The key for the energy-efficiency and convenience from the electric bicycle is definitely the rechargeable battery that powers the electric motor, which eases pedaling and accounts for the bicycle's maximum speed and variety.

The state-of-the-art in electric bicycle battery technologies will be the lithium ion battery. The usage of these batteries in electric bicycles is actually a new use of an established technologies. Lithium ion batteries have powered consumer electronic devices for years. In electric bikes, these batteries are lightweight and simple to recharge.

Early work on lithium battery technologies began as early as 1912, however it was the 1970s prior to the first lithium batteries were available for buy. Those early batteries couldn't be recharged. By the 1980s, operate had begun on establishing rechargeable lithium batteries. Consumer electronics giant Sony pioneered the very first commercially available rechargeable lithium ion (or Li-ion) battery. Nowadays, this battery technology has become extensively offered, with electric bicycles becoming the newest application.

The rechargeable lithium ion batteries in electric bicycles enables these automobiles to travel at speeds of up to 20 mph for a range as higher as 40 miles. The batteries themselves are low-maintenance and may be recharged for only pennies per day. This tends to make an electric bicycle using a lithium ion battery a true bargain within a time of increasing gasoline costs.

A lot of folks like electric bicycles simply because they assistance facilitate a "greener" life style by traveling on electricity as an alternative to fossil fuels. The environmentally friendly nature of electric bicycles extends towards the battery, as well. Lithium ion batteries lead to significantly less pollution and environmental harm when disposed of than their lead- or cadmium-based counterparts. The U.S. government classifies these batteries as non-hazardous and hence, protected to dispose of in normal strong waste facilities. For recycling purposes, having said that, a employed lithium ion battery pack nevertheless contains usable supplies. This means that recycling your utilized battery instead of disposing it makes them even safer for the environment!

General, this type of battery features a life of about 15,000 miles just before requiring replacement. This implies it can take about 500 charges over its lifetime. Though the additional high-priced than other varieties of batteries used in electric bicycles, it's far less highly-priced inside the long term than frequent trips towards the fuel pump to fill the car's gas tank.

Lithium ion batteries could be recharged making use of a common electric outlet. For the reason that these batteries weigh less than these created from other supplies, they may be far more transportable. This also means that they don't greatly add weight towards the bicycle. On average, most li-ion batteries are 70 % lighter and about 50 percent smaller sized than less expensive, bulkier batteries utilized in some electric bicycles.