on May 5th, 2008Going Green With Hybrids - The IZIP and Other Electric Bicycles
Because of the energy crisis, hybrid is the buzzword of the day. With respect to cars, hybrid usually refers to engines that uses electricity and gasoline. The combination of both gets you more gas mileage. For example the 2008 Toyota Prius, a well-known hybrid car, gets 48 miles per gallon as oppose to a comparable 4-cylinder non-hybrid car, say a Honda Civic, that gets 36 miles per gallon. By the way, Honda also has a hybrid version of the Civic and it gets 45 miles per gallon. The point is hybrid technology allows you to cover more grounds for a given set of resources, gasoline in this case.
In the cycling world, the term hybrid refers to bicycles with electric motors . Yep, that’s traditional push pedaling made easy with electricity . Instead of more gas mileage, you get more miles pedaling and best yet, you don’t have to buy gas (because it’s a bicycle).
THE FRUGAL AND HEALTHY CONSUMER
But you’re asking why mention gas with bicycles? In the past, at least in the United States, gas prices were never a concern. Up until 2006 or so, Americans were able to buy gas for under $2.00 per gallon. That’s practically nothing! Two years later, it’s a different story.
In other parts of the world, however, they haven’t been so lucky. Europeans have been experiencing gas prices between $5-$8 per gallon for years. But they still get around. Common among their usual transport is a bicycle. You’ve seen many pictures of common folks getting around town bicycling. Kinda like what we did when we were kids. To get more “mileage”, a lot of Asians and Europeans use hybrid electric motor bikes…
iZIP Enlightened Hybrid Electric Street Bicycles
From Currie Technologies, the iZIP is one of the more popular electric hybrid bikes. In one battery charge, it can travel up to 23-30 miles depending on the cycler’s weight. Top speed on this 8-gear street bike can be up to 18 mph. As you can see from the pictures, the motor and battery pack are cleverly integrated within the bike’s frame. So unlike most electric bicycles, these components are not visually obtusive. The geared hub motor is a brushless DC type encased in an alloy shell. The battery pack is made of NiMH EV Rated Batteries Down Tube Concealed 24V / 9AH Pack (20) 1.2V Rechargeable Cells. There are men’s and women’s versions of the iZIP bike.
[Via ezinearticles.com]
electric scooter 3 wheels…
That is sweet! I wish my wife would understand it….