Pedelec & E-Bike 2001 Global Congress
typ.com.tw
Electric Bike Battery Technology of Today and the Future
Batteries for electric bikes are a critical component since a battery provides the "fuel", which is electricity, for the drive motor. Lead-acid batteries provide 15-30 km range for most bikes but are heavy though relatively cheap. Nickel-cadmium batteries are also used but usage is expected to decrease with the incorporation of nickel-metal-hydride batteries that offer more energy storage and are environmentally benign. Lithium Ion offers more energy but is too expensive at this time. Nickel-zinc has been introduced into the market recently for electric bikes and scooters. A zinc-alkaline manganese technology under development offers potential lower cost with energy storage near nickel-metal-hydride. Fuel cells that operate with pressurized hydrogen are also under development with potential range to 100 km but cost is high now. The electric bike industry will benefit from battery and fuel cell developments underway in the automotive and portable electronics industries. A battery test to simulate conditions of actual use on an electric bike should be developed to provide a method of uniformly assessing all electric bike battery types. This has been achieved in the automotive industry for electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle batteries.
China Regulation
The paper introduces the electric bike market and regulations in Mainland China. The electric bike development in Mainland China is supported by central and local governments, and it is suitable for the situation of electrics vehicle in the world and for China's national condition. The electric bike is a green personal traffic transportation. There are many advantages for the electric bike, such as: non-pollution, saving labor, safety, convenience, etc., So the electric bike market in Mainland China is very large. Quantities of production and marketing in 1997, 1998, 1999 are 15, 54.5, 148 thousands., in 2000, 2001, 2002 will be 240, 300, 500 thousands. There are some problems to be solved, the quality and service should be improved. The electric bike market in Mainland China will be developed quickly and over a larger area. |
