Electric Bike Report | Electric Bike, Ebikes, Electric Bicycles, E Bike, Reviews

Electric Bike Reviews, News, and Information; plus e-bike riding and maintenance tips!

Connect with us online

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
  • Guides >>
    • All-In-One Wheels
    • Electric Bike Kit Guide
    • Cheap E-Bikes
    • Stylish Electric Bikes
    • Folding eBikes
    • E Cargo Bike Guide
    • E Mountain Bike Guide
    • Fat Electric Bikes Guide
    • Electric Trikes
    • E Recumbent Trikes
    • Replacement Batteries
    • E-bike Racks for Cars
    • E Bike Financing
    • Cool Looking Helmets
    • E-Bike Charging Station
    • Suspension Seatposts
    • E-Bike Accessories
  • Top Posts >>
    • E-Bike Reviews >>
    • E-Bike Kit Reviews >>
      • LEED Electric Bike Kit Review
      • Bionx Kit
      • Clean Republic Hill Topper
      • E-Bike Kit
    • Conveniences of a Car
    • Video: E-Bike Commuting
    • Video: Cargo Revolution
    • Video: FedEx E-Trike
    • Prodeco Visit
    • 10 E-Bike Range Tips
    • Battery Care Tips
    • Stop Flat Tires!
    • Top 3 Maintenance Tips
    • Throttle vs Pedal Assist
    • Volts & Amp Hours?
    • Cool Looking Helmets?
    • Burley Travoy Review
    • Find Bike Routes
    • E-Bike Insurance
    • Keep Your E-Bike Secure
    • Recover a Stolen Bike
    • Videos: E-Bike Polo!
  • Categories >>
    • Bike Commuting Routes
    • EBR Community
    • Electric Bike Accessories
    • Electric Bike Advocacy
    • Electric Bike Benefits
    • Electric Bike Components
    • Electric Bike Concepts
    • Electric Bike FAQ
    • Electric Bike Guides
    • Electric Bike Maintenance
    • Electric Bike News
    • Electric Bike Podcast
    • Electric Bike Report Gear
    • Electric Bike Reviews
    • Electric Bike Riding Tips
    • Electric Bike Videos
    • Electric Bikes & Money
  • Business
    • Jobs
    • Ebike Organizations & Market Reports
  • Forum
You are here: Home / Electric Bike FAQ / Glossary of Electric Bike Terms

Glossary of Electric Bike Terms

June 18, 2013 by Edward Benjamin 7 Comments

stromer-st1-platinum-electric-bike
Guest post by Edward Benjamin, Senior Managing Director of eCycleElectric Consultants LLC. 

AC Current – alternating current is used in electrical mains, but very rarely in Light Electric Vehicles.

Advanced Battery – a battery using NiMH or Lithium cells. Usually requiring a battery management system (BMS). Higher performance and higher cost.

After Market Kit – a kit of components to convert a manual bicycle to an electric bicycle.

Amp – From Ampere, which is a measure of the amount of electrical current that passes a given point in a given amount of time. Used to describe the demand or supply of energy.

Amp Hours or AH – a measure of energy that is equal to the amount of energy that passes a given point in an hour. Usually used to describe battery capacity.  For a more exact definition please see Barrie Lawson’s comment at the end of this post.

Auxiliary Battery – is a battery that can supply current to the vehicle, but is optional, or extra, or added on.

Battery, or Energy Storage Device – is a combination of cells that create a specific voltage and current capability to power an electric motor or vehicle.

Battery Box, or Battery Package – the combination of cells that comprise a battery that provides electrical energy for the vehicle. Packed into the unique form factor for a particular vehicle. Often with BMS or motor controller inside the same box.

emotion-electric-mountain-bike-36-volt-panasonic-battery
Bottom Bracket Motor – a motor located in or adjacent to the bottom bracket or pedal axel. Sometimes called a central motor or mid motor.

BMS– Battery Management System is an electronic circuit that is found on advanced batteries.

The BMS prevents damage to the battery, and prevents safety problems of battery overheating and monitors the state of charge.

eflow-electric-bike-tektro-hydraulic-disc-brake-lever
Brake Kill Switch – a device that turns off the motor when the brake lever is applied by the user.

Brushless DC Motor – longer lasting and simpler than a brush type motor. There are no wear points other than the bearings. But more costly in terms of control electronics.  Also called a BLDC Motor.

Brush Type DC Motor – uses brushes in the motor, which creates a wear point. But less expansive in terms of control electronics and manufacture.

