And bring a spare battery, rig the panel flat on the trailer and charge it while you ride. Then swap batteries the next day. Even if you didn't get a full charge you still would always have some battery power.
The first smart comment. The way the video describes charging for the last four hours of sunlight you would only get maybe 1/4 battery charge before the Sun was gone. Riding for hours with a spare battery charging makes perfect sense to me. Every time I see, seemingly, smart people talk about solar charging in a few hours or an entire summer day I laugh. Sure, if you only need a partial charge. I would rather wear a backpack with a spare battery and dump the trailer, solar panel and charge controller.
ya sometimes my batter just shorts out, just dead, plug it in again for 1 second and it reads fully charged. not sure if thats normal but good to have spare fully charged.
You can get much better results with an Genasun charge controller and with the panel mounted on the trailler while pedaling, with no need to stop for charging. I have actually build 2 Bikes one with trailer and 100 w panel and an cargo tricycle with 300 w panel all flexible, mounted as roof , so far works perfect both with 1000 w Motor.
The Genasun controllers look very nice and well built, we plan to use one for the completed trailer setup. Do you find any problems with wind pushing you around when using 300W of panels on the trailer?
@@Optibike The 300 W are mounted on the cargo tricycle , function as roof, Wind is no issue here. Only in Hurricane Season , then it stays stored when heavy storm and rain falls. You wil stick in the mud those days 😎. All parts are welded ,heavy sturdy construction empty weight of the tycycle 89 kilogram. You can load 150 kilogram plus driver. Used in Flowerfarm daily
@@mitelecasa748 what type of connector are you using to charge the battery from the controller? Do you just go from the accessory port with bare wires to xt90 or something ? Is there a Genasun 52v version. I only see one with 48v boost.
Been 3 years and solar stations have improved in tech and their prices have dropped so much. It's worth carrying one of those around as buffer. We already got LiFePO4 batteries, now it's time for perovskite panels in the next few years. More efficient, lightweight, compact, more charge cycles, safer to travel with.
This is a good video. It makes a lot of sense. Riding for more than 4-5 hours on a bike is just about the point you just want to stop and do something else. Like hanging out at camp and charging your bike back up the for next day. Going over the charging setup is great info. Thanks Jim, I will see you soon!
How does the Burley compare with an old BoB trailer? Thought this was fascinating. I met Stan Ovshinsky years ago when I owned a solar design and sales firm. The Sovonics flexible polymorphous, plasma deposited panel was already being produced. He gave me one that I designed to charge an Apple IIc first generation laptop computer. It went to Everest base camp for an American expedition to help handle logistics and supply chains on the mountain. Still have a large notebook sized unit produced for the show and tell market that came with a voltage output controller convertor with adaptor plugs for various charging ports. Took it for a climb I did on Castle Tower on Kor's route and each of us had a beer on top and listened to a solar direct powered cassette player (no batteries) with it playing U2's Joshua Tree album as I recall. Awesome day.
@@kirkjohnson9353 I love living my life. Still looking for an awesome woman to share it with but the one that struck me is into her craft and another is into shielding her children from a nefarious murderer/biological father and a third...
Did something equally but only 80W Solar which doubles as a Lid for the trailer. This way it charges during riding. It all depends on hours in the sun. A bigger panel would be to bulky for my taste.
This is so cool. Well done. My early kite turbines used my e-bike hub motor to regen. This would charge my e-bike battery and I'd have to cycle off the charge. Great to see you nailing this
Not the greenest day, but the small yamaha and honda 1kW genset weigh around 10kg-12kg and store enough fuel for 8-10hours with a nominal output of 900W. Depending on your charger, you can probably charge 3-4 bikes in 3 hours or so (or 2.5kg per person for two complete charges per bike. Only one trailer for 4 bikes, and then take turns.
If you had a clear thick plastic material instead of the black material where do you store the solar panel, you could be charging your bike while riding it
Most ebikes and scooters don't allow charging and running at the same time unfortunately. The internal safety fuses limit the power handling capability.
Great video, and very envious of your location. Oh to live somewhere where the sun shines! I live in Sheffield England, and have 150W solar panel on my shed connected to 220Ah 12V leisure batteries . To top up my 1/2 empty Shimano 504Wh battery takes 299Wh form the 12V batteries via a 230V inverter and the standard mains charger , probably not the most efficient way, as the inverter takes 800mA with no load, but from a "battery bank" seems the best option. Over the last 2 rainy days I've put just 200Wh in total into the battery bank, and it's still 2 months to the shortest day., Guess I'm just going to pedal harder!
Great Idea. As technology trickles down from the World Solar Challenge more viable combinations will come along both for bicycles and larger vehicles. There is already a solar bicycle tour from Europe to China.
That's our plan for a future build, use the panel as the 'roof' so it can be used while riding, and also keep the rain away from the stuff in the trailer.
@@moles100e You should be able to, yes, by connecting connecting the charge controller to the battery leaving the bike electronics also connected to the battery. Some charge controllers have a 'load' connection in addition to the battery and solar connectors, but you should be able to do without that since the bike electronics should stop draining the battery if its voltage gets too low. I believe that's the point of the 'load' connection, it will stop draining the battery when it gets too low. Short answer - Yes.
