Electric commuter bicycle

In the past decade there has been a substantial growth in numbers of commuters who are bicycling to and from work. Despite this fact, the most popular method of transportation in present-day society is the use of automobiles. One possible explanation for the fact that most commuters prefer automobiles to bicycles is that automobiles provide a level of comfort and protection from weather that is not typical of current bicycle technologies. With a growing market of commuter bicycles, however, there is an opportunity to improve existing technologies in order to attract potential automobile users to adopt this alternate means of transportation. This project aimed to develop a humanpowered, electric-assisted commuter vehicle for an interested client that will meet the collective needs of automobile and bicycle commuters. Six engineering students were tasked with designing, constructing, and testing an Electric Commuter Bicycle (ECB). This report will discuss the design and analytical methods used to develop the ECB including: information gathering and benchmarking, conceptual development, prototype modeling and fabrication, sub-system and full-scale testing, and analysis of testing.