Moved from the contemporary thread "Condescending bike shop employees" to keep some semblance of sanity in topic fidelity.

On Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 11:25:13 AM UTC+1, lou.h...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 11:13:18 AM UTC+2, John B. wrote:
>
> > I know absolutely nothing about electric autos so let me ask you. Does
> > the thing have a gear box sort of arrangement or are the wheels
> > directly driven by electric motors as in some trains and streetcars?
> > --
> > Cheers,
> >
> > John B.
> There is a one stage/fixed reduction.
>
> Lou
>
There is however a "gearbox" in the control electronics of the motor(s). The simplest form, found on bicycles, is the pedelec which regulates the current draw to be proportional to input at the pedals. (Exactly the wrong way round, another gift from the motorist's best friend, German legislators, but never mind that for now.) But even pedelecs can have an override second "gearbox", called "modes" or something similar, for instance a "sporting" mode that will give the rider more current. The common and very good 8FUN/Bafang BBOS bottom bracket central motor has a built-in electronic "gearbox" with nine levels of current draw, which correspond to nine speeds. (Far too many for the more torquey versions of the BB and, I suspect, even for the base model of 250W. I have reprogrammed the thing to have five "gears" and to skip the intermediate possibilities.) The same applies to the accelerator of an electric car and the electronics connecting it to the motor on a drive shaft or motors built into wheels, except that it is an infinitely variable "gearbox", like on an old DAF but without the belts. I have a throttle on the electric motor on my bike, and that makes it into an infinitely variable "gearbox" if I want to leave the Rohloff sit in one gear -- in practice, since I ride the bike for exercise, I use the metal gears of the Rohloff together with the five virtual "gears" in the electronics for most circumstances except breaking the heavily loaded (painting gear) bike away from a standstill going uphill, when the throttle is useful. So both the virtual gears and the throttle have their place, but the pedelec modes are a pain.
>
European readers should beware. A throttle and programmed motors are illegal in several European countries, where pedelec modes are enforced. In the UK, for instance, there are some dealers who think of themselves as an enforcement arm of the police, who will cripple the software you paid for without telling you. Which brings us back to condescension: these self-important clowns think they know what is best for you, and that you are too stupid to make your own choices. Tell them to uncripple your motor, you'll be using it only offload, or bette still, ask on the various boards on the net for the name of a better dealer.
>
Andre Jute
Without the electrics to make my Rome of West Cork cycle-friendly, I'd have to go live among the Flat Earthers in Ohio.