Modeling and Analysis of the Technical Performance of DC-Motor Electric Bicycle Drives Based on Bicycle Road Test Data

Electric motor powered bicycles have been making their way into the U.S. market for about two decades. Custom-designed electric bicycles allow common issues such as high cost and weight to be overcome. To this aim, customized modeling tools are required. The paper discusses the modeling of a direct-drive dc-motor electric bicycle drive system for technical performance evaluation, where the operating cycle profiles used are based on actual road tests. It is explained how the measurement data can be processed and coupled with the "usual" model of a direct-drive dc-drive system, thereby extending common modeling approaches. Then, the different riding profiles are analyzed with the developed tool. The results both illustrate the ability of such low-cost drives to serve for commuting purposes with moderate driving styles and their limits to support rather sporty rides.