Electric Motion Systems E+ electric bike: $3,495 for two wheels

Believe it or not, Electric Motion Systems' E+ actually isn't the priciest electric bicycle we've ever seen, but at $3,495 sans chauffeur, it's a far cry from being a bargain. Aside from boasting a relatively traditional frame, the unit gets powered by an EMS 1000-watt hub-mounted, brushless permanent magnet motor, which should provide 20 to 40 miles of fun on a single charge. Proving its intelligence, the E+ also supports regenerative braking, which enables the battery to get charged each time the rider slams the stoppers. You'll also find a handlebar-mounted LCD display which shows speed, distance traversed, battery level and whether or not cruise control is enabled. Yeah. Cruise control, son. Suddenly, $3,495 seems quite reasonable, no?

[Via AutoblogGreen]

[Gaz @ Apr 25th 2008 11:32AM]

I must have one! Tho I think they may be illegal in the UK, something about needing pedals, which this one has but the motor not be over something like 140 watt

[tom @ Apr 25th 2008 11:43AM]

I won't be parking this 3500 dollar bike on the street if i were you

[r19578 @ Apr 25th 2008 12:38PM]

Many bikes are more expensive than this one, like Specialized S-Works, the frame alone would cause $5000.

[Jason @ Apr 25th 2008 12:48PM]

Note quite, here is a price breakdown of the S-Works range.. While expensive, not quite as expensive as you think, and the prices below are MSRP, bike stores will often have them quite a bit cheaper.
S-Works Epic $6900
S-Works Epic Frame $2900
S-Works Carbon HT Disc $5500
S-Works Carbon HT Frame $1650
S-Works M5 HT Frame $1200
S-Works Safire $7400
S-Works Safire Frameset $4000
S-Works Stumpjumper FSR $7400
S-Works Stumpjumper FSR Frameset $4000
S-Works Enduro SL $7700
S-Works Enduro SL Frameset $3900

[slarity @ Apr 25th 2008 11:33AM]

haha, "cruise control, son"

[one1082 @ Apr 25th 2008 11:36AM]

what a ridiculous waste of money

[DakStaka @ Apr 25th 2008 1:10PM]

better than $4.00 / gallon!

[Lars @ Apr 25th 2008 2:49PM]

Not really. I mean, I thought that myself until I did the math.

Let's say you commute a total of 20 miles a day to and from work. And compare that to a somewhat gas inefficient car @20 MPG. That's 4 dollars a day to commute in such a car.

3500/4 = 875 days
875/5 = 175 weeks (assuming you work 5 days a week)
175/52 = 3.36 years.

Now let's say you're like me and you have a somewhat gas efficient car.
I'm not sure what the MPG is in my old beetle, but I pay about $30 for two weeks of commuting (and I commute 20 miles total, per day).
So 30/10 = 3, 3500/3 = 1167, 1167/5 = 233, 233/52 = 4.48 years of commuting before it actually makes up for the cost of gas.

I'd gladly commute with something like this but I just can't justify the cost. I know there are other costs with a car that I'm not factoring in such as insurance, maintenance, registration. But maintenance is the only one that really matters and I don't really put much into that per year. I do a few oil changes, but I always do that myself (shops always seem to cause more trouble than they're worth when you bring in an older car). And even if the bike was my main transportation, I'd still need to keep a car around (which means keeping it insured and licensed) for when I need to take longer trips, passengers, shop for anything to bulky or heavy to carry in a backpack, etc.

[Lars @ Apr 25th 2008 2:52PM]

Ugh, the bad grammar of the internet is wearing off on me. To/too...

[Denver_80203 @ Apr 26th 2008 1:07AM]

Sure Lars but,
I'm healthier
I'm not paying for parking
Oil
Maintenance
There's that mysteriously missing chunk of change you spent buying the "cheaper alternative"?
Here's another one:
I'm not polluting the environment

Yeah.. I have a car too. I use it to haul crud from here to there but, seriously comparing gas to the cost of the machine is NOT a fair deal.

[Geir E @ Apr 28th 2008 7:24AM]

Your calculation is way off.

I used a bicycle for work every day for four years before I moved and then didn't need to travel anything to get to work.

