Electric Bikes -N- Scooters Blog

Archive for the ‘Electric Scooters’ Category

the T20- Trotinette-bambou or the T20 Bamboo Scooter is a cool french design. Personally from the looks of it its nice and stylish for the California coast. Wouldn’t surprise me to see a Celebrity riding down the road on this. Here’s the news article.

One of the leaders in the motorcycle industry, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd., is

Photo Courtesy of Yamaha Corp, Ltd, 2011

announcing the release of a new innovation for their company, the EC-03 electric scooter.  This zero emissions unit will give riders a smooth quiet ride while keeping the design of the vehicle itself sleek and fun to ride.

Utilizing 50 volt lithium – ion batteries this new electric innovation from Yamaha can give a rider a riding distance of approximately 26 miles (43 km) at about the speed of 18 miles per hour.  To the casual viewer this may not seem like a very wide span, but Yamaha’s idea for this vehicle was to make it for commuters that were working in cities and urban areas, where efficiency, eco-friendliness and convenience were the order of the day.

Not only does Yamaha’s new EC-03 electric scooter have a great design and performance, but it can also be plugged into a 100 volt outlet which can be found in just about any household.  The frame of the unit is made of light weight aluminum so that the batteries energy is not wasted on the body and allows for greater maneuverability.

One of the main components of the EC-03 of course is its electric direct drive hub motor which is rather advanced for your typical hub motor.  It has a computerized control system which can calculate the output by the rear wheel rpm and the throttle position.  This, of course allows for a smooth ride as you accelerate with the Yamaha’s additional torque which gives you the speed you need without sacrificing performance in the lower speed range.  The charger, controller, battery and meter will works on a constant basis and exchanges data immediately while running or being recharged and this allows a very easy operation of the electric scooter.

There is quite a bit to the EC-03 electric motorized scooter from Yamaha, and the best way to find out more about it is to either visit a dealer that sells them or visit Yamaha’s website by clicking this link: The Yamaha EC-03 Electric Scooter

Every now and then, I like to highlight different websites and organizations that are trying to further the advancement and education of electric bikes, electric scooters and a host of other electric vehicles. One such organization is the Light Electric Vehicle Association.  Founded in June of 2008 by an electric vehicle expert Ed Benjamin, the Light Electric Vehicle Association’s goals are to analyze track and standardize data about electric vehicles within their industry and to help develop a cogent method of recording this data in the form surveys. Not only that they are working with government to help develop and standardize performance criteria involving electric scooters, electric bikes and other electric vehicles. Not only does this Association tried to fill these goals but also provides a forum for networking and discussion within the industry.

The just last week the Light Electric Vehicle Association was at the Interbike electric bike exposition which occurred in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and convention Center. During the Expo the Association held classes on how to sell electric bicycles, ship batteries, how legal issues affect electric bikes and United States and a host of other subjects that were worthy of mention.  Clearly, this organization is trying to be a leader in an industry which is clearly emerging as an important factor in transportation throughout the world.

If you decide to check out their website, and possibly get involved in their organization offers, you will find a site that is dedicated to the political furtherance of electric vehicles throughout the world. You can also become a member of this organization so that you can actually become involved in the political process of furtherance of electric bikes and electric scooters if you so desire. Even though this organization has not been around for a very long time, they seem to have emerged as a leader in terms of organizing the industry’s political power. If you are passionate about electric bikes and scooters then you should take the opportunity to join the ranks of electric vehicle owners around the world and become a member of this organization.

To find out more about this great organization, click on this link: http://www.levassociation.com/

One of the things that will come up sooner or later with electric bicycle owners is the fact that you will probably need to have a part replaced on your electric bike.  Fortunately, there are plenty of parts available for electric bikes as well as electric scooters; you just have to know where to look for them.  The problem is that there are so many aggregate data based websites that are kind of like Shopzilla that you could spend endless hours trying to find an online resource that is specifically developed for electric bike parts.

