In one of our earlier posts, we discussed batteries and highlighted that without the advent and progress of microprocessors, the creation of modern electric vehicles would have been impossible. One reader commented on the article asking something along the lines of, "Is it true that due to electronics, your battery can last more than eight years?" The answer is yes. It indeed can. The lifespan of a battery depends heavily on factors like charge/discharge cycles, their speed and intensity, and the power required at any given moment. Not only is the overall battery monitored, but each individual cell within the battery is also kept under surveillance. The state of these cells, their level of fatigue, is compared to each other. It's not just about monitoring the situation; the information gathered every second is processed, and based on that, the optimal mode is selected for each specific scenario. For instance, when charging your electric bike, accelerating from a stoplight, overtaking another vehicle, or taking a leisurely ride through the park.

Let’s say you're speeding up at a stoplight, braking at an intersection, riding into the park on a trail, and suddenly slowing down because a squirrel darts across the road. We have an algorithm of movement where each subsequent action is unpredictable and demands an instant response. Imagine if you revved the throttle at a stoplight and nothing happened for a few seconds, then the motor slowly started spinning. Terrible, right? All these algorithms are programmed and processed in real-time. Can you imagine the sheer amount of data and variables involved? Things get even more complex with electric motors. The rotational speed and torque can be adjusted by altering the electromagnetic field in its windings. This means that to control an electric motor in electric transport, we need yet another controller. Electric motors were traditionally used for straightforward tasks, like lifting loads with a winch. We know the weight of the load and the height it needs to reach. Hence, the algorithm is simple and doesn't require electronics. The weight of the load doesn't fluctuate dramatically during lifting, and the speed can remain constant. It's unlikely that someone would need to suddenly accelerate the ascent of bricks up a building. However, in electric transport, such scenarios happen frequently, demanding much smarter and faster motor control.

Now we see that in our electric bike, there's a "smart" battery communicating with an equally "smart" motor controller. At some level, they must "understand" each other, exchange information, draw conclusions, and make decisions. The higher the level of this "understanding" and "conversation," the greater the mileage and the longer the battery and motor life. And that’s not all. To start moving, you need either a gas lever or a PAS system. How do you determine how quickly you want to start moving—smoothly or so fast that the tires smoke? Remember the squirrel example? Your bike should instantly detect this and send a signal to the battery, which will provide the necessary voltage to the motor while ensuring the motor doesn’t overheat and prevent the battery from literally exploding. Therefore, an electric bike block diagram might look something like this:

It’s crucial to understand that viewing an e-bike as a regular bike with an electric motor attached is fundamentally incorrect. While an electric bike performs similar functions as a traditional bicycle, the difference is akin to that between a potter's wheel and a 3D printer. Both can create nice saucers, but a 3D printer can handle far more complex tasks. Notice that there are no pedals in the electric bike block diagram. This is a key point. A conventional bike moves using human muscle power, whereas an electric bike relies on energy stored in its battery, which is automatically controlled and distributed via a processor. Of course, a cyclist on an electric bike can pedal all the way, maintaining the same pace and effort. This means that riding on flat terrain or uphill requires the same amount of effort from the rider. The motor quietly (if it’s a good bike) kicks in to assist. This is the same system as in your smartphone or laptop—a "smart" electronic gadget on wheels. This implies that any tasks solvable by a smartphone can potentially be implemented on electric bikes, provided it makes sense. Note that sensors and modules connect to the circuit through a bus, allowing for easy integration of additional functions. Thus:

Why is it important (or even possible) to have an electric bike with built-in GPS, anti-theft systems, and other features? Because all the systems of a modern electric bike can—and in the future should—work as modules of a single system under centralized control. For example, a GPS module can calculate a route and inform the central processor about the speed you can maintain to ensure enough electricity for the entire trip. If the battery is low, your GPS map could suggest charging stations and estimate how long it would take to reach them. We can also determine the route and location of the electric bike and link this data with the anti-theft system. Furthermore, the anti-theft system can be linked to the user identification system, making your device truly personalized. A media center, radio station, temperature sensors, micro radars for distance monitoring, cameras, and a communication module for constant connectivity or cloud-based data exchange—all of these can function as a unified unit. What Tesla demonstrates is feasible to implement on any electric bike, given adequate funding. But the main point is that electric bikes, like all electric vehicles, are already becoming part of the modern world, easily integrating into it with endless possibilities for development. And now we can answer the question: Why is Delfast an electric bike for professional use? But that’s a topic for the next post.