My bicycle (non electric) costed me 1750 usd. It was a year old high end model.

On one year alone I saved the entire bicycles cost in insurance (I was 22 then).
Probably would need a couple of years to save it in gasoline.
In depreciation I would have saved the entire cost each year at least. probably more.
In services and road tax I would probably pay half the bikes price each year too.

[Chris @ Apr 25th 2008 11:37AM]

These are cool, but if I am riding a bike I'd much rather have the healthy exercise part.

[Jeff @ Apr 25th 2008 12:53PM]

You still get the healthy exercise part. See the pedals and chain?

Bikes like this are already hugely popular in Japan, where they're a cheaper, healthier, more environmentally friendly alternative to a motor scooter. You still need to pedal; even on the full auto setting, the motors probably aren't strong enough on hills (if it's like other electric bikes), and there are many other settings besides full auto, all the way to full manual. I see this one even has a mode where it will *increase* pedal resistance for a better workout.

Why would you buy this over a cheap motor scooter? Zero emissions, for one thing. You can hang it on a bike hook for another. Where are you gonna park a scooter if you live in a tiny urban apartment? Plus you get the benefit of having a real bike - you can go on bike trails (where the noise and size of a scooter wouldn't be allowed), you can get your exercise.

Don't be so quick to criticize, guys.

[Dan Davis @ Apr 25th 2008 11:45AM]

And the line between scooter and bicycle gets further blurred...

[Lars @ Apr 25th 2008 3:37PM]

Much like the line between motorcycle and moped. Our laws are pretty lame here in that regard. This bike would actually be classified as a moped. Electric bikes can't exceed 750 watts or 20MPH. I never understood the speed restriction... I mean you could pedal faster than 20MPH easily, but if a motor is involved it's suddenly illegal. Mopeds have the same kind of restriction, but I think it's 30MPH. So actually, if this thing exceeded 30MPH you'd be required to license it as a motorcycle, insure it, and get an M1-class license to ride it.

[7on @ Apr 25th 2008 11:47AM]

Perfect for someone who wants to LOOK health conscious. Though the lack of sweat and pedaling might give it away...

[Dan Shalloway @ Apr 25th 2008 11:49AM]

Maybe a bike that recharges when it is pedaled backwards in the free wheel mode. exercise and rechargeable electric. Not bad for city travel...along with the parking structure for bikes..?? could be a wave for the future.

[roman.kim @ Apr 25th 2008 11:57AM]

Haha,

So as you ride along, you pedal backwards to recharge the battery, that powers the motor. Although pedals connected directly to the wheels would be more efficient...

[tekdroid @ Apr 25th 2008 11:50AM]

"Battery Pack
The E+ battery pack is also newly designed and proprietary and available only on E+ bikes. It features a 36 Volt 9 Ah NiMH battery with all electronics inside, and is hub mounted for a lower center of gravity and increased stability. Depending on terrain, how much you want to pedal, and other factors, each cycle of the battery lasts 20 to 40+ miles."
--------------
Great. So I'm guessing 400-500 charges before the battery gets farrrrrr less mileage, is at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. Replacement cost for this proprietary battery with "all electronics inside" is...? Gotta love this "embedded battery" disposable ipod world where practicalities like replacement battery cost isn't even mentioned.

I really dislike this whole "no emissions" claim. No emissions is only true if you source your electricity from "no emissions" sources. Again, battery replacement (or environmental impact of manufacture) is never mentioned..

I'd feel ultra paranoid this thing would get stolen. Peace of mind that comes from riding a bike a tenth of the price is priceless, really. Of course that'll have you huffing and puffing in hilly areas, so I guess that's irrelevant.

Still waiting for http://www.steorn.com to deliver the goods here. I want to be phatboi.

[tekdroid @ Apr 25th 2008 11:57AM]

OK, my fault. Found it:
Extra Hub Battery Pack for $649.

Super value!

[Jason @ Apr 25th 2008 11:57AM]

It appears an extra hub/battery pack is $649.. that of course is with the initial purchase, not sure what it would cost later down the line.

[Alexander @ Apr 25th 2008 12:26PM]

The batteries are in the hub... Which one? I don't know.

I am sure you could replace them yourself by opening up the case. For far less than the $6-whatever you said.