C-Rate – is a unit of measurement that describes how fast a battery can supply current. A 1c rate means that the battery can be completely discharged in one hour. Trying to go faster than that will simply not work or might damage the battery. A 2c rate battery can be discharged in 30 minutes, or twice as fast as a 1c rate battery. This is important in regards to the power that can be developed by the motor attached to that battery. For example, a 500 watt motor that is climbing a hill might demand 30 amps of energy. If the battery is a 10 ah battery, then it must supply energy at a 3c rate to allow the motor to do it’s job. If the battery is only capable of 1c, the rider is likely to be walking this hill.

Cells – individual electro chemical devices that create electric current and are combined into packages to provide appropriate voltage and current for a specific function … called “batteries”.

Ceramic Magnets – used in electric motors. Lower in performance and cost than Neodymium magnets.

Connectors – the fittings that allow the electrical components and wiring to be connected. Often easily unplugged or released.

Coulombs – are units of measurement of energy. The amount of energy equal to one amp for one second. Thus there are 3600 coulombs in one Amp Hour.  Since battery state of charge for lithium is difficult to determine by measuring voltage, sophisticated BMS measure SOC of Lithium batteries by coulomb counting.  For a more exact definition please see Barrie Lawson’s comment at the end of this post.

Current – a flow of electricity – usually refers to the amount of electrical energy being used by the vehicle.

DC – direct current, or the form of electrical current used in nearly all LEVs.

DC Motor – a motor that uses Direct Current.

prodeco-outlaw-ss-750-watt-direct-drive-rear-hub-motor-and-avid-elixr-5-rear-disc-brake
Direct Drive Motor – usually a hub motor that has no gear reduction. Such motors are simpler and quieter, but often larger and more expensive than Gear Type motors.

DIY Kit – a set of components to convert a manual bicycle to an electric bicycle.

Ebike – generic term for electric powered bikes, but in many cases meaning an electric bike that is controlled by a throttle rather than by the riders effort. (See Pedelec)

Electric Bicycle – a vehicle that is regarded by local law, wherever that may be, as a “bicycle”, with the rights and responsibilities of a manual bicycle. But having an electric motor and battery to assist the rider.

EPAC – Electric Pedal Assist Cycle or what European Union law calls an electric bike.

juiced-riders-odk-bafang-500-watt-geared-front-hub-motor
Gear Type Motor – usually refers to a hub motor that uses a gear reduction inside the hub shell. Such motors are usually less expensive and get good performance but are noisy and have more wear points.

Hub Motor – an electric motor located in the front or rear hub.

Human Electric Hybrid – an electric bicycle that allows both human and electric power. A very efficient system as humans are high torque, low endurance devices and electric motors are lower torque, high endurance devices limited only by the battery. Together they are a very efficient and useful propulsion system for a vehicle.

ICE – Internal Combustion Engine – the propulsion device in petrol powered vehicles. A source of expense, pollution, noise, and political fuss.

e-bike-kit-controller-and-battery
Lead Acid Batteries – these are old technology batteries of modest cost that are used in most of the worlds light electric vehicles. While heavy, they are reliable, have excellent discharge and charge capabilities, and are nearly 100% recyclable. Also called SVRLA and Pb A or Pb batteries. (nominal voltage 1.75-2.4V)

Low Speed Electric Assisted Bicycle – what USA law calls an electric bike.

Lithium Battery – an advanced battery that has excellent performance, weight, and life characteristics. But comes in several variants such as Lithium Manganese (3.7V), Lithium Iron Phosphate (3.3V), and others. All lithium batteries are flammable and need a BMS and conscientious manufacturers / testers to reduce fire risk to users, dealers, freight carries. Lithium battery fires get a lot of press, but are actually very rare.

Max Discharge or Max current – refers to the discharge rate of the battery. See C rate.

Manual Bicycle – propelled only by human power – a very old paradigm, like sails, or manual typewriters, or writing with charcoal on a slate.

Motor Controller – An electronic circuit that controls the speed of the electric motor, as well as various other functions depending on the model and features of vehicle.

Motor – an electric motor that assists the rider. Can be located in various places and manners.

Pb or Pb A Batteries – refers to Lead Acid Batteries.

Neodymium – a rare earth metal that is used for the production of high energy permanent magnets. Such magnets are commonly found in LEV motors, and are a source of considerable cost.

