IZIP E3 Ultra - One Sweet Control System

IZIP E3 Ultra - One Sweet Control System
By: Turbo Bob

With all the E-bikes I ride and test, I like the ones with intelligent pedelec control systems the best. The IZIP E3 Ultra has it as a standard feature and it helps to make this E-bike a stand-out. There are many types of control systems out there, so it is important to make sure your new electric bike has one you can be happy with. Let me tell you about it and why I like intelligent control so much.

The ease of operation makes for a great feeling while riding. You really don’t need to concern yourself much with what it does, you just ride. It responds quickly to your pedaling needs without a second thought. The motor’s power comes on smoothly and seamlessly as you think more about the ride and your surroundings. If you haven’t tried it yet, then you don’t know what you’re missing. 

The Ultra has a load sensor in the rear drop-out that can tell how hard you are pushing on the pedals. That is translated into go power in the blink of an electron. Only the best and more expensive E-bikes have this, so many people might not get a chance to consider it as an option for their E-bike choice. Once you find out how nice it works, the other bikes without intelligent control will probably fade from your view. The extra cost comes with the benefit of nicer bike components, so you will be rewarded if you step-up to an E-bike with such a control system.

Another great thing about this is the efficiency. People are always wanting to know how far the battery range is on an E-bike. No matter what your motor wattage and battery capacity is, a comparable E-bike with intelligent-assist will go farther. It deals out the minimum amount of battery you need during your ride with no waste. Even though the Ultra has a 10 Ah battery (more or less the basic standard), I have taken rides on it that are way longer than other E-bikes with similar motor and battery specs (35-40 miles).

The Ultra does have a dual-control system. What this means is that there is also a throttle that you can use to over-ride the pedelec control if you feel you need more power at any time. This can be helpful, but will run the battery down quicker. I’ll go into it further, but just know that the throttle will not run the motor while the bike is stopped. The Ultra is a powerful bike and will accelerate to speed well and hold full speed without pedaling using the throttle.

There is a control panel that allows you to set the sensitivity of the intelligent pedelec function. You can use this to change how much exercise you get during your ride and to maximize the battery range. At the lower settings the motor will assist you less, but still allow full power when pedaling hard. At the higher settings you won’t need to push the pedals as hard to get more motor assist during your ride. You have a button that will turn off the pedelec to use the throttle only if you want to operate the bike in that manner. The control panel also shows the charge level of the battery.

I mentioned before that in pedelec mode, the motor will not start when the bike is at a full stop. This is a great safety feature. Without this, there is a possibility of the motor moving the bike if you grab the handlebars by the throttle. This can happen easier than you might think. This alone can be all the reason to get the pricier E-bike with intelligent assist. Part of the control system is a speed sensor in the motor than makes sure the bike is moving (you actually riding), before the motor will activate. I can’t emphasize how much I think every E-bike owner needs this feature.

So to repeat, the control system on the IZIP E3 Ultra makes for the best E-bike experience you can have. It makes you feel super-human as the hills loom in front of you. It is smooth and controllable in a way you need to feel to fully understand. This control system should be on all E-bikes, but most don’t have it. It is just one of the many reasons I like the Ultra.

Questions? Ask Currie Technologies, your local dealer, or me. Thanks for reading, Turbo Bob.

“The bikers rode past. They were moving so fast. Hills were nothing to them. They had light bikes, expensive ones, and the climbs were only excuses to use the great strength of their legs.” --- Rick Bass, The Watch. 

Read more reviews on Turbo Bob's Bicycle Blog.