wattage for EC

[tjcooper]

I built my own electric bicycle from standard parts and made up my own controller and built my own battery pack.  After I was all done I started reading the electric bicycle forums for info on how to keep my toe-clips engaged (it is easy to have an electric front wheel come off the forks on bad bumps with electric bike).  During my reading I found out that almost all states in USA have law on wattage of electric bicycles.  If you have more than 750 watts for your propulsion, your electric bike becomes an electric motorcycle and you have to register and license your machine with the state.  That was quite a shock to me......luckily I chose 740 watt front wheel from HongKong.

So with IPS and others have 1000Watt units, do they have to be registered and get motorcycle license?   Just a general question.  Has anyone researched this topic.?

   Tjcooper

[lizardmech]

They can't deliver anything like that continuously, direct drive hub motors are very poorly suited to EUCs, they require very high torque at low RPM, building a direct drive hub motor to suit means creating a very inefficient motor. You will find the motors peak power occurs at an RPM that is likely above the EUC top speed.

There's no way to know the details without performance charts. 

[Bush]

Hi， Tjcooper,

For your reference, E-bicycle, I not sure about your mention is refer to Electric Bycycle or  Electric Unicycle...

Regarding to EU,  USA just set up an new rule" UL2272 " for the whole self balance scooter, Feb.18TH.

That's mean that  all the self balance items should need the Certification for self balance scooter saling...

 

If you mention about Electric bycycel, Pls refer to "" & "Japan" related rule about the Electric bycycle...

Also,USA have many different rule about the items, It's hard to give you an answer, if your side do not give the 

exactly state.

 

Rgds,

Bush

 

[tjcooper]

thanks for quick response.   My electric bicycle (and I do mean two wheels) has an outrunner motor that at less than 10 mph generates

around 500 watts continuously measured via a magnetic induction monitor for amps.  So I think the same motor and controller could be put on an Electric Unicycle with no problems except it uses a 700mm wheel size.

 

My state is California.  I know that California, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Oregon all have laws about electric bicycles (and I do mean 2 wheel bikes) require a permit and motorcycle license from each state if the propulsion motor provides over 750 Watt power output.  Not clear what you meant by "& Japan" rule unless you imply that Japan also has electric bicycle rule over 750 Watt output.  When I checked with the people in HongKong, they were not aware of any local bicycle ruling.....but times have changed.

 

I did a little review of UL2272 and this is about as much as I can find from Underwriters Laboratories who created it:

“With UL 2272, our expert science, research, and engineering teams have now developed the appropriate requirements and methodology to confidently evaluate and test the entire self-balancing scooter for electrical and fire-hazard safety as a system,” Jeff Smidt, vice president and general manager for UL’s Energy and Power Technologies division said in the release".

I believe they are only reviewing the charge/discharge control and capacity.  I don't think there is any review whatsoever of the power of the individual unit except that necessary heatsinks and design keep it out of thermal runaway.   I am an expert in LiPo design and implementation.  I have not seen a hooverboard yet that had real heat sinks to disappate the 500 watts that some of those units create.  I just hope that the hooverboard problems do not spill over into the EUC community as "guilt by association".

   tjcooper