Advertisement

Smart eBike Ride: Electric Bike The Best Vehicle Smart Makes? Page 2

 
5,172 views Oct 9, 2012
Follow Antony

Smart eBike electric bicycle

Smart eBike electric bicycle

Enlarge Photo

Related Photo Galleries


See more photos »

The best Smart?

Our ride took in the cycle-friendly streets of the U.K. town of Milton Keynes.


The pace at which the bike accelerates with only light pedal effort is intitially surprising, though not unwelcome. Only three forward gears are offered but unless you live in a particularly hilly area, you're likely to leave it in top gear most of the time and let electric assistance handle the rest.

Top speed is only 15 mph--any more and the bike would have to be registered as a motorcycle--and that speed is easy enough to hit on the flat and up gentle hills

The relative lack of effort required to make progress is the real benefit, and while we didn't ride far enough to test Smart's claim of 62 miles of assistance, range barely diminished during our 30-minute ride--energy is regained when you brake, just like an electric car.

The touted price of $3,700 is quite expensive, but if you use it to commute every day rather than just keeping it in the garage as a frivolous toy, then it's something of a bargain--after all, a car would be much more expensive.

The Smart eBike, then, is both easy to ride, and fun to use. So much so, that it makes us think that it might be the best vehicle Smart makes.

After all, while the talented Smart Electric Drive is stuck in traffic with all the other cars, eBike users will be able to slide by unhindered, reaching their destination earlier--and not even out of breath.

You'll still get wet when it rains, of course...

+++++++++++

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.






Tags:
Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (11)

  1. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 10/9/2012 1:21pm PDT

    Does it have a suspension?
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

     

  2. fb_61206378 avatar Antony Ingram Posted: 10/9/2012 2:26pm PDT

    Nope, rigid. You do feel the bumps but it's not too bad.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 10/9/2012 3:36pm PDT

    China has been building cheapo Electric bikes for decades.

    Most of those Chinese E-bikes only cost about 1/5 to 1/7 of the $3,700...

    And it is silly to have a 62 miles assisted range. Nobody want to bike for that long in "commute" situation.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

     

  4. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 10/10/2012 6:06am PDT

    The price of the bike is high. On the other hand, it seems like non-electrified commuter bikes are often at $1000 these days (at least the ones I am longing for). And the bike I ride every day was $800.

    So I am not too surprised when I see ebikes at $2000. But $3700 is really really expensive.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

     

  5. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 10/10/2012 11:31am PDT

    Well sure, an "entry level performance" bike (MTB or Road) an easily be $1,000 to $1,500. But they are expensive b/c the quality of the components and "weight saving" parts. You are talking about couple hundreds per ounce in cost vs weight saving...

    But at $3,700, you can buy a motorcycle...
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

     

  6. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 10/10/2012 11:31am PDT

    My first car was only $350 and it wasn't that long ago...
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  7. fb_61206378 avatar Antony Ingram Posted: 10/15/2012 7:56am PDT

    @ Xiaolong - I agree that 62 miles seems a bit much, but although it hasn't been made clear, I expect that 62 miles is on minimum assistance.

    If I were to guess, I'd hazard that 20-30 miles is more likely on maximum assistance, which is a more sensible maximum range for commuting. And if you only commute 10 miles per day, for example, you'd probably get the best part of a week's worth of riding on a charge.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  8. fb_615623543 avatar Sergio Mendes Posted: 10/10/2012 8:35am PDT

    I test drove one of these last month.

    No suspension and no accelerator... the electric power assists your pedaling.

    I'd rather have the possibility to accelerate, even not having to pedal.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

     

  9. fb_61206378 avatar Antony Ingram Posted: 10/15/2012 7:52am PDT

    There are several electric bicycles that allow you to do just that. Smart left out that feature partly I expect to ensure the battery isn't drained too quickly, and partly to dodge rules in some countries that would require you to register the bike as a motorcycle - as it technically is if it can move under its own power.

    As for suspension, the lack of it didn't bother me too much on the test ride. My own mountain bike has suspension and I regret buying one with it - I don't take it off-road enough to justify the extra cost! Suspension is also a bit power-sapping on bicycles - Some of the effort you put into pedaling compresses the suspension, so you need to pedal harder to maintain pace. I expect the Smart is more efficient without.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

     

  10. fb_1346752231 avatar David Rogoff Posted: 11/18/2012 2:45pm PST

    "partly to dodge rules in some countries that would require you to register the bike as a motorcycle"

    That's the problem with all the bike that will be coming from the car companies: they're using the lowest common denominator, which is generally the stupid EU laws. I sold my car 2 years ago and have been commuting on a Pedego Interceptor since then. The Smart looks nce and has some excellent features, but if I was forced to use a pedeltec and a max motor power of 250w and max speed of 15 miles/hour, I would have to give up and go back to a polluting car since it would make my already long commute time just too much.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  11. ryan2007 avatar james elise Posted: 1/22/2013 12:31pm PST

    Hi there, where can I buy one of these in New Zealand?
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Advertisement
Advertisement

Find Green Cars

Go!

Advertisement

More from High Gear Media

 
 
Green Car Reports
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2013 Green Car Reports. All Rights Reserved. Green Car Reports is published by High Gear Media. Send us feedback. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC.