recumpence
1 GW
Hello All,
In the 5 years or so I have been in this awesome hobby, I have developed an opinion on one good method of sparking EV interest in the minds of the average person (or average American, anyway). Let me explain;
For those of you who know me, you know I am into high-end and high performance bikes. My background is in two stroke dirt bikes and fast sport bikes. So, I tend to lean in that direction when it comes to my E-bikes. Also, my E-bikes are rarely used for general errand running or commuting. My occupation requires a vehicle to carry hundreds of pounds of equipment over 125 miles per day. That requires a car (I drive a Ford C-Max hybrid and average 50mpg year round). I build my E-bikes for the fun of building them and the fun of riding them. As I mentioned, my bikes tend to be (most of them) built for performance. One reason I lean in that direction is to prove to the average "Joe" that electric propulsion is not inherently slow. Heck, there is actually far more power available in a given motor size for electric versus gas. The battery capacity and weight is the primary limiting factor at this stage and that is changing.
Anyway, assuming the bike is built using high end parts that can handle the power and speed, I think powerful E-bikes are a great way to promote EVs in general.
---Disclaimer---
I know it is not a good idea to promote high performance E-bikes to the average builder who is not familiar with how to make bicycle components survive high power and speed. There is an art to building something really powerful and fast using bicycle specific parts. So, this thread is not advocating taking Walmart bikes and going 50mph on them.
Also, I am not advocating braking the law or being a nuisance to the community by riding too fast in areas not meant for that much speed. That kind of thing tends to make us enemies of the public, rather than ambassadors of EVs.
What I am saying in this long-winded thread, is that high performance E-bikes or any EV (if properly built and used) can be very attractive to the general public. I have yet to find any of my friends, neighbors, or acquaintances in any way negative about my bikes. They all have the same reaction "Wow, that thing is fantastic! It is quiet, it is quick, and it looks like a lot of fun!"
I know I am going to get flack over this next statement, but, it really needs to be said.... I think one major problem with the general public accepting EVs is the perceived lack of performance and the "Dork Factor" that is attributed to any electric vehicle. Lets face it, look at the average E-bike on the market. They look like something only a 70 year old lady would be seen riding. They are very plain and generally clunky looking and poor quality. There are exceptions, but in general, this is what I have seen.
We at the Sphere are on the leading edge of what is going on in ultra light weight EVs. Lets put our best foot (feet?) forward and represent our beloved hobby in a way the rest of the public will find appealing. We need to focus on performance, safety, responsibility, esthetics, reliability, all the things that are positive about electric propulsion.
That is my thought for the day.
Matt
In the 5 years or so I have been in this awesome hobby, I have developed an opinion on one good method of sparking EV interest in the minds of the average person (or average American, anyway). Let me explain;
For those of you who know me, you know I am into high-end and high performance bikes. My background is in two stroke dirt bikes and fast sport bikes. So, I tend to lean in that direction when it comes to my E-bikes. Also, my E-bikes are rarely used for general errand running or commuting. My occupation requires a vehicle to carry hundreds of pounds of equipment over 125 miles per day. That requires a car (I drive a Ford C-Max hybrid and average 50mpg year round). I build my E-bikes for the fun of building them and the fun of riding them. As I mentioned, my bikes tend to be (most of them) built for performance. One reason I lean in that direction is to prove to the average "Joe" that electric propulsion is not inherently slow. Heck, there is actually far more power available in a given motor size for electric versus gas. The battery capacity and weight is the primary limiting factor at this stage and that is changing.
Anyway, assuming the bike is built using high end parts that can handle the power and speed, I think powerful E-bikes are a great way to promote EVs in general.
---Disclaimer---
I know it is not a good idea to promote high performance E-bikes to the average builder who is not familiar with how to make bicycle components survive high power and speed. There is an art to building something really powerful and fast using bicycle specific parts. So, this thread is not advocating taking Walmart bikes and going 50mph on them.
Also, I am not advocating braking the law or being a nuisance to the community by riding too fast in areas not meant for that much speed. That kind of thing tends to make us enemies of the public, rather than ambassadors of EVs.
What I am saying in this long-winded thread, is that high performance E-bikes or any EV (if properly built and used) can be very attractive to the general public. I have yet to find any of my friends, neighbors, or acquaintances in any way negative about my bikes. They all have the same reaction "Wow, that thing is fantastic! It is quiet, it is quick, and it looks like a lot of fun!"
I know I am going to get flack over this next statement, but, it really needs to be said.... I think one major problem with the general public accepting EVs is the perceived lack of performance and the "Dork Factor" that is attributed to any electric vehicle. Lets face it, look at the average E-bike on the market. They look like something only a 70 year old lady would be seen riding. They are very plain and generally clunky looking and poor quality. There are exceptions, but in general, this is what I have seen.
We at the Sphere are on the leading edge of what is going on in ultra light weight EVs. Lets put our best foot (feet?) forward and represent our beloved hobby in a way the rest of the public will find appealing. We need to focus on performance, safety, responsibility, esthetics, reliability, all the things that are positive about electric propulsion.
That is my thought for the day.
Matt