E-Bike News: Xmas Tree via E-Bike, UK E-Bike Tours, Bosch Batteries, E-Bike Commuting [VIDEOS]
Tis the season for hauling a Christmas tree with……….an electric bike?! 🙂
Brett Thurber from The New Wheel electric bike shop in San Francisco transports their tree via Ohm e-bike with a Burley Travoy trailer!
Here is a good article that addresses how electric bikes provide some of the conveniences of a car. Brett is also in this article! This is similar to my post on Electric Bikes: The Conveniences of a Car with the Advantages of a Bike.
Interbike will be holding an electric bike mainstream media event near Los Angeles February 12 & 13, 2013. This is exciting because it will help bring e-bike awareness to more of the public!
Nicole Zinn from Rocket Electrics in Austin Texas is “running e-bike rentals out of her shop to turn car commuters into bikers by teaching a new audience that biking is not just for athletes”. Great article on getting more people on bikes!
Speaking of e-bike commuting: The 5 Mile Commute – Are Electric Bikes the Answer?
While commuting by electric bike seems like a good idea, there are still concerns with safety among car traffic. Check out this Kickstarter project where they are trying to raise money to produce a horn for a bike that sounds like a car horn!
Juiced Riders is now starting to deliver their new ODK Version 2 electric cargo bike. Here is a video that documents some of the development and production process of this new e-cargo bike near Shanghai, China.
Optibike just introduced their new Optibike M4 electric bike. It is one of the more “affordable” Optibike’s at $5995!
Bosch has founded Robert Bosch Battery Systems recently as the company expects that demand for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to sharply increase from 2020.
I recently finished my review of the E-Bike Kit geared front hub motor with lead acid battery pack. Here is the article with the specs, pics and a video and here is the full review of the E-Bike Kit.
If you will be in the West Dorset and East Devon area of England you should check out Marshwood Trails electric bike tours. Here is a quick video to give you an idea of what you will see and the kinds of e-bikes you will ride:
Supporters of electric bikes in the UK are hoping that the e-bike popularity in places like Germany will transfer to the UK and get more people on bikes. This article talks about the current and potential future UK e-bike scene, with a video!
The power limit for electric bikes in Australia has increased from 200 watts to 250 watts and they are generally following the European rules. “The Institute of Transport Studies at Monash University is investigating what influenced people to buy an electric bike and what their experiences have been using them.”
That’s it for now.
-Pete
P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips!