DVD, Two in One, Big Almira's ) One big drawing room ( fridge, seating space, books library, fire place ) a small breakfast cum dining room ( With ground sitting Dining Table, Microwave and Electric Kettle ) and a bath with bath tub with running hot and cold water. You could also rent mountain bikes from us for going around Kathmandu. We would also like to offer Toyota Prado on hire for going around Nepal at very reasonable rates. We welcome visitors for short stays and our tariff is very reasonable.

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Where is the best place to reach thousands of Filmmakers online?

best electric bicycle 2010 image

P. W

http://www.GoingGreenFilmFestival.com

With the motto âREthink, REplenish, REcommitâ, the GOING GREEN FILM FESTIVAL launches its official call for entries on July 15, 2009.

The festivalâs first place prizes include Hybrid electric bicycles, a tree planted in their names in Central America, Africa or Asia, as well as Fuji Film and screenwriting software.

A pending Grand Prize will include a HYBRID CAR!

$20 of all entry fees will go towards Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) which produce clean energy.

The CATEGORIES ARE are:

* GREEN PRODUCTION, where a filmâs production worked to lessen the carbon footprint left on the planet

* OUR PLANET, where the filmâs topic covers third world issues, ecology, nature or the environment; and

* HYBRID/ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, where the film features a hybrid vehicle, bicycle, electric scooter or public transportation.

Films can be any genre, but must be between 20 minutes and 120 minutes in length and have been completed between 2008 and 2010.

Earlybird/Discount Deadline: August 31, 2009.

Submit by going to: http://www.GoingGreenFilmFestival.com

WIN a PAIR of VIP PASSES to attend fest by subscribing to our newsletter.
Send an email to: goinggreenfilmfest-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Answer
IMDB.com

2010 Honda Insight VS 2010 Toyota Prius?

AmmyBABY

I am 17 and as an early graduation present, my parents have agreed to buy me a car. (I attend high school and college at the same time, because of this program I'm in, so please, no one give me mouth about getting a brand new car!)

After I'm done with my community college/high school here, I should receive an AA degree and transfer to a 4-year university. This means I will be away from home and will be driving back and forth a lot, which is one of the reasons why I chose these two hybrid cars.

Both cars look promising, but I'm not sure which one would be best suited for myself. I originally wanted a Prius, but after hearing about the recalls and problems a lot of people have, I've been having second thoughts. Things like the brake messing up and problems with the gear shift changing on its own. Plus, a bare-boned Prius comes to about the same price as a fully-loaded Honda Insight.
I checked for problems with the 2010 Insight, but haven't found many common that should raise any concerns. The Insight is a little bit more compact than the Prius, and I heard was much slower. (but speed isn't too important to me anyway.)
Both cars seem to have it's perks and downfalls, but I really cannot decide between them. Which car do you think is a better buy?
I want a car that is fuel-efficient, keeps me safe, and is easy to maneuver. Out of the two, which is better for those needs?

Please no bad mouthing and rude answers. Thank you!

Answer
The only braking problems that Prius ever had were:

A. If you put in additional floor mats on top of the originals it could get stuck in the accelerator pedal. Even that isn't a big problem because the Prius (unlike non-hybrid Toyotas) has brake override which stops the acceleration when you firmly press on the brakes.

B. Brake feel. Because hybrids use a combination of regenerative, friction braking, and traction control, it's possible in certain conditions to feel the transition and to have to adjust your foot pressure on the brakes. Some people complain about this in the same way that people complained about power brakes when they first came out (a number of cars were returned then too but the media and lawyers weren't as rabid as they are today so there wasn't the big deal there is now).

The braking problems, other than the floor mats (and cars have been getting floor mats stuck in the pedals ever since there have been floor mats) and pedal feel are:

1. Misidentification with Toyota's non-hybrid cars. (Many people think that the CHP officer and his family were in a Prius, but they were in a non-hybrid, stupidly overpowered, rental Lexus that may have had mechanical problems before they rented it)

2. Hoaxes (some people with financial problems have claimed problems to get out of paying).

3. Driver error (stepping on the accelerator when they thought they were stepping on the brake).

The Prius has four braking systems:

1. Regenerative.

2. Friction.

3. Engine.

4. Parking.

There is also brake-assist which determines if you are in an emergency stop and supplies extra power to the brakes (a kind of panic mode). You have to really try hard to not be able to stop a Prius.

I don't know where you got the gear shift changing on it's own from. This can't happen because the Prius never changes gears. Heck, it never even goes out of gear. The drive train in the Prius is composed of a simple planetary gear system similar to a differential. Reverse is electric.

