* Author: Iñaki Fernández Izquierdo *
I had been wondering about the state of the art and technological maturity of the electric bicycle for a few years. By the way, “hybrid” would be a better name than “electric”, because it combines the capacity provided by the electric engine with the force exerted by the cyclist’s legs. That curiosity led me to find out about and test a few models by different manufacturers, but I still had the idea that maybe the time was not yet ripe for this type of vehicle to make the leap and be adopted by the sector of the population with urban mobility needs.
Last Christmas, Bilbao City Council, the Basque Energy Agency and Iberdrola launched a programme to try out this means of transport, placing the focus on the regular trips we make from our homes to our workplaces. We were asked to take part and in my case, I jumped at the chance to test the maturity of this means of transport, which is so healthy and environmentally friendly.
Several of us were able to try out the Easy Motion bikes made by Álava-based firm BH and take note of their quality and technological advances. We were given total freedom to use these bikes with minimal effort on the journeys from our homes to the Iberdrola Tower and Larraskitu facilities in Bilbao. In my particular case, I took the test to the extreme, covering a total of almost 350 kilometres in just 17 days.
I did the distance between my home and the Larraskitu offices a total of 15 times (20 km return trip). It includes several ups and downs, as well as major challenges in terms of relief, such as the Alto de Santo Domingo or the slope up from the Bilbao Estuary towards Larraskitu, as well as a combination of main and secondary roads, avenues, streets and cycling lanes. The result was very satisfactory because not only did I improve my fitness and avoid producing pollutant emissions and unnecessary expenses; it took me about the same amount of time that I normally spend in my car or on my motorcycle, without the parking difficulties.
So for any of you that have never considered this possibility, I recommend that you let yourselves be carried away by the fantastic BH Easy Motion Neo 2015 range, which has made quite a name for itself all over the world thanks to its silent non-friction 250 W engine driven by an imperceptible 36V Samsung battery, comfortable gel saddle and broad handlebars. Average speeds of 20 km/h can be achieved with minimal effort on the pedals. I should also mention its surprisingly long range – 50/ 55 km on routes as demanding as Los Vizcaínos (and even longer without engaging the engine and using it as a normal bicycle).
I think I can safely say that “the maturity level of this technology is such that it can now be used in an urban setting with comfort and health, at minimal cost, with no parking problems and with a freedom of movement that is much greater than what we are used to with conventional vehicles ”. Best of all, we can now fill up the “tank” to 80% capacity using any socket in just 2 hours.
On top of that, there’s a model to suit every need: for those that want to use it around the city, for interurban trips or just for enjoyment in cycle tourism, mountain biking or road racing. If space is at a premium, there are folding models that you can keep anywhere or easily take with you on public transport.
If I’ve managed to convince you, please note that the government also offers regular subsidy plans for these vehicles, which means that the end prices of these bicycles are more affordable.
That is not all. Remember that our company offers us the Iberdrola Green Mobility Plan, which entitles us to acquire electric vehicles – including an extensive range of electric bicycles – with exclusive offers and finance plans.
