I want to select a dc motor for my e bike project.

I want to move a mass of 140 kg

including cycle weight at top speed of 25km/h.

I am confused with selecting motor specification, on Power rating. How can I calculate
the required Power to drive a weight of 140kg with a speed of 25km/h. I have tried to use
the formula that I found in the website ( http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed. ) .

The power rating that I got is about 179W. But on reading of the articles on (investigating
the human cycling performance), I found that the average people cycling power is less
than 100W.

I also have see the commercial e-bike specification, the commercial e-bike used 24V
250W DC motor to power their e-bike.

Please help me in this matter, I am very confused with this, if there is any formula or
calculation...please guide me ...I am appreciate your helps.

1. Have you checked that you are allowed by Law to ride an electric bike at 25Kph.

2. The answers will still be the same as your previous question.

3. A fit human puts out about 1/2 Hp over a reasonable time - Peaking at 1 Hp for
short distances. 1 Hp = 746 watts. A bit more than your estimate. This will push you
along at about 20Kph'ish on the flat

4. Your going to want to match at least that in power to assist your peddle power. 20
your looking at 200 to 300 watts for your motor to give you the speed you need.

There are lots of variations on lightweight electric vehicles. Just because you say
bike doesn't necessary mean 2 wheel. Above about 12 Kph air drag becomes
significant and your going to need to either over come that or your going to need an
aerodynamic vehicle - Hence the links I directed you to.

With a modestly aerodynamic body and an all up weight with driver of about 200 Kg
our electric car would do 30 Mph 50 Kph. With no body on it it would top speed at
about 20 Kph and have a reduced range.

There aren't really any precise formulae. you can calculate drag etc but this isn't
going to help you without some data to match it against.

Your best bet is scale models - in a wind tunnel - Not hard to make. to assess the
effects of design on drag.

After that you may well have to take the plunge and just decide what your going to
use and see how it goes.
 Something running at between 250 to 500 watts at 24 volts will most probably do for
your project -

Bear in mind what I said about how commercial suppliers rate their motors. you need
to know the voltage and current.

Our motor was rated at 250 watts continious.

As ICENg says brushed PM motors can generally be over run by a lot.

Running the motor at 24 volts 20 amps gives us 480 watts.

The cct breaker was 70 amps and from a standing start many cars that were over
geared would pop the breaker that's 24 volts at 70 amps = 1680 watts!

Later some cars fitted 100 amp breakers. I didn't see any of those pop but I did see a
number of burned out motors.

hen looking at electric bikes you may come across information on the watts that an
electric bike is rated for. Understanding how many watts you will need for an electric
bike can be confusing.

The following is guest post by Ed Benjamin about the common sizes of electric
motors found on electric bikes and some background on the what will suit your
electric bike riding needs the best. Ed Benjamin is the founder of the Light Electric
Vehicle Association (LEVA).

What is the Difference in Motor Power 250w, 500w, 750w, By Ed Benjamin

A bicycle is a very privileged vehicle. It can use the roadway, or the bike path.
There is no need for a drivers license, license plate, or insurance. Taxes are limited
to sales tax.

One of the key issues in defining an electric assisted bicycle as a bicycle is the
power of the motor. The general idea is that if the bike has a motor that is too
powerful then it is really a moped or motorcycle. So most laws that create and
define the category of electric bicycle worldwide have a limitation on the power of the
motor with the idea that the ebike should have similar speed and performance to a
normal bike.

That, by the way, is a pretty broad range of speed. Normal bikes can travel as fast as
30 MPH with a strong rider, and they can climb nearly any grade.

But in general, many nations have adopted laws that define a bike that uses a
relatively low powered motor, with a limited speed, as an electric bike with the
same privileges as a normal bicycle.

So what about motor output?

There are a lot of factors to consider in motor output choices for an electric bike.
Here are some of them:

1. Legality. Different jurisdictions have different laws about motor output for a
vehicle that can still be considered an electric bike. In the EU, Japan, China, and
other places, the power limit is 250 watts. In the USA it is 750 watts.

