An electric bike that almost doesn't need to be charged. How does he work?

The expression "do not reinvent the wheel" is not worth ittake it too literally. The fact is that, in spite of a very simple device (steering wheel, pedals, a chain and a pair of wheels), many developers constantly add features to the classic design and, one might say, reinvent the wheel. For example, the company Byar Bicycle recently introduced a model Volta. The first electric bike, which does not need an external power source.

What is so special about the new electric bike?

Looking at the photos Volta catches one eyeAn interesting detail: the bike does not have a chain, but it also has pedals. We will talk about them a bit later, but for now let's focus on other features. Instead of a chain, there is a shaft for operating an electric motor And in the back of the bike, the 250-watt motor itself is hidden, as well as a number of sensors and sensors for controlling the movement. In addition, there is a GPS-module and Bluetooth. I would like to dwell on the latter.

The fact is that the power reserve with one Volta batteryis 160 km. In order for the bike to "earn", you need to accelerate to a speed of 5 kilometers per hour (normal walking speed), that is, you just need to push off and go, maintaining balance. This will not only start the battery, but also enable the Bluetooth wireless module, which will communicate with the application on your smartphone. Next, you need to trip the pedals three times in order to turn on the electric motor. It has 3 modes of operation: "Turbo", "Bike +" and "Normal". Declared power reserve is 160 kilometers without recharging. Modes of operation of the bike are selected in the application. You can set them in advance or change on the go. Let's walk briefly on each of them:

• Turbo mode allows you to squeeze the maximum speed (according to the manufacturer, up to 25-30 kilometers per hour), and also provides a comfortable climb up the hill.
• "Normal" is suitable for city trips, not allowing you to strongly "stomp" and create a threat to other road users. 10-15 kilometers per hour - the maximum that he is capable of.
• Bike + is a cross between the two modes listed above and is more suitable for driving over rough terrain.

This is not an ignition lock, but simply a means to lock the bike so that no one can use it in your absence.

Why doesn't the bike need to be charged?

First, the design is set "tricky"dynamo, which part of the energy of the movement of the wheels "returns" back to the battery. Naturally, the Volta is not a perpetual motion machine, and sometimes it still needs to be recharged. About the need to do this you will be prompted by the application. And for charging, you just need to pedal. That is, no one forbids you to drive an electric drive around the city and periodically twist the pedals to charge the battery. Unfortunately, manufacturers do not report how long the pedals need to be turned to fully charge the battery.

See also: The world's first bicycle without chains

In addition, the Volta app allows you to remotelyblock all the functions of the bike in case of theft, turning it simply into a pile of metal. It also makes it possible to track the location of the bike thanks to the GPS module. By the way, the same module also allows you to use a full navigator when traveling.

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