China Has More Electric Bikes Than Germany Has People

Next Big Future has this interesting bit: China has 100 million bikes - that's 27 million fewer than Japan's population. China's new car sales now exceeds America's; how long will it be before its electric bike "population" surpasses that of the Rising Sun?

Take a gander at this excerpt:

Last year (2008) Chinese bought about 90% of the 23 million e-bikes sold worldwide. Experts say that next regions to likely embrace e-bikes are Southeast Asia, where gas-powered scooters are popular, and India, where rising incomes mean personal transportation is starting to be in reach of hundreds of millions. Japan has seen steady annual sales of about 300,000 for several years, and in the cycle-crazy Netherlands e-bikes are beginning to take off. In the U.S., where bikes are still overwhelmingly used for recreation rather than transportation, e-bike sales are expected to break 200,000 this year, or about 1% of China's sales.

They constituted 90% of worldwide e-bike sales? Our sales constitute 1% of China's? Geesh, thunder thighs, put down the Pringles and get your fat ass in shape.

Here's a description of the typical e-bike sold in China:

• Typical e-bikes in China have 100 km on a full charge.

• Official top speed is 12mph but many go 30 mph.

• Typical e-bikes in China cost 2000 RMB (USD290).

• In 2006 there were 2,700 licensed manufacturers, and countless additional smaller shops.

• Leading manufacturer Xinri makes 1.6 million e-bikes per year.

Here is a description of the Aston Martin of e-bikes, the ErockIT. 50 mph can be yours for only $39,000.

- Brewskie

50 MPH Electric Bike

A "Lance Armstrong-type" of a bycling friend of mine use to routinely get pulled over by cops on his bycicle - for peddaling past cars. What would he think of this (besides the cost)?

The idea of an electric-assist bicycle has been around for some time, with Aprilia’s Enjoy the first really convincing argument that the genre had a future – now there’s another variation on the electric pedal-assist theme, but the ErockIT is much more a motorcycle than a bike, and indeed, it might be one of the quickest forms of inner city transport on the planet. The whole thing weighs just 110 kilograms and with over 45lb/ft of torque and 13bhp, it can top 50mph.

The torque characteristics of an electric motor are very different to a roadgoing motorcycle powerplant – the aforementioned 45lb/ft of torque is available from standstill, and the linear nature of the power delivery makes it very easy to control. As a rule of thumb, on circuit racing, we have observed that an electric bike with Xbhp will run about even with an internal combustion engined motorcycle with 3X bhp – this would put it in commuter 250 roadbike territory for acceleration, and the 50 mph top speed is suitable for just about anywhere other than an autobahn or freeway.

Around town, it will be a rocketship and light and manoeuvrable enough to make breeze of weaving through stopped traffic – a better town motorcycle than currently exists.

Unlike the Aprilia Enjoy, where the electric motor assisted the rider to pedal when more torque was required, the ErockIT drives the rear wheel from an electric motor , and pedalling assists the motor. This very exciting development in the inevitable move to electric two-wheelers will cost around EUR 25,000 (US$39,000) and will be available in limited quantities in 2009.

- Brewskie