E - Tech On Two Wheels

There are many new electric bicycles on the market today. Some vehicles have old battery technology, while newer vehicles have a more efficient chemical make-up. In the past few years, gas prices have sky rocketed out of control. This has led to the development of a longer lasting battery charge with more power and less waiting. This is what we will discuss here today and where bike battery development might be headed in the future.

The average bike frame does not lend itself to a lot of space to work with. Weight has always been a problem when producing electric bikes, especially with older lead-acid batteries. With the advent of the newer technology like lithium-ion,lithium-polymer, and lithium-phosphate, batteries are getting a lot smaller. Now there are far more requests for these batteries to be produced. There has been an explosion of electric bikes on the market today and electric bike kits for the do-it-yourself enthusiast.

For the city cruiser/commuter bike rider,the current federal electric bike limits are at 750 watts of electric drive motor output and a top speed of not more than 20 miles per hour. But check your local state laws, as some areas may differ. Off-road bikes are not so restricted in output. No fenders or lights? Go for it ! Or even no helmet you say? Always wear a helmet. "Not Cool!" you say? Neither is smacking your brain on the ground and becoming a vegetable.

The bulk of the price for the electric bike at this point in time would be contained in the batteries. Some of the newer state-of-the-art lithium-polymer battery-powered electric assisted street bikes for off-road use can cost upwards of 4,000 dollars U.S. In addition, the electric, the electric assisted street bikes can begin their pricing well over 1,000 dollars so that you can save gas, the environment, and not to mention your leg muscles. With most high tech gadgets beginning with such a high price tag, and mass production being the driving force in pricing in the market place, hopefully, some day in the near future we can just go down to the local automotive supply store or bike shop to purchase what we need to power the average bike at a reasonable price. I will be watching as the increase in production of bike batteries brings down prices to a more agreeable level.

So weather you're a serious off-road mountain bike enthusiast or the casual bike rider on a small excursion, becoming a smart bike battery shopper may get you just a little bit further down the road. If the price comes down and the availability goes up, it make more sense to be on a bike that will get you up the steepest grades even if you are tired of pedaling. I am looking forward to hearing your stories about your search for a better electric bicycle battery.