Design and implementation of low-cost electric bicycle with battery level indicator

Abstract

In the recent days, carbon emission from the vehicles are found to increase the level of air pollution in a huge manner. In order to reduce the pollution due to transportation, electric vehicles are seen as an alternative. This approach paved way for developing an electric bicycle by incorporating 250 W BLDC hub motor, 295.6 WH lithium-ion battery and pedal assist system (PAS). The maximum speed of the bicycle is 25 km/h. The distance covered using PAS is 75 km. The maximum carrying capacity is 120 kg with a charging time of 2.5 to 3 hours. The pedal assisting system helps to share the torque between manual pedalling and electric motoring. This ensures that the battery is used in an efficient manner. The cost of this bicycle includes cycle assembly, battery, hub motor, controller circuit and wireless odometer. The total expenses involved in developing this prototype is nearly 38.57% lesser without profit when compared to other products available in the market. The pulling capacity of the cycle can be enhanced by increasing the battery capacity which would add additional cost based on capacity.