Electric Bikes, Cars and News

Electric Cars: Worth It Environmentally?

This is a question I've been thinking about for quite some time now. Electric cars are great for the end user, but what impacts do they have that the owner doesn't see? We'll be looking at how the electricity is produced and whether having an electric car is better for the environment.

I'm going to be omitting any renewable energy source since they don't produce any emissions. This includes solar, wind, and hydro. Depending on where you live your electricity may be produced from nuclear or (gulp) coal. Read more »

Electric Bike Motors

We've talked about the frame for an electric bike as well as batteries for an electric bike. Now it's time to figure out how to make our electric bike move. By that I mean what type of motor to use in an electric bike. Read more »

Electric Bike Batteries

There are three critical things to think about when building an electric bike. While the other things are important they're not nearly as important as the motor you choose, the controller and the batteries you choose. The most dangerous part of course is the batteries because over/under charging or over drawing current from them can cause catastrophic failures. Read more »

Electric Bike Design Considerations - The Frame

When I first started planning out the electric bike project I don't think I really knew what I was getting into. Who though I'd need to worry about the amount of torque is going to be applied to the frame? For those who are interested in the project I'm going to go over some of what I've learned. We're still in the planning stage, but getting closer to reality every day. Read more »

Ultra Capacitors Boost Electric Car Efficiency

What's one of the best way to kill batteries? If you answered "charge or discharge to fast" than you're right! In today's plug in electric vehicles (PHEV's for short) one of the main causes for battery life to shorten is the fact that acceleration draws a large amount of power from the batteries. Read more »

Prius Has Rooftop Solar Panel Option

While I don't think that hybrid cars are the future I do think that they are a step in the right direction. It's all about maximising energy efficiency and the Toyota Prius has led the way in North America. Read more »

Electric Cars Aren't An Improvement

I know the title is a bit of a shocker, but in certain circumstances it is true. GM's new Chevy Volt is causing quite a bit of commotion with their 230MPG claim, but let's take a look at the other side of the coin. Read more »

Making Electric Bike Batteries Last Longer

The crux of every single electric vehicle is battery capacity. Although there have been some amazing breakthroughs recently batteries still can't compete with gas for the amount of energy that they store. That doesn't mean that we can't try though. With electric vehicles the secret is efficiency. The more efficient you make your system the longer one full charge will last you. Let's take a look at how I'm going to be saving energy with the electric bike. Read more »

DIY Electric Bikes

A great project for somebody who wants to get started in electric vehicles. Electric bikes are great for short commutes and general errand running. I have to admit that I've been looking forward to this project for a long time and am glad that it's here. Read more »