Zoomi Life

Lance Armstrong? Yesterday’s bicycle hero. Today, we have Guim Valls Teruel (say that three times fast) from Spain, though now living in Beijing. His goal is to travel all five continents on his electric bicycle in a project he’s calling the Electric Bicycle World Tour.

Guim says he’s been using an electric bike ever since he moved to Beijing two years ago and can’t imagine living without it. Guim says he’s experienced three separate cultures: Beijing, Madrid, and London. He plans to visit each of those on his world tour (among many more).

His tour will begin in May next year (2009) and will end in London in August of 2012. He’s currently fundraising and putting the last details together for his tour, including the filming and Internet connectivity via his website.

So check out the Electric Bicycle World Tour and find out how you can participate in the “One Kilometer – One Hope” program.

Sources: 1, 2

Sanyo and electric stuff go hand-in-hand. They make TVs, juicers, remote controls, stereos, and just about everything else electronic. Now they’re making electric bicycles and, other than the Schwinn, they’re the best-looking electrics I’ve seen.

The new bike, called the Eneloop bike (an electric-hybrid, the hybrid being human pedaling), has some great looks and features. It’s kind of girly, but is the old-style “touring” look that girls and old people really go for.

The Eneloop bike is based on a 1:2 power assist ratio (30% rider, 70% motor) with three speeds. It’s capable of about 100km (30m) on a single charge and has 27Ah lithium-ion batteries. The bike has two modes of operation: auto and power up.

In auto mode, the bike will sense when the motor’s assist is needed and kick in as much as is required to keep speed and torque even. Up hills, this means that going up the hill can be as easy as riding flat. In power mode, the motor can produce even more, producing about double what the rider alone can do, to really fly up the hills. This uses more juice from the batteries, of course.

Other innovations include the regenerative braking (unusual on bicycles) and coasting re-charge, which uses the motion of the wheels as you roll down hills to resupply power to the batteries. This can help extend the range of the bike and is controllable by the rider.

Pretty cool stuff, though the price tag is as spendy as most electric bicycles of quality, ringing in at $1,430.

Source: Treehugger.com

Better Place, based in Palo Alto, California, has announced deals with both the State of California and the State of Oregon to install a network of electric car power stations throughout both states. These should be ready to go by 2012, which is when most experts are predicting that population centers in those states will have a large population of electric vehicles (all electrics, hybrid-electrics, commuters, etc.).

These are to be done through partnerships with Nissan, Coulomb Technologies, and individual city and county governments and business groups. This couples with the announcement by Nissan that they will be releasing their first electric car in Oregon in 2010.

How It Works

The stations will be similar to those that Better Place is doing in Australia, which we covered here at Zoomilife just a short while ago. Rates have not been announced, but the price will be less than the equivalent amount of gasoline (in energy) and the power sources will focus at least partially on renewable resources (wind, solar, etc.).

Many stations, especially along highways or in cities near commute points such as office and industrial zones, will also have “battery swap points” where owners of Nissan cars can swap their EV’s cells with freshly-charged ones or use a charge-while-you-wait service. Nissan has technologies to charge their vehicles with special charging stations at very fast rates.

Both systems will be part of subscription services or one-time-pay offerings, depending on what the driver opts for. Those who commute regularly will likely be interested in buying a subscription to discounted use of the charging stations, for example, while those who drive longer distances may have more interest in the battery-swap and charging station combination. Rental car agencies may also offer EVs and include pre-paid charging cards or other incentives as part of the rental.

Not to leave out traditional service and gas stations, Coulomb Technologies has announced that, for their part, they will be utilizing existing gas stations, service stations, travel stops, etc. as the focus of their electric vehicle charging units. They currently have agreements with 40 locations and the list is growing.

In California

Targeting the San Francisco Bay area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, and the highway and freeway corridors between them, Better Place plans to have curbside charging stations similar to parking meters set up throughout these and nearby cities. These will function similarly to the stations they’ve announced for Australia.

The Governator is very excited about this and took the opportunity at a press conference to tout his state’s leadership in environmental issues. Interesting, coming from a multi-millionaire who drives a Hummer and a bulletproof limousine.

Governors and city councils of various towns and cities in California have made a push to institute policies that give incentive to employers and parking facilities to install EV charging stations. They’ve also pushed to create an expedited process for the permitting and installation certification of those stations in homes, businesses, parking lots, etc. “Expedited,” remember, has a different definition for government, so no word yet on what that will really equate to.