2. How that power is measured. An argument can be made to measure power in

these ways:

A. Electric current into the motor.

B. Mechanical power output at the shaft. (but if it is a hub motordo we
measure at the hub flange or the rim / tire?
C. Power in, less the efficiency losses of that motor. (Complicated.) And 2A:
Whose machine and which method do we use to measure that power? In the
EU, there are detailed regulations about how to measure power. In the USA, it
is pretty much what the maker says it is, with no testing method described or
required.

3. Do we use peak power? (The amount of power that the motor is capable of
producing under maximum effort for a short period before overheating) or do we use
continuous power

4. How much power can the battery support? There is a balance of cost, weight,
and energy storage in the decisions about the motor power, battery size, etc.
This is not a simple subject. But I will offer my advice:

Most 250 watt systems are satisfactory for pedelecs (where the rider is
pedaling and thus adding in his energy / effort).
For throttle controlled, or power on demand systems where the rider is not
pedaling 350 to 500 watt systems are a better choice.
750 watts seems attractive, but this requires a big battery and the
combination of cost and weight is not that attractive. This will get better, but at
this time, 500 watts may be a better choice in many cases.

Climbing hills on any of these will require the rider to add in some muscle power
but not a lot.

https://www.solar-cross.thekpv.com/
Electric Bike Technical Guide

Professor Pivot answers your electric bike technical questions

What is VOLTAGE and which Voltage is best?

Voltage can be thought of as the pressure or strength of electric power. All things being equal (see AMPS
below), the higher the voltage the better, because high voltages pass more efficiently through wires and
motors. Very high voltages (100+ volts) can give you a nasty shock because they also travel through
people rather well, but the sort of voltages found on electric bikes (12 36 volts) are quite safe. In the early
days,12-volt systems were used for low-powered machines, but today the industry norm is 36 volts, with a
trend towards 48 volts, especially for more powerful machines. Electric mopeds and motorcycles tend to
use 48 or 60 volts.

What are AMPS?

Amps can be thought of as the volume or quantity of electric power. To aid this analogy, the flow of amps is
called the current, as in the flow of a river. Unlike a river, though, the speed of the current is fixed only the
volume varies.

The maximum flow of amps in a bike drive system can vary from 10 to 60 or more. A current of 60 amps
requires thick wiring and quite substantial switchgear.

What are WATTS?

Once we know the voltage (or pressure) and current (or volume), we can calculate the power, or wattage
by multiplying the two figures together. The number of watts in a system is the most important figure of all,
because it defines the power output. A few examples of electric bikes:

The Zap motor draws 20 Amps x 12 Volts = 240 Watts

The Giant Twist Lite draws 15 Amps x 24 Volts = 360 Watts
The Powabyke draws 20 Amps x 36 Volts = 720 Watts
The Curry Drive draws 40 Amps x 24 Volts = 960 Watts

Despite having a fairly low voltage, the Curry is the most powerful motor, followed by the Powabyke and
the Twist, with the Zap coming in last. Its impossible to calculate the power without knowing both the
number of amps and volts. Large machines, like cars, trains and trucks have their power measured in the
same way usually as kilowatts, or units of 1,000 watts. The old-fashioned horsepower unit is the
equivalent of about 750 watts.
I thought the legal limit for electric bikes was 250
Watts in the UK?
Well, yes and no. The legal limit refers to the continuous power output, whereas the figures above are for
absolute maximum power. Most motors can give maximum output for a minute or two, but theyd melt if
asked to do it all day just like a cyclist. Obviously, maximum power is more useful than continuous power
as a guide to the way a bike will climb a hill. Look at the spec of bikes on sale and you may see 200 watts,
250 watts or (illegally) 400 watts. These figures are only a rough guide to the true maximum power output.

How many watts do I need?

As a general rule, a cyclist can produce several hundred watts briefly, and one hundred watts for a
reasonable length of time. To be really useful, a motor needs to produce another 100 Watts on a
continuous basis, with peak power of at least 400 watts. Just to confuse things, our measurements are of
power consumption losses in the motor and drive system mean that the power output to the wheel can be
much lower.

