I liked it so much I bought the company..

[sasquath]

I think it's a bit more complex than you're making out - and there's not a huge amount of power that you'll get back anyway. You'd add weight and complexity for very little range if any.

Not really, hub brushless motors are ideal for it. Mid motor setups won't work for obvious reasons. All you need to produce charge is to reverse torque. Biggest complication is triggering of the braking in convenient way.
Done it on RC brushless motor, and opensource driver software...

 

[ericmark]

Biggest complication is triggering of the braking in convenient way.

Can't see with hub motor that's a problem, as both brakes have switches in them to disengage the motor, but the problem is to ensure power is actually returned to battery. The motor is AC and designed so with no power it has very little drag, I worked with fork lifts with regenerative braking, and it was simply not used, idea was put it in reverse to engage braking, but it simply didn't travel fast enough to be practical to use it.

Where I live it may work, with long one mile descents, but in most places where a single speed e-bike and remember this is all about the g-tec bike which is single speed, you would not use them where there are long steep hills, the mid motor bike is far better with hills and engine braking will not work through a free wheel.

 

[DaveReading]

the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) the latter name means windy islands

I think someone has been having you on.

 

[ericmark]

I don't speak Spanish, but having been on Falklands for 4.5 years I can say they were windy islands. But wind tends to gush, not be constant force, in the same way most down hill runs are short, there will be the odd long hill, but for a single speed bike, not the sort of road one would take it on.

By where I use to live we had a long hill and going down it in a car I would use brakes, but on push bike wind resistance resulted in no braking, only with tandem did we use brakes down the hill.

 

[sasquath]

Can't see with hub motor that's a problem, as both brakes have switches in them to disengage the motor, but the problem is to ensure power is actually returned to battery. The motor is AC and designed so with no power it has very little drag, I worked with fork lifts with regenerative braking, and it was simply not used, idea was put it in reverse to engage braking, but it simply didn't travel fast enough to be practical to use it.

Where I live it may work, with long one mile descents, but in most places where a single speed e-bike and remember this is all about the g-tec bike which is single speed, you would not use them where there are long steep hills, the mid motor bike is far better with hills and engine braking will not work through a free wheel.

Tbh never had ebike hub in bits to investigate.
But if as you say it is AC induction motor then applying negative torque instead of cutting power when brake lever switch is operated would do the trick.
But after thinking more about its benefits during today's commute I have to agree that gains would be minimal if any. I imagine that e-bike riders are rather relaxed and would rather coast to a stop on junctions and traffic lights than use brakes.
If I ever get one I'll do some testing.

 

[sasquath]

@ericmark using high rpm alternators for wind turbine requires very efficient step up gearing and mechanical losses means you need much larger blades than with dedicated low speed generator. It not as easy as it sound in general.

But we are are off topic here.
Sorry for the thread hijack, I'm stopping now.