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Pedelec (frompedal electric cycle), orEPAC (electrically power-assisted cycle), is the term forelectric bicycles or e-bikes where theelectric motor is controlled by the rider's pedalling. In many countries this term describes the majority or all electric bicycles legally in use, but is not itself a legal description and as such seldom used. Many jurisdictions classify pedelec-type bicycles almost the same as unmotorized bicycles, with few or no legal restrictions, rather than asmopeds, where the riders are subject to the regulations of such motor vehicles, e.g. having a license, a vehicle registration, insurance, wearing a helmet, or age-restrictions.
Most pedelecs require the turning of the pedal cranks in order to supply any electrical power to the motor.
Some additionally allow low-speed, motor-only operation in order to facilitate starting on hills, with trailers, or walking the bicycle.
Most use an electronic controller in order to modulate the motor speed and/or torque as a function of the pedalling speed and/or torque, as supplying full power at low road speeds is potentially dangerous, can waste energy, and removes the "human-power-amplifier" feeling of the control function.
Most jurisdictions require the controller to cut power when the rider is no longer pedalling, braking, or when a certain road speed is reached. This is 25 km/h (16 mph) in many countries, 15 mph (24 km/h) in some, 20 mph (32 km/h) in North America, or 45 km/h (28 mph) in some countries (S-pedelecs). In addition some countries, notably Japan, require limiting the motor power as a function of human power and road speed.
Increasingly more powerful and faster vehicles are being sold that are technically pedelecs but in character and legally motorcycles, such as theEROCKIT.
In 1983 legislation appeared in the UK under which electric bicycles or tricycles could be operated up to a speed of 15 mph (24 km/h).[1] They were required to have functioning pedals but the motor could be used without pedalling. Therefore early vehicles like theSinclair C5 recumbent electric tricycle sold in 1985 were not pedelecs.
Japan introduced early legislation for pedelecs, requiring that a motor limited to 250 W provide assistance only when the rider pedals and only up to a speed of 24 km/h (15 mph). Conforming to this,Yamaha invented its PAS Power Assist System in 1989 but did not sell any until 1994, its model AX1.
In 1989, Michael Kutter, founder of the Swiss company Velocity and later Dolphin E-bikes, designed and produced his first pedelec prototype.[2] The first market-ready models from Velocity were available in 1992, later under the name Dolphin. These pedelecs had no electronic speed limit when pedalling with the motor and initially had a twist-grip motor control in addition to the pedal sensor, but could not be operated over 20 km/h with the motor alone. Kutter managed to convince the Swiss authorities to allow these electric bicycles in a new legal class. This was later dubbed S-pedelec but then restricted to 45 km/h hybrid speed.
In 1995 the Swiss company BKTech sold its first model under the name Flyer.[3] After some years, the name Flyer became a synonym for e-bikes in Switzerland due to heavy promotion initially in senior-citizen and tourist rental markets.
In 1997, Alan Abbott co-founded a company to sell the first pedelec in the US, under the name Charger. He had already co-developed the pedelec principle in 1988, but then used a gasoline engine, as his main motivation was not environmental, but to promote exercise.
Up to 2018, the Canadian company BioniX produced an easy-to-install pedelec kit with a gearless hub motor complete with rear wheel, that also became popular in Europe.[4]
Today, the majority of e-bikes sold in many countries are pedelecs and the term is used less.Cargo bikes, recumbenttricycles, andvelomobiles are gaining popularity equipped with electric assist and mostly as pedelecs. Ironically and the legislation it was then based on did not demand it.
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Patterns of use have changed significantly since 2012, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2022) |
As of 2012[update] there were about 600,000 pedelecs on the road in Germany.[5] Growth has been spectacular: the year before, 310,000–340,000 pedelecs were sold in Germany and this in turn was 55% more than in 2010.[6] In comparison, there were around 70 million conventional bicycles in Germany in 2011 according to ZIV, the German Bicycle Industry Association.[7]
By 2019 the yearly sales of e-bikes (almost all pedelecs) topped one million and in the year up to and including 2024 two million, slightly surpassing unmotorized bicycles from 2023 on.[8]
Numbers sold are as follows:[9]
| Year | Number sold |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 150,000 |
| 2019 | 180,000 |
| 2020 | 220,000 |
| 2021 | 250,000 |
| 2022 | 300,000 |
| 2023 | 350,000 |
To really be useful, it is important for a pedelec to be legally classified as a bicycle in each country or jurisdiction rather than classified as a moped or motorcycle. Otherwise, if a pedelec is classified as a moped or motorbike then it may not be allowed inbike lanes or onbike paths; the pedelec may have to beregistered; the rider may have to wear amotorcycle helmet; and/orvehicle insurance may have to be paid for.
In the European Union the Regulation (EU) No 168/2013[10] exempts vehicles with the following definition from the requirement for type approval, registration, insurance, or license plate, if it adheres to these rules:
This effectively describes pedelecs in the legal sense. If any of these rules is not followed, the vehicle is classified as another type of e-bike ormotorbike and may require a license plate, insurance and driving license.