A technical look at the "problems" is here: http://www.techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/storm.html

Note that the Insight is in it's first year of sale so the problems that it might have aren't known. The older Insight was a totally different car. The Prius was on sale in North America from 2000 to 2010 before any "problems" occurred. Interestingly the "problems" happened during the year the government took over a car company.

- I want a car that is fuel-efficient, keeps me safe, and is easy to maneuver. Out of the two, which is better for those needs?

IMHO, it's the Prius.

1. It's more fuel efficient than the Honda.

2. It has advanced safety features such as brake-override, brake-assist, vehicle stability control (vehicle stability control is a system that keeps you from doing doughnuts in slippery conditions if you are going anything like a reasonable speed for the conditiions). Optionally there is radar pre-collision, radar cruise control, and even self-parking.

3. It's a mid-sized car. There is room for four full-sized adults or you can put a bicycle or two in the back without taking their rear wheels off.

4. It scores four or five star in every crash test category.

5. Toyota has replaced many of the mechanical components with more reliable electronics. For instance there is no alternator, no starter motor, no clutch or fluid coupling (a fluid coupling is the automatic transmission equivalent of a clutch), and the automatic transmission with its hundreds of parts has been replaced with a simple planetary gear system similar to a differential.

6. It has a very high owner satisfaction rating.

I have two, a 2001 and a 2004. They have been trouble free (the media hype notwithstanding) and among the best cars I've ever had. It would be really hard for me or my wife to go back to old fashion

Is electric bike easy for someone who has never ride on a bike before?

best electric assist bike image

Mark

Is electric bike easy for someone who has never ride on a bike before?

Answer
NO! The extra weight of the battery & motor will just make it more difficult to learn balance. For the price of just one electric assist bicycle - you could buy three to four really good pedal bicycles.

Electric assist bike - http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/collections/electric_assist/t80_plus_gl/#
Fitness bike - http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/fitness/fx/7_2_fx/#

$2,099.99 or $549.99? Your choice. I'd take the $550 bike. It'll last longer too.

What is you opinion on electric assist bikes, Trek has one called the Ride Plus?

mark_hensl

I was wondering if the electric motor is speed limited to 15-20 mph with pedal power, should one pedal at a higher rate of speed does the system shut off or are you wasting battery life? Another words, is this system good for all speeds, or slow speeds. I wondering if it is a limiting factor, ultimately.

Answer
From what I see you have to pedal to move. It has 3 levels of assistance and they claim you can go as hard as you want.

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/rideplus/technology/

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Solar Panel wattage for my Electric Bike?

best electric foldable bike image

www.jkrish

I am looking to purchase an Electric Bike for transport to work. I work on an Organic farm and need to save some energy up those hills.

I need help figuring out what size solar panels would be needed to charge the battery, and whether its plausible.

I'm looking at Ebay in Australia as I am immigrating down there. I prefer to afford the foldable/portable solar panel system: 80 watt, 120 watt, 160 watt, but IF necessary a bit more.

300w 3 PHASE 36v ELECTRIC REAR WHEEL
THREE 12v 17ah SLA BATTERIES (Total 36v)

or

Motor: 250 Watt brush-less DC hub
Batteries: 24V/10Ah pack, valve regulated

can anyone out there help explain to me how to figure this out?

thanks :)

Answer
You will want to have some sort of voltage regulation.
If the panel voltage drops off you don't want to discharge the batteries on your bike.
And you would not want to overcharge your batteries.

Harbor Freight has a fold out 18 to 24 vdc solar recharger.(see link)

For a work/home commute you might not want to haul the charger around everyday.
Ask the folks at the farm if you could set up a solar charging station. They might even help.
I'd suggest a bicycle locker that has the panel on top and a couple spaces for bicycles with charging stations inside, out of the elements. Your employers may like the idea.

Solar Panel wattage for my Electric Bike?

www.jkrish

Solar Panel wattage for my Electric Bike?
I am looking to purchase an Electric Bike for transport to work. I work on an Organic farm and need to save some energy up those hills.

I need help figuring out what size solar panels would be needed to charge the battery, and whether its plausible.

I'm looking at Ebay in Australia as I am immigrating down there. I prefer to afford the foldable/portable solar panel system: 80 watt, 120 watt, 160 watt, but IF necessary a bit more.

