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Electric bikes with solar panels

The photovoltaic panels and bicycles are proving to be a great “tandem” to achieve a sustainable greener vehicle mobility, although dependent on electricity, it is obtained through renewable energies.

The design of electric bikes with solar panels is experiencing a boom, although they are still something unusual. The objective? Get them to serve as an alternative to the car or motorcycle in medium distances, those for which the conventional bike falls short. In this case, curiously, it is not about generating electricity by pedaling, but to avoid having to do it. In this AgroCorrn article, we tell you all about electric bikes with solar panels.

You may also be interested in: What are solar panels and how do they work?
Index
  1. Endless models
  2. Add a simple gadget
  3. But are they ecological?
  4. The future of the solar bike

Endless models

The Leos Solar , for example, is a bicycle with a carbon fiber structure that has an ultra-thin panel built into the frame and can be self-sufficient up to 20 kilometers in assisted mode, or close to 16 kilometers if we give it a full use. electric, says Leaos founder Armin Oberhollenzer.

Basically, the battery accumulates the energy collected by the panel, so while there is light, it will charge. On the other hand, if we make a full charge, its 36 V battery allows it to travel 90 or 72 kilometers, depending on the mode.

Finalist in the 2013 Spark Awards, the Ele Solar Bicicle is another interesting model. It can be used as a normal bike, in assisted and electric mode, and its power supports both solar and conventional energy. Otherwise, its design is compact and the adjustable panels, placed in place of the spokes.

Curling the loop, a Singapore company has created a bicycle, the EHITS (Energy Harvesting Intermode Transport System) capable of generating solar and wind energy thanks to the installation of a solar panel in the frame and two wind generators in the wheels of broken wheels. disk.

Going to practicality, the bicycle that turns into a solar panel is curious. The designer Sencer Ozdemir has made it possible and his creation is called Velosphere E-Bike , an electric bike that looks like a mountain bike capable of easily turning into a panel when parked. This is how it recharges, and it does so at full speed, since its elliptical shape is ideal to maximize the arrival of light, without further complications.

Add a simple gadget

In addition to the different models, there are accessories applicable to normal bicycles , whose operation can be controlled through mobile devices, such as the gadget on which the Daymak company is working, a system that allows one kilometer of autonomy for each hour of exposure.

And, of course, there is the option of manufacturing a photovoltaic installation to charge our electric bike, especially since the bike is usually used in good weather, which coincides with the conditions that the panel needs to perform well.

But are they ecological?

We speak of a bike, of solar energy … but in reality they depend on an electricity source that although it does not pollute, the production of solar panels, their maintenance and replacement imply greater pollution than that of the traditional bike.

However, within the urban context in which they could be used, that is, over medium distances, they are much more ecological than other alternatives, such as public transport or private motor vehicle, be it a motorcycle or a car.

In general terms, the efficiency of the electric bike is equivalent to about 1600 kilometers for every 5 liters of gasoline and, if it also works with solar energy, the green advantage is even greater, since it comes from renewable sources.

The future of the solar bike

Today solar bike models are still rare, but the boom that the sector is experiencing in this field is enough reason for hope to trust that the bicycle, the ecological means of transport par excellence, will end up evolving in this sense. In addition, with the evolution of lighter and cheaper photovoltaic materials, advances could bring us many joys.

On the one hand, if costs are lowered, the electric bike could be the future of the electric bike. At the same time, perhaps this one is the solar electric bikes … And what will be the future of the latter? Its popularization is its first challenge, no doubt, but we must also be attentive to new technologies, which among other things promise to be much cheaper than photovoltaic solar cells for the collection of solar energy with which to boost them.

Instead of photovoltaic panels, which include silicon semiconductors, for example, perovskite makes it possible to manufacture more efficient cells and even apply them through a spray on all types of surfaces. And they are also working on technologies that allow charging on cloudy days or in difficult conditions, such as when the panels get dirty, the objective of Solar Aplication Lab.

Spraying photovoltaic cells through a spray, and being able to do it on uneven surfaces, would be a revolutionary application when it comes to manufacturing bicycles in series, since this system facilitates production at scale. Science fiction? It seems like it, but it is also a reality that is getting closer and closer.

In fact, there are some similar initiatives that are surprising, such as the Pure Fix Glow Bikes collection of bikes. They are not electric, but they do use a paint that gives them visibility thanks to a solar paint that charges during the day, and then glows in the dark. They do not provide energy, but they do take advantage of light to put an end to the visibility problem once and for all. Sparkly.

If you want to read more articles similar to Electric bicycles with solar panels , we recommend that you enter our Renewable Energies category .

Maria Anderson
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Hello, I am a blogger specialized in environmental, health and scientific dissemination issues in general. The best way to define myself as a blogger is by reading my texts, so I encourage you to do so. Above all, if you are interested in staying up to date and reflecting on these issues, both on a practical and informative level.

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