I could commute in safety on a bike path near my home but riding my regular bike I get too sweaty, etc., and the powers that be would apparently rather put me in a car smogging up the air than risk me going the same speed as a road bike already goes on the same path.

Real e-bikes in the US, on the other hand, are a small but growing niche, primarily for hobbyists and eco-minded commuters. Yes, a decent e-bike with 25-30 mile range costs in the $3K+ range with lithium battery packs. I’m not sure why this is considered outrageous by some when many high-end non-electric road bikes cost that much or more. I’ve ridden e-bikes as a recreational hobby (and for the exercise) since 1990 and participate in several online forums dedicated to these great machines, which have come a long way from even just six years ago. Most of my fellow e-bikers are very eco-minded and a fair number use their bikes for commuting. Something to be said for zero emissions combined with fresh air and exercise.

“Okay, there is the price. A good electric bike can start at $1,000,”

Actually an e-bike drive conversion starts at $2,000 for a direct drive you’d want to ride (bionx, E+, etc).

“people most likely to use electric bikes in the U.S. don’t much like them.”

I have an electric bike. It has a 100 watt motor, geared drive, goes 12mph on the flat, a <10 mile range, weighs 100 pounds, has lead acid batteries, and sounds like a blender. I ride almost daily, but never the e-bike. Many of the cheap e-bikes imported over the last 10 years are responsible for the bad karma.

“Most of the people in the U.S. either aren’t familiar with electric bikes or have misconceptions about them, confusing them with scooters, motorcycles and everything in between.”

This goes both ways between riders and other drivers. Pedestrians, police, motorists, and other bicyclists see a “bike” and calibrate for a speed ~12mph. At 20 mph you are too fast for the bike path, too slow for the street. You occupy a no mans land of speed.

Your insurance company doesn’t know what to do about you.

There is a rash of gas powered bicycle conversions spawned by the high price of gas. They are illegal, so you automatically attract police attention if you are not pedaling. You need to memorize or carry a copy of the following vehicle codes unless you want to help the officer look them up at the station.

In California, e-bikes cannot be capable of speeds in excess of 20 mph unassisted;

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d01/vc406.htm

An e-bike capable of more than 20 mph, but not more than 30mph, needs to be licensed by the DMV;

http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg230.pdf

My new BionX is due in two weeks. But, unless you want to wrestle with the schizophrenic e-bike identity, probably better to stay on your Trek, the sidewalk, or in your Corolla.

“Even though China is blowing the U.S. and Europe out of the water as far as volume is concerned, economies of scale are not the main reason why bikes there are cheaper. Electric bikes in China cost as little as $400 (although one can find e-bikes at this price level in the U.S. too). The main reason for that has to do with the fact that for virtually any goods produced in China, there are 2 markets: domestic and overseas. For domestic markets, cost is the single most important factor. No matter how low quality the goods are, if the price is right, it will sell. Overseas markets, on the other hand, have much higher demands and standards. The products sold in the Chinese market wouldn’t pass the muster here. So the price is generally higher.

Now, the reason why they can do bikes cheaper there has mainly to do with the choice of batteries and other components. The cheap electric bikes use SLA batteries (sealed lead acid). Their advantage is that they are cheap. Their disadvantages is that they are heavy (3-4x heavier than more expensive, lithium ones), they have a much shorter range (~10 miles), they don’t last as long (after a year, you have to replace it), and they require a lot of ongoing maintenance (for example, you have to recharge them right after using them or they will lose capacity).

Batteries aside, cheaper electric bikes also end up cutting corners on regular bike components (breaks, suspension, frame weight, etc.). Just like you can go to Walmart and buy a $150 bike that is designed to last a few months, the cheap lectric bikes are going to be of the same quality. More expensive bikes use Lithium (Ion, Polymer, etc.) batteries and higher end components. Lithium batteries are more expensive -and significantly at that. But they are also lightweight (6-8 pounds), offer a great range (up to 40 miles on a single charge), and have a longer life span (3+ years).

For $1,000, it’s difficult to get a good electric bike. You can certainly buy one for $1,000 – but due to the technology costs, it certainly won’t be top-notch. The main issue is that a cheap bike will have a short range. There is no way around it, unfortunately. Most of the better ones will cost between $1,800 to $2,500, but they have a 30 to 40 mile range. I can name a few: Pedego – from $1,895, A2B Metro – from $2,695 … and, although I am biased as I am one of the co-owners of this company, EVELO (www.evelo.com) – from $1,795.

As far as speed is concerned – there is a Federal consumer law that limits electric bikes to a maximum speed of up to 20 miles per hour in electric-only mode. You can pedal it faster if you wish, but the motor won’t provide assistance at over 20 miles.This is important because this limit allows electric bicycles tobe classified as bicycles, which means: no insurance, license and registration requires and they are generally allowed on bike paths and trails”.

This clear legal distinction, across 27 countries, provides a transparent framework for European marketing, sales and public acceptance.