How Efficient Can an Electric Bike Be? [VIDEO]
Aug 10, 2016
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How efficient can an electric bike be?
With the right conditions, bike engineer Zach Krapfl, says they can get the equivalent of up to 1,340 miles per gallon!
Zach Krapfl is passionate about efficient modes of transportation and energy conservation and his recent TEDx presentation in Paonia, Colorado is very educational and entertaining.
Zach works with Felt Electric on their eBike line up.
Enjoy this video of Zach’s TEDx presentation:
“Change in Your Transportation Future”
The way that we get around is changing and there are better options than the automobile.
Years ago the car used to be a convenient way of transport but it is getting increasingly more “painful” with traffic jams, the costs of car ownership (initial cost, financing, gas, maintenance, repairs, parking, insurance, etc.), parking problems, and pollution.
Zack Krapfl demonstrates some of the features of the Felt Bruhaul electric cargo bike.
Below are some staggering stats for the US from Zach’s presentation:
3 trillion miles are driven each year
There are 253 million cars on the road
55% of car trips are under 10 miles
If eBikes were used for just 1% of those car trips of less than 10 miles:
- There would be a reduction of 17 billion miles driven in the US alone
- 2.2 million Americans would loose between 25 and 50 pounds
Hills, what hills? Photo courtesy of Felt Electric.
There are many people who like the idea of using a bike for daily transportation but things like being too sweaty, climbing hills, fighting headwinds used to be valid reasons not to.
With an electric bike that all changes by taking the edge off of those riding obstacles while still getting some exercise and having more fun!
Photo courtesy of Felt Electric.
The efficiency of an electric bike is very impressive but there are also many other reasons to ride an eBike.
Here is a recap of Zach’s reasons for riding an electric bike:
- Reduce Energy Consumption
- Greater Level of Happiness
- Money Savings
- Technology Advancement
- More Free Time
- Stress Relief
- Health Benefits
- Independence from Cars
And for those who think that electric bikes are “cheating”, here is an article with the data to prove that eBikes enable people to ride further and faster while still getting a great work out. The only thing eBikes are “cheating” is the gas station.
-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!
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[…] form of motorized transportation on the market. Given the right conditions, pedal-assist bikes can get the equivalent of 1,300 miles per gallon, and generally charge in under 6 […]
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And the range is even greater than that if you just pedal and don’t use the electric assist (many e-bikes have separate control systems for human and electric power). In THEORY. Of course, in reality, people will usually use it if it’s there, except in certain circumstances where going slower or working harder is desirable, but I think it’s important to remember just how empowering e-bikes ARE. In a hypothetical future world where there’s no electricity for a time, on an e-bike, you can still pedal. In a car, if no fuel, stranded. You could push, but generally speaking, not worth the effort.
As efficient as or better than 3 miles to the penny!, that’s what im about getting with a e-bike that has 7044wh of battery. Efficiency is amazing! Add a aero wind fairing, go further, add more tire pressure, go further, change gears for higher rpms, & go even further! Decreasing the weight of batteries is making thing look better for EV’s, & e-bikes.