G"day. I live on an 27 ft sailing boat so for the better part of my time is off grid. I have 1, 300 watt solar ray, on the back of my boat charging an 135 amph lithium battery through an 30 amp daul solar controller. Works well for me because the charing rate is higer then the dischraging rate on my electrical output. Gerard.
Interesting video ! I equipped my Polaris Ranger EV with 2 solar panels as roof. 2 sunny days = battery fully recharged, no kidding. It's been about 2 years since i have done that, and i no longer plug the vehicle to recharge it. 2x 335W 48V panels and a MPPT regulator. I use this vehicle to cover all the small distances and thanks to its type, it can pull a trailer.
This is all cool until you actually do it unless; 1. You like a short riding day, then sitting around while your bike charges; Or 2. Riding at night and sleeping in the day while your bike charges. Sure you can bring an extra panel and a trailer and even a spare battery but that adds more weight that is going to help you drain your battery faster. Charging the spare while riding is going to be futile. You have to have the panel(s) oriented property, out the the dark forests and it is going to be a sail when it comes to wind. I would love to bikepack with my ebike but seems so far it is just more practical to use a regular bike.
I see your point, and like how you use the time and sun to yor advantage. For me, in Europe this a no go. The moments to ride my bike is in light hours, due to the warmth of the sun. When i stop i just cannot get enough sun to recharge. Thats a bummer. Like how you can get around that though.
When I was young our mopeds ran on gasoline. These newfangled electric mopeds can be a problem if you don't have enough sunshine on your solar panel. However, I have a solution. Just try to find a currant Bush to plug into.😂
Very nice if you have sun most days, here in Wales in the UK the sun rarely shines and if it does it's usually foggy or misty. Would be great to be able to charge my bike from the sun and I envy those that can.
Optibike ... excellent intro video to solar power for ebikes. I ride An ICE trike that uses a Shimano Eassist system. I get the solar panel part, I get the controller part, but where does one find the cables to go from the controller to the battery for charging? Any direction would be great. I live in Alaska and am working towards a fairly remote tour instate where electricity will be a bit far between. Thanks ... btw ..l grew up in Colorado and scenery looked great.
The cables can be the confusing part, that's for sure. We made our cable since we already had the connector stocked here for building the bikes, but for other e-bikes you can usually find out what the model number of the connector is and buy one yourself. Alternatively, if you have an old charger that no longer works you could cut that cable off and use it. Matching polarity is the most important thing, and a multimeter is very useful to have on hand for that!
There have been a few small companies that have tried it, however the ones I recall putting together an ebike dedicated solar kit were charging around 700 US bucks for them which is extortionate for something you can put together yourself (although a bit more janky) for less than 200.
First the flexible panels will crack with flexing. They are meant to bend to conform to a non flat surface. Second the ming he is an inefficient and slow adjusting controller. Not waterproof or shock resistant. Mounted on a tilting framework on the burley trailer is ideal. Charge as you go. Protects panel from damage. My 100 watt panel mounted permanently on lwb recumbent bike gives me consistantly 25 miles a day. Real world road driving. Add that to my 160watt trailer. You can do the math. Add a 1 kw battery. Genasun waterproof 52 volt boost controller.
I would recommend portable folding solar panels ran in together instead. Anker and other brands have them available. They would totally fit inside that trailer and are a considerably more carry friendly
i don't have time to sit for 10-15 hrs to charge up. I bring my EB70s with me fully charged, and bring my brick with me. it charges up my ebike no problem, and I also bring a foldable solar panel, 150w to top up my solar generator, and I put all that in my bike trailer with tons of room to spare.
All my rides are solar powered, from my home system. Having installed solar systems for 30 years and lived with it on a daily basis, I will pass on hauling a PV system on my bike. It's a great romantic idea with huge appeal, but currently (pun intended I guess) not real practical long term. Then again, I don't go out for days, just a few hours.
@@808pathfinder After 28 years being 100% off grid, I moved onto new property 13 years ago, that happened to have grid power near it. I went grid tie, and have not regretted it! NO batteries..... actually, with my grid's net metering system, I HAVE a battery of infinite size, of 100% efficiency, that needs no maintenance/replacement ever, and takes up no room! All this for $5.00 a month min fee! The place is all electric, no propane, and I run a surplus 9 months of the year, which I dip into during the winter, but never using all my surplus.
@@808pathfinder No need, the grid in my area is extremely reliable. I can't recall the last time the power was off for more than an hour or two. Like NOT wanting batteries, after years of being off grid, I DON'T want a generator. If the grid goes down, I have no power, correct. Not worth buying and installing a big set of batteries just for the rare times it goes down, not even close.
One problem I have with this video is the charge controller you using, I had one of those green ones and found it absolutely useless and took ages to charge a battery. Ever since I got a ctkev300 solar charger cheap from aliexpress (can also buy a ctkev600) which is a true mppt charger, I can charge my 52v 20ah from 43v to 58v in around 4 1/2 hrs with a 200w and 80w solar blankets on a sunny day when camping, I threw away that green junk even it was still working.
