I’m freshly returned from the International Bike Show (Interbike) which I attend every year (since 2000) and where I demo and test every electric bike available. Also, several manufacturer’s have requested that I test and advise on their bikes during their development phase. Here are my honest impressions of the electric bikes I have tried. I hope my bluntness and bias doesn’t offend any manufacturer, but rather serves as constructive feedback and criticism for the evolution of products and the industry.

Note 1: A quality electric bicycle must have significant Research and Development and be built with engineering intelligence.  I mean, you can’t just stick a chip in a radio and call it an Ipod, right? We are now in a more mature phase of electric bicycle evolution where the integration of features is paramount.

Note 2: Beware of comparing power ratings of motors. The design of the motor – i.e. geared or not – the method of rating, etc. often distort the numbers.

A2B UltraMotor – Has a pretty strong motor, but is really heavy with small 20” wheels. I consider it more of a scooter than a bicycle. Some people like the macho and stylish heavy-duty look. One A2B dealer affectionately calls it the "Testostorosa." Good for people mostly using the power, like a scooter, not pedaling. Handles a little weird with the small 20" wheels, unconventional frame, and wide tires. Heavy (78 lbs.) for pedaling or transporting. Long chain and pulley system for the gears with inexpensive derailleur a a bit too noisy.

Note: The challenge of an electric bike is to create a dynamic balance between it’s ability to be a hybrid: to be pedaled, assisted by power and freewheel (coast).

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A2B Velocity - + Less expensive, lighter and more like a bicycle than the the Metro.

But it Felt out of balance to me with all the weight on rear.

Bodhi Bike – Stylish and smooth riding ebike with alot of features I like to see: Nexus internal gearing, battery integrated into the down-tube of the frame. The battery is a little small and the 250W motor not suited for hills, but if you don’t need the power or range, this is a bike to look at.

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Pedego + Stylish cruiser-style bike. The “Tommy Bahama” of electric bikes, especially with the fat tire option. A little underpowered for the hills (motor is not “geared), fine for the flat. Battery, motor, controller, gears all on rear  -- nothing on the front -- not ideal for balance or handling, but OK for upright recreational riding. (At this price point, I wish they had integrated the battery into the frame triangle – a  suggestion for the manufacturer). For 2012, the Pedego has been refined and improved, and evolved into a nice machine. Their 48 Volt Interceptor is very cool.  Pedego is also introducing a City Bike and a Trike. But if you want a more powerful Cruiser that will conquer the hills, look at the Izip Zuma or the Hebb ElectroCruiser.

BH Emotion – These look like really nice bikes, but are in the 3000-4000 price range. Integrated frame battery, good quality components, smart design. I will detail more information shortly, but I’d like to have feedback from owners and a track record of support before giving a recommendation.

Ohm – The  top model is a nice bike featuring high quality bicycle parts, but the price tag ($3750) disqualifies it for most people. This is a BionX conversion bike that has been integrated a little better than just a standard conversion kit. This is a cyclist’s electric bike.

Ecobike  Entry level Lithium-Ion battery bike.  - A little weak on the hills, uses inexpensive bike parts. It appears to spec like a a more premium bike, but falls short in stress tests. Uses inexpensive bicycle parts and lower-tech Lithion Ion Manganese battery. In  head-to head comparison, the Hebb was far stronger (from the planetary-geared motor), and lasted much longer (polymer battery). I suggest spending a little more and getting alot more.

Giant Electrics (Twist, etc.) + A fairly well-crafted electric bike which we would like to like. However.... They only have 250 Watts (the European limit) and only go 15 mph. Premium-price. On the other hand, will get good range. Electric bkes need to challenge the legal limit of 20 mph. Also, the electronics are proprietary, and add unnecessary complexity should something go wrong. Rides smooth and should have good range, but you can do better.