Ni Cad – Nickel Cadmium batteries, not used for some time by electric bikes but  found on some older models. Toxic and lower in performance than NiMH and Lithium. (1.2V)

NiMH Battery – Nickel Metal Hydride battery – non toxic, higher performance than Lead Acid, less performance than Lithium. Not common, but found in some ebikes. (1.2V)

PAS Bike – a Pedal Assist System bike, usually designed for the Japanese market and using a proportional power paradigm – the motor delivers additional power in proportion to the effort being exerted by the rider. PAS is a Yamaha patent.

Pedelec – an electric bicycle where the rider must pedal for the motor to run. Variants of this are the PAS paradigm used in Japan, and the EPAC paradigm used in Europe.

Permanent Magnet – a magnet that stays magnetized without external supplies of energy. These are used in almost all motors use on LEVs.

Push to start, or Pedal to start – some ebikes require the user to pedal a few strokes or gain a certain speed by pedaling before the motor can be activated.

Speed Sensor – is a device that detects rate of pedaling and is used to activate power in pedelecs. Not as nice a “feel” as a torque sensor system.

SOC – State of Charge is the “gas gauge” or how much useable energy is in the battery. Seemingly a simple task, this can be critical to user satisfaction and can be complex to establish.

SVRLA – Sealed Valve Regulated Lead Acid batteries are the most common type of ebike and e scooter battery today.

electric-bike-factory-friction-drive-motor
Tire Scrubber or Friction Drive – a friction roller that rides against the vehicle tire and uses the outside diameter of the tire as a gear reduction as well as the point of power application. A very simply system that was the primary paradigm in the early days of electric bikes – only the Electric Vehicle Outfitters system is still in production.

Throttle – a device operated by the user to control the speed of the vehicle. Can be twist grip, thumb operated, or other methods.

easy-motion-neo-jumper-torque-sensor
Torque Sensor – a device that detects and measures the energy applied by pedaling. This is required for PAS systems, and is preferred for pedelecs of all sorts.

User Interface – the interaction of the user and the machine which includes controls, seat, pedals, but usually refers primarily to the data display of information like speed, distance, SOC. Rapidly becoming interactive with the internet and GPS via phone and other devices.

Vehicle Controller – an electronic circuit that monitors and regulates the motor controller, user interface, battery management system and other features.

Volts, Voltage – refers to the force that a given level of electrical flow can exert. The scientific definition is complex, but see “Benjamin’s electricity as water”.

Watts – refers to a unit of measurement of how much work is done. This can be used for electrical, muscle, or ICE applications (and more). But for LEV use, watts refers to how much work is being, or can be accomplished by the system or device. For example a 500 watt motor is capable of twice the work of a 250 watt motor, if all else is equal. A human in really good condition will create about 75 watts of work over an extended period. Athletes can do better, usually for short periods.  One horsepower is about 750 watts.  For a more exact definition please see Barrie Lawson’s comment at the end of this post.

Watt Hour – is a measurement of energy usually used to describe battery capacity for LEVs. The formula that applies is to multiply volts times AH and this will give you watts. A Kilo Watt (1000 watts) is a pretty big battery that might be found on a motor scooter, while a pedelec may have about 360 watt hours in it’s 36 volt by 10 AH battery.

Wiring Harness or Harness – the wires, connectors and switches that carry electrical current and signals about the vehicle.

End of Glossary of Electric Bike Terms.

BONUS! Ed Benjamin’s Electricity as Water explanation – Since the author was originally trained in Biology and is not good at math, the following model was established to explain electricity on an electric bike in the early days of his career:

Think of electricity as water. A can of water (cell) is the battery and is the supply of water to the vehicle. The size of the filler hole on top of the can is the ‘rate of charge’ or how fast we can add water (energy). A bigger hole means a shorter recharge time. The hole on the bottom of the can is the ‘C rate’ or maximum current. The bigger the hole, the more current is available. Different batteries have different sized holes on both top and bottom.

The speed or pressure at which the water will flow out of the can is the voltage – or potential to do work. Higher pressure can move a motor faster or with more torque. Think of voltage as how powerfully the can will empty itself.

Amp hours describe the size of the can. Amps and coulombs describe the drops and globules of water.

A battery is a collection of cans, and a battery management system is a system of valves and microchips that controls the piping serving the cells and allows them to all work together, safely and efficiently.  The more cans, the higher the voltage or force of water that can be supplied.

A motor controller is needed because if we hooked the water supply (energy supply) up to the motor with nothing else, the motor would spin as fast as it can, and use all the water very quickly, overheating and maybe failing as it does so. A motor controller turns the current (water) supply on an off to control how fast the motor turns. Thus controlling speed and rationing the water supply.