[Jason @ Apr 25th 2008 11:52AM]

This is way over priced.. take it from someone who currently owns 3 mountain bikes, $1500 for my old cross country hard tail, $3500 for my downhillish/freeride bike, and a whopper of $6k for my full suspension 29 cross country bike.

With the above bike, you are getting a $300 to $400 bike.. with $3k set of motors on the wheels.
It still uses the old cantilever style brakes, the front "suspension" fork looks like something from walmart, probably a cheap elastomer or spring RST branded fork, very low end drive train, which by the looks of it, is not even taking advantage of the electric motor which is connected directly to the freewheel. so regardless of what gear your in, your not getting any additional gains, which means on hills, your going to really drain the battery pack going up....

Thats just from a pure view of the image above.. I think I will go find the specs for this bike.

[Mike @ Apr 25th 2008 12:41PM]

Agreed (from a bike mechanic).

The weight of that frame (looks 100% like a Wally/Target ripoff) plus the weight of all those addons would make it a horrible inefficient bike to pedal. With that amount of money you could just buy a Lightspeed and have an amazingly light, efficient, and badass titanium bike. Either one would be a candidate for being stole when left out (why would anyone leave a nice Lightspeed or other expensive bike outside unattended I do not know), but this one would likely be stolen to be used as a boat anchor.

[Dave @ Apr 25th 2008 1:17PM]

I seriously doubt that is a 150 dollar walmart bike. It has deore component set and that fork is specially designed for it. And the brakes aren't cantilever, they are v-brakes. As far as actually riding it goes; I think it is too bicycle-ish for me to not just ride a bicycle.

[Jason @ Apr 25th 2008 2:24PM]

@dave

The gears are Deore, which is the second last in quality that Shimano sells, after Deore, comes LX, XT and then top of the line XTR (I do not count Hone and Saint as those are designed for more heavy hitting bikes, Hone is the budget freeride stuff, and Saint is more for downhill)

The fork, while specially designed for electric motors, all that means is there is an extra mount for the dyno, go look up the SR Suntour site, the fork was actually designed for the Sanyo electric bicyle motor, which is what the E+ system is probably based off of in the first place.

You are correct about the brakes, where I was just looking at the pic above, and not even that close, but yes they are v brakes, only slightly better then canti's.

The rims (I cannot tell from the spokes), are road/hybrid bike rims, I would not trust those offroad (which defeats the point of making a mountain bike version).

Thats a walmart special...

[tekdroid @ Apr 27th 2008 11:21AM]

Mike @ Apr 25th 2008 12:41PM
(why would anyone leave a nice Lightspeed or other expensive bike outside unattended I do not know)
-----------
You never do shopping on your bike? Or ride to work? It's impractical and/or not allowed to bring the bike in the shopping centre or store while you're going for some groceries.

Or park it beside your cubicle on the 30th floor.

Those that use bikes as part of their lifestyle rather than the odd bit of recreation park their bikes outdoors unattended all the time.

[Najakwa @ Apr 25th 2008 12:06PM]

a vespa or the E+ electric bike? throw me a frickin' bone here.

[John M @ Apr 25th 2008 12:11PM]

I can honestly see the market for this, besides my office most of my travel is within a mile or so.

You might say, hey, 2 miles round trip, just walk or ride a regular bicycle but I live in Dallas and 100 degree weather during the summer is typical, I don't want to show up sweating and jeans aren't always the most comfortable thing to bike in, especially in 100 degree weather.

[ax0n @ Apr 25th 2008 12:24PM]

I think I'll stick with my Trek. It's got an engine that can convert almost any tasty substance into fuel without plugging anything in. Although I think its engine is a bit overweight. We're working on that.

[Glittler @ Apr 25th 2008 12:34PM]

I agree with you, my Trek gets me around and is good for my body and pocketbook.... I don't know if this bike is good for either

[Jason @ Apr 25th 2008 12:36PM]

@Glittler

While It is good for the pocketbook.. sometimes, I will respectfully disagree on it being good for the body.. you should see all the bruises on mine :)

[ax0n @ Apr 25th 2008 12:39PM]

Haha Jason, I ride almost everywhere (I have a car, don't like paying $$$ for urban parking at work) and I actually broke my face in an incident involving a lane-changing motorist. Good for my body? Not so much. But it's fun, when I'm not leaving DNA on pavement.