Why haul another battery when you already have one in your bike. Although getting a second bike battery might be a good idea to increase your range. You could with a little work ride and charge at the same time. I'm getting ready to become a Nomad and I will definitely be doing this. Thanks for posting this!
I just bring an extra battery in my rear pannier side pack so"" between my quiet cat apx installed battery, and the extra battery i carry . I get 100 miles OR more. No bulk Not bad!!! From the Colorado high country To town of Estes park.
It is for some of them! The solar footprint is much larger due to the amount of energy needed. Many people charge their cars from solar on their home too.
It could be done, however it wouldn't provide any benefit as you're effectively just using the energy from the battery and pedaling to spin the alternator, and it would reduce your range and speed, as well as increase the weight of the bike.
e-bikes should first solve the problem with battery recuperation when driving downhill. and then make a foldable lightweight solarpanel, this one could be modified.
I have a specialized Turbo levo and im jealous of your bike..I would really like to have that Bike just with a mullet set up (29inch in the front attached with a triple clamp 200mm fork short stem) the rest of the bike seems perfect I'm Norwegian and it's so mountainous and Hill's in all directions and our roads suck when being on them... Yes i would really like the freedom you get with your bike ,mine has only 500wh battery.anyways i love my bike to i really do it's pure Joy to Ride electric mountain Bike also it is my job. I'm not an electronic expert or electrician but I would be a bit worried to charge my bike like that I'm so worried about breaking such key parts which is crazy expensive and also takes time to replace but I would love to have that set-up i wish we could also have solar panel jacket and just be plugged in while riding and just take it off and hang it on the bike to charge when stopped instead of having to drag a trailer
Better to have a recumbent trike with two wheels in the front, and then build the solar panels into the trike or bike like Mark Havran's solar bike setup.
I suppose a large battery with 2 panels would be ideal, one full day travel next day rest charge yourself and bike while enjoying your surroundings next day free to stay or move again.
My area is so hilly and most time on average i get 8 hours of day light so id rather optimise the charging scenario with a very basic sun tracker and then spend somentime enjoying the scenery. 2 for some may work well like on a flat desert its deffo way to go stopping is not really a desired option and charge time will be faster
@@steph-se2yw We could form a small army of riders and power a small work shop and add to the bikes total by traveling more proper green credentials each bike is offset by creating the power required to build it on existing fleet.
You could certainly do that, you would have a less efficient use of the panels energy due to losses from charging the Jackery and then charging the bike after, plus there's the extra weight you'll be pulling around. But it would let you keep your Jackery charged up for other uses like charging phones and that sort of thing!
Hi, for our ebikes we can make you any custom cable you need. For other brands, usually you can buy the connector somewhere online and make your own cable, or someone may make a connector + cable as a package in some cases.
Question I have a ebike 750w and has spare battery 36v . Can I make trailer that will charge one battery while I use the other . I could just pull over switch batteries .
I'm looking to do the same with my 48v batteries so I'll answer yes!. Just tested my solar panels and it worked really good. I dont trust the MPPT boost controllers (the controller in that vid is really not efficient btw, it keep shuting down then take forever to restart charging) so I went with a normal MPPT. It requires a voltage output from the solar panels higher than the battery so I plugged four 12v panels in series. Its much more expensive than buying 1 solar panel and a MPPT boost controller but under a nice sunny sky it works just like when plugged at home (about 57v chargng outpout and 2A) without the constant and super annoying shutdowns! I had 3 flexible panels and as I heard, they dont last long so I recommend good and rigid panels. The renogy 30W 12v have some nice dimension for a bike trailer (13,5in x 22,5in). They are a bit loud but it seemed like a good bet for longevity, still have to confirm it. 3 of these panels in series and a good MPPT controller (I used a Victron MPPT 100/20) could do the job for your 36v battery but make sure your trailer is long enough to install a 4th panel if you ever change your ebike for a 48v ;)
If I have a 21 w solar and a mppt I can put to charge or will burn?? Y suppose he will charge very slow butt I prefer to ask before to explode something??
I know nothing about solar panels, but if you could create a solar panel that literally folds tightly up to where you could put it into a pannier, you could eliminate the trailer or keep it tidier by it being flat and not so bulky and exposed. So, is this possible? Can you buy solar panels that fold into say a 10"x10"x 4" size that can be packed out of the way? Thanks.
That's a good question! There are solar panels that are made in multiple sections, and fold up flat into something like a briefcase size, so it's definitely possible to do that!
Doesn’t your bike’s BOSCH battery only receives 120V AC? How can you charge a battery like that with an MPPT that only produces DC without an inverter?
Good question! Batteries are DC, and normally you have a charger you plug into the wall that converts AC to DC. But in this case since the MPPT output is DC it can be directly connected to the battery. Our batteries are designed by us so we can easily make a connector for this setup. If you have another battery like a bosch then it will have different connectors to use for charging.
There is a limit to how fast you can charge your batteries without damaging them and shortening their life, what I read here while back is 10% per hour of your battery's capacity is the limit.
