Hi, Guest
05-26-2009, 01:51 AM
hmmm.. only a 500 watt motor? that's not even 1 horsepower according to google...
sure it's fairly cheap, but they're using OLD tech...
you can buy a 4HP brushless electric motor for an R/C helicopter for $200 (90%+ efficient), an ESC for it for about $150, and a couple lithium ion batteries for a half hour charge for $300 plus a charger $150 .. a little more expensive, but you'd have an electric bike capable of faster speeds, better efficiency, more cargo, with a lighter weight, shorter charge time (15 minutes with a peak charger with cell balancing)..
Why manufacturers don't take a cue from the R/C world and build more efficient electric engines boggles my mind.
Quote:1 horsepower = 745.699872 watts
sure it's fairly cheap, but they're using OLD tech...
you can buy a 4HP brushless electric motor for an R/C helicopter for $200 (90%+ efficient), an ESC for it for about $150, and a couple lithium ion batteries for a half hour charge for $300 plus a charger $150 .. a little more expensive, but you'd have an electric bike capable of faster speeds, better efficiency, more cargo, with a lighter weight, shorter charge time (15 minutes with a peak charger with cell balancing)..
Why manufacturers don't take a cue from the R/C world and build more efficient electric engines boggles my mind.
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