Do You Understand the Type of E-bike?

​Electric bicycles combine the advantages of ordinary bicycles and motorcycles. Electric bicycles are low-cost and a mode of transportation that most people can afford. Electric bicycles are powered by rechargeable batteries to provide additional power for riders. Electric bicycles are an attractive alternative to traditional bicycles and traditional cars. Electric bicycles are becoming more and more popular around the world.

E-bikes continue to grow in other parts of the world. China is the largest market for electric bicycles; the second largest market in Europe.
Back to the topic, do you know what types of electric bicycles are increasingly popular? How to generate electricity? This article will briefly introduce the three types of electric bicycles, motors and batteries.

Three types of electric bicycles:
classic 1: Pedal Assist / Pedelec
The most common type of electric bike is the pedal-assist or pedelec are equipped with electric motors that only work while the bike is being pedaled. The rider pedals the bike normally while a motor provides assistance, increasing the power transmitted to the rear wheel so allows for higher speeds and effortless climbing over steep hills.
In most of Europe, the system cannot provide assistance over 25 kilometers per hour (kph) or approximately 15 miles per hour. In the United States, pedelecs are limited to 20 mph and cannot use motors that exceed 750 watts.

classic 2: Throttle
Class 2 e-bike is much like a motorcycle or scooter a throttle operated e-bike propels the bike forward without any additional pedaling from the rider. Most powers on demand bikes give riders full control of the motor by using a throttle, button, or trigger located on the handlebars. They are very often the class 2 e-bike of choice for people who are looking for a way to ease into cycling, or who are interested in a way to control and gradually increase or decrease their level of physical exercise while riding.

classic 3: Speed Pedelec
The design of a speed pedelec is similar to a standard pedelec, which is similar to normal pedelecs in terms of their basic operation. The important distinction that speed pedelecs make it possible for riders to combine the power of their legs with the power of the motor to achieve speeds greater than 28 mph. In many areas this class of e-bike is considered a motor vehicle requires its riders to be licensed.

Hub Motors and Mid-Drive
The motor is the single most important feature of an electric bike—it’s what makes an electric bike an electric bike. At the heart of any e-bike is an electric motor, and it can be located in one of two places, the center of the frame or one of the hubs. 

Hub Motors: 
A hub motor is situated in the hub of one of the bike’s wheels, providing propulsion by spinning whichever wheel to which it’s attached. As electric bikes first began gaining popularity, these were the most frequently used type of motor, and while the increasingly widespread use of mid-drive motors is beginning to shift this trend, hub motors continue to be a dominant component in the electric bike industry.

• Front hub motors: Because front hub motors don’t impede in any way the bike’s drivetrain, the front hub motor is the simplest e-bike design. But cornering while accelerating can be especially tricky when the drive unit is in the front wheel. Given these limitations, the front hub motor is the least common e-bike system and is most often found on inexpensive conversion kits as they can easily be added to almost any bike.
• Rear hub motors: A rear hub motor can accommodate both throttle and pedelec, rear hub motors “push” the bike forward, which often feels more natural to those accustomed to riding conventional bicycles, so they are the most popular for electric conversions.

Mid-Drive Motors​: 
The mid-drive design offers many benefits over a hub motor, making it the system of choice for most pedal assist production bikes. A mid-drive delivers more torque than a similarly powered hub motor and by being centrally located, distributes weight more evenly on the bike. 
Instead of being located in the hub of one of the wheels, mid-drive motors drive power to the bike’s drivetrain, typically at the crankset. By directly powering the bike’s cranks, mid-drive motors work in tight coordination with the bike’s already existing gears, amplifying the mechanical advantage they provide. 

Batteries
Batteries are the fundamental reason electric bikes have emerged as such promising vehicles in the 21st century. Modern e-bike batteries are usually lithium ion and composed of multiple battery cells. The primary consideration to make when looking at electric bike batteries is the range of the battery, the battery depends on how much motor assistance you plan to use while riding. The more you pedal and the less you use the motor, the more miles you can get out of the battery. The high quality electric bike batteries should be compact enough to blend in with the design of the bike, should not get in the way or in any way detract from your ability to ride comfortably.


Conclusion
Having established itself as a hugely popular, effective, and important mode of transportation in countries around the world—most notably China and several nations throughout Europe–the electric bike is beginning to take off in the United States as well. Whether it’s used to go on recreational rides with family or friends, as a way to get back into shape, or as a vehicle for completing your daily commutes, an electric bike is the key to easy, comfortable, and convenient travel.
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Reference:​ Montague Bikes、​ EVELO