Trek - + I always liked the 7000 series of Trek Bikes and the BionX kit which is what this bike starts with. - Trek has made 2 big mistakes with this bike. 1. They put all the electronics on the rear! (The best feature of the Bionx kit -- the position of the battery in the center triangle – is discarded) and 2. They made the bike pedal assist only -- like a treadmill,  instead of Power-on-Demand, or both. At the Interbike show, I liked riding the Via Rapido more at half the price.

Currie Ezip: + Currie price points are attractive. But beware, the Ezip line which the big box stores carry are super cheap for good reason. They are equipped with K-Mart quality low-end bike parts. They really only get about 8 miles on power in real world tests and 14 mph top speed. You get what you pay for. Currie does a good job at hitting bottom-fishing price points, but at best, these bikes serve the purpose of introduction. With a Currie bike, spend a little more and get an Izip which carries a 2 year warranty.

Currie Izip Via Rapido: The closeout 2011 Via Rapido, if still available, is a  goood choice in a budget commuter Lithium Ion Bike. It is lightweight due to the 700C Road Bike wheels and 24 - Volt system. Price is artificially low due to being last-year’s bike at a close-out price. (list $1495 – available for around $1000).

Izip Express: The $3495 Express is a powerful performer, fast and long-range, and a blast to ride. Police forces are beginning to order these as pursuit bikes. Note: they are only power-assist. If you are a power-pedaler and want to go fast and far, this machine will match your power and you will fly.

Izip E3 Vibe: Here’s an entry-level ebike that has alot going fort it: Style, comfort, economy, versability. At $999, this should be Herman Cain’s bike.  Now, don’t expect this to be a Hebb. But if you’re a recreational rider wanting to cut the wind or melt the hills and ride with a big smile,  this could be your bike.

Removeable Rear battery pack is 24-Volt Sealed Lead Acid, but may be upgraded anytime for $300 to Lithion Ion. Or, a second battery pack may be added to double your range. Upright Comfort/City Bike styling. Throttle (TAG) and Pedal Assist (PAS). Nice looking bike. Great price.

Izip Zuma Cantilever 2012 – Retro Styled cruiser with high tech components. Powerful 500 Watt geared motor and rangy Lithium Ion battery yield excellent performance. I’ve ridden a Zuma 30 miles. Pedal Assist and Power on Demand. Similar concept to the Pedego, but has much more power. The Zuma is truly a blast to ride.

Emoto Ecco 2.5 – Pretty good for the price. Comfortable Step-Thru design and decent bike parts, though at this price-point, don’t expect premium-level quality. Equipped with a light-duty Nexus inner 7 transmission and a coaster brake (you can’t pedal backwards), features both pedal assist and throttle. Rated at 250 Watts, Goes 16 mph top speed, but has good range. I can recommend this bike for lighter males or female riders and males under 175 lbs.

Hebb ElectroGlide 500 – Rides just like it’s name, ElectroGlide, smooth and powerful. With it’s 5-1 planetary geared hub motor, Lithium Ion Polymer battery (10 or 14 amp), heavy duty Nexus internal 7 Speed gearing, high quality bike parts, and gorgeous fit and finish -- the Hebb has proven itself to be the best value in an electric bike. Fully outfitted with headlight, tailight, 60 lb. rack, 360 degree chainguard, computer, battery guage, fenders, locking and removeable centrally located battery, premium Schwalbe tires, etc. Manufacturer has proven track record of impeccable customer support with their 2-year complete warranty. Quality.

Hebb ElectroGlide 500 EX – The same exceptional bike but with a 14-Amp battery yielding 40% more range, and High Power charger which halves the time needed to recharge (3.5 hours).

Hebb ElectroCruiser 700EX – Knockout styling with sexy curves and a long Harley-Davidson style fork. Available with air-cushioned Schwalbe Big Apple Tires without fenders or Schwalbe Marathon tires with fenders. Same great motor and bike parts. Upright crusing position. Chrome/Black with Gold accents, and quality throughout. This is the bike I like to ride the most.