Those are just a few of the long list of things the various city and county governments have proposed or promised in relation to this.

In Oregon

At the LA Auto Show on November 20, 2008, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan-Renault, announced the partnership with the State of Oregon to build a charging network for EVs. He also announced that Nissan’s first electric to hit American shores will debut in Oregon in 2010. Their entire lineup of zero-emission electrics will be available world-wide by 2012.

The partnership in Oregon involves Better Place, Nissan, and Portland General Electric. Oregon has also announced a $5,000 tax credit towards the purchase of any all-electric car. Oregon’s Department of Transportation has also committed themselves to maintaining and operating the infrastructure the state owns or provides.

The charging stations and other facilities will center first around the Portland area, but will eventually include the entire I-5 corridor to link up with California’s infrastructure in the future. No definite plans were given as to time frames, though the Portland-area plans are targeted for 2012 rollout.

Oregon’s plans are more state-focused, as opposed to California’s more municipal focus.

Sources:1, 2

Training wheels be damned! You too can ride a bike without having to learn to balance it first.

I don’t remember when I learned to ride a bicycle, but I do remember wrecking mine more than once. In fact, looking back, I’m amazed I managed to get through childhood intact, let alone without any major broken bones or serious debilitating injury. Brain damage doesn’t count, so back off.

Anyway, back to the bike that stands up by itself. While I don’t know that there’s much of a market for this kind of thing, I can see how it’s a great stepping-stone to a lot of other future products. Two-legged robots, two-wheeled rovers, a new version of the Segway Scooter…

The science itself is interesting, for sure. So I’ll skip the usual ribbing I give useless inventions and look at this one purely scientifically. While the goal here is dubious (in their words): “a sophisticated, high-performance bicycle that can serve as a convenient alternative to a small car”, it’s at least a marketable reason to raise money for the endeavor.

The bicycle is being designed at Keio University in Yokohama, Japan. Right now, it looks like a regular bicycle from K-Mart that’s had a lot of scientific-looking equipment and wiring added to it. There’s a motor to control the handlebars, the rear wheel (to “drive”) and a gyro-sensor and LED/camera to give feedback to the system.

It sounds complicated because it is. The idea is that the gyro and camera (which looks at an LED light opposite) give feedback to the computers that control the motors on the bicycle as to the bike’s relative position. This feedback causes the motors to change course to compensate (turn the handlebars, slow down or speed up, etc.).

So far, the bike works great. Of course, there no longer any room for a rider, but this is a test vehicle to make sure the idea itself will actually work. Now that the bicycle can actually ride on its own (on a set of rollers, anyway), they plan to downsize the components and perfect the sensors and software so they can take it out on the streets.

This Post via PhysOrg

It’s not often you find something like this. By “like this” I mean…well…something on the market that looks like a high school science project. That’s the best way to describe this contraption.

The Neodymics Cyclemotor is a one-piece electric motor and battery unit that you attach to the front handlebars and forks of your bicycle to provide an instant electric propulsion unit for it. Sounds great until you see the thing. It’s horrifically sci-fi (I mean 1950s sci-fi, not ST:NG sci-fi) and I seriously doubt anyone with any sort of fashion sense is going to use one.

This is basically a case of someone saying “Hey, what a great idea!” and then going with it. Without any consideration as to whether it should leave the drawing board. I mean, really, lots of ideas are awesome. At least until you try to implement them in the real world. Sort of like the “fill the water weenie with gasoline so we can make a blowtorch” idea.

Most people with any sense will realize the idea is not practical and quit before they get too deep into it. Most people. Others will get third degree burns over half their body trying first.

The part that kills me is that they bothered to make a cover for the thing. Like that’d somehow pretty it up. I’d be more likely to buy it if it had flashing lights and a couple of dangly, pig tail antennas bouncing around. Really. Come on.

OK, OK, I’ll talk about the actual machine. It replaces the front tire of your bike, with its smaller, built-in tire. I’ll get to why the tire is smaller later. It has simple no-tools-required thumb locks like most bikes for quick-release of the front tire. The throttle and other controls are at the top to match the position of your handlebars. They are, of course, easily moved to get an exact fit with your bike.

