Shiny! Electric bicycle has solar-wheels
While it is not uncommon for electric bikes to have a front hub motor or for them to have batteries mounted on the rear racks, these are the first pair of wheels that I have seen with solar panels integrated into them. I think that the idea is pretty cool, and can't really think of another place on a bike where there is enough real estate for an effective amount of solar cells to be mounted. Wheels like these are likely a bit more aerodynamic, but could pose a bit of an issue if there are heavy side-winds. Still, with this bike you could pedal when the going was easy and engage the motor when the going gets tough - and all the while never need to gas it up or plug it in.
[Source: Therapy Products via Reuben Miller - thanks!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
csk 1:29PM (9/04/2008)
The Other Bob has it right. This is a classic example of non-cyclists coming up with a better bike. Even with a 30mm deep rim in the front, it is very tricky going downhill in a crosswind. If you try it on this bike, it will either blow you off the hill and into the ditch, or blow you right out into traffic. Bad, bad idea.
Reply
Electric Bicycle World Tour 7:05AM (11/30/2008)
Hi Jeremy,
I'm planning to tour around the world in a electric bicycle next year. www.electricbicycleworldtour.com
One of the key points of my project is to use solar panels to recharge the extra batteries I'll be carrying. I'm really interested to get a bit for info about the above article. I'll really appreciate if you can contact me.
thanks
Reply
bioburner 6:26PM (9/26/2007)
Wounder what something like this costs?
Reply
Brian Dreggors 6:55PM (9/26/2007)
Where do I put my Mickey Mantle cards now? :(
Reply
Phil L. 9:19PM (9/26/2007)
bioburner -
$1295, plus they claim to sell a kit starting at $795 - perhaps to retrofit your own bike?.
I've got to admit - the wheels simply don't *look* like they're made of any solar panel material I'm familiar with. I'd be curious to find out more about the technology. How close do the solar cells come to providing all the bike's power needs, given some kind of typical use scenario and solar environment?
Reply
Jeremy Korzeniewski 9:36PM (9/26/2007)
Phil L. - I agree, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Is this really a picture of their finished bike or is it a mock-up? Anyway, the wheels don't really look like solar cells, but I can't definitively say if they are or not.
Jeremy
Reply
kert 3:30AM (9/27/2007)
ita apparently thin film mylar solar cells. Look up PowerFilm or somesuch, for commercially available examples.
however, the power output with normal sun incident angle must be really small, so you might wanna park it flat on the ground most of the time, and even then it wont get you much range.
Reply
rgseidl 7:13AM (9/27/2007)
There is such a thing as overkill. Just use a Li-ion battery and charge up at home. PV cells are great for your roof and for small appliances like radios, watches and pocket calculators. For powering vehicles, not so much.
Reply
Phil L. 8:25AM (9/27/2007)
Jeremy -
Yeah, it might be a mock-up. There's no sign of electrical connections on the panels themselves, or from the wheels.
Realistically, there are better ways to spend solar panel money that result in more power. That said, it's an interesting product idea.
If anyone knows of personal experiences with this product from a private owner, I'd like to hear more!
Reply
The Other Bob 8:44AM (9/29/2007)
The bicycling industry has experimented with disk wheels, some of which are use in racing and high performance applications, but they are highly susceptible to crosswinds. This is why they are only used on the rear wheel. Putting a disk on a front wheel will knock you down even from a modest crosswind.
Interesting idea, but no common sense.
Reply
virgil 9:29AM (9/28/2007)
Of all the silly places to add weight to a bicycle, the wheels are the worst possible choice. Rotational weight is the enemy when under pedal power, because it needs to be accelerated round as well as forwards. Nice idea for an all-electric, but for anything with pedal back-up this will make things worse.
Reply