There is a limit, the type of cells we use are rated at about 50% per hour as the maximum 'standard charge' rate by the manufacturer. Most ebikes out there use this type of cell and would be similar. The other limitation is the connectors, wiring, and BMS current rating. This is generally the limitation for how fast you can charge most ebikes on the market. On our R15C and R8C, we can charge them at the 50% per hour charge rate, since the battery, BMS, connectors, and wiring were designed to handle the 15-20A of current that is needed to do that. The best way to get more cycles out of the battery is stop charging at 80%, since that last 20% of charge is where most of the wear on the cells occurs.
Have you thought of adding a charging hub so you charge as you go, you would need two battery banks to switch to the charged bank and start charging the un-charged bank ... but can be done ...
Can I charge the battery with the battery charger plugged into a generator as I'm driving down the road I understand you can get like about 130 miles to the gallon
@@Optibike if you're charging with a generator while you're riding the bike would you need any special equipment other than the battery charger appreciate your input I'm thinking about doing a rig to take me across country
I did some preliminary calculations along with an assessment of deploying solar panels. One result is to go with a hybrid petrol electric system. There are 19.8 pound, 800 watt 4 stroke inverter generators. This weighs only a little more than a second battery and less than a mass of solar panels. Solar is always preferable but sometimes just not practical. Honda has a 25cc 6 pound 4 cycle gas motor and with a little engineering, be combined with a PM motor to generate proper 48 or 56 volts for charging with proper electronics. Total build weight could be less than 12 pounds. There are also other weights such as chargers, converters, fuel not in the calculations. Just some ideas here. The whole amazing thing is that I can now power my house in an emergency with my ebikes and proper inverter.
And bring a spare battery, rig the panel flat on the trailer and charge it while you ride. Then swap batteries the next day. Even if you didn't get a full charge you still would always have some battery power.
The first smart comment. The way the video describes charging for the last four hours of sunlight you would only get maybe 1/4 battery charge before the Sun was gone. Riding for hours with a spare battery charging makes perfect sense to me. Every time I see, seemingly, smart people talk about solar charging in a few hours or an entire summer day I laugh. Sure, if you only need a partial charge. I would rather wear a backpack with a spare battery and dump the trailer, solar panel and charge controller.
ya sometimes my batter just shorts out, just dead, plug it in again for 1 second and it reads fully charged. not sure if thats normal but good to have spare fully charged.
@@markrothenberg9867 always carry a spare battery...solar or not !!!
Right and maybe just bring a smaller battery so you aren’t carrying weight that will never get charged
Sure Rockefeller, the battery is the price of a new bike :D
You can get much better results with an Genasun charge controller and with the panel mounted on the trailler while pedaling, with no need to stop for charging. I have actually build 2 Bikes one with trailer and 100 w panel and an cargo tricycle with 300 w panel all flexible, mounted as roof , so far works perfect both with 1000 w Motor.
Hi, Interesting. Can you give us information of the setup that you have Thank you.
The Genasun controllers look very nice and well built, we plan to use one for the completed trailer setup.
Do you find any problems with wind pushing you around when using 300W of panels on the trailer?
@@Optibike The 300 W are mounted on the cargo tricycle , function as roof, Wind is no issue here. Only in Hurricane Season , then it stays stored when heavy storm and rain falls. You wil stick in the mud those days 😎. All parts are welded ,heavy sturdy construction empty weight of the tycycle 89 kilogram. You can load 150 kilogram plus driver. Used in Flowerfarm daily
@@mitelecasa748 Sounds like a fun setup!
@@mitelecasa748 what type of connector are you using to charge the battery from the controller? Do you just go from the accessory port with bare wires to xt90 or something ?
Is there a Genasun 52v version. I only see one with 48v boost.
Been 3 years and solar stations have improved in tech and their prices have dropped so much. It's worth carrying one of those around as buffer.
We already got LiFePO4 batteries, now it's time for perovskite panels in the next few years. More efficient, lightweight, compact, more charge cycles, safer to travel with.
Amazing!
How can I learn about this setup for an ebike? Any recommendations?
A solar controller with adjustable output tension is what I have been looking for ! Thanks for sharing !
This is a good video. It makes a lot of sense. Riding for more than 4-5 hours on a bike is just about the point you just want to stop and do something else. Like hanging out at camp and charging your bike back up the for next day. Going over the charging setup is great info. Thanks Jim, I will see you soon!
It’s nice to see a man who tells it as it is. thank you from the UK
Awesome. I like the panel idea. Nice trailer too.
We thought so too! The panel size works out great with that trailer.
wouldnt it make sense to get a second battery that you can charge while going for your rides
How does the Burley compare with an old BoB trailer? Thought this was fascinating. I met Stan Ovshinsky years ago when I owned a solar design and sales firm. The Sovonics flexible polymorphous, plasma deposited panel was already being produced. He gave me one that I designed to charge an Apple IIc first generation laptop computer. It went to Everest base camp for an American expedition to help handle logistics and supply chains on the mountain. Still have a large notebook sized unit produced for the show and tell market that came with a voltage output controller convertor with adaptor plugs for various charging ports.
Took it for a climb I did on Castle Tower on Kor's route and each of us had a beer on top and listened to a solar direct powered cassette player (no batteries) with it playing U2's Joshua Tree album as I recall. Awesome day.
Wow, cool stuff. thanks
@@kirkjohnson9353 I love living my life. Still looking for an awesome woman to share it with but the one that struck me is into her craft and another is into shielding her children from a nefarious murderer/biological father and a third...
This is called: pure Freedom, friend. that's cool
Did something equally but only 80W Solar which doubles as a Lid for the trailer. This way it charges during riding. It all depends on hours in the sun. A bigger panel would be to bulky for my taste.
This is so cool. Well done.
My early kite turbines used my e-bike hub motor to regen. This would charge my e-bike battery and I'd have to cycle off the charge.
Great to see you nailing this
link please
Have you tried it yet .?
Thanks for the good info. If the controller can be weather proof or water sealed then it would be even better.
There's a waterproof one that's common place - search elejoy step up or step down charge controller 👍
but how are you connecting the wires coming from the controller to the wires from the charge cable?
You could make a trailer that has a fold out tent that is made from solar panels.
Sales of farm machines
@@williamjoseph6224 Furry watt discharge papers from I lost your hula hoop from ground organ grinder burgers
Not the greenest day, but the small yamaha and honda 1kW genset weigh around 10kg-12kg and store enough fuel for 8-10hours with a nominal output of 900W. Depending on your charger, you can probably charge 3-4 bikes in 3 hours or so (or 2.5kg per person for two complete charges per bike. Only one trailer for 4 bikes, and then take turns.
This so cool; I just wouldn’t want to have to bring the trailer along. But awesome video!
If you had a clear thick plastic material instead of the black material where do you store the solar panel, you could be charging your bike while riding it
Most ebikes and scooters don't allow charging and running at the same time unfortunately. The internal safety fuses limit the power handling capability.
Great video, and very envious of your location.
Oh to live somewhere where the sun shines!
I live in Sheffield England, and have 150W solar panel on my shed connected to 220Ah 12V leisure batteries .
To top up my 1/2 empty Shimano 504Wh battery takes 299Wh form the 12V batteries via a 230V inverter and the standard mains charger , probably not the most efficient way, as the inverter takes 800mA with no load, but from a "battery bank" seems the best option.
Over the last 2 rainy days I've put just 200Wh in total into the battery bank, and it's still 2 months to the shortest day., Guess I'm just going to pedal harder!
Great Idea. As technology trickles down from the World Solar Challenge more viable combinations will come along both for bicycles and larger vehicles. There is already a solar bicycle tour from Europe to China.
I really want to do the Leon to Canton bike ride. Then drop down to Thailand. Some amazing footage and stories on the toob on this.
Hi, could you perhaps make a frame on top of the trailer to lay the solar panel flat to charge whilst your cycling?
Imagine if it would have a sun tracker
That's our plan for a future build, use the panel as the 'roof' so it can be used while riding, and also keep the rain away from the stuff in the trailer.
A chic did that a few years ago and rode across the country
Can you charge and use a battery at the same time?
@@moles100e You should be able to, yes, by connecting connecting the charge controller to the battery leaving the bike electronics also connected to the battery. Some charge controllers have a 'load' connection in addition to the battery and solar connectors, but you should be able to do without that since the bike electronics should stop draining the battery if its voltage gets too low. I believe that's the point of the 'load' connection, it will stop draining the battery when it gets too low. Short answer - Yes.
Mark my words, I'll be out there in the wild with this setup soon.
hope it's coming along .😷👍
G"day. I live on an 27 ft sailing boat so for the better part of my time is off grid. I have 1, 300 watt solar ray, on the back of my
boat charging an 135 amph lithium battery through an 30 amp daul solar controller.
Works well for me because the charing rate is higer then the dischraging rate on my electrical output.
Gerard.
Best ways to charge anything on the go.
I almost fell for it. Champagne comedy!
Epic and Thank you. this is a great way to charge and not shlep a heavy battery.
Interesting video ! I equipped my Polaris Ranger EV with 2 solar panels as roof. 2 sunny days = battery fully recharged, no kidding. It's been about 2 years since i have done that, and i no longer plug the vehicle to recharge it. 2x 335W 48V panels and a MPPT regulator. I use this vehicle to cover all the small distances and thanks to its type, it can pull a trailer.
Sure you do mr furries. More fantasy.
@@kishascapewhy the doubt?
I would build brackets on bike to eliminate trailer, like a rear wheel cover/solar panel. Need to charge while riding!
That solar panel needs to be mounted on the trailer for sure.
Very cool.
So charging a e-bike should also be possibe with a portable windturbine.
A wind turbine would definitely work! The downside is around us the wind is quite unreliable compared to the sun.
@@Optibike interesting
That's a beast of a battery on that bike .Pretty cool setup .
With that big a panel you could rig your bike with a charge plug for your phone
Fantastic!! Thanks for making this. I'm brand new to your channel. 😊
Build out a frame to hold the panels over the trailer bed like an old wagon and carry a spare battery to charge while riding.
Nice looking bike. Never heard of this brand before.
