Thanks Safe for your reply.I have a gas engine motorized pusher now and really enjoy it.However I admit it would be nice to have a quieter rig.Its probably a fat chance but I was thinking of removing the gas engine and putting in batteries.I was under the impression electric was as cheap overall to run but after reading some of the threads here I guess I was wrong huh.Darn.It's hard though for newbies to go electric since as far as I can see there isnt a kit,at least not one worth anything for range and speed.Almost need a degree in this type of field to know how.
-
Looking for Electric Bike Help? Join the Electric Bike Forum
SLA type battery are they good???
- Thread starter john B.
- Start date
safe
Active Member
- Local time
- 11:38 PM
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2009
- Messages
- 1,319
Gasoline is hard to beat until prices rise back up into the $4 range.
At $2.50 per gallon gasoline is an enormous amount of energy being delivered. (it's a great deal when you look at the bottom line)
I gave up on the economic argument for electric a long time ago and now it's just about being clean and quiet and having better performance.
The previous arguments of "Global Warming" has been so discredited that now it's called "Climate Change". Here in the midwest we've been getting much colder rather than hotter. Historical planetary cycles suggest that we are entering the next "Ice Age". (it's time for it)
They keep finding more oil too... so the supplies keep getting larger and larger, so the "Peak Oil" argument is again probably 20 years away from being valid.
----------------------------
At this point the reason to do electric bikes is because they are potentially a fun sport... that's about it. (in my view anyway)
At $2.50 per gallon gasoline is an enormous amount of energy being delivered. (it's a great deal when you look at the bottom line)
I gave up on the economic argument for electric a long time ago and now it's just about being clean and quiet and having better performance.
The previous arguments of "Global Warming" has been so discredited that now it's called "Climate Change". Here in the midwest we've been getting much colder rather than hotter. Historical planetary cycles suggest that we are entering the next "Ice Age". (it's time for it)
They keep finding more oil too... so the supplies keep getting larger and larger, so the "Peak Oil" argument is again probably 20 years away from being valid.
----------------------------
At this point the reason to do electric bikes is because they are potentially a fun sport... that's about it. (in my view anyway)
Last edited:
machiasmort
Active Member
I agree, only to disagree on a few points here. Take a look at Safes Homemade battery packs... Great value to wieght... 100% serviceable!
Go to harbor frieght and pick up a few 45 watt solar pannels!!! Your initial investment will be expensive but tou can make your battery packs break down and charge off of the 12V pannels.
I won't argue Global warmming but will say that the next major issue will be water... The icecaps are melting and with that, we will soon run out of fresh water! People ain't thinking about where all that water comes from in the Great lakes and fresh water rivers in the World!
machiasmort
Active Member
Just an idea? Your running a push trailer already... How about a few deep cycle marine batteries on that thing... The wieght would help w/friction!
safe
Active Member
- Local time
- 11:38 PM
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2009
- Messages
- 1,319
NiCads are a great chemistry because they are pretty much unbreakable. They last for a decade if you are careful with them.
The LiFePO4 cells are great on performance, but if you operate them outside a narrow band they will quickly age and you will lose your investment. (at least it's safer than LiPo's that can meltdown)
I'm more interested in that liquid battery idea... it's safer than the idea of super capacitors (high voltage like 3000 volts) and it offers about the same speed of recharge / refill.
We all seem to have started this electric vehicle thing back when oil prices got into a bubble. I started back in 2006. Once that bubble popped the price of gasoline came down and now gas is cheap again. In some ways it's like the housing bubble, once it popped it's hard to get people as eager to look at housing as the "next big thing" again.
What is needed is a world war or something where gasoline supplies get cut... then having electric will be the way to go again.
The strategy I'm focused on is fun... if a machine can be created that is in itself fun to ride then the technology becomes just a feature of the overall experience. It's easier to get people to "go" towards fun than "escape" from pain... but both carrot and stick can work, but the carrot works better in the long run.
The LiFePO4 cells are great on performance, but if you operate them outside a narrow band they will quickly age and you will lose your investment. (at least it's safer than LiPo's that can meltdown)
I'm more interested in that liquid battery idea... it's safer than the idea of super capacitors (high voltage like 3000 volts) and it offers about the same speed of recharge / refill.
We all seem to have started this electric vehicle thing back when oil prices got into a bubble. I started back in 2006. Once that bubble popped the price of gasoline came down and now gas is cheap again. In some ways it's like the housing bubble, once it popped it's hard to get people as eager to look at housing as the "next big thing" again.
What is needed is a world war or something where gasoline supplies get cut... then having electric will be the way to go again.
The strategy I'm focused on is fun... if a machine can be created that is in itself fun to ride then the technology becomes just a feature of the overall experience. It's easier to get people to "go" towards fun than "escape" from pain... but both carrot and stick can work, but the carrot works better in the long run.
Similar threads