If you expect the motor to do most of the work, especially in a hilly area, youll want a peak consumption of
600 watts or more. On the other hand, if you prefer gentle assistance, a peak of 200 watts may be enough.
For a moped, power will be measured in thousands of watts (kilowatts or kW) rather than watts. A
continuous rating of one kilowatt will just about keep up with city traffic, but two or three are more useful,
and motorcycles will obviously need a lot more to keep up with traffic out of town.

How big a battery do I need?

The capacity of the battery is usually measured as the amount of current it can supply over time (defined as
amp/hours). However, this is useless on its own, because youll need to know the voltage too. By
multiplying the two figures together, we get watt/hours a measure of the energy content of the battery.
Unfortunately, it isnt that simple but you didnt think it would be, did you? In practice, youre unlikely to
get results that match the stated capacity of a battery, because battery capacity varies according to the
temperature, battery condition, and the rate that current is taken from it.

Lead/acid batteries are tested at the 20-Hour rate. This is the number of amps that can be continuously
drawn from the battery over a period of 20 hours. However, an electric bike will usually exhaust its battery
in an hour or two, and at this higher load, the battery will be much less efficient. So the figures for lead/acid
batteries tend to look optimistic.

On the other hand, Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) batteries are rated at a 1-Hour discharge rate, so although the
stated capacity of a NiCd battery might only be half that of a lead/acid battery, performance on an electric
bike will be much the same. Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries (NiMH) are measured at the 5-Hour rate, so
their performance tends to be somewhere between the two.

The default capcity for an electric bike battery in 2015 is 360Wh (36 volts x 10 amp/hours), but capacities
are gradually increasing. In the past they have varied widely, from Powabykes 504 watt/hour giant (36
volts x 14 amp/hours) to the tiny 84 watt/hour pack on the early SRAM Sparc kit.

Its best to choose a package that will provide twice your normal daily mileage. Its difficult to guess the
mileage from the watt/hour capacity, because actual performance depends on the bike and motor
efficiency, battery type, road conditions, and your weight and level of fitness.

How can I measure the efficiency of an electric bike?

We measure overall efficiency by dividing the watt/hours used by the battery charger by the mileage
achieved, giving a figure of watt/hours per mile. This varies according to the terrain, the weight and riding
style of the rider and the type of battery and charger, but our figures are measured in exactly the same way
for each test, so they should be comparable, bike against bike. The best weve seen is 8 watt/hours per
mile, and the worst is 32 Typically, an electric bike will consume 10 20 watt/hours per mile. So a big
battery like the Powabykes will give a range of between 15 miles (doing all the work in quite hilly terrain)
and 50 miles (a joint effort in flat terrain). This is fine for most uses, although its a big, heavy battery. A
typical 360Wh Li-ion battery should give a range of about 25 miles.

Do electric bikes recharge when you coast

downhill?
With the exception of the Canadian BionX, the answer is generally NO. Taking into account wind-
resistance, road friction and so on, theres surprisingly little energy left over for recharging the battery, even
before generator and battery losses are taken into account. In most systems the motor coasts when you
ride downhill, but those that dont (mainly electric scooters) are capable of putting back only 15% of the
power absorbed climbing the hill. Regenerative systems do have their advantages though mainly in
reducing brake wear and over-heating.

Which battery type is best?

Lead-acid batteries are cheap and easily recycled, but they are sensitive to maltreatment and have a
limited life. They are rare on modern bikes.
Weight for weight, nickel-cadmium (NiCd) gives more capacity, but its expensive and the cadmium is a
nasty pollutant and difficult to recycle when the battery fails. The life is greater, which tends to compensate,
but disposal problems mean that nickel-cadmium has been phased out.
Nickel-metal hydride (NiMh) is theoretically more efficient still, but these batteries are more expensive,
and because the capacity is measured at the more generous 5-Hour rate, the advantage is not what it
appears to be. Our experience is that NiMH offers little, if any, improvement in range over NiCd. They are,
however, easier and safer to dispose of when they eventually fail, and the good ones will last for a
considerable time.
But NiMH is now rare, because 95% of modern electric bikes come with Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
These are more weight-efficient than the other types, and are very sensitive to abuse, and have a much
shorter life even if looked after with great care. Charging and discharging must be carefully controlled to
prevent the cells going into terminal meltdown, so either the charger, the battery or both will be packed with
electronics. Fires are now rare(!), but initial hopes that costs would tumble proved unfounded, and these
batteries are still expensive. Cheaper brands abound, but their life can be very limited. Despite these
problems, the Li-ion has become the default battery. Lithium-ion Polymer (usually called Li-pol) doesnt
really offer any performance advantage in terms of weight or range of Li-ion, but its safer and can be
moulded into interesting shapes. The life of Li-ion batteries is gradually improving, but youre still doing well
to see four years.