Izip Metro – Featuring distinctive colors and upright design, a powerful 500 Watt motor with both Pedal Assist and Power on Demand Modes, the Metro is strong and smooth. Also features an integrated front basket, which unfortunately does not turn with the front wheel and may take getting adjusted to. Down-tube frame enclosed Lithion Ion battery provides security, great if you don’t need to remove it for off-board charging.

RideKick – Completely different concept and something to look at. This is an electric trailer unit which attaches easily to any bike. It assists you by pushing. The unit has a motor, battery and controller, and has enough storage room to take home your goodies from farmer’s market or the store. You can move it from bike to bike, with only a simple detachable throttle and clamp. It actually rides really well. At $695, the RideKick is for those who have a bike, don’

Sanyo Eneloop + The closest an electric bike has come to having Regenerative capabilities, hence the "loop" in its name. - The bike is made for the Euro/Asian laws limiting it to 250 watts of power, though it barely feels like that. When I rode it at InterBike I thought it was very underpowered. Perhaps Generation 2.0 with come out with a USA model with more juice.

E+ + This is a reincarnation of the failed Tidalforce with the kinks worked out. Has a strong motor, but is complex, cumbersome, and costly.

Stealth – 50 MPH, 4500 Watts, 50 Mile Range, 9-Speed Gearbox, Hydraulic Disc Brakes, 2 Hour Recharge. For $10,000 you can get this machine which will thrill you to the gills. Somewhere between scary and frightening fast, this is an electric machine on steroids. The Stealth is in a class by itself, and at 115 lbs, is really an off-road electric motorcycle. But if you’re looking for the Ultimate in all-terrain power and big thrills, your electric dreams have come true.

Stromer – High quality hybrid-style ebike which intelligently puts the battery in the down-tube. Strong motor rated at 600-Watts. The Hybrid design is specific to commuter-style bike, like a Trek FX or Specialized Sirrus. Excellent parts and quality. Power-on-demand and Pedal Assist modes. Removeable battery locks into the down-tube of the frame. Rated at 20 miles range. Price between $3000-3500 puts this in the speciallty niche.

Cheap Chinese Clones -  There are many cheap bikes – call them “off brands” (extreme, r. martin, etc.) of inferior quality with short warrantys out there which I caution you about. The cheap off-brands are of inferior quality, have no support, and will not last and give you the kind of experience you deserve. Stay away and save up for a good bike.

The Copenhagen Wheel - A great fantasy, kind of like a perpetual motion machine. Years away, if not light years.

The PI Mobility - Absolutely beautiful design. Really fun to look at. The problem is the riding position, and the fact that it would be a security risk anywhere you leave it.

Ezee –Well made bikes, though warranty service is questionable, battery only carries a 1-year warranty. Similar to Hebb, but I like the paint/fit and finish and customer service on the Hebb much more. The Ezee company has not been easy to deal with.

Kahlikoff - Well made bike with good bike parts that will get you there and back. Expensive at $3-3500. 250 Watt Motors and 16 MPH not enough at this price point. Designed for the European commuter, and it would work well there.

Schwinn Tailwind – Discontinued and you may see this bike discounted here and there. Underpowered, low quality parts for price, and outrageous list price  ($3295). Not worthy of consideration.

Buscetti - Inflated claims, not ready for prime time. Battery and Motor are OK, but the bicycle is a POS.

Electric Bike Economics

Electric Bikes get the equivalent of 1000 MPG

                     with Zero Emissions!

-- At 10 cents a charge for 25 miles -- 100 miles costs you just 40 cents!

-- A car getting 20 MPG at $4 gallon costs about $20 for 100 miles just for the gas.

That’s 40 times as much!

The Real Costs of Driving

-- AAA says the REAL cost of driving is over $1 a mile (maintenance, insurance, registration, repairs, financing, depreciation, etc.) That would be $100 for each 100 miles. That’s 250 times as much as an electric bicycle.

