Comments on: WSJ Calls China’s Electric Bicycle Craze a Killer

By: solarbikeaustralia

solarbikeaustralia — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:52:29 +0000

Hi, I’ve done quite a bit of research on electric bikes and specialise
in conversion kits. I recently went to China to visit some electric
bike factories and shows. If you’re interested in watching a short
documentary on the electric bike scene in China please visit my SOLAR
BIKE website and watch one of the videos I made.
http://solarbike.com.au/videos.php Otherwise search youtube for
“Electric bicycles in China documentary” and it’ll be the first hit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KA47vf6f64 . Happy Cycling. Matthew
from SOLAR BIKE

By: Arn

Arn — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:24:09 +0000

The major problem with the Chinese ebikes is that the manufacturers keep making them bigger and more powerful to compete with each other. Theg have grown from being electric bicycles to electric motor scooters that the manufacturer puts a set of pedals on to call it a bike (but you would never be able to actually pedal the thing any distance or speed). They have become very heavy and very fast going up to 40 mph. We manufacture an electric bicycle that is an actual bike with the electric motor built in (check them out at http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com). They only go 20 mph per federal standards and can be ridden just like a bike with no motor assistance if you want. We also only use lithium batteries instead of lead acid. Big difference compared to the Chines4 version of an enike.;

By: Craig Saunders

Craig Saunders — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:32:05 +0000

The ones showing up on Toronto streets are definitely not designed to be pedalled. They’re electric scooters.

I have very mixed feelings about them. As an alternative to the car or a larger motorcycle, used on city streets, they make some good sense. But many of the riders seem to think they’re bicycles and take them onto multiuse paths. They’re wide, heavy and dangerous on the narrow walking/cycling trails in our river valleys. It shouldn’t matter whether the machine’s motor is electric or internal combustion, motorized vehicles should be on roads, not sidewalks and walking trails.

Harumph. There’s my rant for the day. And don’t even get me started on the impracticality of multi-use recreational trails!

By: pfairley

pfairley — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:10:51 +0000

Lithium batteries make more sense here, where consumers can afford (perhaps) the resulting doubling of the package price.

Regarding the high speed of some Chinese e-bikes: I say treat them like motorcycles and require helmets. Again, it is dysfunctional regulation that is to be faulted, not the product.

By: Pedego

Pedego — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:56:09 +0000

The major problem with the Chinese ebikes is that the manufacturers keep making them bigger and more powerful to compete with each other. They have grown from being electric bicycles to electric motor scooters that the manufacturer puts a set of pedals on to call it a bike (but you would never be able to actually pedal the thing any distance or speed). They have become very heavy and very fast going up to 40 mph. We manufacture an electric bicycle that is an actual bike with the electric motor built in (check them out at http://www.pedegoelectricbikes.com). They only go 20 mph per federal standards and can be ridden just like a bike with no motor assistance if you want. We also only use lithium batteries instead of lead acid. Big difference compared to the Chinese version of an ebike.