EcoSpeed: A Local EV Company Turning Regular Bikes into E-Bikes
Posted on October 12, 2012 by Emmaline Pohnl
Tags, Emerging Technologies
For a company whose goal is to enhance the biking experience, it’s fitting that EcoSpeed’s workshop is located adjacent to the Springwater Trail. Every few minutes a biker zips along the trail and over a bridge that carries Trail riders over 99E. Each of these bikers could benefit from the innovative product EcoSpeed offers – conversion kits to transform people-powered bicycles into people- and electric-powered bicycles. Why would someone invest in an electric-assist (i.e. e-assist) system for their bike? Brent Bolton, founder and lead engineer at EcoSpeed, explained the many benefits of e-assist bikes on my visit to their offices and warehouse in late September.
EcoSpeed E-assist bicycles have a small electric motor attached to the bicycle’s gears. Riders are able to either pedal normally, pedal with the electric motor helping propel the bike, or stop pedaling and just let the motor do all the work. Having this extra source of power on board can be used to help get bikers up steep hills and go faster than what could be done with the bike’s normal gears. EcoSpeed’s e-assist model is different than the majority of e-assist conversion kits available. Instead of using a small electric motor attached directly to the back wheel of the bike – a system referred to as a “hub” motor system – EcoSpeed’s model is installed alongside crank set and is attached to a small battery pack that sits above the back wheel. Known as a mid-drive motor system, this enables the retrofitted bike to still also be used to pull trailers and offer more power to the rider. Although mid-drive motors are typically more expensive, the benefits are worth the added expense.
EcoSpeed has been in the business of e-assist conversion kits for 10 years. Brent and his team first developed their own mid-drive motor and then began work on designing a controller to manage the entire system. This small computer sits next to the motor itself and keeps tabs on both the battery and the motor, to maintain the longest battery life possible and offer bikers some fun features, including cruise control. EcoSpeed was one of the first e-assist companies to design and utilize their own controller, called the Velociraptor, and are continually improving the features it offers to users.
Going fast on a bicycle is partly about weight and the EcoSpeed e-assist system is one of the lightest on the market. Weighing in at 18 pounds, EcoSpeed’s mid-drive motor and battery pack can enable bikers to travel at speeds of up to 30 or 40 miles per hour! Charging the battery is easy and quick – just plug it into an outlet and 6 hours later, you will be good to go.
According to Brent, the market in the United States for EcoSpeed e-bikes is gradually growing and is centered around the conversion of recumbents and trikes. He is seeing, however, more interest in e-assist conversions from upright (two-wheeled) bicycles and is excited for what the next few years will bring. In addition to selling conversion kits, EcoSpeed also is able to custom retrofit bicycles in their shop, in case the customer does not wish to do the conversion.
One very promising use of e-assist bicycles is urban delivery services. Having a small electric motor on a delivery bike can enable heavier loads to be carried farther distances in less time, while still using mainly people-power and taking up much less space on the roads than a small delivery truck. Here in Portland, you may be familiar with B-line, an urban delivery service that uses regular bikes with large box trailers attached to the rear of the bike to carry office supplies, food, and other products across the city. EcoSpeed recently installed its product on an B-line delivery trike for them to evaluate. B-line started out using British built cargo trikes. They now have a trike with the much more powerful and locally made EcoSpeed system. The EcoSpeed also uses more advanced technology and so should prove more reliable in their demanding use.
To finish my tour of the EcoSpeed workshop, Brent offered me the opportunity try out an e-assist recumbent bicycle. As you can see from my face in the photo below, I had a blast! The system was easy to use – you simply push down or let up on a small lever next to the lever used to switch gears – and the motor, for all its power, was incredibly quiet. It was a very fun and zippy experience! (To see more photos of my tour of EcoSpeed’s workshop, visit CUB’s Facebook photo album page.)
If you’d like to give EcoSpeed’s e-assist system a try too, Brent and his team are happy to welcome visitors to their shop in SE Portland. Visit EcoSpeed’s website to get in contact if you’d like to set up a visit to try out one of their e-assist bikes as well as to learn more about their innovative e-assist system and how it could fit into your biking lifestyle.
A big thank you to Brent Bolton for the informative and engaging tour of the EcoSpeed shop!
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03/31/17 | 0 Comments | EcoSpeed: A Local EV Company Turning Regular Bikes into E-Bikes