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Whilst this week’s headline news is a new release from one of the US’s best known and most respected e-bike manufacturers, there’s an unusually lengthy article on the US and UK markets and what kinds of e-bikes are appearing there – and what kinds are likely to appear in the future. Whilst there’s no revolutionary new tech on the horizon it’s clear there are lots of price pressures and we look in a bit more detail at what it might mean. Could there be cheaper mid-drive models on the horizon? Will the likes of Cannondale and Trek head increasingly down the hub motor route to keep prices in line? We take a look at these questions as reflected in recent news.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Electric Bike Company Launches a 24” wheeled folder
• US & UK market analysis – hub motor price pressure
• US company invests in German four-wheeled e-cargo bike
• Tier’s smart e-bikes can now test if you are drunk
• Germany’s four-wheeler e-cargo Antic gets seven figure US investment

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Electric Bike Company’s F for Folder, US vs UK Markets and Much More!

EBR sometimes wonders why some designs of e-bikes just aren’t more popular with manufacturers as there seems to be loads of interest in them out there. Take electric trikes; we reviewed the Evelo Compass electric trike and so far it has racked up over 100,000 views for the Youtube video. So it’s great to see Addmotor’s new extra capable version of its electric trike hit the market. It’s got an extra big battery and a powerful drive system, showing that e-trikes don’t have to be the poor cousins of two-wheeled e-bikes in performance terms.

The rest of this week’s news is wideranging, including self-extinguising battery fire technology, automatically speed restricting vehicles being piloted on NYC streets and the strangely abrupt events at Bolt Mobility in cities across the US.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Addmotor e-trike gets new bigger battery and drive system
• Job’s micro fire extinguisher system implanted into batteries
• NYC pilot intelligent, active motor vehicles that speed-govern themselves
• Bolt Mobility funding dries up and leaves their vehicles stranded and ‘locked’
• Share e-bikes for London’s ever popular ‘official’ bike hire system
• The motor systems looking to challenge the market leaders

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Addmotor E-trike, Raleigh Trace Lightweight and Much More!

Modern e-bikes are made to be ridden in the wet and rain, so regularly riding in raining conditions and sometimes leaving your bike in the wet shouldn’t be a big deal as long as you dry it off afterwards and take care to keep the chain (if it has one) oiled and clean. But what about outdoor storage or traveling around on your car’s hitch? Do you need an e-bike cover then?

There might be several reasons where you do want to protect the bike from rain or even strong sun (it’s not the best idea to expose a battery to very hot, direct sunlight for hours on end). If you have to store the e-bike outside for long periods, perhaps just because that’s the only space your accommodation has, then a cover is virtually a must.

Those on long touring trips may need to store the bike outside too, so a lightweight stowable cover could come in handy here too and then of course RV tourers may well have a couple of e-bikes on the rear where they live most of the time. Or your e-bike might be your most cherished possession and you simply want to keep it in the best possible condition which may mean covering it up when not in use.

Down below the Electric Bike Report team will break down the basics about e-bike covers.

[Read more…] about Do You Need A Cover For Your E-Bike?

Bosch are the European market leader in terms of premium quality mid-drive systems and have been a little quiet of late. So it’s good news to see more detail on exactly what features are arriving in the wake of the announcement of the new Smart system – all detailed below. These features are likely to be seen on European available e-bikes first of all but US riders will no doubt see many of the features too in 2023 and 2024.

Dominant as Bosch is, there’s plenty of variety out there in the e-bike world as we also look at a new e-folder, hear about exciting new places to ride in the US and hear the thoughts of the incredible EAV delivery e-bike from the UK.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• More features for the Bosch Smart system
• Dahon Curl Ei4 – a small e-folder
• Ride 1UP upgrades Core 5
• US national bike route network gets an extra 650 miles
• Kitzuma and BikeExchange expand US e-bike offering
• EAV – the UK e-bike that wants to replace vans – an in depth podcast

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Bosch Smart System Expands, Dahon, Ride 1Up and Much More!

