Step out onto the streets of pretty much any Chinese city, and you'll instantly have to skillfully dodge a swarm of e-bikes silently whooshing past, often laden with goods and family members. The popularity of these noiseless, although horn-happy, two-wheelers, may have stemmed from the associated financial and environmental benefits, but by joining the masses and buying an e-bike you will also gain the freedom to explore the city at your leisure. And it's as easy as buying a pair of shoes—there are many different styles available for varying purposes, and in most cities you need only visit your local supermarket to find them.
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The basics
So what exactly is an e-bike? As the name suggests, it's the electric-powered bike that's sort of a cross between a foot-powered bicycle and a gasoline-powered motorcycle. Broadly speaking, there are two types of e-bikes. Bicycle style electric bikes (BSEB) look similar to traditional bicycles and have pedals, while scooter style electric bikes (SSEB) generally don't have pedals and look similar to traditional scooters (e.g. headlights, speedometer etc.). Of course, as e-bikes have risen in popularity in China, companies have responded by releasing a very large range of electric-powered styles that fit somewhere in between these two, such as folding bikes, mountain bikes, tricycles, tandems, choppers, unicycles and even electric mini farthings (such as the YikeBike).
Things to consider before buying
When purchasing an e-bike the main aspects to consider will be the battery, the motor, and most likely the price.
1) Battery
How far you can travel on a single battery charge (without regard to your body size, terrain, tire pressure etc.) is based on voltage (V) and Amp Hours (AH) of the battery. In general, BSEBs have a 36V (sometimes 24V), 10AH battery, with the added advantage of peddling if the battery runs out before you make it to your destination. SSEBs, on the other hand, tend to have a larger 48V, 20AH battery but are peddle-less, which means if your battery dies, you're likely pushing it home. The larger battery equates to greater performance (acceleration, speed, capacity to go up hills), but this will deplete the battery more quickly, so both styles have an approximate 30-60 km range.
If you have to carry the batteries up several flights of stairs to charge them (check for power points in the basement), then you'll need to consider the battery weight. 95% of batteries produced are lead-acid, the lead content of which accounts for 70% of the battery weight (e.g. 48V lead-acid battery weighs about 18 kg). The usual life span of lead-acid batteries is 1-2 years or 10,000 km, after which you can trade in the old battery, saving money. Charging times range from 4-10 hours. Keep in mind that in colder weather the battery will run down more quickly, thus requiring more frequent recharging.
2) Engine size
As with the batteries, engine size is also larger for SSEBs: 300-500W (with some brands even reaching1000W). This equates to top speeds of 30-40 km per hour. Meanwhile, BSEB engines are considerably smaller at 250-350W and can only attain top speeds of 20-30 km per hour. Unfortunately, peddling at the same time won't make you go any faster, nor will it charge the battery.
3) Price
How much you pay for your e-bike largely depends on where you buy and if/how much you can bargain on the price, as well as what style of bike you choose. In general, expect to pay between 1,500-2,000 RMB for BSEBs and 2,000-3,500 RMB for SSEBs. Bikes with 64V or 80V are usually at the expensive end of the scale.
Where to buy your e-bike
Perhaps the most trustworthy places to purchase an e-bike are the large chain supermarkets such as Auchan, Carrefour, Wal-Mart etc. These megastores will help you to register your bike—a process involving taking the license plates, purchase documents, your passport, and the 10 RMB fee to the area's registration office. The disadvantage of buying from a supermarket is that you won't be able to bargain down the price, although there's no harm in trying and I've heard stories of some people managing to get discount vouchers. Also, it may be a little trickier to go back and get repairs done if something goes wrong.
Alternatively, you could visit one of your city's numerous locally owned electric bike stores, which you're all but guaranteed to find through a quick web search or by walking around a populated neighborhood for a few minutes. These stores tend to have a larger range of styles and although prices are not clearly labeled, there is a greater possibility that the dealer will be willing to bargain. Local shops also tend to have small repair workshops on the side. The registration process should be the same, or alternatively, you can register the number plates yourself at the local police station.
Final notes
Overall, what you decide to buy will be dependent on many different factors, such as how far you want to travel, if you are carrying a pillion (the seat for a passenger behind the driver) and if are you worried about the battery dying. Here are a few parting pieces of practical advice when buying an e-bike:
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-Research the style/brand of bike you want first.
-Try before you buy. Take as many bikes out for a test ride as possible.
-Check what accessories are included, such as a bicycle lock, rain cover etc.
-If the bike doesn't look legal, check it on the list of approved bikes at your nearest police station.
-Always keep an eye out for roadside charging units. These cost around 1 RMB per hour and can give you roughly 30 minutes of power per charge.
-Most importantly, once you are out on the road: be aware, use the horn (to alert pedestrians and other vehicles), and ride safely.