--GAS MILEAGE BOOST FOR YOUR CAR - Ride your electric bike 15 per cent of the time and you’ve boosted your gas mileage 15%.

-- Car Pollution: A Car getting 20 MPG dumps 22 Pounds of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere! That’s over 1 pound every mile -- more than 12,000 pounds a year or every 12,000 miles!

Electric bikes emit zero emissions, and require no Licensing, Registration, or Insurance, and may be ridden anywhere: street, bike path, alley, or off-road.

Terminology

Power on Demand -- This is a throttle bike. Also known as TAG (Twist And Go).

Pedal Assist -- Power is added to your pedal stroke. AKA PAS (Pedal Assist).

SLA – Sealed Lead Acid

Lion – Lithion Ion

Battery Chemistry Basics

Lithium Ion Batteries

Advantages

-Longer Range - typically 2-3 times that of Sealed Lead Acid

-3 Times more charge cycles -- typically up to 700+ instead of 2-300

-Lower Weight -- 1/3 - 1/2 the weight. They hold charge better with no memory effect

Beware: There are several grades of Lithium Ion Batteries. We have had trouble-free  and excellent performance from Lithium Ion Polymer. Lithium Ion Managanese batteries are 40% heavier. The Phosphate batteries (LiFeP04) have been hit and miss for us, but show promise for the future. New Lithium Ion chemistries are coming on line with other blends such as Cobalt. Wait on these until they are proven with actual charge cycle results from real world tests.

Disadvantages

-- Makes the bike more expensive to purchase (but pays off in the long run).

-- More expensive to replace. But the cost/benefit ratio now exceeds any other chemistry.

Note: We have had our best luck (trouble-free) with Lithium Ion Polymer (lighter and more dependable). Least with Lithium Ion Manganese, which are 40% heavier. LiFePO4 have not yet lived up to their inflated claims, but may have promise. Our Electric Bikes get the equivalent of 1000 MPG with Zero Emissions!

Sealed Lead Acid

Advantages

-Inexpensive at purchase.

-Inexpensive to replace

-Easy to find

-Durable

-Serves the purpose of introduction

Disadvantage: 2-300 charges as opposed to 500-1000

Weight -- 3 times heavier. Weight distribution with battery on bike not as good. Environmentally not as clean.

Bottom Line: If you can't afford Lithium Ion Batterys, SLA batteries will get you going until you can. Generally, I prefer Lithium Ions for lots of reasons. But in this economy, good SLA’s will do the job.

What about the Weight and Balance of an Ebike?

It is difficult for a lot of bicycle enthusiasts to understand that electric bicycles don't need to be flyweights. Since you are also using the power to accelerate up to cruising speed - this eliminates one of the major reasons for lightweight bikes. At a certain speed and up to a certain weight, the additional heft of an ebike actually increases the rolling speed due to inertia. It has a "flywheel effect" at certain speeds. Now if it is too heavy, it does become cumbersome to pedal in many circumstances. Batteries are removable for lifting onto your bike rack. A good Electric Bike should pedal nicely as well. We suggest staying away from Electric bikes which have everything on the rear -- battery, motor, gears, controller. This creates imbalance in handling, poor performance, and difficulty in servicing. Unfortunately, most electric bicycles are made this way due to costs.

Bicycle purists generally have a bias about electrics because they are spending hundreds/thousands of dollars to make their bikes lighter.

The Self-charging or Regenerative electric bike: fact or fiction? Solar?

"Do you have that electric bike that recharges itself?"

Regenerative braking is marketed as the holy grail of electric bikes as people dream of infinite battery life. But while it is true regenerative braking can extend your range by 2-7% percent under ideal conditions, you’d have to ride about 200 miles downhill just to charge the battery enough for a 20 mile ride. This is, of course, impossible. Unfortunately, the complexity of the electronics and their possibility of needing service/maintenance becomes a diminishing return for "Regen." Regen can also create "drag" which is the opposite of a bicycle's "freewheeling" principle. Electric bicycles which advertise "Regen" are mostly using it as a gimmick. The manufacturer's have told me this themselves. Get a 12V to AC power inverter for your car, and your ebike battery while driving for free if you like the idea of energy regeneration.

