If you’re intending to electrify a favourite bike, an electric bike conversion kit might be the answer for you. Electric bike conversion kits usually include a replacement front wheel fitted with a motorised hub. They are available from a wide range of manufacturers at a wide range of prices, from £300 to well over £1,000. Kits vary in quality a great deal too. The cheapest tend to be unbranded Chinese or Indian products… OK for leisure use, but with limited warranties and back-up, so don’t expect to use this sort of thing for daily commuting! More expensive electric bike kits are usually kit versions of proprietary electric bikes sold by manufacturers such as Izip (sometimes misspelt E zip or Ezip), Currie (sometimes known as the Curry), Heinzmann, Ezee and BionX (the system used by Trek).
Remember
| Make / Model1 | LastA-to-B Test | Control / Drive | Battery Size3 | Battery | UK Price4 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electro-Drive (also known as Currie Drive or ElectroPed) | April 01 | E-Bike / Rear Chain | 288Wh | La | £325 | |
| Juicy Bikes PURE | - | E-Bike / Front Hub | 370Wh | Li-ion | £495 | - |
| Juicy Bikes PAS | - | Hybrid / Front Hub | 370Wh | Li-ion | £495 | - |
| Alien 36-volt kit | - | Hybrid / Front Hub | 370Wh | Li-ion | £549 | Substantial discount |
| Brompton Freedom Ebike | - | E-Bike / Front Hub | 91Wh | Li-ion | £675 | Exchange rates mean price may vary |
| SRAM Sparc | April 02 | E-Bike / Rear Hub | 120Wh | NiMH | £600 | Widely discounted |
| Sparticle | - | E-Bike / Front Hub | 240Wh | Li-ion | £650 | - |
| Nano-Brompton 2 | June 07 | E-Bike / Front Hub | 180Wh | Li-ion | £675 | We tested the original version in 2007. |
| Conv-E | - | E-bike / Front hub | 222Wh | Li-ion | £699 | 296Wh battery coming soon |
| Sunstar I-Bike | May 08 | Pedelec / Crank | 80Wh | Li-ion | £715 | Exchange rate fluctuations mean the price may vary |
| Avocet E-bike | - | Pedelec/Front hub | 260Wh | Li-ion | £749 | - |
| Nano | - | E-Bike / Front Hub | 380Wh | Li-ion | £749 | - |
| Viking E-Bike kit | - | Pedelec / Front Hub | 260Wh | Li-ion | £749 | - |
| Nano-Brompton 2 | June 07 | E-Bike / Front Hub | 360Wh | Li-ion | £765 | We tested the original version in 2007. |
| Golden Motor 1,000 Watt Magic Pie | - | E-Bike / Front Hub | 576Wh | Li-ion | £799 | Not road legal in UK |
| Brompton Sparticle | Nov 08 | E-bike/ Front Hub | 260Wh | Li-ion | £850 | |
| Ezee | - | Hybrid / Front or Rear Hub | 370Wh | Li-ion | £895 | |
| BionX PL250 Light | - | Pedelec / Rear Hub | 142Wh | Li-ion | £1,080 | |
| Heinzmann | - | E-Bike / Front Hub | 192Wh | Li-ion | £1,210 | Also rear wheel option |
| BionX PL250 M | - | Pedelec / Rear Hub | 260Wh | Li-ion | £1,299 | |
| Heinzmann | - | Pedelec / Front Hub | 355Wh | Li-ion | £1,470 | Also rear wheel option |
| Heinzmann | - | Pedelec / Front Hub | 384Wh | Li-ion | £1,570 | Also rear wheel option |
| BionX PL250 HT L(high torque) | - | Pedelec / Rear Hub | 355Wh | Li-ion | £1,600 | |
| BionX PL250 HT RR L(high torque, battery in rear rack) | - | Pedelec / Rear Hub | 355Wh | Li-ion | £1,700 | - |
| Heinzmann | - | Pedelec / Front Hub | 710Wh | Li-ion | £2,090 | Also rear wheel option |
All back numbers can be ordered by credit card – call 01305 259998 (+44 1305 259998 outside UK)
The comments relate to our own experience with manufacturers or distributors. As a general rule, a company that supplies a good product can afford to be open and helpful with the press, and will give good service and back-up. The others are something of an unknown quantity, but if you think we’ve been unfair, do let us know. For a global list go to Electric Bike Manufacturers Worldwide
Alien Ocean, Synergie, Golden Motor
Newcomer but also selling long-established Synergie brand
AlienOcean European Hub, 1 – 9 Plantation Street, Lochgelly, KY5 9LP
tel: 01592 780528
email: [email protected]
BionX
-
Zyro
email: [email protected]
Avocet Sports Ltd.
New to the electric bike world
Unit 7-9 Shield Drive, Wardley Industrial Estate, Worsley, MANCHESTER M28 2QB
tel: 0161 727 8508
email: [email protected]
Cambridge, Smarta, Sparticle (Brompton)
Quite established and a pleasure to deal with
Electric Transport Shop, Hope Street Yard, Hope Street, CAMBRIDGE CB1 3NA (also in LONDON & OXFORD)
tel/fax: 01223 247410
email: [email protected]
Conv-e
New British Company
tel:
email: [email protected]
Cyclezee
New British Company
3 Guest Gardens, Milton Keynes MK13 0AF
tel: 07962 407799
email: [email protected]
Electro-Drive
Not always easy to contact
E-go Personal Transport, 52 High Street, MARLBOROUGH, Wiltshire SN8 1HQ
tel: 07974 723996 or 01672 861186 / 512404
email: [email protected]
Freedom Ebike
Very nice people, quite new to electric bikes
10/3 HaMelitz Street, JERUSALEM, Israel
tel: (UK) 0871 284 5225
tel: (Israel) +052 500 1309
tel: (Australia) +02 8004 5039
email: [email protected]
Heinzmann
Whatever the official position, Kinetics appears to once again be the de facto UK outlet for Heinzmann
54 Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1AE, UK
tel: 0141 942 2552
email: [email protected]
Juicy Bikes
New, but seem helpful and knowledgeable
Busy All Year, 83 Park Road, BUXTON, Derbyshire SK17 6SM
tel: 01298 214040
email: [email protected]
Nano & Nano-Brompton
Well established and consumer-friendly
The Electric Wheel Co, Unit 18, Manningford Bohune Estate, PEWSEY, Wiltshire SN9 6NL
tel: 0845 094 2735
email: [email protected]
Diavelo, Euro-Ebike, Zap
More serious player of late, but hard to pin down
PowerScoots, Unit 5F, Wilmer Business Park, Wilmer Place, Stoke Newington, LONDON, N16 OLW
tel: 020 7254 9225
email: [email protected]
Eco-Ped
Fairly helpful and friendly
March Motorcycle Spares Ltd, 3 Nene Parade, MARCH PE15 8TD
tel: 01354 656150
email: [email protected]
Sunstar I-Bike
-
Braking Sunstar – UK OFFICE, 89 Warwick Rd, Leek Wootton, Warwickshire, CV35 7QR.
tel: 01926 863 163
email: [email protected]
You must be logged in to post a comment Login