Electric Bike Report from Munich Bike Expo: Lots of Pictures! – Part 1
Aug 23, 2011
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Bike Expo in Munich Germany
Recently I was at Bike Expo in Munich Germany and it was great to see the electric bike scene in a country that is leading the way in e-mobility. It was impressive to see how many bike brands now have electric bikes. The growth of electric bikes reminds me of the days when mountain bikes were just becoming popular.
Speaking of mountain bikes, there is a growing electric mountain bike niche growing and according to the companies selling them, they are very popular. KTM, Bulls, Wheeler, Panther, Stealth, Haibike, Focus and others have a significant line up of e-mountain bikes.
Another e-bike niche that is growing is the “S-class” (Swiss class) e-bike. These bikes can travel up to 45km/h and have up to 500 watts of power but they have to be licensed and have small license plates on the back. The normal European electric bikes are regulated to a top speed of 25km/h with electric assist and 250 watts of power. It seems that more bike brands are offering at least one S-class bike in their line. Stromer and Grace are leading the way in this niche.
Electric cargo bikes are also growing in popularity and I spotted a number of them around the show. There is a lot of creative designing going on in the cargo bike area and I think we will see this evolve for years to come. I am particularly excited to see what develops in this niche.
Oh yeah and there were A LOT of traditional city style electric bikes too. Some bike brands like Kettler had their bikes front and center in their stage of bikes. The traditional non electric bikes were actually off to the side.
Enough chit chat, on to the pictures! Below are some pictures from the show. This is part 1 and I will post more pictures soon. Enjoy!
The Stealth Electric Mountain Bike: This thing was super fast. At 4000 Watts of power I was almost thrown off the back when I opened up the throttle!
There were a fair amount of electric cargo bikes seen at Bike Expo.
This is not an electric bike, but it is very interesting. It uses strings instead of chain to propel it, amongst other things!
A nice looking electric bike from Winora
Here is an interesting one from TransX: putting the battery in the seat tube area.
How about a carbon fiber electric bike? This is the Flyer electric bike with a carbon fiber frame and Panasonic electric bike kit.
Wow! This is a cool looking electric bike, the Styriette. Classic styled cruiser bike.
Wheeler is making some sleek looking city electric bikes.
These are some of Wheeler's electric mountain bikes. There were a lot of electric mountain bikes at Bike Expo.
Easy Rider! PG electric bikes are stylish and laid back. These are fun to ride and you will definitely turn some heads! This bike uses the Clean Mobile electric bike kit.
You could haul some serious loads with this electric cargo bike from Sparta.
This is the stuff that gets me excited! Solar charging stations for your electric bike from Donauer.
Here is the Haibike electric mountain bike with the Bosch electric bike kit. This is a nice handling e-bike with the center of weight low on the bike. Felt like it would handle well on the trails.
Here is a close up of the Bosch electric bike kit on the Haibike electric mountain bike. The motor and battery are well protected.
And there were full suspension electric mountain bikes too! The Haibike with Bosch electric bike kit.
Here is a close up of the Bosch electric bike kit display. There are a total of 12 different assist levels you can choose from. Seems a bit much to me.
Here is the other side of the Bosch electric bike kit with the motor and battery on the Haibike mountain bike.
Here is a nice looking Kalkhoff electric bike with the Panasonic e-bike kit.
Another classic looking Kalkhoff electric bike. Very comfortable ride.
That’s it for Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2.
Please leave any comments or questions below.
Thanks!
-Pete
P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips.
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Alot of ebikes to choose from now Wondering what is the best unit for the dollar spent ?
Hi Ken, that is a tough question. With more ebike reviews and input from the EBR community we may have some good answers in the future.
Alot of ebikes to choose from now Wondering what is the best unit for the dollar spent ?
i will like to see some of your front wheel bikes on part2 or 3,we need less pedaling also you can share my ebike on youtube-zeinstain2011
I was wondering wath name brand bike that was in the photo that is propeled by cables ?
Hi Jeff, That is the StringBike: https://www.stringbike.com/