Two of the places I have found to be great for finding electric bicycles are Electric Rider Bike Parts  Link: Electric Bike Parts (http://www.electricrider.com/parts/) and Electric Cyclery Link: Electric Bicycle Parts (http://www.greenspeed.us/).    Both of these dealers have a considerable amount of merchandise on the websites and it is all categorized inj a fashion that makes it very easy to find what you need.

Other Resources

Another website that is dedicated to electric scooters but may also have electric bike parts is:  Electric Scooter Parts . Com  and you can find the link here: (http://www.electricscooterparts.com/index.html) or here:  Electric Scooter parts.  This site primarily focuses on electric scooter parts and it has them all neatly categorized in  a manner that will allow you to find the e-scooter and the e-bike parts relatively easily.  If you can’t find the parts there, you can always go on Amazon or eBay to look for dealers in electric scooter and bike parts however; you will probably have to look around quite a bit.  As you probably already know, those sites already have extensive databases of products and if you already know what it is you need exactly, it will make your search a lot easier.

These days it is always a good idea to think outside the box when considering the environment and your impact that the type of transportation that you are using can have on that environment.  However, finding the type of vehicle that you will need and staying within your budget is often a daunting task.  The solution is to do some research first and the purchase an electric scooter for sale.  Ha! Of course, you knew that I was heading into the subject matter of buying electric scooters!  You didn’t think I’d let you off that easy, did you?

For those of you that don’t know, electric scooters are the latest fad to hit the transportation market lately, mainly because they are cheap to use, they utilize environmentally safe technology and they are a lot of fun.

Of course, there is always the added caveat of the initial outlay of cash that most people have to worry about and that’s where I will give you a couple of great pointers as to how to find a good deal on where to get a good deal for the electric scooter that you will want to buy.  Just remember this one key concept; if you are willing to put in some time researching, looking and learning how to negotiate a good deal on your quest to find a good e-scooter, then you may find a great deal.

On most electric scooters prices can range from a low range $500 model, which is cheaper and often not the best choice, or you can look for higher quality models that can range in  the over $1000.00 range.  Whatever that you decide, you need to pick a number that you will be comfortable with, just remember that you will get what you pay for if you go too cheap.

The best place these days to find good bargains are usually, the Internet.  For example, if a model is out of date, the price will have dropped on it.  You can also begin a search for a used model that has not been used much.  Believe it or not, there are quite a few people out there that have purchased an electric scooter and didn’t really use it too much, for whatever reason. You need to be able to know what makes an e-scooter tick and check out the unit mechanically to see if it still worth it.  One way to do that is to find someone that you know that knows quite a bit about the subject of electric bikes and have them look it over.  It may even be worth paying someone to do this if you have to.  Also, try to find out what the electric scooter’s history is so that you will know what to look for.  Also, don’t forget to check the obvious which is the scooter’s mileage.

Some of the beast places on the Internet to look are places that are kind of obvious these days, like Craigslist, eBay!, yahoo Auctions and electric scooter sites.  Also, type into Google’s search engine “used electric scooters for sale.”  There should be some results that you can follow up with there.

Second, check out vehicle auctions. Some people trade in their electric scooters to get a loan with creditors, and if these people are not able to pay, their scooters are sold to the public at a very low price. Not all vehicle auctions have electric scooters in their roster, but it’s definitely worth a try.  Also, if you are having problems finding an e-scooter online, you can always go to the various electric scooter forums and ask people there if they know of any e-scooters are for sale.

Also, it wouldn’t hurt you to learn how to negotiate the price on the sale of an electric scooter.  If you can find a motivated seller, you should have no problem negotiating a price that is conducive to your cheaper purchase on cheap electric scooters for sale on the Internet.

OK, Christmas is coming soon and you want to get a great Christmas gift for your kid while being nice and green for the environment.  Well, you have come to the right place to get this advice, because I want to tell you about how you can find electric scooters for sale that your kids will love! Wait!  Before you run out that door and purchase the wrong electric scooter (sometimes referred to as e-scooters) there are a couple of things you should know about.

