Electric Bike

Electric bike is a type of transportation that has an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. It uses electric motors for propulsion, using energy stored in batteries. Electric Bikes don’t have a tailpipe, hence no pollution. The motors on electric bikes don’t have a lot of moving parts due to which these vehicles are extremely silent when operated. As there are fewer moving parts, the overall maintenance cost is lesser compared to petrol-powered two-wheelers.

The running cost of Electric Bikes is considerably lower than petrol bikes. One full charge costs a few hundred rupees and in some cases, even lower. However, a full tank of petrol for ICE two-wheelers costs a lot these days due to ever growing fuel prices. In short as well as long term, the running costs of Electric bikes is much lower than petrol bikes. The riding range and mileage of electric bikes as compared to petrol bikes are lower and this has to do with the size of the batteries and the motor. Larger batteries will churn out better riding range but that would increase the cost of the electric bike, making it out of reach for a lot of people. The speed of electric bikes are usually quite good, when it comes to acceleration, but the top-speed are mostly lower for low-speed electric bikes whereas for high-speed Electric bikes, the top speed can be equal or more in some cases, than petrol-bikes. Electric bikes require lesser maintenance as there are lesser moving parts as compared to petrol vehicles. So, the overall cost of maintaining an electric bike is lower as of now. It could get a bit higher as there are few brands coming in with chain drive. Two-wheelers with chain drive requires more maintenance. It needs to be adjusted, cleaned and lubed on regular basis to get the best performance.

The primary charging points for electric bikes are at home. These charging points can be installed either at your building parking spot or inside the bungalow parking area. All E-bikes come with a charging equipment. This will be installed by the company either before the delivery of the vehicle or post-delivery. The charging point is taken from the house’s main board, as the overall electricity consumption from charging will be linked to your home electricity connection. Some brands usually charge extra for the wire if the line to the mainboard is longer. The secondary charging points can be at commercial complexes like malls, outside cafes and in your office parking. Most of the time, these points are offered to anyone who visits these establishments with their electric bikes. The battery life of electric bike depends on various factors like total charging done, temperature, number of charging cycles. Usually, batteries have a life between 5 and 7 years.

One of the main reasons why a lot of people swear by electric bikes is due to the kind of performance it churns out. Electric bikes generate maximum torque as soon as the throttle is used. This results in excellent acceleration and eventually reach a top speed as quickly as possible. The performance of E-bikes is far better than petrol-powered bikes, which makes it an exciting vehicle to own. The speed and range of an electric bike depends on the electric motor size and also the battery. The bigger the motor and battery, the more power and high riding range. However, the cost of batteries and making better motors increases quite a bit which results in an expensive electric vehicle.

Subsidies is a process through which the government of India reduces the prices of electric vehicles in India. This is usually done to make electric bikes attractive when it comes to its price point and make people adopt these types of vehicles. Subsidies are provided by the central government as well as state governments. However, the exact amount varies from state to state. These subsidies are availed by the electric bike manufacturer and passed on to the customers directly at the time of purchasing.

Driving license is mandatory to ride an electric bike in India. However, if an electric vehicle has a maximum speed limit of or up to 25kmph, there’s no need for a driving licence as these vehicles don’t need to be registered with any RTO. Learner’s licence is needed for electric bikes above 25kmph top speed.

Electric bike industry is still in a very nascent stage in India. As a result, there’s no different set of guidelines prescribed by IRDAI when it comes to insurance for electric bikes. A preferable plan can be selected from the existing two-wheeler insurance policies by selecting from one of the two options – third-party and comprehensive policies. Majority of the insurance companies could also provide addons like zero depreciation insurance.