Have you ever tried charging while you ride with solar panel folded in the trailer? It wouldn’t be super efficient but it would added something.
I agree good idea
wear it over your head..... nice shade...
Most solar panels do not put out any power if they are partially shaded.
Great info, thanks for the video. Subscribed
This is all cool until you actually do it unless; 1. You like a short riding day, then sitting around while your bike charges; Or 2. Riding at night and sleeping in the day while your bike charges. Sure you can bring an extra panel and a trailer and even a spare battery but that adds more weight that is going to help you drain your battery faster. Charging the spare while riding is going to be futile. You have to have the panel(s) oriented property, out the the dark forests and it is going to be a sail when it comes to wind. I would love to bikepack with my ebike but seems so far it is just more practical to use a regular bike.
Solarpanel + electric bike = freedom
Bike = freedom
I see your point, and like how you use the time and sun to yor advantage. For me, in Europe this a no go. The moments to ride my bike is in light hours, due to the warmth of the sun. When i stop i just cannot get enough sun to recharge. Thats a bummer. Like how you can get around that though.
This is so cool and comfortable ❤
When I was young our mopeds ran on gasoline. These newfangled electric mopeds can be a problem if you don't have enough sunshine on your solar panel. However, I have a solution. Just try to find a currant Bush to plug into.😂
You need to look in to solar blankets they fold up smaller
Very Interesting, Thank You for the report,
Very nice if you have sun most days, here in Wales in the UK the sun rarely shines and if it does it's usually foggy or misty. Would be great to be able to charge my bike from the sun and I envy those that can.
I hear you the same from bangor lol
As far as i have seen it doesn't work , He said as much during the video. I live in the sunshine state and it doesn't work here either.
Freedom is attainable!
Optibike ... excellent intro video to solar power for ebikes. I ride An ICE trike that uses a Shimano Eassist system. I get the solar panel part, I get the controller part, but where does one find the cables to go from the controller to the battery for charging? Any direction would be great. I live in Alaska and am working towards a fairly remote tour instate where electricity will be a bit far between. Thanks ... btw ..l grew up in Colorado and scenery looked great.
The cables can be the confusing part, that's for sure. We made our cable since we already had the connector stocked here for building the bikes, but for other e-bikes you can usually find out what the model number of the connector is and buy one yourself.
Alternatively, if you have an old charger that no longer works you could cut that cable off and use it.
Matching polarity is the most important thing, and a multimeter is very useful to have on hand for that!
I want to go there. But I'm here at work.
I wish they could invent something that is handy and portable for ebike users. Now that ebikes are so in demand..
There have been a few small companies that have tried it, however the ones I recall putting together an ebike dedicated solar kit were charging around 700 US bucks for them which is extortionate for something you can put together yourself (although a bit more janky) for less than 200.
This is exactly what I've been thinking of doing here in NM with an electric bike. So glad to see this. Thanks for the info.
First the flexible panels will crack with flexing. They are meant to bend to conform to a non flat surface.
Second the ming he is an inefficient and slow adjusting controller. Not waterproof or shock resistant.
Mounted on a tilting framework on the burley trailer is ideal. Charge as you go. Protects panel from damage.
My 100 watt panel mounted permanently on lwb recumbent bike gives me consistantly 25 miles a day. Real world road driving.
Add that to my 160watt trailer. You can do the math. Add a 1 kw battery. Genasun waterproof 52 volt boost controller.
I would recommend portable folding solar panels ran in together instead. Anker and other brands have them available. They would totally fit inside that trailer and are a considerably more carry friendly
The Algoes are god.
I have arrived.
i don't have time to sit for 10-15 hrs to charge up. I bring my EB70s with me fully charged, and bring my brick with me. it charges up my ebike no problem, and I also bring a foldable solar panel, 150w to top up my solar generator, and I put all that in my bike trailer with tons of room to spare.
All my rides are solar powered, from my home system. Having installed solar systems for 30 years and lived with it on a daily basis, I will pass on hauling a PV system on my bike. It's a great romantic idea with huge appeal, but currently (pun intended I guess) not real practical long term. Then again, I don't go out for days, just a few hours.
what type of battery bank are you running? acid or lithium?
@@808pathfinder After 28 years being 100% off grid, I moved onto new property 13 years ago, that happened to have grid power near it. I went grid tie, and have not regretted it! NO batteries..... actually, with my grid's net metering system, I HAVE a battery of infinite size, of 100% efficiency, that needs no maintenance/replacement ever, and takes up no room! All this for $5.00 a month min fee! The place is all electric, no propane, and I run a surplus 9 months of the year, which I dip into during the winter, but never using all my surplus.
@@portnuefflyer so if you lose power your using a generator now ?
@@808pathfinder No need, the grid in my area is extremely reliable. I can't recall the last time the power was off for more than an hour or two. Like NOT wanting batteries, after years of being off grid, I DON'T want a generator. If the grid goes down, I have no power, correct. Not worth buying and installing a big set of batteries just for the rare times it goes down, not even close.