The First Thing You Should Know About Buying Electric Scooters for Sale

The first thing that you should know, is that just like anything else; there are the good, the bad and the ugly types of electric scooters that you should consider and look at before you make that fateful Christmas purchase for your kids.  There are virtually hundreds of websites that you can go to where you will find a wide variety of these types of fun vehicles.

A Couple of Great Tips for Purchasing Your First Electric Scooter

So, without beating my gums on paper here, too much, I am going to give you a few pointers on what to look for in purchasing an e-scooter.

1)      Try to read up on the different types of electric scooters and the different types of motors that they use.  What you will usually find is that as far as these types of scooters go, there are a few main – stream brands that you will hear about over and over again. These are the electric scooters for sale that you want to concentrate on.  Read several reviews on reputable consumer report websites if you really want the low-down on the electric scooter that you want.  If you can’t find out too much about the brand, then chances are it isn’t worth writing about.

2)      When you go to the various sites, try to see if you can look at different images of the e-scooters from different angles.  This will let you see a good 360 degree idea of what the e-scooter will look like.  You should also be able to see the different color schemes these companies have and what the e-scooter should look like.

3)      One of the most important things that you can look at and consider is the electric scooter’s shipping charges.  If shipping charges are not mentioned, you may want to look at getting the same electric scooter at a different vendor that will tell you how much the charges are.

4)      Once you have a particular electric scooter in mind, you should call up the company that is making the scooter to see if there is a customer service number and if it actually works.  If you have any kind of problem with your e-scooter, this will help you see whether or not you will, receive the help that you will need if something goes wrong.

5)      Try to find out if there are any discounts and sales going on.  Many times, electric scooters will have special deals that you can take advantage of, but chances are, you will probably have to ask for them.

6)      Pay close attention to any factory warrantees or guarantees. Once you get your electric scooter, make sure you place any of your scooter’s important paperwork into a file cabinet for safe keeping.  This way, if something goes wrong with the vehicle, you can get the warrantee out without tearing your house apart.

If you go through all of these tips I have given you, then you should be able to go to any website or business that has electric scooters for sale and purchase the one you need for this Christmas with confidence.

When you consider the slew of electric bike companies that are in the market today, you really have to appreciate the care and technological research that goes into building a unit.  Not too long ago, mainstream electric bicycle companies were a minority and there we few clear leaders.

One of the leaders in the new arena of e-bikes, was Currie Electric Bikes.   Predominantly, Currie had two distinct strains of bikes, the Izip and Ezip lines that were good, stable products in the market.  Today, Currie Technologies is clearly taking the lead in the production and sale of electric bikes and now, you can actually purchase these bikes directly from the company instead of going through a dealer.

Today, the Currie Electric Bike has evolved along with the company, and the Izip Express is a very good example of this.  This is a human assist e-bike (or an electric assist bike,  whichever way you would like  to look at it) that uses  the EVO Assist,  a high torque Currie electric bike motor.  Just to be clear, the electric motor assists you as you pedal, creating plenty of power as you do.  This feature allows you to bike with minimum effort.   This also includes climbing hills and tackling different types of slopes and headwinds as if it were very easy.    This is possible because the Evo Assist 2.0 is a 750 watt powerhouse that is fed electricity byway of a 36 Volt 8 Amp battery pack.

This powerful system will give you somewhere around 20 plus mile per hour speeds (32+ kilometers per hour) and a range of approximately 31 miles for a person that is under the recommended weight of 240 lbs. ( I wonder when they are going to make an electric bike for people over that weight!)

I think one of the cool things about the Currie Electric Bikes that are on the market today is that they have a device called a Cadence Sensor, which automatically detects human power and adjusts itself according to your needs.  So imagine you are starting to ride out of your driveway and your wife starts to chase you because you didn’t wash the dishes like she told you to.  No problem, just start pumping your legs and the EVO Assist on the bike will take you briskly to the bowling alley, adjusting to the amount of effort you put into the system.  (Not that this has ever happened to me.)  There is even a power boost built into the system to get you out of those real tight situations.