Now for why that front tire is smaller. Basically, because it’s “front wheel drive,” having a regular-sized tire creates some obvious physics problems for the rider who wants to stay upright and in control. A smaller tire eliminates most of those worries. The unit is long enough that it doesn’t give your bicycle that muscle-car tilt forward, so you’ll still say on your seat.

One other problem is inherent in this one: weight. The unit weighs forty pounds, which for most of us would nearly quadruple our bicycle’s weight. It’s all on the front too, which I can imagine makes for interesting downhills and braking.

Here’s some pertinent data:

• 1 hp dual-speed motor
• Maximum speed of 20mph
• Range averages 20 miles per charge
• Speedometer, cruise control, and charge indicator on bars
• 1 hour recharge time

It will fit any bicycle that has a 26 or 27 inch front wheel and includes three inches of suspension travel on that tire, which will help with the weight a little. The new wheel is only sixteen inches, for reference.

Once again, the Neodymics Cyclemotor is a great idea that probably shouldn’t have left paper. Or at least should have had some serious thought put into how useful it would be. Wires and velcro aren’t a big deal and I can’t see why moving the batteries to the back of the bike to distribute the weight a little would hurt. I mean, the installation time of 40 seconds would be compromised, but most of us aren’t NASCAR mechanics and 40 seconds and two minutes are basically the same thing. Just a thought.

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Here’s a video demo of the Neodymics Cyclemotor:

One of the most fun, retro-style electric bicycles out there is the eGo Cycle 2, which comes in three models: standard, LX (deluxe), and SE (deluxe, deluxe). The basic specs on all three models are the same, it’s the amenities that separate them. Prices start in the $1200 range and these bikes are available nearly world-wide both online and by mail order, with local dealerships in some areas.

Two things stand out about this electric bike immediately: it looks more like a scooter than a bike, and it’s a pretty nice looker at that. The first impression says that, if you do get one of these and hope to ride it without a motorcycle license, you’d better check your local statutes: many designate a bicycle vs. a scooter by whether or not there are pedals, which the eGo doesn’t have. The second impression tells you that the days of geeky scooters are coming to a close.

If your local statutes designate a scooter/motorcycle by weight, then you’re probably OK calling this a bicycle under the law (it weighs only 120 pounds), but if pedals are required to make it a bike, then you’re out of luck. If your local or state government is going to call your eGo a scooter, you’ll probably have to purchase the LX or SE model in order to have turn signals and a license plate holder. Don’t worry, though, the price difference between the regular Cycle 2 and the LX is only about $300, so it’s not a deal breaker.

Let’s look at what kind of street specs will decide whether you want one of these for your around-town riding or short commute:

• Top speed: 23mph Go Fast/ 18mph Go Far
• Range: 23 miles at top speed in Go Far mode
• Colors: five to choose from (red, light green, dark tan, blue-green, and black)
• Motor: 1.5kW, 1,000W continuous/4,000W peak, 24V brush
• Drive Train: belt-driven
• Max Load: 250lbs
• Charger input: standard 110V AC
• Recharge Time: 3 hours to 80%, 6 hours to full

For many, that’s enough. The light weight and smaller size (about 64 inches long, 44 inches high, and 23 inches wide) make it small enough to easily fit through the door of an apartment or elevator, and light enough to be pushed around without the motor.

Other features make the eGo even more useful. Regenerative braking, easy controls, and a head and taillight are some of those features. The rear-view mirror isn’t a bad addition either. The “bell” for a horn is kind of cheesy, though, and the simple keyswitch on/off doesn’t make this a secure bike for street-parking. It’s nice to have the built-on cargo rack, though.

The standard model comes with all of what’s been listed so far, while the LX model basically ads legal fixes like front and rear turn signals, dual mirrors, a license plate holder, electric horn, and speedometer. Making it so that you can legally operate it as a motor vehicle in areas where it doesn’t fit the title of “bicycle.” They limit the color choices on the LX models to red and black, however.

The SE (or LX Special Edition) model is the same as the LX version, but ads some really nice looks to the machine with the silver powdercoat and the great-looking five-spoke alloy rims. You’ll pay a few hundred more for these extras, but they really take this electric from “classy” to “niiice.”

Finally, the 10 year frame warranty is exceptional, but the 6 month battery warranty will make even the most enthusiastic have doubts. For some, these are the perfect choice, but others might want to look at something more substantial or longer term. The eGo has some great points for the short-distance commuter or rider, but for the money and options, a similar electric bicycle with pedal-assist might be better.