@@portnuefflyer i get what your saying , because i love all types of batteries and spent lots of money just to experiment with them
One problem I have with this video is the charge controller you using, I had one of those green ones and found it absolutely useless and took ages to charge a battery.
Ever since I got a ctkev300 solar charger cheap from aliexpress (can also buy a ctkev600) which is a true mppt charger, I can charge my 52v 20ah from 43v to 58v in around 4 1/2 hrs with a 200w and 80w solar blankets on a sunny day when camping, I threw away that green junk even it was still working.
I would bring an ecoflow 500 converter instead , that should get me from town to town .
Thank You
Why haul another battery when you already have one in your bike. Although getting a second bike battery might be a good idea to increase your range. You could with a little work ride and charge at the same time.
I'm getting ready to become a Nomad and I will definitely be doing this. Thanks for posting this!
How do you charge and ride at the same time?
Yes. Build a battery into the base of the trailer that would allow for the storage of camping gear above the battery pack. Is this a feasable idea?
How did it go ?
Great info. Thanks!
you did it finaly found s way to continuously charge your transportation without refueling
Wow!!! That’s awesome!
I just bring an extra battery in my rear pannier side pack so"" between my quiet cat apx installed battery, and the extra battery i carry . I get 100 miles OR more. No bulk
Not bad!!!
From the
Colorado high country
To town of Estes park.
As long as the sun is shining
Great idea. Very eco-friendly. Why can't this be done for electric cars and their charging points?
It is for some of them! The solar footprint is much larger due to the amount of energy needed. Many people charge their cars from solar on their home too.
I often wonder why no one has put an alternator on the front wheel to charge the battery - could it be done?
It could be done, however it wouldn't provide any benefit as you're effectively just using the energy from the battery and pedaling to spin the alternator, and it would reduce your range and speed, as well as increase the weight of the bike.
Perpetual motion, man!
e-bikes should first solve the problem with battery recuperation when driving downhill.
and then make a foldable lightweight solarpanel, this one could be modified.
Yes - the heat coming off my electric cargo bike disk brakes is insane, especially when fully loaded. Regen would be fantastic.
I have a specialized Turbo levo and im jealous of your bike..I would really like to have that Bike just with a mullet set up (29inch in the front attached with a triple clamp 200mm fork short stem) the rest of the bike seems perfect I'm Norwegian and it's so mountainous and Hill's in all directions and our roads suck when being on them... Yes i would really like the freedom you get with your bike ,mine has only 500wh battery.anyways i love my bike to i really do it's pure Joy to Ride electric mountain Bike also it is my job. I'm not an electronic expert or electrician but I would be a bit worried to charge my bike like that I'm so worried about breaking such key parts which is crazy expensive and also takes time to replace but I would love to have that set-up i wish we could also have solar panel jacket and just be plugged in while riding and just take it off and hang it on the bike to charge when stopped instead of having to drag a trailer
How neat is that?
Are there solutions to charge the bike on the go without making it bulky like that?
Better to have a recumbent trike with two wheels in the front, and then build the solar panels into the trike or bike like Mark Havran's solar bike setup.
I suppose a large battery with 2 panels would be ideal, one full day travel next day rest charge yourself and bike while enjoying your surroundings next day free to stay or move again.
2 batteries, charge one while your traveling.
@@MrWolfheart111 yes exactly, just set the solar panel up on top of the trailer on a tilting frame
My area is so hilly and most time on average i get 8 hours of day light so id rather optimise the charging scenario with a very basic sun tracker and then spend somentime enjoying the scenery.
2 for some may work well like on a flat desert its deffo way to go stopping is not really a desired option and charge time will be faster
2 bikes too
@@steph-se2yw We could form a small army of riders and power a small work shop and add to the bikes total by traveling more proper green credentials each bike is offset by creating the power required to build it on existing fleet.
Can't you carry a jackery in a trailer then charge you bike off the 1000 watt jackery. Then charge the jackery with a solar panel.
Significantly more weight hauling the Jackery 1000 around.
You could certainly do that, you would have a less efficient use of the panels energy due to losses from charging the Jackery and then charging the bike after, plus there's the extra weight you'll be pulling around.
But it would let you keep your Jackery charged up for other uses like charging phones and that sort of thing!
1.) Buy a 220 watt Off Grid TREK solar "blanket". Best by far.
2.) Get some Ultra Light backpacking gear. Your tent is WAAY too big and heavy.
16 hours, sleep all day, ride all nigh...........t , shit just rode off a cliff!
Okay can you give more in-depth information about the charge controller setup
Hi Doug, what would you like to know? We plan on making a more detailed setup video at some point, but I'm happy to answer any questions about setup!
@@Optibike with the same charge controller, could you charge the battery while you're riding it if you had the solar panel mounted?
Yes! You could absolutely use it that way as well
Thx for the video. Does the controller have all the wire harness to make this work?
This thing is huge is it better just to bring the charger
Hi just found this video, how to obtain the cable from the charge controller to the bike socket (most plug sockets have different heads on e-bikes ?)
Hi, for our ebikes we can make you any custom cable you need. For other brands, usually you can buy the connector somewhere online and make your own cable, or someone may make a connector + cable as a package in some cases.
