Can the pedaling energy charge the battery of an electric bike?

best electric bike hub motor image

Drowzzy

Can the mechanical energy of pedaling be stored as electrical energy to be utilized later to run the bicycle automatically? I'm not talking about pure electric bikes that need regular charging, and not even about those that you pedal for a while as the bike stands still and then run it on electric power. I mean can you ride a bike and store the mechanical energy simultaneously? Will it be efficient? If so, then are such e-bikes available in the market, and what are they called so that I may Google for them?

Here's the scenario: I need a bicycle for regular commute, may be even for covering long distances. It's not feasible for a layman to pedal continuously for more than 5 to 10 miles. So I'm looking for a bike that you pedal for sometime, and when you're exhausted, you simply flick a button to make it run on electrical power which has been converted and stored from the mechanical energy of pedaling the bike; and then pedal again and auto-ride again and so forth. Will something like that be technically efficient, since you're moving the bike while pedaling as well as storing your spare energy?

Hope I haven't confused you. Thanks :)

Answer
There is already such a motor on the market. The name escapes me right now but it is a hub built into the rear wheel and it costs about $2000... not the Erbike hub motor... I think it is Electricrider or something like that.

To your request, yes, it is possible and a project I am working on right now. No, I can't and won't divulge details but CAN tell you that you'll see it relatively soon and it WILL be expensive- more expensive than a small motorcycle at this point.

By the way... I typically commute 24 miles (one way) to work on a bicycle, no problem. 5-10 mile commute is simple for most committed riders.

I'm looking for a CVT or IVT transmission for a diy electric bicycle?

Joel

I'm planning out a DIY electric bike, and I want to use a direct drive system. I'm thinking about using a couple angle grinder gear boxes instead of chains and gears, but I need a CVT or IVT transmission. That's Continuous Variable Transmission or Infinite Variable Transmission.
It would be great if there is a power tool or some other low-cost component I could dismantle to easily get one of these transmissions. Go Karts use them, and they are cheaper than I would spend at a bike shop, but they're built really beefy for the kind of strain a Go Kart motor would put on it. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Answer
i have built my own elec bicycle .. i used a " hub motor bicycle kit . total cost of $230 for the kit including charger . throttle , and controller box Then you have to buy the batteries separate or you can buy " chain driven elec bicycle kits " you dont need transmissions using DC elec motors because they ae Variable speed motors . the " throttle " controls the speed. The higher the voltage of system the faster it will go. mine is 36 volt. 500 watt. with 6 - 12 volt 12 amp hour batts to make 2 -36 volt battery banks. next time i will try a 48 volt 1000 kit.

also google " electric bicycle youtube " and " elec bike forums " to learn more. Hub motors are much more efficient and quiter too. .

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Title Post: Can the pedaling energy charge the battery of an electric bike?
Rating: 83% based on 9498 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown

Thanks For Coming T0 My Blog