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Re:Rivian's Also E-bike is like nothing you've ever seen by jeffbee on Wednesday October 22, 2025 @05:40PM (#45675508)
It isn't free. How could it be free? It requires at least an electronic control system and a pressure sensor.
Re:Rivian's Also E-bike is like nothing you've ever seen by numpad0 on Wednesday October 22, 2025 @07:16PM (#45676361)
3-phase motors are controlled by torque commands into the driver. Give it a value and it generates requisite voltages to fill the gap between current state and desired state. Give it a positive value and the driver spins up the motor, give it a negative and it artificially spins down the motor progressively by commanded amounts. So especially off-throttle regen is completely free. IIUC.
Re:Rivian's Also E-bike is like nothing you've ever seen by edaemon on Wednesday October 22, 2025 @05:51PM (#45675625)
It's the same control system that operates the motor. The motor is just being used as a generator.

I'm not sure which pressure sensor you mean, like in the brake lever? E-bikes with hydraulic brakes already have sensors for power cutoff (and in this case for brake lights).

Re:Rivian's Also E-bike is like nothing you've ever seen by cyberax on Wednesday October 22, 2025 @07:26PM (#45676443)
If you engineer it properly, it doesn't add _any_ weight or complexity. All you need is a bit different arrangement of power transistors and some software.

Why existing bikes don't use it? Because you need software or a more complicated controller, and the amount of regenerated energy is indeed not that large.

Re:Rivian's Also E-bike is like nothing you've ever seen by 01HNNWZ0MV43FF on Wednesday October 22, 2025 @05:51PM (#45675620)
Are there popular e-bikes without electronic motor control?
Re:Rivian's Also E-bike is like nothing you've ever seen by LoganDark on Wednesday October 22, 2025 @05:48PM (#45675599)
It was already going to have some sensor for, say, the brake light.