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Mercedes are serious about e-bikes…..It was only December of last year that EBR reported on their launch models. Now comes the news of a renaming of the models but with extra, higher spec tech included and a new dual motor model. This is clearly not the common car industry marketing ploy of putting a manufacturer’s name on an existing e-bike and having little else to do with it; Mercedes are clearly looking to carve out their own distinctive space in the e-bike world.

Will others follow suit? German language reports suggest that Citroën Electric Bikes may be about to launch their first e-bikes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in the coming months. Initial images are rather disappointing, suggesting a less than powerful rear hub motor and rim brakes rather than disks. EBR will keep you posted on developments.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Mercedes expands its N+ e-bike offering
• E-bike charging stations on the West Coast Electric Highway
• Giant’s Lifestyle Momentum e-bikes arrive in the UK
• France’s Upway get serious about the used e-bike market
• EMTB grand test results reveal trends
• Shimano now handing third party batteries on STEPS in North America
• Gocycle drop prices on G4 e-folders

[Read more…] about E-bike News: New Mercedes N+ E-bikes, West Coast Highway Charging and Much More!

There are always many e-bike crowdfunding campaigns looking for backers, not a few of which, it has to be said, sound too good to be true – ‘hubless’ and ‘fully self-charging’ e-bikes being just a couple of examples.

However OL+EM’s campaign for a titanium mid-drive uses established tech to produce a unique and very exciting-sounding e-bike – a 28.5lb / 13kg mid-drive with hub gears, lights and a titanium frame. So enticing is the prospect you wonder why it’s taken a lone designer to come up with the idea rather than an established e-bike firm. Yes, titanium welding and 3D printed materials are still exotic – but they are well within the remit of bike firms who want to try their hand at limited editions. Yes, the price tag is high, but even non-titanium e-bikes regularly appear costing many thousands of dollars. It will be fascinating to see how popular OL+EM e-bikes prove to be…

In this week’s e-bike news:

• OL+EM titanium mid-drive crowdfunding
• Gates belt drives new products aim at e-bike market
• SERIAL 1 BASH/MTB is a limited edition single speed emtb
• Orbea launches Keram high quality trekking e-bikes
• Smart lighting pedals from Redshift
• Ride Colorado’s Iron Horse electric style

[Read more…] about E-bike News: OL+EM’s Titanium mid-drive, Orbea, SERIAL 1, Gates and Much More!

There’s a definite southern European vibe to the e-bike new this week; both Rayvolt and Unno are based in Catalonian capital Barcelona and have taken differing approaches to their e-bike launches. Rayvolt are branching out into rather less exclusive and more reasonably priced e-bikes with the launch of the eXXite brand, whilst Unno are remaining resolutely exclusive with a unique, high performance e-mtb. Not to mention Italian motorbike manufacturer Ducati getting in on the act, bringing it’s Ducati branded e-bikes and e-scooters to the UK.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Bafang loses weight on its M400, making it the M410
• Stylish Catalan brand Rayvolt launches eXXite sub-brand
• Meet the Unno Boös, one of the most distinctive e-mtbs out there
• Ducati e-bikes and e-scooters come to the UK
• Serial 1 integrate Google features into models
• Win a Turbo Levo SL Comp Carbon and help sustainable food production in Tanzania

[Read more…] about Ebike News: Bafang’s Lighter M410 Mid-drive, New Models from eXXite and Unno and Much More!

New designs of e-bike tend to juggle the same ingredients, with few truly groundbreaking e-bikes coming along – the latter tend to be a product of new technology reaching the point where it’s both effective in the real world and economic to produce – and that tends to happen only every few years at best.

The news that Samsung are said to be producing a solid state battery next year could be a quantum leap forward for e-bikes in the same way that the first pedelec was in the 1990s or the adoption of lithium ion batteries was in the 2000s. Of course it could be yet another ‘new revolutionary battery technology’ story that comes and goes with all the others….only time will tell.

In this week’s e-bike news:

• Fucare Gemini X promises a lot of bang for your buck and 28mph assistance
• Raleigh UK relaunches Centros range with 625Wh batteries
• Fernando Alonso announces 3D-printed e-bike line
• Stromer ST3 Pinion
• Samsung announce plans for solid state battery production in 2023
• Cycling UK announces free e-bike loans plan
• Bire and Lime’s new e-scooter parking tech
• UK’s first electric airport

[Read more…] about Ebike News: Gemini X Speed Pedelec, Raleigh Centros Revamped and Much More!

Specialized Bicycles, one of the largest names in the global bicycle industry, announced this morning the creation of a new affordable e-bike brand called Globe.

Few hard details are available about Globe and, more importantly, the bikes that’ll be debuted under the Globe banner. All that’s being announced today is that Globe, the brand, is now a thing and that its launch marks a new chapter in Specialized’s mission to replace more car trips with bike trips.

“We’re trying to break out of the traditional thing we have in the bike business of this is a road bike or that’s a mountain bike or that’s a commuter. [Globe] is an everyday bike for everything you might do,” said Saul Leiken, global category leader for Globe Bikes.

While Globe remains mum on the price or spec of their bikes, they are positioning themselves as a brand committed to “lifetime value and affordability,” according to a press release announcing the brand, hinting that the bikes might be on the more affordable end of the spectrum while not sacrificing longevity.

More details on the brand and the bikes themselves are expected in the coming months. Preorders in the U.S. are expected to start late this year with the first batch of bikes being delivered in 2023.

[Read more…] about Specialized launches new e-bike brand called ‘Globe,’ promising affordability and versatility