As Hurricane Milton heads in direction of Florida’s Gulf Coast threatening a deadly mixture of excessive winds, storm surge, and heavy downpouring rain, right here’s a reminder of what to do in the event you personal an electrical bike and anticipate to be within the path of a strong hurricane.
First issues first: electrical bikes may be each a profit and a legal responsibility in a storm state of affairs. E-bikes may be an vital type of transportation and their giant lithium-ion batteries retailer vital electrical energy that may hold your cellphone and different electronics charged for days or even weeks, however that battery could also be vulnerable to water injury and needs to be shielded from potential flooding.
As we’ve already coated, electrical autos of every type have a singular danger in flooding eventualities, particularly when the flooding is attributable to sea water from storm surge. That salty water can wreak havoc with electrical connections in submerged batteries.
When you have an e-bike and reside in an space anticipated to see flooding, it’s best to park the bike indoors and someplace elevated. Deliver your complete bike upstairs in the event you can. Although e-bikes are sometimes waterproof today, flying particles can injury an e-bike locked outside throughout a storm.
If the bike is just too heavy to hold upstairs, take away the battery and produce it to the next flooring. In case you reside on the bottom flooring and don’t have an attic or higher flooring, put the battery as excessive as you possibly can, corresponding to on an higher shelf or in a tall kitchen cupboard.
As a part of pre-storm preparations, it’s a good suggestion to verify your tire strain and carry out every other upkeep that you simply’ve been laying aside.
Electrical bikes may be vital types of transportation after a hurricane. When roads are blocked by downed timber, e-bikes can merely be lifted over or slide beneath the impediment, permitting them to beat obstacless that vehicles can’t. A journey of just some miles to a water distribution heart or medical facility can save hours of strolling and preserve vital power.
Warning needs to be taken for hazards corresponding to downed energy traces and different particles, however the capability to navigate roadways which are briefly impassable by automobile or motorbike can show invaluable when acquiring provides, reaching medical assist, or evacuating from a catastrophe zone.
Many e-bikes have a USB charging port constructed immediately into their e-bike batteries. If yours doesn’t, your e-bike should have a USB port on it, typically someplace close to the show on the handlebars. Throughout regular rides, this may be helpful for preserving your cellphone charged. When energy is misplaced after a heavy storm, this is usually a vital lifeline to cost electronics like telephones, flashlights, and radios.
Earlier than the storm hits, remember to cost your battery up all the best way because you probably gained’t have entry to electrical energy within the quick aftermath of the storm, then retailer the battery in a protected location. In case you lose energy and your battery and/or e-bike are nonetheless accessible, you should utilize the USB outlet to maintain your gadgets charged. The LED headlight in your e-bike may also be used for emergency lighting when the ability goes out. The headlight makes use of very minimal electrical energy and may probably run for a lot of days from the e-bike battery. To preserve battery additional, the tail mild could possibly be unplugged when utilizing the headlight for nighttime lighting.
In case you are useful with electronics, you could possibly energy different gadgets with an e-bike battery. Whereas visiting my mother and father in Florida throughout Hurricane Irma a number of years in the past, I used to be in a position to mix a 48V golf cart inverter with a number of e-bike batteries to energy followers and different 120VAC gadgets of their dwelling whereas we waited 5 days for energy to be restored.
Photo voltaic chargers for e-bikes are additionally out there, although they’re nonetheless pretty uncommon their greater costs imply most house owners don’t personal one. In case you do have a photo voltaic e-bike charger, it could actually are available in very useful when utilizing your e-bike for emergency energy.
When you have a transportable energy station, it may be an effective way to recharge your e-bike even when the ability is out.
Combining a transportable energy station with a set of photo voltaic panels can flip it right into a photo voltaic generator, which might hold your e-bike and different gadgets charged up and able to go. In comparison with gasoline or diesel turbines, you gained’t must hold a provide of gas round or fear about whether or not the gas cans have been flooded within the storage.
