E-bike classes

Most electric bikes (e-bikes) are defined as class 1, 2 or 3.

• Home charging ~ up to 3Kw - typically 6-12 hours up to 100%. Best done at night when tariffs are lower.
• Public Charging (AC) - 1-12 hours up to 100% depending on the car battery.
• Fast Charging (DC) - - 7 to 22 kW - typically 30 minutes to get up to 80%.

If the motor acts as pedal support and no more than 25 km/h can be reached with its help, the e-bike may be treated as a normal bicycle under the law. If acceleration without pedalling is possible, and it can go faster than 45 km/h, the bike may legally be considered a moped thus requiring an official permit, insurance coverage and a driver license. A helmet is also usually required.

E-bike battery

Some e-bike models mount the battery with a bracket on the frame or the luggage carrier making the battery removable so an external charger can be used to recharge the battery. Other e-bike models have the battery embedded so you'll need a power outlet near the e-bike to be able to recharge. The charge time depends largely on the capability of the charger and the capacity of the battery. It usually takes between 2 to 5 hours to get fully charged. Of course there are motors available with different power levels.

E-bike motors

E-bike motors can be mounted in different ways:

• An e-bike with a front motor applies the power to the front-wheel hub
• An e-bike with a mid-mounted motor applies the power near the bottom bracket (used esp. with E-MTBs)
• An e-bike with a rear motor applies the power to the rear-wheel hub