300w 3 PHASE 36v ELECTRIC REAR WHEEL
THREE 12v 17ah SLA BATTERIES (Total 36v)

or

Motor: 250 Watt brush-less DC hub
Batteries: 24V/10Ah pack, valve regulated

can anyone out there help explain to me how to figure this out?

thanks :)

Answer
wow
i;d just say abandon all hope
get a regular bike and learn to ride it
get enough of your own juice to ride 'up hills'

you work in an organic farm and you want to get one of these silly heavy slow environment destroying resource wasting electric bikes?
dude

organic farm ===> real bike
seriously

otherwise you are in for some serious electrical engineering or spending about 3 times what a good, regular bike would cost


wle

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What are some effective but easy ways people can save energy?

best buy electric bikes uk image

ksenia

Answer
Monitor your electricity use by buying a Kill-A-Watt or other such monitor.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/review/kill_a_watt_electric_usage_monitor_review

'An average household uses about 4300kWh of electricity each year. This results in emissions of over 2 tonnes of CO2 per household, or ¾ tonne per person - just for domestic electricity supply. In comparison, total CO2 emissions per person in the UK are around 10 tonnes, and emissions per person in India are about 1 tonne. Luckily, it is possible to cut domestic electricity use in half with simple energy efficiency measures.
'This table shows how electricity use is divided up in an average house (excluding electric heating):

Lighting 19%
Cold Appliances 18%
Wet Appliancs 15%
Cooking 15%
Consumer Electronics 19%
ICT (computers, etc) 9%
Other 5%'
(source Centre for Alternative Technology)
http://www.cat.org.uk/information/catinfo.tmpl?command=search&db=catinfo.db&eqSKUdatarq=InfoSheet_SavingElectricity

EASY WAYS to save energy

â Don't use standby on tv or computer.
â Switch off when not in use.
â Use energy efficient lightbulbs.
â Lower you thermostat.
â Install timers.
â Heat only what is needed.
â Turn down the water heater.
â Insulate your property.
â Turn air conditioning and heating down
â Sign up to a green energy supplier.
â Dress appropriately. When itâs cold put on a jumper rather than turn up the heating, when itâs warm take it off again rather than use the air con.
â Wash full loads.
â Wash at lower temperatures.
â Dry washing outside.
â Avoid dishwashers.
â Reduce draughts.

Use rechargeable batteries..
â Donât leave (re)chargers on for longer than is needed
â Only boil the water you need.
â Buy local produce.
â Reduce reuse and recycle - in that order
â Work from home. If possible work from home, it saves time and fuel travelling.
â Eat less meat and dairy products. Modern farming methods produce large quantities of greenhouse gases.
â Shower instead of bath.
â Conserve Water The less water you use the less energy is needed to pump it to your home or office and to deal with the waste at a sewerage treatment works.

â Drive a fuel efficient vehicle, if you have more than one vehicle use the most economical one more often.
â Walk or cycle to work or when taking the kids to schools, if you have to drive consider car sharing.
â Use public transport where possible
â Take a coach or train instead of using domestic flights.
â When replacing your vehicle look at diesel and liquid petroleum gas models.
â Combine multiple journeys into one and do your weekly shopping in a single trip.
â Stagger journeys where possible to avoid rush hour traffic and hold ups.
â Avoid harsh braking, accelerate gently, drive at a steady speed.
â Keep tyres properly inflated.
â Remove bike and ski and roof racks when not in use.
â Carrying unnecessary weight wastes fuel, declutter your vehicle.
â Use the correct gear, use cruise control if your vehicle has it.
â Keep your vehicle regularly serviced.
â Turn the engine off when stopped or waiting.

Source Trevor a climatologist , who used to be Top Answerer in Global Warming.

how do I biuld a chargeable little 70 speed motor to fit on a bicycle?

Ricky naja

I'm trying to use a battery powerd motor thats small enough to fit on a BMX bike

Answer
I would look at already manufatured addon motors for bicycles.In UK theye were originally made around my Grandad's era( im 42 lol) as a bolt-on motor to help you get up hills. During the 70's companies like Puch made something that has peddles and an engine, ( the Maxi- i think) which was suposed to be like a bicycle with an engine, but wieghed alot and so wasnt a pleasant ride, especially in summer, uphill with a defective motor.
Recent years there has been the re-introduction of not only the bolt-on motor but also manufactured 'motorised bicycles' and an electric moped(which you dont need a licence to operate).
I would look at that technology, ideally buy one and dismantle it, learn from it and see if you can improove it.
The problem will be creating enough torque to move you at a reasonable pace, ideally on any surface (uphill,down,flat, gravel) and have a battery that is small yet carries alot of amps. You would also need to look into a charging system i.e solar,dynamo/generator. As running a battery flat constantly is not good for it and depending on you project's efficiancy will dictact how often it will need charging an for how long 8-12hours....which if you plan to use this everyday, will be expensive to charge. Boat batteries can handle being drained fully alot better than standard motor vehicle types, but they are bigger and heavier- so not practical for a bicycle.
I dont understand why you would need 70 gears though??