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Keywords: e-bike buyer’s guide China
shopping for electric bike China
ebike tips China
guptanator said:
1) Has anyone bought these directly from a Chinese manufacturer? How was the buying experience and accuracy/quality/reliability of the vehicle?
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Lots of people have bought directly from various Chinese "manufacturers" over the years, though not necessarily whole bikes, with varying results. I've read of success and horror stories; it appears to be a crapshoot. Never heard of "wuxi hanbird", but since they call themselves "import and export trade co., ltd.", they are unlikely to be a manufacturer, but probably just a reseller, regardless of what they tell you. A google search on their name finds lots of stuff posted *by* them on the web, advertising and such, but I didn't find anything I'd call buyer feedback.
2) They have offered to provide a VIN number and will also provide a "Certificate of Origin". Is this sufficient to register and insure the bike in US (I live in PA), or could I run into issues getting it registered if the manufacturer/make/model is not in the DoT or NTHSA database?
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You have to ask your local DMV exactly how that works; each state handles things differently.
THen you need to ask your preferred insurer how *they* do things, because each one of those may have their own requirements.
3) I also read that a EPA or some emission related sticker is required on the exhaust on all motorcycles sold in US, but this manufacturer cannot provide one. Can this create risk down the road?
Click to expand...
That's also up to your local DMV. Since it doesn't have any emissions, it shouldn't need one, but laws and regulations haven't all caught up with the concept, so may need one even so. In some places, it may not even be possible to register an EV of some types, because the laws there may require stuff that only an ICE vehicle would qualify for. Unlikely these days, but still possible.
Pics aren't very good, but I don't see turn signals/etc on there, so you might want to check your local regulations for lighting and such, to see what you'll have to buy and add to it before you can register and ride it.
Same for windshield.
4) Are there customs duty I'll need to pay once the bike arrives at the port in US? The manufacturer says they cannot give any feedback on this due to changing tariff regulations.
Click to expand...
You should assume you'll have to pay the full duties and tariffs and fees, including any handler's fees and agent's fees, per whatever the current regulations are. Then whatever shipping company "customs handling" fees there are, on top of whatever you pay the company itself for shipping. My guess is that could be 25% to 50% of the item cost, but you'd have to look up the regulations.
6) Any feedback on these components and how they'll perform? The manufacturer claims speed of 55mph and range of 60 miles for Spec 4..is this realistic?
7) Spec 4 has a 3KW WP QS motor (vs 3KW QS for Spec 3). Does the "WP" basically means waterproof?
Click to expand...
YOu'd have to ask QSMotor company what their designations mean. Don't assume that an abbreviation in English letters has anything to do with English words. QS doesn't mean Quality Service, for instance, it means Quan Shun.
Regarding this being a "motorcycle"...well, it's way beyond "electric bicycle" capabilities, by legal definitions most places, but 3KW is not much of a motorcycle. Ten times that power level is getting there, but not that. More in the class of "motorcycle-shaped scooter", or "moped", realistically.
3KW might get you 40MPH+, it isn't going to accelerate all that fast. My CrazyBike2 had 4KW, and with me on it at my lower weight then was around 400lbs with all the tools/lunch/work crap I carried in the cargo pods/etc, and I could do 4 seconds or less to 20MPH (that's the speed limit here for ebikes, so dunno what it would do beyond that) and that's with 2WD, which can accelerate faster than 1WD, depending on the system. The hundred-pound-heavier SB Cruiser trike takes about a second more to do the same thing with a bit more power.
They list that they're pushing peak powers much higher, but you can't count on sustaining that more than a very short time without overheating the motor. See http://ebikes.ca/simulator for how that can work with different systems. (read the whole page first, then play with various setups similar to what you're wanting, and see what results you get). If there's no motor that is similar to what you want to use, there's a custom motor setting if you can get the parameters for it from the motor manufacturer (the bike seller probably won't have a clue).
You can run a lot of DD hubmotors at higher power levels than they're "rated" for, for a while, but most can't take several times that continuously without some form of cooling modification. The bigger they are, the longer they can take it, but there's always some limit. If you don't mind pushing limits and fixing or replacing things when they fail, then it's worth a shot. But you can't expect any form of warranty repairs on something without a local dealer (and even with one, they may not be able to get parts, or may be unwilling to help, or even just up and vanish), so expect to buy replacement parts yourself.
As far as range goes...if you're after highway speeds, 50MPH+, you're going to probably use 100-150wh/mile+ . To get 60 miles out of that, at those speeds, you may need 9KWh or more of battery. At 72v, that's around 125Ah.
If there's hills, headwinds, or a lot of stops and starts, it may take more. Depends on a bunch of factors. Fairings like the Vetter type can greatly improve power usage , and thus range, at higher speeds (and possibly give a higher max speed), but you'd have to build that yourself after you get the bike.