The wiring harness is the piping that takes the water (current) to the places where it is needed. Switches are on / off valves.

This model is not complete, but hopefully it will help some readers. The idea is not unique to Mr. Benjamin, but he wrote this version.

Thank you to Edward Benjamin, (Senior Managing Director of eCycleElectric Consultants LLC) for this thorough electric bike terms post.

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! 

  • Tweet
  • Email

Related

Filed Under: Electric Bike FAQ, Electric Bike Guides Tagged With: eCycleElectric, Ed Benjamin, electric bike terms, faq

Comments

  1. Barrie Lawson says

    June 19, 2013 at 6:15 am

    I have made additions to my earlier comment which hopefully makes things even clearer.

    June 19, 2013 at 5:17 am #

    I have not checked every entry but please note the following:
    AmpHours and Coulombs are both measures of Charge not Energy.
    The Energy depends on the voltage applied when the current is flowing.
    The Unit of Energy in this case is the WattHour.
    Note also that the Watt is not a measure of the Work Done. The Watt is a measure of Power which is the Rate of doing Work.
    Energy is the capacity to do Work. It has the same units as the Work Done.
    The Joule is also measure of Energy AND Work Done.
    1 WattHour = 3600 Joules of Energy
    When you purchase Energy from the Electricity Utility (AC in this case) 1 so called “Unit” is 1 KiloWattHour, that is 1000 WattHours
    See more details at
    https://www.mpoweruk.com/glossary.htm
    and
    https://www.mpoweruk.com/beginners.htm

    Your comment is awaiting moderation.
    – See more at: https://electricbikereport.com/glossary-of-electric-bike-terms/?goback=%2Egde_65337_member_251052398#sthash.d5TWKcKB.dpuf

    Reply
  2. David McDougal says

    June 19, 2013 at 11:28 am

    Thanks to both Edward Benjamin and Pete. This is excellent: clear, brief, sans hype. Would that there was more such information in this space.

    Reply
  3. Ed Benjamin says

    June 19, 2013 at 4:27 pm

    Barrie, I am tickled that I am being corrected by such a qualified authority. as a prominent expert on batteries, you know more about these things than I will ever learn. I was trying to keep this glossary simple to an extreme. Maybe I should add your comment as a more exact definition if Pete can do so.

    Reply
  4. Savannah eBikes says

    June 21, 2013 at 10:09 am

    This is why I stay subscribed, Pete… Awesome post! Clear and to the point.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. E-Bike News: Flying E-Bike, Tour of Iceland, UMass Police, & More! [VIDEOS] | Electric Bike Report | Electric Bike, Ebikes, Electric Bicycles, E Bike, Reviews says:
    June 25, 2013 at 4:21 pm

    […] Enhance your e-bike education with this glossary of electric bike terms! […]

    Reply
  2. Bacchetta Giro 20 ATT with e-Assist - 2008 - An Owner's Review says:
    July 15, 2014 at 6:05 am

    […] Glossary of e-Bike Terms […]

    Reply
  3. Electric Bike Shops: Tips On Safer Battery Charging [VIDEO] | Electric Bike Report | Electric Bike, Ebikes, Electric Bicycles, E Bike, Reviews says:
    February 6, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    […] Glossary of Electric Bike Terms […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

grocery-panniers-125x125px
Ebikelane ad
nutcase watermelon helmet
bike lights
51kR7BmAvcL._SX450_
electron-wheel
electric-bike-report_banner_300x300_06

Top Posts & Pages

  • New eBikes from BESV, Blix, BULLS, Bosch, & Cube at the Sea Otter Classic [VIDEOS]
  • Guide to Car Racks for Electric Bikes
  • Understanding Electric Bike Modes: Throttle vs. Pedal Assist (Pedelec)
  • Electric Bike Motor Comparison: Hub, Mid Drive, & Friction Drive
  • Electric Bike Battery Basics: What are these Volts & Amp Hours?
  • Replacement Electric Bike Batteries Guide
  • Guide To Electric Recumbent Trikes [UPDATED]
  • New eBikes From: Benno, Cero, Giant & Liv, Gazelle, Haibike, Pesu, and Raleigh [VIDEOS]
  • Understanding the Differences Between Direct Drive & Geared Electric Bike Hub Motors
  • Cheap (Economical) Electric Bikes Guide (~$1,300 and Less)

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets
Electric Bike Report on Google+
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Contact
  • Get Your eBike Updates!
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Best Electric Bike
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Electric Bike Report. © 2016 Mountain Bike Riding Com LLC. All Rights Reserved.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.