Electric bikes have come a distance since they first turned up in the 1890s, just 30 years after the pedal powered bicycle was born in Paris. Now, with new technologies in electric bikes offering lighter batteries, superior storage density and conversion kits, electric motors are the most popular mode of propelling electric bikes. Depending on the type of electric bike, the functionality of the motor can range from taking a back seat to pedaling and used only when extra energy is required, like pedaling uphill, or it may be the primary source of energy, as it is with mopeds, where pedaling is only to be used during emergencies. Some newer models boast the ability to enable regenerative braking and charging while pedaling or rolling downhill, and fuel cells are on the horizon for alternative methods of powering electric bikes. (more…)