Ebike Industry Updates

Tern Bicycles has made their name in e-bikes as a brand that emphasizes utility. Most of their bikes and e-bikes either fold or fall under the broad category of cargo e-bikes. Tern’s newest model is called the Orox and it is a big departure from their previous designs. In our review of the Tern Orox we will take a look at just how capable this cargo e-bike is at both the cargo function and its off-road abilities. Plot spoiler: It’s an impressive e-bike at every turn.Until now, Tern’s bike and e-bike line has been aimed at road use and most models feature either 20- or 24-in. wheels. The Orox is the first to go with 27.5-in. wheels and fat (4-in.-wide) tires; that’s because the Orox is equipped to perform off-road.

The Tern Orox features a long-tail design with plenty of carrying capacity behind the rider. They refer to their other cargo e-bikes as “compact cargo” as they aren’t as long as other long-tail designs; the Orox is a bit longer than their popular HSD model.

In addition to its long-tail design and fat tires, the Orox is built with Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor and electronics, and either a 12- or 14-speed drivetrain and powerful disc brakes. Let’s start looking at the details.

Denver is rolling out a program to reward people for riding a bike or e-bike instead of driving. Denver’s new rewards program will pay participants in cash, bike accessories or personalized coaching.

The program is meant to encourage people who ordinarily drive to get out of their car and onto other modes of transportation. It is sponsored by Denver’s Streets Partnership and Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency.

Approved participants can receive up to $1 per mile of riding and up to $200 per month, up to $500 in bike accessories or personalized coaching, or a mix of them.

The program does have some requirements and will show preference to low-income residents as well as people who face other hurdles as a result of Denver’s current transportation system. To be approved, applicants must live in Denver (there will be some exceptions) and be 18 years old. Preference will be shown to applicants who live in what Denver has identified as the Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization (NEST) areas of Denver; these are areas that have suffered disinvestment. Low-income residents and people of color will be shown preference as well.

A committee of the New Jersey Senate passed a bill that would require riders of e-mobility devices to carry liability insurance. Outcry over the bill has been significant, in part, due to the fact that the kind of insurance the bill would mandate doesn’t yet exist.

Bill S2292 would require all riders of microbility devices including e-bikes, e-scooters and e-mopeds to carry liability insurance. The coverage would have to be substantive enough to cover the rider and anyone else injured in the event of a crash.

The bill has received vocal pushback from mobility advocates and members of the senate alike, not least because the sort of insurance required doesn’t yet exist.

“I don’t think anybody supports the bill exactly as it’s presently written,” said Patrick Diegnan, the Transportation Committee Chair. “The Senate president is well aware of the input and is working on amendments. And we’ll meet with the advocates in between now and as it goes forward.”

Most of us know the name Husqvarna for things like chainsaws and motorcycles. They also make e-bikes (and an e-scooter), though until now all their e-bikes have beeneMTBs. They have just introduced theGrand Pather 6, their first commuter e-bike.

The Grand Pather 6 features Yamaha’s PW-X3 motor, which produces 250W and 85Nm of torque; it’s the same motor found in Yamaha’s e-bikes. The battery is projected to give riders around 62 mi. (100km) of range per charge, thanks to its 720Wh capacity. That’s nearly three times the motor’s wattage, so their estimate seems reasonable. It might even be conservative.

Canyon has introduced another new electric mountain bike, bringing their lineup for four eMTBs. This new ride is called theStrive:ON CFRand it sits between the gravity-focused Torque:ON and the trail-styled Spectral:ON. This new model is aimed at competitive enduro riders.

The Strive:ON sits almost perfectly between the Spectral:ON and the Torque:ON. Canyon begins with a carbon fiber frame, same as the Spectral:ON and Torque:ON. Like the Spectral:ON, the Strive:ON comes equipped with 160mm-travel rear suspension, but increases fork travel to 170mm. The big difference comes with the motor. Where the Spectral:ON and Torque:ON come spec’d with Shimano’s EP8 motor, the Strive:ON comes equipped with Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor, one of the most powerful mid-drive motors found on Class 1 eMTBs.

In short, the Strive:ON is the Canyon eMTB for riders who want more power than either the Spectral:ON or Torque:ON produce, with a perfect blending of the best handling attributes of each eMTB.

Bosch eBike Systems has announced amajor update to its smart system. This is the system software behind their Kiox 300 and 500 displays used onmany e-bikes we’ve seenequipped with Bosch motors, as well as their Flow smartphone app.

The biggest single change is introduction of the new “Dynamic Screen,” in which the display will switch to different screens based on the terrain the rider is on; the displays will show data relevant to where the rider is riding. For instance, if a rider is going uphill, they will be shown power, cadence and elevation. Once they are headed downhill, they will see current speed in large numbers. Once back on the flats, the display will shift to distance traveled and range.

One of the limitations in using each of the forms of e-mobility, be it an EV, e-bike or some other device is range. What would allow users greater freedom would be eliminating concerns about range and with e-bikes, the best way to do that is when users can simply swap batteries.

Yamaha, in its effort to shape how e-bikes are adopted across the globe, has created a new subsidiary called Enyring. The company will offer a battery-swap program for e-bike riders. The service will be launched in the Netherlands and Germany in 2025.

In the Netherlands, cycling is one of the most common forms of transportation used. As a result, cycling and cyclists are much more closely scrutinized than in many first-world countries. With so many people riding bike and e-bikes, the government recognized a need to outlaw talking on a cell phone while riding, as well as riding under the influence. Riders even face speed limits.

In the Netherlands and in many European countries, e-bikes are limited to a maximum output of 250W. This is one of the reasons e-bikes with mid-drive motors are so popular in Europe—a mid-drive motor can provide more assistance than a hub motor can for a given wattage. Why mandate such a low power output? Dutch officials see it as a public safety issue. While pedelecs that go 28 mph (45kph) are available, most e-bikes are restricted to 15.5 mph (25kph). According to the Dutch government, as e-bike use has grown, so have e-bike-rider fatalities, in an equal proportion.

State Assembly member Tasha Boerner has introduced a bill that would require riders to pass a written safety test. The bill is aimed at young riders who Boerner is concerned don’t understand traffic rules.

Riders over the age of 12 but don’t yet have a driver’s license would be required to take and pass the test. Upon passing the test, prospective riders would be required to carry a state-issued ID.

Boerner, said the effort is to make sure both kids and parents understand traffic rules in order to keep kids safe when riding their e-bikes.

The test would be based on safety training published by the California Highway Patrol, in response to AB 1946, also authored by Boerner.

“E-bikes provide that sense of freedom that so many kids and Californians are looking for,” Boener said, “but it’s crucial that we ensure they know how to ride using the rules of our roads, and make safe and smart decisions when sharing the road with cars and pedestrians.”