Electric bikes - who would have one?

Danny1969

Danny1969 said:

I like them, it's the way forward in terms of less pollution and less reliance on fossil fuels.

That depends on how the electricity is generated. Around two thirds is still fossil fuel.

The total efficiency from fuel to motion is marginally *less* in an electric vehicle, too - even though a power station is a bit more efficient than a petrol engine - because of transmission losses and the battery charge/discharge cycle.

I agree it's the way forward once we're generating most electricity from non-fossil sources (including nuclear probably) though.

mmm i would have expected the motor to be able to transmit it's power more efficenetly than a petrol engine, being as it doesn't have a power band or need any gears

We so have to stop burning fossil fuel though to make electric other wise your right it's pointless ...... but still cleaner I guess

sinbaadi

It's not so much the sound that you don't hear, but the sounds you do hear without the IC engine to drown them out.  All that transmission noise is truly horrible.

Moe_Zambeek

I'd have one. Perfect commuter tool, instant bucket loads of torque.

I also think it might be the saviour of off-road riding.

ToneControl

Phil_aka_Pip said:

And I'd say that nuclear power has its uses, but I don't trust BNFL to dispose of the waste properly any further than I can spit on them

It will be the Chinese, not BNFL

Phil_aka_Pip

ToneControl said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

And I'd say that nuclear power has its uses, but I don't trust BNFL to dispose of the waste properly any further than I can spit on them

It will be the Chinese, not BNFL

True the Chinese will be behind it but BNFL will be their puppets

martinw

Absolutely not.
I haven't had a bike for a few years now, but plan on getting one when funds allow. But the engine is a big part of the experience for me, unlike a car.

57Deluxe

I thought you lot were talking push bikes....

OK this is what I would then if they revoked my licence...

http://www.belizebike.ca/images/etrikered.jpg

Nomad

I didn't spend my childhood making brrrm-brrrm noises just so I could grow up to ride a bike that goes whine-whine.

I do wonder how the carbon thing compares between making and maintaining an internal combustion engine and feeding it fuel, and battery manufacture/replacement and electricity generation.

Two hours recharge every 180 miles is a bit of a pain if you don't have easy access to electricity (like if you live in a flat, or keep int in a garage that doesn't have power). 10 minutes at any petrol station when you're already out and about is rather more convenient.

 

Flanging_Fred

Yay, an electric vehicle thread!

 If you're bothered by the fossil fuel issue, change your power supplier to Ecotricity. It might not be perfect but the whole point is that they supply their power from wind turbines. It's better than burying your head in the sand and thinking that sustainable energy is someone's else's responsibility.

I'm a massive fan of my electric car and there are loads around where I live now. I can only see the electric vehicle market continuing to grow.

sinbaadi

 Pretty cool and nice and quiet!

lloyd

Flanging_Fred said:

Yay, an electric vehicle thread!

 If you're bothered by the fossil fuel issue, change your power supplier to Ecotricity. It might not be perfect but the whole point is that they supply their power from wind turbines. It's better than burying your head in the sand and thinking that sustainable energy is someone's else's responsibility.

I'm a massive fan of my electric car and there are loads around where I live now. I can only see the electric vehicle market continuing to grow.

It's a nice idea but walking through any city in the evening shows me that there is nothing that private homes can do to stem the flow. 

The only meaningful solutions will have to come from government and government working hand in hand with other nations and industry.

ICBM

Flanging_Fred said:

It's better than burying your head in the sand and thinking that sustainable energy is someone's else's responsibility.

That's true, but using electric vehicles without thinking about where the electricity is coming from and patting yourself on the back for being 'green' is no better, if you're actually just moving the CO2 emission somewhere you don't have to think about it.

Otherwise, it's actually better to use a fairly efficient petrol car - preferably an older one, so you're not contributing to the massive environmental impact of building a new one - and drive it as little and as conservatively as you reasonably can.

I agree that this will change as fossil fuel electricity generation is replaced with renewable and nuclear, but we're not there yet.

On the positive side, wind-generated electricity is now the cheapest per KWh. There are still questions over the effectiveness and reliability of it as a large-scale source, but it's getting there.

Flanging_Fred

^ I agree. Faux Eco friendliness is nauseating and does more to damage the true uptake of progressive technology than anything. I guess the point is that it's better to at least try something new rather than writing it off before it's proved itself one way or another.

The people I know who have electric cars are far more environmentally aware than average about where the power is coming from.  When you get an electric vehicle you naturally seem to 'look into' the subject far more than you would otherwise. On top of that, once you are an 'electric driver' you inevitably get all the marketing from the industry on your door mat wether you like it or not.

chillidoggy

57Deluxe said:

I thought you lot were talking push bikes....

OK this is what I would then if they revoked my licence...

http://www.belizebike.ca/images/etrikered.jpg

That's not electric, it's got pedals on it. Unless you have to pedal like a rabid twat to drive a generator to power a  motor, of course.

littlegreenman

I "may" be wrong here (frequently am), but isn't it more responsible to use existing ICE vehicles to death as they've already done their construction damage and so are "only" polluting from an exhaust perspective?

New vehicles have a rather fucking huge footprint before they even leave the forecourt. It's the future for sure, but don't sell off your existing one for a "green" one until it's actually going to make a genuine difference rather than an a deficit.

ICBM

You aren't wrong unless the old vehicle is so grossly inefficient that it will use more energy in its remaining life than the new one takes to build plus the amount it takes to run for the same length of time.

Rocker

A good number of years ago, Mrs Rocker and myself spent a few days on the Isle of Man. We joined a bus tour of the TT Circuit. It is hard to believe that the lap record is so high. The roads are narrow with hump back bridges, walls etc. The rider has to know the circuit (obviously) and has to plan his road position to the nearest millimetre. I had motorcycles in my younger days and have always considered myself a biker, but to lap the circuit at speeds of in excess of 120 m.p.h. blows my mind away. I would love a spin on an electric bike. The silence and the speed - wow!

Spider

~O) @Rocker