What Are The Materials For Electric Bicycle Frames

There are many materials used to make electric bicycles, and the common materials on the market are aluminum alloy, carbon fiber, steel. So what are the characteristics of each of these materials?

Electric Bicycle Frame Material: Aluminum Alloy

Aluminum alloy is an alloy material made of aluminum as the main component and a small amount of other metal elements are added. The most common aluminum alloys include 6061 aluminum alloy, 7075 aluminum alloy, 5052 aluminum alloy, 2014 aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloy has high strength and rigidity, and can withstand heavy loads. Because of its light weight, it is beneficial to improve the range of electric bicycles. It is highly resistant to corrosion and suitable for outdoor use. Because the manufacturing process is relatively simple, the cost is low. Various shapes can also be achieved through welding, extrusion and other processes.

Electric Bicycle Frame Material: Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber is a type of long fiber made of carbon atoms, which has extremely high strength and rigidity. It is made from carbonaceous precursors like polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or asphalt (pitch) that are treated at high temperatures. Carbon fiber has more than 10 times the specific strength (strength/density) of steel, making it one of the strongest fiber materials. Carbon fibers also have a very high modulus of elasticity and can withstand large deformations without breaking. The density of carbon fiber is only about 1/4 of that of steel, which greatly reduces the weight of the whole vehicle. Carbon fiber can achieve complex shapes, and the appearance texture is high-end and stylish. Carbon fiber has good corrosion resistance to acids, bases, salts, etc.

Electric Bicycle Frame Material: Steel

The main components of steel are iron and carbon, and by adding other alloying elements, steels with different properties can be obtained. Steel has very excellent tensile and compressive strength, can withstand large loads and external forces, and provides good structural strength and safety for electric bicycles. Steel has good toughness and is not easy to break under severe impact or vibration, which improves the impact resistance of electric bicycles. Steel can be formed and processed by welding, cold/hot forming and other processes, and the manufacturing process is relatively simple and low-cost. Compared to materials like plastic and aluminum alloy, steel is more durable and has a relatively longer service life. Compared to some high-end materials, the cost of steel is low, which makes it suitable for the price positioning of low-end products such as electric bicycles.

To summarize, carbon fiber and aluminum alloy are much lighter than steel in terms of weight, making them a better choice. In terms of strength, carbon fiber and high-strength steel are ideal materials. From a cost standpoint, carbon fiber is the most expensive, while aluminum alloy and steel are relatively inexpensive.