Pedelecs, and all kinds of mechanical assist, are regarded as "motor vehicles" and classified as motor cycles, making legal registration impossible. The Hong KongTransport Department is currently conducting a review, with a first report expected in mid-2020.[11][12]
Pedelecs are allowed, when wearing a helmet, the motor output is limited to 200 W and the motor cuts out by 25 km/h.[13]
Electric vehicles whose motor's power is under 250 W and whose maximum speed doesn't exceed 25 km/h, require no registration under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules. They can be driven freely without license or other paperwork.[14]
Electric-assisted bicycles are treated as human-powered bicycles, while bicycles capable of propulsion by electric power alone face additional registration and regulatory requirements as mopeds. Requirements include electric power generation by a motor that cannot be easily modified, along with a power assist mechanism that operates safely and smoothly. In December 2008, the assist ratio was updated as follows:[15]
In October 2017, only for the special case that three-wheel bicycle that draws a cart with a device to be drawn, the ratio was updated as follows:
(SeeMoped)
As of 30 May 2012, Australia has an additional new electric bicycle category using the European model of a "Pedelec" as per EN15194 Standard. This means the bicycle can have a motor of 250 watts continuous rated power which must be activated only by pedalling (if above 6 km/h) and must cut out over 25 km/h. TheState of Victoria is the first to amend their local road rules to accommodate this new standard as of 18 September 2012.[16]
Pedelecs differ from an ordinaryelectric bicycle by an additional control system for the motor as well as asensor to detect the speed and/or the torque of the cranks.
For switching or control of the motor, there are several possibilities:
In addition, the speed of the vehicle is measured at the wheel, in particular to reduce or cut the motor power at the legally specified speeds.
The measurement can be further processed mechanically or electronically and is used to control the motor on and off or to regulate a control function based on continuously.
The power supplied to the motor is dependent on the sensor data and on the chosen level of support from the motor controller, usually in several so-called support levels from zero to maximum. In addition some models may have a switch or twist grip to operate the motor without pedalling when walking the bicycle at low speed.
When motors are loaded strongly, especially when going uphill they may heat up significantly. Some have temperature sensors in order to then reduce power. Most models disconnect the battery at a predetermined discharge voltage to prevent total discharge and to ensure sufficient supply for the operation of the lighting system.
Force can be measured by strain gauges. For example the rear wheel hub motors introduced byBionX measure axle strain due to pedalling force this way.
Instantaneous pedalling speed can be measured with optical or magnetic sensors and slotted discs. The single pedal crank magnets andreed switches often used forbicycle computers are too slow and do not show the direction of rotation. This is required in order to avoid an accidental fast backward spin suddenly applying full power.
Since the pedalling force required rises sharply with speed, some models with a speed sensor can suffice without a force sensor.
The power electronics, depending on the type of motor, consist of a DC motor controller withpulse-width modulation or a regulated DC-AC converter.
SeeElectric_bicycle#Motors_and_drivetrains
See generallystarting points of the electric drive. When Pedelec specifically, the type of control of the drive by the pedaling (see above), which may be integrated in the drive.
The position of the motor has a significant impact on the handling of the pedelec. The following combinations of actuator position and motor have been successful:
Generally the maximum range of a pedelec trip is of the same order as that of a similar unmotorized cycle and thus mainly dependent on the trip conditions and the human rider. The maximum range while using the motor depends in addition on the battery capacity, the speed and the degree of motor assistance chosen. As a pedelec cannot be used without some human power input, its range is likely to be somewhat higher than an e-bike used without pedalling.
A pedelec with a 70 kg rider (total mass of ≈100 kg) can be calculated to go about 5.6 kilometres on a 10% grade at 25 km/h on battery power alone (assuming frontal area = 0.4 meter-squared, drag coefficient = 0.7, altitude = 100m, wind speed = 10 km/h (2.8 m/s) and rolling resistance coefficient = 0.007[17][18]). Depending on the assistance of the rider (which is required on a pedelec), a proportionally greater range is possible.
Safety issues are a concern in relatively flat areas, but are more pronounced in the hills. Hilly areas provide changing conditions; this poses the possibility of encountering more critical situations and thus more accidents may occur. Cars may need to overtake pedelecs at higher speeds than cars would overtake regular bikes, and this may result in more accidents with serious consequences for both cyclists and drivers. For drivers and pedestrians, it may be difficult to estimate how fast a cyclist is moving. Also, an elderly person may ride much faster on a pedelec than previously possible. Risky situations can also arise at road exits and junctions. To illustrate the consequences of such critical situations, theGerman Insurers Accident Research (UDV) has conducted a research project with road tests, performance tests and crash tests for pedelecs.[19][20][21]
On the other hand, many pedelec (and e-bike) users report that they can ride more defensively with the auxiliary electric drive assisting them; unlike traditional bicyclists that tend to be averse to braking since this incurs effort to accelerate again, a pedelec rider can brake and then accelerate back to a normal speed with much less effort. TheBavarian accident statistics for the first half of 2012 lists 6,186 accidents involving bicycles, of which 76 are e-bikes and notes that the accident risk of e-bikes is not higher than for other bicycles.[22]
The use ofS-Pedelecs involves an additional risk. Not only do they achieve a higher average speed, but a higher top speed (usually 45 km/h) and can also expect a higher annualmileage.
Die angegebene Spanne des durchschnittlichen Verkaufspreises schließt auch die vernachlässigbar wenigen ausschließlich elektrisch angetriebenen Räder mit ein.[The given interval of average sales prices includes the negligibly few bicycles with exclusively electric propulsion.]