Only a few years ago e-bikes’ existence would have been beneath the radar of most automakers – Mercedes’ involvement with the Smart bike being the one possible exception (although that was arguably part marketing exercise in support of their Smart car brand). With Porsche’s buyout of e-bike motor system maker Fazua, it’s clear this automaker at least sees significant profit in e-bikes of the future.

But beyond that Porsche have bought themselves a foothold in the emerging electric micromobility market too. As we also point out this week, all manner of light electric vehicles are starting to populate bike lanes around the world, and at some point legislators, national and local, will have to sit up, listen and act. Porsche can see it’s not just e-bikes they have potentially invested in, but a possible transport revolution. The writing may not be on the wall for the car, but this car maker for one has recognised there are significant other players in town.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Porsche to make e-bike components and whole bikes
• Lectric 46% increase in battery size
• Bianchi launch e-mtb line
• Where has the Federal e-bike tax credit gone?
• Micromobility America conference for September
• UK’s Mycle launches three new e-bikes
• Paris vs NYC cycle lanes

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Porsche Goes E-bike, Lectric’s Bigger Battery and Much More!

Trek’s new e-bikes are an interesting step for the company as it typically produces premium e-bike with expensive mid-drives and other components and they are known for working superbly well. Their new Dual Sport+ and FX+ models use hub motors and modestly sized batteries typical of much cheaper budget models, so it will be interesting to see how they fare against cheaper models that use ostensibly similar electric drives (albeit the Trek bikes have a torque sensor which most budget e-bike don’t). Of course, Trek will be offering their own attention to detail in manufacture and their longstanding pedigree as a high quality producer of bikes and e-bikes, not to mention local bike shop backup and valued warranty cover.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Trek goes hub motor with new more affordable e-bikes
• Bimotal say innovative removable electric drive in final pilot phase
• Ridgeback Errand – a new affordable compact e-bike
• Chainless e-bikes confirmed as legal in the EU
• Zapbatt and Toshiba claim ‘game-changing’ battery
• Bike lane cameras could be appearing in New York and London

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Trek’s New Affordable E-bikes, Bimotal Final Pilot and Much More!

The incredibly light mid-drive e-mtb from Swiss firm Thömus and the powerful hub motor options on offer with Frey’s latest e-bike might initially grab the most attention this week, but there are arguably more innovative developments happening in the seemingly more modest announcements; here Honbike look to further develop their funky-looking and low maintenance die-cast e-bikes whilst Enviolo’s latest stepless hub gears are rated to work on electric cargo bikes and vehicles with loads up a huge 1100lbs / 500kg.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Thömus Lightrider full-sus e-mtb claims sub 33lb weight
• Frey Savannah Hybrid Runner – their first hub motor e-bike
• Honbike’s innovative e-bikes continue in the shape of the U4
• Funky, folding Mirider now with three gears
• Lavita Boost – the minimalist retrofit kit from the UK
• Heavy duty stepless gearing with Enviolo’s Extreme range
• Solid state batteries promise lower carbon footprint
• New (e)revolution show for Denver in 2023

[Read more…] about E-bike News: Thömus Claim 32.18lb Full-sus Emtb, Frey Hub E-bike and Much More!

It’s that exciting time of the year when e-bike companies start to announce new tech and new e-bikes thick and fast. So this week we have not only a brand new full-sus e-mtb from Trek but one of the lightest mid-drives out there with it. Brompton continue their recent launch of new bikes with their lightest e-bike yet and Shimano map out how urban e-bikes can now feature a more powerful mid-drive, electronic automatic gear shifting and ABS braking. Plus milestones for Eli’s micro electric car, e-cargo bikes in the UK and European e-bike sales.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Trek’s bike like 38.5lb Fuel EXe e-mtb
• Brompton’s 34.4lb electric folder
• Shimano’s new mid-drive rolls out alongside ABS braking and auto gear shifting & Bosch brings out new ABS system
• Ducati’s new e-folders
• European e-bike sales over 5 million for the first time
• Eli deliver first one hundred neighborhood electric vehicles
• Vancouver OKs 270 miles of protected bike lane
• UK e-cargo boom

[Read more…] about E-bike News: New Lightweights from Trek and Brompton, Shimano Expands Mid-drive Tech and Much More!