Which charger is best?

Swings and roundabouts here. Batteries do not take kindly to fast charging, although NiCd and NiMH are
more tolerant than lead-acid, which can start very fast, but prefers a long tapering charge thereafter. A fast
(sub four hour) charger makes a great difference to the flexibility of an electric machine. You can, for
instance, travel for the full range in the morning, recharge while visiting a friend, and run home in the
afternoon. No lead-acid charger can do this, although the best NiCd or NiMH chargers will. Newer Li-ion
batteries with the control circuitry on board usually have a very simple charger, but the charge rate with this
type will be relatively slow for safety reasons. An advantage is that most 36-volt designs now come with a
standard 3-pin battery plug, so the chargers are often interchangeable. For basic commuting, an overnight
charger is safest and kindest to the battery, but if you expect to push a high daily mileage, youll need
something faster.

Should I choose a brushless motor?

Broadly speaking, there are three types of electric motor
Direct Current motors simple but comparatively heavy and slightly less efficient, and
Brushless DC (BLDC) motors smaller, lighter and more efficient over a broader speed range, but with
complicated wiring
Sensorless, brushless DC (Sensorless BLDC) motors even smaller, lighter and more efficient, with
simpler wiring, but slightly tricky to start

Direct Current motors have brushes to transfer power into the rotating bit. They are simple and reasonably
reliable, but now very rare, fitted to abut 5% of bikes. The vast majority (around 80%) of electric bikes now
use brushless DC motors. These are a bit more efficient, because they use electronics and sensors in the
motor to do the bit the mechanical brushes do, but the sensors are linked to the control box by tiny wires,
so theyre vulnerable to mechanical damage. A more recent development is the brushless, sensorless DC
motor, fitted to about 15% of bikes, but the number is gradually increasing. This uses clever electronics to
eliminate both the brushes and the sensors, so everything is simpler except the electronics, which are
fiendish. Sensorless BLDC will probably take over from BLDC, but dont rule out Direct Curent brushed
motors! They may have mechanical brushes, but theyre mercifully short of complex electronics.

What should I look for in an electric bike?

Weve put together an electric bike specification wish-list below. At the present time, there are no machines
that win in every category, but the closer yours gets the better. If the salesman is unable to provide all the
answers, or starts blustering or attempting to blind you with science, wed recommend looking elsewhere. A
good shop should be able to provide most of the figures in a straightforward and honest manner, but some
are quite incompetent:

Weight: Less than 30kg (66lb)

Price: Obviously as little as possible, but realistically, expect to pay 1,000+

Maximum assisted speed: Not less than 15mph (legal maximum), and preferably 18mph

Peak power: More than 300 watts

Power consumption: Less than 10 watt/hours per mile

Range**: More than 25-30 miles

Battery type: NiMH or Li-ion (nickel-metal hydride or lithium-ion)

Replacement battery price: As little as possible, but realistically, youll have to pay 300-400 for a
decent one. Whatever the price, INSIST on a two year guarantee

** Youll need to verify this for yourself manufacturers figures are universally dubious

A few other pointers: If you are expecting to tackle very steep hills (in excess of 17%, or 1 in 6), wed
recommend a Crank Drive motor. This type puts power through the rear gear system and can be fine-
tuned to suit almost any environment. Its the best system if you can afford it. The more common Hub
Motor effectively has only one gear, and although some are very powerful, it will prove less efficient in a
really hilly area. For most other purposes a hub motor is fine, but avoid Friction Drive unless you intend to
make light use of the bike. The roller and/or the tyre tend to wear out in a few hundred miles.