The question of the endurance and ageing process of electric bicycle batteries is one of the biggest hurdles to switching from combustion engine-powered means of transportation to those powered by electricity. The aim of the research project "PEDElEc - Commuter eBike Endurance Test with Electrical and Electrochemical Investigations", funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology, is to further investigate these uncertainties.

Collaboration between industry and research
The Lower Franconian project is being realized by the bicycle manufacturer Winora Group, the battery manufacturer BMZ (Batterien-Montage-Zentrum), the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC and the Technology Transfer Center (TTZ EMO) of the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt. The project is the first known field test to investigate pedelec batteries to be carried out in collaboration with research and industry. As part of the research project, five Winora F3 eBikes will be handed over to the city of Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale for a field test on October 11, 2013. Employees of the Fraunhofer ISC will receive a further 12 bikes on October 17, 2013.

Field test as a data basis
The focus of the research approach is the use of the electric bike as a commuter vehicle and the optimization of the battery for this rider profile. To this end, driving profiles with 19 test subjects are recorded and evaluated over a period of more than 12 months. The aim is to systematically investigate the ageing of battery packs and individual battery cells used in the pedelecs. The focus here is on the electrochemical processes which, in addition to the functionality of the battery, can also represent possible sources of wear or failure. In addition to the realistic recording of the ageing mechanisms, the batteries and individual cells are tested and analyzed in the laboratory at the Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg and at the TTZ. The "Winora F3" model is being used for the field test.The field test marks another milestone in the research project: "The project partners contribute expertise from all areas of mobile energy supply: from materials research and theory, to the development and production of entire battery packs, to the market-ready application of batteries," explains Benjamin Hösel, coordinator of the research and joint projects at BMZ and the research project. With the different competencies of the partners, the diverse tasks and requirements of the research project will be adequately mastered. The project will also strengthen the acceptance and visibility of e-mobility and increase the popularity of the new bicycles, which is also in the common interest of the project partners.

Commuters test the pedelecs for a year
The project relies on the commitment of voluntary commuters from the Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale municipal administration and the Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg to achieve the project goals and implement the work content. Over a period of at least one year, the employees will cover their daily commute to work on the Winora F3 eBike. Relevant data from the battery and the smartphone provided will be collected and analyzed in a database. This data will be used to evaluate the ageing process at the end of the project.

"The field trial gives us a great opportunity to ensure that commuters in urban areas are aware of and use electric mobility. This could reduce congested roads at rush hour and improve quality of life through better air quality and lower noise emissions," says Jana Müller, project manager at the Center for Applied Electrochemistry ZfAE at Fraunhofer ISC and scientific coordinator of the project. The project is part of the first Bavarian model city for electromobility in Bad Neustadt a.d. Saale. With the Bavarian model initiatives for electromobility, the state government is pursuing the goal of promoting research projects and at the same time testing the application of e-mobility in rural areas.