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How do you find what amp fuse to use for electric motor.?

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idk.idkk

i had a 180 watt, 8 amp motor and it blew a 30 amp fuse. i ordered a 1000 watt (at 36v) (745 watt at 25v) motor. it's rated current is 34 amps. what rated amp fuse should i use?

o and it's for an electric bike motor. if anyone knows: could i use a resettable breaker? if so where could i get one that can run off 24 or 36 volts dc??

thanks.

Answer
Electric motors draw a large amount of current on startup and much smaller amounts after they come up to speed. What you need is called a "slow blow fuse". Such fuses can handle up to 10 times the current they are rated to handle for a short period of time, a few seconds or less. The actual fuse rating should be specified by the manufacturer of the motor. In the absence of such a recommendation, use a fuse rated the same or slightly higher than the continuous current rating.

A properly rated circuit breaker should work in place of a fuse.

Here's a 24V resettable circuit breaker rated for 40A. This one should be suitable, since it's intended purpose is to operate a motor and the added startup current would have already been considered in the design.

http://www.marineengine.com/products/accessory.php?in=2971040

How large of a panel or panels would I need to charge an electric car battery?

Rob G

I would like to have a designated solar panel electric system to charge an electric car. Can it be designed as a Portable system to take with me if and when I move to a new house? Or can one be designed as a portable system to take in the car and used to charge the car when needed?

Answer
First we need to examine the required parameters. "An electric car battery" is not a standard item. The Volt and I-Miev batteries are 16KW-hr. The Leaf battery is 24KW-hr and the Tesla Roadster battery holds 53KW-hr of energy. The larger the capacity the longer it will take to charge all else being equal.

The second issue is time. Even from the grid you can charge your electric vehicle with a Type I charger at low voltage and amperage or a Type II charger at a higher voltage and amperage. The Type II charger is likely to be 4 times as fast. The same will be true of the size of the solar panel array.

As long as a solar panel will add more to batteries than the losses it will charge the vehicle. So are we considering only standing losses of about 3% per month, daily driving up to the battery range of the vehicle, or do you want to consider the continuously running the vehicle? Lets use the Nissan Leaf as an example:

The leaf battery is 24KW-hr. In a month such a battery would lose about 3% of its charge just sitting around. This amounts to (24 x .03) .72KW-hr / month. On a daily basis this would be (.72 x 12/365) .02KW-hr Solar insolation varies by location and time of year. The daily average in Arizona at the peak time of the year is about 7KW-hr / sq meter / day. Solar panels vary in efficiency but 10% is not an unreasonable number with today's technology. This would give us .7KW-hr of electricity / sq meter for our panels and a maintenance panel would only have to be (.2/.7) .286 sq meter in size. This would probably fit on your dashboard and such items are already sold: http://compare.ebay.com/like/320700323984?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

If however you anticipated using the full EPA range of the vehicle on a charge (73 miles) you would need 24 KW hr / day. Our best case solar panels would then have to be (24 / .7) about 34.29 sq meters (or 369 sq ft in size) This would approximately be equal to a surface area of 8 feet by 46 feet long. While this is hardly portable there have been some efforts to combine stationary and portable solar panels to drive electric cars: http://puregreencars.com/Green-Culture/Around-the-World-with-Solar-Taxi.html Here also is a portable solar panel trailer: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/Electrochemistry/doc/trailer_fc.html There are solar cars but these are not passenger vehicles. They are built ultra light and efficient: http://electric-vehicles-cars-bikes.blogspot.com/2009/10/solar-car-uses-less-power-than-toaster.html

Last if you were to try to power your Nissan Leaf continuously like a solar vehicle we might derive that the Leaf would require (24KW-hr/73 miles) about .329 KW-hr/mile. Traveling at 60 mph in one hour the vehicle would need 19.72 KW-hr / hour or about a 20 KW power supply. Commercial solar panels you might put on the roof of your house are rated from about 165 watts to just over 300 watts power output. You would need from about 66 to 121 of these panels to continuously power the vehicle. A genset trailer might be a better option: http://www.evnut.com/rav_longranger.htm

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