Is it reliable to turn a bicycle into an electric car "commuter artifact"?
Industry insiders say that the "performance imbalance" of the modified vehicle is very likely to cause brake failure
An electric device installed on a bicycle can turn a bicycle that would otherwise require human pedaling into an electric bicycle.
Recently, there have been many products on the market that claim to be able to "turn bicycles into electric bikes in seconds", called "bicycle boosters" or "bicycle power rods", which are called "commuter artifacts" by many netizens.
What is the effect of the so-called artifact?
Is it really safe again?
Bicycles become electric, businesses claim to be on the road
On a shopping platform, a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily noticed that there were three main “commuter artifacts” sold at a price of about 1,000 yuan.
One of them is a front-drive booster with chain transmission, the market price is around 900 yuan.
According to the manufacturer’s salesperson, this kind of crankshaft booster uses the same lithium battery as an electric bicycle. It takes 3 to 4 hours to charge a battery, and the range is 40 to 45 kilometers with pure electric power.
The second type of rear-drive mode booster, the market price ranges from 800-1300 yuan, and consists of three parts: motor, battery, and speed control.
This kind of rubber wheel type booster also uses a lithium battery with a capacity of 7.8A hours. It takes 3 to 4 hours to charge a battery, and the cruising range is 40 to 45 kilometers pure electric.
A reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily noted that in the detailed introduction of the product, the words "no restrictions, no violations" and other words were marked.
The third type of bicycle booster is also the best-selling auxiliary wheel type booster. It is compatible with various types of bicycles, including shared bicycles, and is therefore the most sought after by consumers. The price is between 799 yuan and 899 yuan.
This auxiliary wheel booster uses a lithium battery, the battery capacity is 5.2A hours, the socket is charged, the charging time is 2 hours, and the battery life is 30 kilometers.
Regarding whether the traffic control department allows such boosters to be used on the road, the sellers of chain drive boosters and rubber roller boosters say that they can be used in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and the battery is equipped with a protective plate, which is safer.
The seller of the auxiliary wheel booster stated that the product did not damage the structure of the bicycle and could be used on the road.
Small consumer experience problems frequently occur
It is understood that there are three main types of bicycle boosters on the market, which are divided into front drive, rear drive and auxiliary wheel forms. Generally, external electric equipment is installed on ordinary bicycles to drive bicycles.
Many consumers who bought the "commuter artifact" said that the experience was not good after actual use.
On a shopping platform, the auxiliary wheel booster is the best-selling "artifact". This booster is a device that integrates a motor, a battery, and a wheel. The booster claims that it does not require perforation and looks like a children's bicycle. Of training wheels.
Regarding this type of booster, a consumer said, “It is barely able to travel 20 kilometers with sufficient power, which is very different from the nominal 30 kilometers. In addition, the resistance of the electric wheels for human riding is relatively large, and the experience is not good.”
Another consumer said that although the auxiliary wheel booster is convenient for loading and unloading, there are still some potholes in the company after getting off the subway. When encountering such road sections, the booster often fails to contact the ground normally, but sometimes it does not. The acceleration of the vehicle will break the balance of the vehicle, which is very inconvenient.
Another rear-drive booster on the platform avoids such problems through friction transmission between rubber wheels and tires.
But consumers have also encountered a new problem: when the tire gets wet on a rainy day, it will slip between the tires and the rubber wheels, which will not help at all. Not only that, after the mud spots are scraped off, they will throw themselves back.
The rear-wheel drive rubber wheel transmission encounters skidding and false contact a lot.
Some consumers pointed out that the common problem of the 3 types of auxiliary devices is that "the brakes need to be adjusted first, which is very inconvenient."
At the same time, some consumers questioned in e-commerce seller shops: "Will the braking distance be extended after the auxiliary device is installed?" "All places are strictly inspecting bicycles to modify electric vehicles. This kind of auxiliary device violates the law", "Is the battery safe", etc. .
Industry: The installation is not legal or safe
Is it really safe for bikes equipped with boosters to go on the road?
A staff member of the Shanghai Bicycle Industry Association told a reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily that “a bicycle is a'self-propelled', and any power equipment can no longer be called a'bicycle'. It can be regarded as a simple electric bicycle.” The staff member said, this type of bicycle is no longer called a'bicycle'. The technology used for retrofitting does not have the various protective devices of ordinary electric vehicles. If the controller fails, it is likely to cause the brakes not to be able to be braked.
"The most important thing is that the country has strict standards for the production of bicycles and battery cars. A bicycle equipped with a battery is a modification, which will break the "performance balance" of the bicycle itself. It is neither legal nor in compliance with industry regulations. It’s not safe.” The staff told the Beijing Youth Daily that it is not advisable for cyclists to make unnecessary modifications to the bicycle. If you want to save effort, you might as well add some money to buy a regular electric bicycle.
Fire Fighting: Charging the battery into the room is too dangerous
Electric bicycles cannot be brought indoors for charging. Can batteries be used?
"We never advocate charging with batteries in office buildings or homes. It is too dangerous." The firefighter of the Beijing Chaoyang Fire Brigade told the Beijing Youth Daily that more than 90% of electric bicycle fires are due to irregular operation during human use. Caused by battery loss.
The firefighter said that with a national 3C certified battery, it is very safe for one and a half to two years under normal use and charging.
"Such a battery is basically priced at around 2,000 yuan. If the entire modified equipment is lower than this price, we must carefully consider whether the battery is compliant and safe."
At the same time, firefighters strongly opposed the act of bringing the battery into the room for charging. "If the battery fails and catches fire indoors, it will be uncontrollable after 100 seconds. In addition, the burning of the battery will produce a lot of toxic smoke, which can easily cause casualties."
Text/Reporter Wang Haoxiong and intern Song Yuqing
Coordinator/Li Weiwei