Monday, October 18, 2010

E-bike RAAAAGGGEEE!!!

So has anyone ever saw those electric mopeds advertised in the paper or on craigslist/kijiji? GOD I HATE THEM. They probably the biggest waste of money ever. Only idiots buy them. Ive read up on them and here's the average specs of the average ebike

-price - 900 to 1400$ Canadian.
-top speed - 32km/h.
-range - around 40 to 60km.
-charge time - 5 to 8 hours.
-battery life - 300 to 400 charges.



Now just look at those specs in closer detail, and you might notice some problems.

Problem 1. assuming the average range is 50km and average battery life is 350 charges. That means you're gonna get 17 500km on travel, and then it will just be an ugly, heavy bicycle. Now, i do around 20 000 km a year in my car, and if we say 30 to 40% of that is around the city then you can say it will last you 3 years. A 1000$ car with 140 000km on it would have atleast 3 times that much life left under normal maintenance.

Problem 2. Okay, so what if you have to go to school and run some errands in the same day? Well better hope the trip isn't 25+ km one way unless you don't plan on coming back. The range on one these things isnt much more than 50km remember. The problem with battery powered vehicles is the battery. How long does it take to fill up at a petrol station? 3 minutes, right? how long does it take to charge an ebike? 5-8 hours! This makes them unsuitable for anything but light city driving.

Problem 3. Have you ever had an mp3 player or phone in your pocket in the winter? or anything with a battery for that matter. What happens when batteries get cold? THEY LOOSE LIFE OR GO DEAD. If you live anywhere with a winter, and even if its a pretty short or mild winter (such as where i live) your 1000$ investment has become useless for 1/4 of the year. Looks like you're back to taking the bus.

Problem 4. As with any form of motorized transportation, mechanical parts can be expected to fail eventually. Okay, so what now? you need some parts to repair your investment. Ebike brands aren't popular / big enough to have after market parts suppliers yet. Your only choice is oem, which means they can charge whatever they want for whatever they want. What if your manufacturer goes under? now no one makes parts and theres nothing you can do about it.

Problem 5. You look like an idiot driving it. Maybe some women can get away with it, but if you'e a guy you might as well get a vasectomy. Imagen if you showed up at your girl-friend-to-be's house on an ebike? unless she as stupid as you are for buying one, how could you possibly be taken seriously? YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK LIKE A TOOL.

The solution:

15 comments:

  1. lot to think about here
    great post man

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  2. I always thought that leaving batteries in the cold preserved or extended its life. Wow...

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  3. people here in Toronto are boasting these things over cars but I never see them around in the winter.

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  4. My friend drives one of these, or something like that. But he's legally blind, so that's okay.

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  5. ahahaha. Great finishing move. I agree on those bikes. Ugly and useless. Its actually LESS useful than a regular bike. How bout you stop being a gay nerd and just ride a real bike if you don't feel like taking the car!?

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