[Boynamedsue @ Apr 25th 2008 12:29PM]

Sit back and listen to the sound of America getting fatter.

[ax0n @ Apr 25th 2008 12:41PM]

America getting fatter now makes kind of an electrical humming sound.

[ScottB @ Apr 25th 2008 12:54PM]

This thing looks like crap. As stated before all the components are junk, they are using a low end Shimano drivetrain, cheap breaks and fork. Also the story is wrong and the 3495 only gets you a 750 watt motor. If you want the 1000 Watt motor that is a $599 extra option, bringing the total cost to $4094. The cost of this has to all be motors and batteries. I don't understand why you wouldn't just buy a bike and use your feet.

[ZeroCorpse @ Apr 25th 2008 1:44PM]

Because some people have bad knees or problems that make riding a traditional bike uncomfortable, painful, or impractical.

I do a lot of pedaling on my electric bike, even though I don't have to. Last year I lost 30 pounds by riding the electric bike to work instead of driving.

So this "America gets fatter" stuff is total bullshit.

[Boynamedsue @ Apr 25th 2008 2:00PM]

you hear that?

its the world tiniest violin playing for the people with bad knees. Way to cite an exception for the sake of doing so.

"I do a lot of pedaling on my electric bike, even though I don't have to."

the reason you lost 30 pounds was cause you did a lot of pedaling... even though you didn't have to...imagine that.

[beamerboy625 @ Apr 25th 2008 12:36PM]

This is such a spectacular waste of money. You can get a brand new Honda motor scooter for that money, and then you have a much more powerful and reliable means of transportation. Like Jason said, the bike components are crap, you're really paying $3,000 for an electric motor and a battery. Granted, 1000 Watts isn't shabby for an electric scooter, but keep in mind that's only 1.34 horsepower!

[killeryo2002 @ Apr 25th 2008 6:49PM]

But that is the same as riding a roided out Clydesdale.

[ZeroCorpse @ Apr 25th 2008 2:06PM]

1. Motor scooter pollutes a lot more than an e-bike. Still requires gasoline at $4 a gallon. (e-bike recharge is pennies per charge)

2. Motor scooter requires a drivers' license, registration, and (in some states) insurance. (no license, insurance, or registration required for e-bikes.)

3. Motor scooter is limited to 35 mph in most states, which is bad because...

4. Motor scooter MUST be driven on the roads, and follow the flow of traffic even though it can't go anywhere near as fast as the cars. (e-bike is limited to 20 mph, but isn't required to be in traffic.)

5. Motor scooter cannot be stored inside your dorm or apartment (gas) or is simply too big to fit in your dorm or apartment. (e-bike can easily be stored in apartment, or taken on the bus bike rack.)

6. Motor scooter is louder. (e-bikes are almost silent.)

7. Motor scooter requires a helmet in some states (your decision if that's bad or good, but most states don't require bicycle riders to wear helmets.)

8. Motor scooter cannot legally ride on sidewalks or bike paths. They also don't handle off-road very well. (e-bikes can ride on sidewalks, bike paths, or anywhere a bicycle is legal. Mountain-style e-bikes handle off-road fine.)

9. Motor scooter cannot be pedaled manually when you run out of gas. (e-bike still works as a manual bike when battery runs out.)

I've had motor scooters. They're OK, but it only takes one accident because some asshole behind you is mad that you're limiting him to 35mph to make you rethink driving a low-speed scooter in traffic. It certainly costs less to ride the e-bike, as I don't have to pay for license, registration, or insurance, and recharging is MUCH cheaper-- A few cents for 30 miles of energy versus $4 for the same on a scooter.

My e-bike is limited to 20mph, but I COULD make it faster than a scooter. I know some guys who have e-bikes that do 50mph. I wouldn't feel safe at that speed on a bicycle. If I want to do that kind of speed, I'll get a real motorcycle... or an electric motorcycle.

[ZeroCorpse @ Apr 25th 2008 2:09PM]

IN FACT... I regularly beat the college students on motor scooters to destinations because they're stuck in traffic, while I'm cruising past them on the sidewalk at 20mph.