Check out this short video of the eGo electric bike in action:

iZip Enlightened Cruiser

2008 has proven to be a bumper year for electric bicycles. Sales are up - way up. Amazon.com Inc. says sales of electric bikes surged more than 6,000 percent in July from a year earlier, in part because of expanded available offerings. People are finding out about the convenience and versatility of electric bicycles.

Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, bridge the gap between bicycles and scooters by giving you a vehicle which is both human and electric-powered. In essence, e-bikes are human-electric hybrid vehicles, with you the rider providing some of the power and the electric motor providing the rest. This means you can go 2 or 3 times as far (and in some cases as fast) as a regular bicycle, and you can do it without breaking a sweat if you don’t want to.

Several electric bicycle brands have emerged as top contenders in the e-bike industry, and all have released some exciting new products this year. Here’s a list of the top five electric bicycles of 2008 as we see them.

iZip Enlightened Trekking

Currie Technologies’ iZip Enlightened Series

Currie Technologies is known for its innovation and quality eZip and iZip electric bicycle product lines, and the iZip Enlightened Series is no exception. The series features five models: Trailz, Mountain Trailz, Urban Cruiser, Trails Women, and Trekking.

Featuring iZip’s PTS (Pedal Torque Sensor) system which controls the bikes speed based on how hard you pedal, iZip Enlightened e-bikes also feature a 24V 9AH NiMH battery pack built-in to the bike frame, which means no external battery pack and sleek lines on the bikes frame. iZip enlightened e-bikes retail for about $1,800.

Some other iZip Enlightened Bicycle specs:

• 8-Speed Geared System with SRAM X.7 Rear Derailleur
• Top Speed Up to 15 Mph / 24 Kph (Rider Weight Contingent)
• Range Up to 23 - 30 Miles / 38 - 48 Km with Normal Pedaling (Rider Weight Contingent)
• NiMH Currie High Power Smart Charger with LED status display
• Net Weight 48 lbs / 22 kg

Optibike 800Li

The Optibike 800Li

If you’re looking for the best of the best in an electric bicycle, then the Optibike 800Li is right at the top of the list. Each bike is hand built in Boulder, Colorado by a team of professionals with an eye for detail and a taste for speed. Optibike claims that its 800Li is the fastest e-bike available; with moderate pedaling, you can get the 800Li going up to about 35 mph.

The Optibike 800Li is a top-of-the-line electric bicycle with a massive 800 watt electric motor, front and rear Fox Talas RLC suspension and carbon fiber hydraulic disk brakes, and a space-age frame. Climbing up hills is an absolute breeze with the powerful electric motor. Expect a 30 mile range with the stock battery, which can be doubled to 60 miles with an optional battery pack.

Optibike allows you to fully customize your e-bike when you purchase it. This bike definitely has a high-end price to go with it’s features - expect to spend upwards of $8,995 for yours.

Ultra Motors’ A2B

Ultra Motor’s A2B

The A2B electric bicycle was designed as a commuter’s e-bike - thus the name, because it gets you from point A to point B, and does it in style. This futuristic-looking electric bicycle packs some performance technology.

The A2B sports a proprietary 500 Watt (2/3 Horsepower) motor, which is more than adequate to let you cruise along at 20 mph with minimal to no pedaling. This bikes hardware specs include a Shimano Alivio derailleur, Hayes disc brakes and full suspension with an aluminum frame.

The battery on the A2B will provide you with about 20 miles range, and takes about three to five hours to recharge. The A2B retails for about $2,500 and you can find a dealer here.

Schwinn Transit

Schwinn Transit Electric Bicycles

Schwinn’s Transit e-bikes pack a great combination of quality, innovation, and affordability. At a retail price of between $1500 to $2000, Schwinn’s e-bikes are definitely the most affordable on this list. But the relatively inexpensive price doesn’t mean these bikes are light on innovation. These e-bikes have their electric motors and batteries integrated seamlessly into their design, like some of the more expensive e-bikes available.

Schwinn claims that the hi-tech patent-pending lithium polymer battery included with these bikes is the lightest and most durable on the market. One battery charge will last you between 40-60 miles. The battery also charges faster than those found on most electric bikes - you can fully charge it in about four hours. The batteries are detachable, so there are no wires on the bike itself. The bikes use a 250 Watt electric front hub motor controlled by a throttle on the handlebar which can propel the bike up to 18 mph without pedaling.

