Electric bikes, the next step

[Yorick]

One of the reasons for Spannies was to produce mega power.

The primary reason was for the noise.

I spent 34 years at race tracks. Racing, spannering and instructing.

I miss the noise most.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I think that's inevitable, but TBH the only noise I really miss is the F1

But if you never grew up with it...

[Horse]

They'll need to work some on the aesthetics of the 'engine',or maybe they'll be lazy and hide the ugliness of the electric lumps behind plastic.

We're just used to seeing carbs, exhausts, etc. Electric motors of course don't have any of that.

Not all ICEs have that either!

Same reason I think spannies look a bit odd.

And one of the most common complaints about modern bikes are the size and 'styling' of silencers.

[Skub]

I idly wonder at times if the technology hasn't overlooked hydrogen power as a cleaner solution than batteriez.

Maybe the power companies are more invested in electric?

[Yorick]

I suppose you could stuck lollipop sticks in the spokes like we did as kids.

They will become de rigueur. Titanium and carbon fibre lollipop sticks

[Mr. Dazzle]

I idly wonder at times if the technology hasn't overlooked hydrogen power as a cleaner solution than batteriez.

Maybe the power companies are more invested in electric?

Will still be electric, just fuel cells instead of batteries.

Personally j can't see hydrogen taking off for a long long time, if ever, because of the lack of infrastructure.

Battery vehicles obviously need a lot of infrastructure too, but the crucial difference is that you can get by on what's already here because electricity is already widely available.

There's some / more than some electric infrastructure already ready and you can incrementally build on that. Hydrogen has essentially nothing - we don't have existing hydrogen sockets in our houses - so it will take billions of investment to even reach the point electricity is already at.

[Horse]

I idly wonder at times if the technology hasn't overlooked hydrogen power as a cleaner solution than batteriez.

Maybe the power companies are more invested in electric?

From what I know (and that's not much), hydrogen fuel cell technology is playing catch up and has serious levels of development going on.

Whether it becomes a Betamax - VHS battle, I don't know.

[Skub]

Whether it becomes a Betamax - VHS battle, I don't know.

Funnily enough,that comparison was in my head too!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Even a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will have batteries anyway!

You'd have a hydrogen cell which can produce enough power for a constant cruise and then batteries to 'power smooth' when you're going up hills etc. You also need a battery for 'sudden demand' power cause a fuel cell can't react instantly. For example when doing lots of stop start you don't want the cell constantly making power you can't use.

Fuel cells generally can't "run backwards" and turn electricity back into hydrogen either so you need a battery for regen braking.

So the distinction is blurred.

[Skub]

Perhaps we'll have hydrogen/electric hybrids just like we have ICE/electric currently.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Perhaps...but then you have the cost and complexity of two systems in one vehicle.

It kinda makes sense at the moment cause pure electric vehicles are still in their infancy. By the time we might have hybrid/fuel cell vehicles batteries will be a lot more developed and the cost/benefit might not be there.

I can see it maybe happening in more niche vehicles that can't afford the charging time - trucks maybe. When you consider however that most vehicles spend >95% of the time stationary you dont NEED to be able to fill up quickly.

[Yorick]

All that technical stuff is shite.

If we can't have lollipop sticks, can we have 70s air horns in the cars?

[Mr. Dazzle]

No, but you can have an electric speaker playing a streamed MP3 of an air horn.

[Horse]

No, but you can have an electric speaker playing a streamed MP3 of an air horn.

Plenty on YouTube of people playing 'truck' and 'train' horns

[Yorick]

Can it play all these favourites ?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Plus the fact transporting stuff around is more difficult than you think. You have all the emissions of having to physically move the liquid stuff, plus all the emissions associated with the transport fleet and its maintenance.

Obviously electrical grids aren't free, but it is much 'easier' when you're dealing with something that can transported with no moving parts.

[demographic]

It cost him £3.50 to do 40 miles
On an average bike that's a gallon of petrol so £6.50

Half price but turning that on its head, for a relatively small extra weekly outlay for petrol I get bikes for a quarter of the cost, can fill up anywhere and don't have to wait 40min while I do

I'd really like a leccy bike but it just doesn't add up yet

Didn't it only cost that three fifty cos he powered it up at a commercial station instead of a home wall socket? Even cheaper if its on economy seven night lecky I guess.

Still expensive to buy mind and compared to what I've spent on bikes likely way more than Ive spent on every one I've ever owned.

[Whysub]

Look at the prices of electric cars now. They are a lot less than 3 years ago, and with better motors/batteries/range. The charging infrastructure is much better too.There is a 30 charger site in Braintree,Essex that has a xafe, shops and a gym you can go to whilst recharging. And recharging times are tumbling too. I see electric bikes being a far more viable proposition in five years time.

[The Spin Doctor]

I know they are inevitable BUT please make them sound better, like a tie fighter or pod racer, anything but the the whiny milk float sound the Live wire that came past me made.

I've "stolen" the Santa post.

I thought the Zeros sounded like a jet engine spooling up. Got a few people turning heads.

[Scootabout]

When I tried a Vectrix electric maxi scoot back in c.2005 I was pretty impressed, and made a mental note that I'd be happy to ride something similar when the price dropped. They were ahead of their time and went bust. I've just discovered they've been revived:
https://scooter.uk.com/vectrix-vx-1/

I don't doubt electric bikes are the future - perhaps nearer than many of us think.