During my vacation, I had the chance to rent & ride a really nice eBike -- Riese & Müller is among the more expensive german brands and this model's configuration (with "Vario"gear & larger battery) currently retails for approx $7000 in the USA. :
propelbikes.com/product/riese-muller-nevo. Their "entry-level" models costs more than $5500. All prices are without S&H and sales tax. This can add $700...$900.
On the right is a stark contrast :
- it costs less than $1500 (taxes & S&H included)
- it has a throttle to allow lazy cyclist to cruise around -- EU regulations prohibit that.
- It can go 20mph (32km/h) with and without pedaling, EU limits speed to 25km/h
Admittedly the R&M eBike has a really sophisticated motor control and it works seamlessly. Push harder on the pedal and the motor will proportionally increase power without surprises or jerky change of power. Pedal-assist settings allow to add between 50...370% power to yours.
The US (or should I say Chinese) eBike can accelerate very unexpectedly. For example, with "PAS 5", once you exceed 8mph, the motor will suddenly kick in and attempt to accelerate up to 20mph, regardless of how strong you push the pedals. Apparently, PAS sets the intended speed. You have to use PAS like a gear shift and start low and gradually increase setting to your desired speed.
This eBike also has a throttle and that is legal in the US ("Class 2"). A throttle is convenient to give you a boost without changing PAS or shifting gears, e.g. at intersections or inclines. And "Class 2" bikes are allowed to drive even without any pedal assist, solely controlled by the throttle.
To make the most given the strict regulations, european manufacturers equipped their bikes with a combination of 250W mid-drive motor plus a gearshift and custom-designed frame to fit motor + battery. This has many advantages -- but increase in cost is a serious disadvantage.
The chinese eBike places the 500...750W motor inside the rear hub (sorry, you can't see it in the photo) and such a motor is less complex/expensive. Manufacturers can use existing bike frames and just bolt on the battery and swap the rear wheel for one with a hub motor. Given lower manufacturing costs, it is no surprise these bikes cost a lot less.
IMO when cruising on mostly flat roads, both solutions work efficiently -- and the hub-drive beats the mid-drive in terms of costs and convenience. If you want, you can be lazy and drive with minimal effort and very little shifting.
Mid-drive bikes typically cost $3000 or more (plus tax & SH) and only if you frequently have to face hills, the mid-drive will win over a hub-drive.
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eBikes EU vs US
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1 comment
Stargazer95050 said:
Given the brick roads and pedestrian atmosphere, the typical speed was only 15km/h and it required pedaling effort. Based on the 2.5 days of use, I estimate the 625Wh battery can last up to 100km (250W motor, slow speed).
That estimated power consumption is 6.25...7.00Wh/km (10.0...11.2Wh/mi) @ 15km/h on flat roads.
The US-eBike has a 500W motor with peak 20A*48V = 960W. At a typical speed of ~15...18mph (24...28km/h) on flat roads and small pedal effort, the US-bike's power consumption is much higher : ~15Wh/mi and jumps to 20+Wh/mi when driving at speeds of 20+mph.
With greater pedaling effort, it is possible to reduce that consumption but the gear ratio of this particular US-bike isn't designed for such high pedal-assist speeds since throttle-mode is legal in the USA and lower-cost also is a factor.
Despite the higher motor power, the battery of the US-eBike is "only" 576Wh. Given the retail price, this capacity is very good.
But with the higher speed needed to keep up with traffic, the effective range of US-eBike is much shorter than EU-bikes.
575Wh / 15...20Wh/mi = 38...28miles. Since batteries age more quickly when frequently discharged to 0%, it is a good idea to keep a 15% reserve. This precaution reduces the range to 32...24miles. That's good enough for trips around town.