Electric Bicycle Buying Guide
The first thing you need to consider when choosing an e-bike is the local policy. On October 15 last year, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced the final regulations for the use of e-bikes in public places: e-bikes with speeds below 45km/h are classified as non-motorized and have the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as bicycles. Once you understand the policy, let's see what factors you need to consider when selecting an e-bike!
Safety
Safety is mainly reflected in the braking system. There are four main types of braking systems currently in use.
Disc brakes: set disc brake pads, hydraulic or linear transmission, larger brake resistance arm, good braking effect, not easily affected by the weather braking effect, high-end cars choose hydraulic disc brakes.
Hub brakes (drum brakes): mechanical transmission, brake resistance arm is smaller than disc brakes, resistance arm is outside the rotor, low price, good braking effect.
Rising brake: mechanical transmission, similar to drum brakes, but the resistance arm is inside the wheel, and the brake is supported by the inner network to prevent the wheel from turning.
v-brake: linear transmission, relying on the two brake skins to rub the rim to cause braking, the same principle as linear disc brake, low price, easily affected by the rim and the state of the brake skins.
To sum up: Disc brakes are the best, but of course, the cost of double disc brakes is also higher, and there are also some safety hazards. At present, the front disc and rear drum brakes are generally used, which is sufficient for electric vehicles. The disadvantage of drum brakes is that they are not strong enough to dissipate heat at high speeds, so the braking aspect is worse.
Battery life
The battery life is also one of the most important parameters for us to choose from, and the electric bicycle life is related to the following.
Motor: The core part of the e-bike. Mainly divided into brush motor and brushless motor. Because of the need for maintenance and other relations, the current market of an electric bicycle motor is also a brushless motor.
Battery: usually divided into lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries. Lithium battery is a class of lithium metal or lithium alloy as the negative material, the use of a non-aqueous electrolyte solution of the battery. Lithium batteries are small and light, long life, and are more efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly compared to traditional lead-acid batteries. Very suitable for the elderly and female friends. The disadvantage of lithium batteries is that the price is slightly higher. The lead-acid battery is known as a sealed maintenance-free lead-acid battery, the advantages of which are low price, high capacity, and more mature technology. Lead-acid batteries are also the main power source of electric bicycles on the market, but the disadvantage of lead-acid batteries is their heavy weight and short life.
At present, the most used parameter of battery is 48V/12AH; 48V battery can drive the vehicle with less current to extend the battery range compared with the previous 36V and 24V battery; 12AH, which indicates the current power provided by the battery, commonly speaking, the bigger the number, the longer the mileage can be driven.