What about Solar?

25 Trillion Kilowatts of Solar energy beam down on the Earth every day.  Yet humans only harness less than .001 percent of this. After the BP and Fukashima disasters, we really need to rewire our consciousness toward alternative energy.

You can certainly charge your battery with a solar panel, like one from an RV. But you will not find Solar charging built in to electric bikes, as it would require too much surface area to be practical or cost-effective. Electricity is still ultra-inexpensive -- about a dime for a full charge. It takes about 24 hours to do a solar charge. I recommend charging from a power inverter for your car; then your electricity cost is zero!

Wheels of Fire Bicycles are the Best!   The bicycle is the singular most efficient self-powered means of transportation in terms of the energy a person must expend to travel a given distance. Up to 99% of the energy delivered by the rider into the pedals is transmitted to the wheels. A good electric bicycle can double this. In addition, the carbon dioxide generated in the production and transportation of the food required by the bicyclist per mile traveled, is less than 1/10 that generated by energy efficient cars. The invention of the bicycle has had an enormous impact on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern industrial methods. Several components that eventually played a key role in the development of the automobile were originally invented for the bicycle, including ball bearings, pneumatic tires, chain-driven sprockets, and spoke-tensioned wheels. Recently, many of the materials from the aerospace industry have been reverse engineered into the bicycle for increased efficiency. The electric bicycle is a byproduct of the space race and represents the synergy of our most advanced technologies devoted toward human propulsion.   Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and now number over one billion worldwide, about twice as many as automobiles. As fuel prices rise and the vulnerabilities of the addiction to fossil fuels increase, this proportion will increase. For most commuting and recreational needs, the bicycle remains the ultimate vehicle from health, economic, environmental, and energy saving perspectives. Riding a human/electric powered vehicle helps prevent heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and strokes while building strength and endurance. Bikes put a smile on your face and bring out the freedom of the inner child. By replacing short car trips, cycling saves the air from noxious pollutants, saves the commuter the cost of gasoline and requires less asphalt than auto traffic and parking. Like the bumper sticker exhorts, Burn fat, not fuel!   Fossil fuel powered cars simply... stink!   Car crashes are the top killers of children in the America. Carbon monoxide, VOC's, nitrous oxide, and other emissions all contribute to cancer, asthma, and lung diseases. Carbon dioxide has been implicated in global warming, sulfur dioxide causes acid rain, and oil spills have polluted our oceans, rivers, and lakes. By discouraging physical exercise, cars contribute to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other cardiovascular problems. Cars add to noise, stress, congestion, and are responsible for urban sprawl -- besides costing a lot to operate (original investment, maintenance, insurance, dmv, etc -- $1 a mile!). Bicycles create the opposite experience — silence, stress release, health and fitness, adventure — and they are practically FREE! So by getting on your bike whenever possible, you are doing something wonderful for both yourself and the world. The electric bicycle bridges the gap between bicycle and motor vehicle, eliminating the pain and expanding the range.                                                The Electric Bicycle -- Synergistic Brilliance   Two of humankind’s greatest inventions were fire and the wheel, and both are incorporated in the hybrid electric bicycle. Have you ever spun a tuned bicycle wheel from the hub and played with its incredible gyroscopic balance from any angle? Try it and you will gain new respect for the bicycle. Today’s bicycle is truly one hi-tech machine: they are built of many space age alloys to achieve critical mass — maximum strength to minimum weight. Add precision bearings and frame geometry to optimize ergonomic output — and you have a machine which promotes maximum forward motion from minimum human input. Now add the Promethean fire — electricity -- and you enhance and expand this experience into an entire new dimension. The practical application of human brilliance manifests fully in the hybrid electric bike. And they are so much FUN!