ZAP is the industry leader in electric
bikes and scooters, with 30,000 sold so far. In the police-bike arena, ZAP
said more than 200 U.S. law-enforcement agencies are using its electric
bikes. ZAP’s latest police bikes are built up from bikes supplied by
gun-maker Smith & Wesson – and prominently tagged with the name
well-known in law enforcement. In terms of macho image, ZAP may have the
edge based on that name alone. ZAP’s drive system is still of the
“tire scrubber” type, but has been greatly refined in the last three
years. When not under power, the bike’s 700-watt (peak output) drive
system automatically swings away to disengage from the tire for zero-drag
biking. Also, rather than the “all-or-nothing” trigger-type speed
control of the past, riders now have the option of a slow speed by
pushing, rather than pulling the throttle switch.
Although
its “U.S. ProDrive” bike doesn’t have the name cachet of ZAP’s
police bike, Currie has an alliance with Schwinn – probably
the best known bicycle name among U.S. baby-boomers – it elected to go
with Fuji frames. On the
ProDrive bike, the easily-removable battery pack is placed low in the
center of the frame and is locked in place. The drive system is a
self-contained motor-controller unit that may be removed for replacement
via only three bolts. The system uses a small drive chain and freewheel
sprocket that has virtually no drag when the bike is not under power, and
the system is unaffected by water on the tires. The ProDrive system, which uses a brushless
direct-current motor, is also available as an add-on system that clamps
behind the spokes in the rear wheel hub. Operation of the bike is smooth
and silent, and the company offers a lighter-weight, lesser-range battery
pack too.
EV
Global Motors Co.
In
terms of flash, the EV Global Motors “E-Bike” could be the leader of
the pack – but it doesn’t yet offer a bike tailored for
law-enforcement applications. The company founded by Lee Iacocca
officially launched its bike in March. The company uses a keyless system that it’s using on all its new
bikes. The E-Bike uses a hub motor in the rear wheel, but its internal
gears produce an audible sound as the bike passes by – a quiet howling
that becomes more noticeable in a side-by-side demonstration. Unique to
the E-bike is a “cruise control” feature that allows riders to hold a
particular speed without needing to use the thumb throttle. As with
several other models, the battery pack/charger unit is removable for
charging or to make it easier to loading the bike on a carrier or use the
bike as a conventional bike.
Giant
does not yet offer a police-model electric bicycle, but since the company
claims to be “the world’s largest manufacturer of
‘bike-shop-quality’ bikes,” the company is testing the waters. The
company‘s “LaFree” uses a 400-watt motor in conjunction with a
“pedal-assist” drive system that senses torque applied to the pedals
by the rider, then adds an electric boost. This is the type of system
required in many Asian and European countries, lest the bikes be
considered motor vehicles and become subject to special taxes, licensing
and greater restrictions on where they may be used. A unique feature of
the Giant bike is that riders have the option of calling up more power
with the twist of a motorcycle throttle-type control. Unlike many other
electric bikes, Giant’s bike has a radically different frame design to
accommodate a large battery pack and charger unit that drops in behind the
seat post.
Electric
Transportation Co.
Electric
Transportation Co. doesn’t offer a police bike, but its drive system is
designed to be low-cost and adaptable to any bike. It uses a unique
“pack, rack and trigger” system that’s based on tire-scrubber
technology it has refined over the past five years. A bolt-on mounting
rack supports a removable pack that contains lead-acid batteries, the
drive system and a charger. Its throttle is a handlebar-mounted trigger.
The complete system fits any size tire and retails for $369. The company
also showed its “New Century,” a $499 bike popular with senior
citizens as it has a low “step-through” frame and a coaster brake. It
also has the 20-inch wheels more common on child and folding bikes. The Santa Barbara based company
has sold about 6,000 units to seniors, recreational vehicle users,
apartment-dwelling bike commuters and others. The 250-watt motor provides
a surprising amount of torque and the company also offers a folding model.
Elebike
Co. Ltd. /
Electric Bike Systems, Inc.
Elebike
has been developing motors for electric bicycles for more than nine years,
but doesn’t yet offer a police model. Unique to its design is its drive
system located in the front wheel hub, a system that pulls the bike rather
than pushes it. The Taiwan-based company also offers its drive system in
kit form, which requires re-lacing of the wheel with supplied spokes. It
may also be installed in the rear wheel. Also unique to the Taiwan-based
company’s electric bike is its 48-volt system with four 12-volt
batteries; most other electric bikes use a 12-or 24-volt system.