The Izip Express also carries other high quality features such as double wall alloy rims, stainless steel spokes, tires that are double shield puncture – protected, and a host of other high quality features too long to list here.

To find out more about the Izip Express and the entire line of high – quality Currie Electric Bikes, go to this link:

Currie Electric Bikes

One of the most important facets of electric scooters and ebikes is battery capacity.  Over the last 10 years there has been some brilliant advancement in the technology behind the batteries and their capacity.  The one thing that you must keep in mind with electric bikes is battery capacity, because it may take some time before technology can improve batteries to the point where they can compete with gas.  As I just said, battery capacity is the key.  The more efficient the entire system is the greater the distance and longer the charge will last you.

Now for some tips on how you can save energy and reduce the battery output of your electric bicycles charging system.

Here are several basic ways you can add power and recapture energy with your electric bicycle

1. Pedaling – There are some models of electric bicycles on the market that allow you to charge the batteries while pedaling.  The concept is pretty basic, as you pedal the e-bike the power is generated and sent back into the batteries.  Of course, this means that you will be pedaling and that while you are charging the pedaling may become harder because of the drag due to a heavier bike and the generator creates more drag as well.  However don’t despair, because if you get to a hill you can use the second method of generating electricity for your electric bicycle which is ….
2. Coasting – Some ebikes have systems that can recharge while you coast on an ebike. The downside to this method, however is that you can’t generate very much electricity using this method because you obviously need to climb a hill to be able to ride down it and generate the electricity and the amount of energy you will spend as well as the slope down will determine how much electricity is generated and stored into the batteries.
3. Regenerative Breaking – Now, believe it or not, one of the best methods of charging your batteries outside of plugging the darned thing into the wall is by regenerated breaking. Quite simply, this method stores electricity into your batteries by using the breaks.  Some of the electric powered cars of the 1990’s had this option, but since the electric car pretty much got squelched, some of the advancements in the technology got shelved and was not improved upon.  Once again, there is a downside to this system and that is you don’t normally ride on your breaks.  So, once again, there is a limited amount of energy that you will be able to create using this method.
4. Motor Generating-Last, but certainly not least, is the system of recapturing energy by doing so while the motor is running.  However, this method of generating electricity is in the experimental/ development phase right now.  Hopefully, by the end of the next decade we will have something like this to look forward to.  If it becomes a reality, then the electric bikes and scooters will be greatly enhanced and electric biking and electric scooter use will be something that will be very desirable in most households.

We have only to wait and look forward to the future!

It’s rare when I can get my wife enthused about an electric bike.  Yesterday, when I showed her the picture of the Giant Twist Freedom Electric Bike she said the usual, “eh”.  However, when I told her that it has a dual lithium  battery system that enabled this electric bike to have a range of around 75 miles, she said, “I want one!”  I really didn’t expect that type of reaction, much less the fact that when I mentioned that the bike was retailing for right around $2200 she still said she wanted one.

Not only is the distance and the price impressive, but the Twist Freedom has a whole set of features that will set it apart from the heard of ebikes coming out over the next several years.  I should be noted right from the start though, that this isn’t an electric scooter, because the 350 watt motor won’t kick in unless you are pedaling.  Having said that I should also tell you that even though that might look like a strike against an electric bicycle of this stature, the Twist Freedom has as smooth a ride as any electric scooter or unassisted electric cycle.  The reason for this is because it has seven gears and three different modes that allow you to ride without having to barely pedal or pump at all.

From the people I have interviewed that have actually taken a ride on this ebike, the freedom twist is a very, very comfortable ride due to its plush seats with seat post suspension underneath.  The Freedom Twist also has comfortable hand grips and handlebars that make the ride sweet without sweat.

When you add up all of these factors, the Giant Freedom Twist Electric bike is an excellent choice for commuters that want to beat the gas prices that are probably going to be going again soon.

ELMO