E+ Cruiser by EMS

E+ Cruiser By Electric Motion Systems

The E+ Cruiser by Electric Motion Systems is simply one of the best electric bicycles available on the market today. EMS spared nothing in building this e-bike. The E+ is available with motors from 750 Watts to a whopping 1000 Watts, which will have you going 30 mph with practically no effort. With no pedaling on your part, the E+ can easily has a twenty mile range on a single charge of its 36 volt nickel metal hydride pack, which is uniquely mounted in the front hub.

The E+ also includes some high-end features not found on other electric bicycles. The E+ supports regenerative braking, which helps recharge the batteries everytime the rider uses the brakes. The E+ also includes a motion-sensitive alarm system, which makes it very difficult for someone to walk off with your bike. other goodies such as a handlebar-mounted LCD display which shows speed, distance traversed, battery level and whether or not cruise control is enabled are included. Oh yeah - this e-bike has cruise control.

The E+ can be purchased from the EMS website for $3,495.

Move over, Segway, now there’s something nerdier! When the Segway came out a couple of years ago, it defined the “nerd” transport industry. Well, the people at Focus Designs have come up with something better than the Segway… the SBU (Self-Balancing Unicycle).

The SBU can pass you by at 8.5 miles per hour, goes for up to twelve miles on a single charge, and weighs only 25 pounds. The rider controls it by leaning forward to go faster, leaning back to slow down or stop, but the pedals don’t move—they’re just foot rests.

Even those with unsteady balance could ride an SBU, according to the information from Focus Designs. The unicycle includes “accelerometers and gyroscopes with balancing algorithms” to steady it. Not sure what that means, exactly, but it sounds good. Their estimate is that all those scientific words ad up to the SBU being about half as difficult to stay upright on as a regular unicycle.

A limited production of just a handful of units (from ten to a dozen) begins in November, but to get one, you’ll need to be a good interview. Candidates to purchase the SBU will be chosen based on order date and the quality of a personal interview. The units cost about $1,500 to buy if your interview goes well.

All joking aside, this is a pretty cool innovation in the electric vehicle market and shows that just about anything you use for transportation can probably be made into an electric version of itself.

Check out a video of the SBU in action below:

This Post via Focus Designs

If you’ve ever been to India, then chances are you’ve seen the ubiquitous rickshaw - the human-powered transportation device that seems to be on every city street. Rickshaws provide transportation for millions of people in India, but they certainly don’t do rickshaw drivers any good - imagine riding a bicycle uphill - all day - and you’ll start getting a semblance of what daily life is like for millions of Indian rickshaw drivers.

The new soleckshaw solar-powered rickshaw hopes to change the lives of those millions of rickshaw drivers for the better.

The soleckshaw is basically motor-assisted bicycle that features a motor driven by a 36-volt battery recharged - or swapped - at a solar charging station. The soleckshaw can carry three passengers and can go about 12.5 miles per hour. Drivers can drive under their own power on flat roads, then switch on the motor to go up hills or give themselves a break when the load gets too heavy.

The whole idea of rickshaw transportation is seen by some as inhumane and cruel, with many drivers coming from the country’s poorest areas and working 10 to 12 hour days, seven days a week. A battery powered variation would reduce wear and tear on drivers, and that’s good news for a group of people already living in poverty.

Unfortunately, at $450 a piece, the soleckshaws are beyond the reach of many drivers, meaning a lot of micro-loan funding will be needed to make them commonplace. India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, which developed the soleckshaw, says it’s working on just such a program.

This Post via Wired.

A group of students from a University in southern Taiwan won an award Tuesday for creative application at the 2008 National Wind Power Invention Contest with their entry of a wind-powered bicycle headlight.

The wind-powered bicycle headlight utilizes head-on wind,while the bike is in motion to generate electricity as a source of energy for the headlight. The electricity is saved in rechargeable batteries which is used to power the headlight when the cyclist is stopped.

The invention has drawn several inquiries from companies interested in purchasing the patent from the students. The commercial application of the invention is perceived to have great market potential.

The National Wind Power Invention Contest was held at Southern Taiwan University in Tainan County’s Yongkang City in early October. The purpose of the contest is to encourage the use of wind power as an alternative source of energy.

This Post via ETaiwanNews.com