I've been looking for a solar controller for my electric scooter. It's battery is 67.2V and can take up to 8amps.
the controller doesnt regulate voltage its just a boost converter -- dont use it.
I have a RadRover 6 Plus and am looking for a way to Solar charge it while camping.. any links?
how many rupees for solar bike in india, its very useful for students
Question I have a ebike 750w and has spare battery 36v . Can I make trailer that will charge one battery while I use the other . I could just pull over switch batteries .
I'm looking to do the same with my 48v batteries so I'll answer yes!. Just tested my solar panels and it worked really good. I dont trust the MPPT boost controllers (the controller in that vid is really not efficient btw, it keep shuting down then take forever to restart charging) so I went with a normal MPPT. It requires a voltage output from the solar panels higher than the battery so I plugged four 12v panels in series. Its much more expensive than buying 1 solar panel and a MPPT boost controller but under a nice sunny sky it works just like when plugged at home (about 57v chargng outpout and 2A) without the constant and super annoying shutdowns!
I had 3 flexible panels and as I heard, they dont last long so I recommend good and rigid panels. The renogy 30W 12v have some nice dimension for a bike trailer (13,5in x 22,5in). They are a bit loud but it seemed like a good bet for longevity, still have to confirm it.
3 of these panels in series and a good MPPT controller (I used a Victron MPPT 100/20) could do the job for your 36v battery but make sure your trailer is long enough to install a 4th panel if you ever change your ebike for a 48v ;)
If I have a 21 w solar and a mppt I can put to charge or will burn?? Y suppose he will charge very slow butt I prefer to ask before to explode something??
Great how much for the kit
Could wear a solar suit too.
What if you got a Jackery 500 or 1000
Can you see the day when E bikes get a new style battery that charges in minutes instead of hours!!
Saw some disturbing reports on the controller on Amazon you might want to take a careful look.
I know nothing about solar panels, but if you could create a solar panel that literally folds tightly up to where you could put it into a pannier, you could eliminate the trailer or keep it tidier by it being flat and not so bulky and exposed. So, is this possible? Can you buy solar panels that fold into say a 10"x10"x 4" size that can be packed out of the way? Thanks.
That's a good question! There are solar panels that are made in multiple sections, and fold up flat into something like a briefcase size, so it's definitely possible to do that!
Nice.
Solar panels come in all shapes and sizes these days, come on people use your nuggin .. necessity is the mother of all inventions!!
Great video
Doesn’t your bike’s BOSCH battery only receives 120V AC? How can you charge a battery like that with an MPPT that only produces DC without an inverter?
Good question! Batteries are DC, and normally you have a charger you plug into the wall that converts AC to DC. But in this case since the MPPT output is DC it can be directly connected to the battery.
Our batteries are designed by us so we can easily make a connector for this setup. If you have another battery like a bosch then it will have different connectors to use for charging.
what a cool bike! brand name??
Thanks! It's an Optibike R15C in the video.
There is a limit to how fast you can charge your batteries without damaging them and shortening their life, what I read here while back is 10% per hour of your battery's capacity is the limit.
There is a limit, the type of cells we use are rated at about 50% per hour as the maximum 'standard charge' rate by the manufacturer. Most ebikes out there use this type of cell and would be similar.
The other limitation is the connectors, wiring, and BMS current rating. This is generally the limitation for how fast you can charge most ebikes on the market.
On our R15C and R8C, we can charge them at the 50% per hour charge rate, since the battery, BMS, connectors, and wiring were designed to handle the 15-20A of current that is needed to do that.
The best way to get more cycles out of the battery is stop charging at 80%, since that last 20% of charge is where most of the wear on the cells occurs.
@@Optibike Thanks man, I just bought a conversion kit and battery but I did check out your site. You don't sell batteries?
We don't since the batteries we make are fairly specific to our bikes, they wouldn't be compatible with other ebikes out there.
Have you thought of adding a charging hub so you charge as you go, you would need two battery banks to switch to the charged bank and start charging the un-charged bank ... but can be done ...
Aren't there any panels with hinges so that you can better store them (and hence carry more of them ?
There are folding solar panels. I think they may be heavier and more expensive but they are definitely available.
Can I charge the battery with the battery charger plugged into a generator as I'm driving down the road I understand you can get like about 130 miles to the gallon
Yes that could certainly work.
@@Optibike if you're charging with a generator while you're riding the bike would you need any special equipment other than the battery charger appreciate your input I'm thinking about doing a rig to take me across country
I did some preliminary calculations along with an assessment of deploying solar panels. One result is to go with a hybrid petrol electric system. There are 19.8 pound, 800 watt 4 stroke inverter generators. This weighs only a little more than a second battery and less than a mass of solar panels. Solar is always preferable but sometimes just not practical.
Honda has a 25cc 6 pound 4 cycle gas motor and with a little engineering, be combined with a PM motor to generate proper 48 or 56 volts for charging with proper electronics. Total build weight could be less than 12 pounds. There are also other weights such as chargers, converters, fuel not in the calculations. Just some ideas here.
The whole amazing thing is that I can now power my house in an emergency with my ebikes and proper inverter.