And at the end of the ride, I haven't left a cloud of CO2 behind me.

[RikF @ Apr 25th 2008 2:29PM]

You ride on the pavement at 20mph? You are one of the people that gives cyclists a bad name (along with those that ride through red lights, don't stop at stop signs etc.)

[Jason @ Apr 25th 2008 2:28PM]

@zero

And the e bike will not be permitted on any bike trails (paved or not) in most of the North East (well maybe not all of it, but Certainly MD/VA/DC Metro area where it would be most suited).

There is no distinction between the e bike, and any other power vehicle, all of which are banned from the trails in the areas.

[mike @ Apr 27th 2008 1:14AM]

Electric bikes are not about speed or quality, there about people who want to excersice but not push themselves.

I ride my bike everywhere. I used to go slow when I started 5 years ago but now I can average around 40km/h on the road. Its alot faster then the bus (im always beating them) and if theres traffic, faster then cars. The only time I take the car out is if Im going somewhere important where I cant be sweating when I arrive. If Im just heading to the store to buy something or whatever ill take my bike,

This bike in particular is useless. You can buy an electric attachment for any bike for like $700 which will do the same job. And even then, just push yourself harder and you can go as fast or faster then these things without even the need for the motors. If you cant be pushing yourself hard to get somewhere, take a bus.

[ozzzy @ Apr 25th 2008 12:45PM]

Regardless of the bike's price, there could be a market for this concept with commuters who live closer to work. Electric motor to work and pedaling to get home. Does anyone know how fast this goes?

[glenn s @ Apr 25th 2008 1:46PM]

That's what I was thinking. Not sure if I would buy this particular version, but I have a short commute to work that is fine for biking. But I don't particularly like getting to work dripping sweat. I'd love to use the electrical assist on my way to work, and pedal home on my own power.

[haikunick @ Apr 25th 2008 12:48PM]

This is what people should use for an ebike.

Ebike Recipe:

1 Inexpensive steel frame bike frame. Ebay has $40 versions.
1 front hub motor 48V and 500W or better. with charger and throttle: $400
Used fixed gear powertrain to keep costs low.
1 Xtracycle, to provide battery cargo and extra cargo. $400
4 sealed lead acid batteries. 10Ah sized should do. $300

Optional: 40W stereo system and mp3 player for rockin' out
Rear wheel should be really fat, stout, and wide to soak up the battery and body weight. This bike will weight at least 120lbs. alone.

See more on xtracycle: http://www.xtracycle.com/

Put that all together, wiring and such. And you've got a bike that you need to pedal up to 12 mph before you hit the juice to extend your battery range. I'm 'guessing' this kind of 10Ah battery can run 30 minutes or more at med-high speed with your low speed pedal assist.

Lead acid batteries are heavy but they're cheaply replaced. If you've got more cash you could go with better power sources. So much work has been done with golf cart systems that you should be able to keep the power around the same size and be able to use the controllers, chargers, or some parts that are commonly produced and easily replaced.

Total: 200bike, 600 motor-system, 400 xtracycle, 300 batteries = $1,500

[ZeroCorpse @ Apr 25th 2008 1:50PM]

Wow. That's an awful bike for a ridiculous price! Most pre-builts are much better than homemade e-bikes these days.

I have a 36 volt, 450 watt 12ah bike. It has a hub motor, and a sturdy frame that can handle 240 pounds easily. It gets about 30 miles per charge, and a charge costs pennies. It manages a speed of 18 mph, and even faster when pedaling. (I could make it faster, but I don't like going faster than 25 on a bicycle, and besides, that's illegal and not safe for sidewalks.)

The battery pack doesn't take up the rear rack like a homemade bike, so I can actually use the bike to go grocery shopping and bring along some cargo.

Total cost of my bike? $800 and that includes $100 to ship it across the country via UPS.

So mine's sturdier, faster, has better range, and has more cargo space, and it cost less than that frankenbike you just described.

WHY would you build one that costs more and does less, and doesn't come with a 1-year warranty?

[RikF @ Apr 25th 2008 2:29PM]

And where did you get this bike from?