Most sellers give some max range that isnt' at max speed, usually at minimum expected average road speeds in traffic, but not necessarily counting the frequent stops and starts you'd have in that kind of situation. Or they just pull a number out of thin air.
So...the bike might perform like you want...but my guess is it's not as good as they say it is. Safer to be pessimistic.
There's a lot of places selling basically the same things, with different stickers slapped on them. Some are cheaper, some more expensive, but realistically they'll likely be the same stuff underneath. They may or may not have the specs (or parts!) they claim, either, and you wont' know till you test it yourself. :/
Lots of people have bought directly from various Chinese "manufacturers" over the years, though not necessarily whole bikes, with varying results. I've read of success and horror stories; it appears to be a crapshoot. Never heard of "wuxi hanbird", but since they call themselves "import and export trade co., ltd.", they are unlikely to be a manufacturer, but probably just a reseller, regardless of what they tell you. A google search on their name finds lots of stuff posted *by* them on the web, advertising and such, but I didn't find anything I'd call buyer feedback.You have to ask your local DMV exactly how that works; each state handles things differently.THen you need to ask your preferred insurer how *they* do things, because each one of those may have their own requirements.That's also up to your local DMV. Since it doesn't have any emissions, it shouldn't need one, but laws and regulations haven't all caught up with the concept, so may need one even so. In some places, it may not even be possible to register an EV of some types, because the laws there may require stuff that only an ICE vehicle would qualify for. Unlikely these days, but still possible.Pics aren't very good, but I don't see turn signals/etc on there, so you might want to check your local regulations for lighting and such, to see what you'll have to buy and add to it before you can register and ride it.Same for windshield.You should assume you'll have to pay the full duties and tariffs and fees, including any handler's fees and agent's fees, per whatever the current regulations are. Then whatever shipping company "customs handling" fees there are, on top of whatever you pay the company itself for shipping. My guess is that could be 25% to 50% of the item cost, but you'd have to look up the regulations.YOu'd have to ask QSMotor company what their designations mean. Don't assume that an abbreviation in English letters has anything to do with English words. QS doesn't mean Quality Service, for instance, it means Quan Shun.Regarding this being a "motorcycle"...well, it's way beyond "electric bicycle" capabilities, by legal definitions most places, but 3KW is not much of a motorcycle. Ten times that power level is getting there, but not that. More in the class of "motorcycle-shaped scooter", or "moped", realistically.3KW might get you 40MPH+, it isn't going to accelerate all that fast. My CrazyBike2 had 4KW, and with me on it at my lower weight then was around 400lbs with all the tools/lunch/work crap I carried in the cargo pods/etc, and I could do 4 seconds or less to 20MPH (that's the speed limit here for ebikes, so dunno what it would do beyond that) and that's with 2WD, which can accelerate faster than 1WD, depending on the system. The hundred-pound-heavier SB Cruiser trike takes about a second more to do the same thing with a bit more power.They list that they're pushing peak powers much higher, but you can't count on sustaining that more than a very short time without overheating the motor. See http://ebikes.ca/simulator for how that can work with different systems. (read the whole page first, then play with various setups similar to what you're wanting, and see what results you get). If there's no motor that is similar to what you want to use, there's a custom motor setting if you can get the parameters for it from the motor manufacturer (the bike seller probably won't have a clue).You can run a lot of DD hubmotors at higher power levels than they're "rated" for, for a while, but most can't take several times that continuously without some form of cooling modification. The bigger they are, the longer they can take it, but there's always some limit. If you don't mind pushing limits and fixing or replacing things when they fail, then it's worth a shot. But you can't expect any form of warranty repairs on something without a local dealer (and even with one, they may not be able to get parts, or may be unwilling to help, or even just up and vanish), so expect to buy replacement parts yourself.As far as range goes...if you're after highway speeds, 50MPH+, you're going to probably use 100-150wh/mile+ . To get 60 miles out of that, at those speeds, you may need 9KWh or more of battery. At 72v, that's around 125Ah.If there's hills, headwinds, or a lot of stops and starts, it may take more. Depends on a bunch of factors. Fairings like the Vetter type can greatly improve power usage , and thus range, at higher speeds (and possibly give a higher max speed), but you'd have to build that yourself after you get the bike.Most sellers give some max range that isnt' at max speed, usually at minimum expected average road speeds in traffic, but not necessarily counting the frequent stops and starts you'd have in that kind of situation. Or they just pull a number out of thin air.So...the bike might perform like you want...but my guess is it's not as good as they say it is. Safer to be pessimistic.There's a lot of places selling basically the same things, with different stickers slapped on them. Some are cheaper, some more expensive, but realistically they'll likely be the same stuff underneath. They may or may not have the specs (or parts!) they claim, either, and you wont' know till you test it yourself. :/
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