Ebike Industry Updates

Young adults aged 25-34 were found to have the highest rate of ownership of e-bikes as well as the highest rate of participation in bike share programs. They also had a lower rate of conventional bike ownership.

Regular bike ownership skewed toward those who were male, young, highly educated and affluent. No surprise there.

The study found that factors such as being foreign-born, paying rent (rather than a mortgage) and living in an apartment reduced the likelihood of owning a bike, whether conventional or electric.

By the time the application window closed on June 23, the city had received nearly 9000 applications.

Depending on your view, that is either good or bad news, possibly both. The overwhelming response shows just how keen people are to add an e-bike to their transportation options, which is certainly good. The bad news is that only 700 rebate vouchers are available in this first round.

Income-qualified Atlanta residents (those who demonstrate they meet the threshold to qualify as low income) can receive a rebate certificate good for $1,000 off a regular e-bike or $2,000 off a cargo e-bike. Residents who exceed the income threshold can receive a rebate of up to $500 for an e-bike or $1,000 for a cargo e-bike.

The first round of rebates should be distributed to recipients by the end of July. Recipients will have six weeks to purchase their e-bike from a qualified Atlanta retailer.

And now, for everyone who needs some help going 20 mph, the Bianchi E-Oltre adds the Mahle X30 hub motor to yield one of the lightest e-bikes on the market—just 11kg (24.2 lbs.)—light enough to rival Trek’s Domane+ SLR. It wasn’t that many years ago that a racing bike weighed 24 lbs.

The Mahle X30 hub in the E-Oltre produces 250W and 45Nm of torque. It’s unlikely that another e-bike could put this hub to use as well as the E-Oltre; 45Nm of torque will see this e-bike accelerate like other e-bikes with much bigger motors while still retaining the feel of a regular road bike. This may be as close as some of us come to keeping the cake we are eating.

The Mahle X30 hub draws its power from a 250Wh internal battery that Bianchi says can offer as much as 90km (56 mi.) range on a single charge. It seems unlikely that such a small battery has ever accounted for so much range. Mahle makes a range-extending battery that is estimated to add another 55km (34 mi.).

Bianchi offers the E-Oltre in seven different sizes to give riders an optimal fit. They also make it in three different versions. One is equipped with Shimano’s 105 group and goes for around $5,500. There’s one with Shimano’s Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting that runs close to $7,000, while the top-of-the-line version with Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 goes for close to $11,000.

Automatic shifting is a software update that improves upon what Pinion already offered with the MGU. Previously, Pinion offered a mode called Pre.Select that would change gears while the rider was coasting. I would compare the rider’s speed compared to a preset target cadence and then select the gear most appropriate to that cadence. Now Pinion has added two more shift modes, Auto.Shift and Auto.Shift.Pro.

With Auto.Shift the MGU automatically shifts—even under a full pedaling load. Pinion is careful to note that the automatic shifting isn’t predictive, but instead is reactive. The system monitors a number of inputs, according to Pinion, and while they don’t detail those inputs, it’s easy to connect the dots and conclude that some of those inputs would be cadence, speed and the amount of torque the rider is exerting on the pedals.

Because cadence is to some degree a matter of personal preference and riding style, Pinion allows a rider to define their preferred cadence range so that the MGU doesn’t shift at cadences above or below the rider’s preferred range. They can do this dynamically while riding with the TE-1 E-Trigger.

Pinion also offers Auto.Shift.Pro which allows riders to override the gear that the Pinion MGU has selected by using the E-Trigger. Pinion says this allows a rider to derive all the assistance of an automatic transmission without losing the dynamic edge that comes with shifting manually.

These numbers reflect the size of the worldwide market, rather than one region. According to their analysis, they peg the current worldwide market at $160 billion dollars. By 2030, they predict the market will grow by $180 billion to $340 billion. That will grow another $180 billion in just five years to a total of $520 billion.

According to McKinsey, the biggest drivers will be regulation and consumer behavior. Regulation will figure as a driver because of how governments will prioritize forms of transportation that help them meet their climate targets. Subsidies and investment in micromobility infrastructure will help spur consumer behavior.

Currently, five European countries account for a whopping 50 percent of the market, some $29 billion in sales. Germany leads, with France coming in second and the U.K. third.

E-bikes the biggest segment of the European micromobility market, they say; e-bikes account for 40 percent of the total market. They project that e-bike sales will grow by 13 percent annually through 2035.

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.”

The Two Front Wheel Electric Bike (they call it an electric bike rather than trike) takes a different approach to three-wheeled e-mobility by positioning the paired wheels in front, rather than in back. This also features a folding design to ease both storage and transportation.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

We can’t say we are aware of what the previous lightest bamboo e-bike’s weight was, or even what that bamboo e-bike was, but at 33 lbs. (15kg), we don’t need to make much of an effort to concede Diodra’s claim about the S3. A 33-lb. e-bike is light by any standard, bamboo or otherwise.

The frame isn’t 100 percent bamboo, but we think that doesn’t disqualify them from the claim. The laminated bamboo is bonded to an aluminum head tube and seat tube, which makes sense considering that the headset and bottom bracket bearings need a precision fit in order to work correctly.

Diodra says that the bamboo is weatherproofed with a two-component coating as well as three layers of varnish. The company touts the bamboo’s vibration-damping qualities, which, when combined with aluminum inserts, does dampen nearly all vibration.

The website is short on details, but we know this much: It features a 250W motor that will be limited to 25kph in Europe (15 mph) but will offer a Class 1 top speed of 20 mph here in the U.S. They estimate a range of 63 mi. (100km) with its 300Wh battery and if you’re wondering why you don’t see a battery, that’s because it is contained within the hub along with the motor.

The bag itself is made from a laminate material called Hexalon that is made to Apidura’s specs. The material is both waterproof and dustproof, making it perfect for carrying electronics. And because it features a dry-bag-style rolldown opening, it can securely carry both batteries and chargers that measure between 8.1 in. (20.5cm) and 11.8 in. (30cm) and are as tall as 2.8 in. (7cm). Total carrying capacity measures 1.6L (98 cu. in.).

The contents of the Apidura Expedition Charging Pack are protected with PU foam, better known as memory foam. Additionally, padded ribs run lengthwise along the Expedition Charging Pack both helping to give the bag shape and to insulate the bike frame from the bag’s contents—and vice versa. The bag attaches to the frame via a single Velcro strap that is silicone-coated to keep it from moving while riding.

Let’s start with what hasn’t changed, or hasn’t changed much. Vvolt kept the 350W, 45Nm brushless, geared hub motor powered by a 375Wh battery (though that battery now carries UL 2271 certification). This is still a city e-bike with low-profile tires and a single speed (50x22t) drivetrain featuring a Gates belt. And it still has hydraulic disc brakes. Its weight remains nearly unchanged, ticking up from 43 to 44 lbs.

So what’s new? For starters, a new frame design. This low-step frame now has a substantially lower standover height (25-26.5 in. depending on size) and it now comes in three sizes, not two. There aren’t many e-bikes retailing for less than $2000 that come in three distinct frame sizes. Vvolt says they will cover riders from 5 feet up to 6 feet 3. The new frame also has an integrated headlight which gives it a very stylish look.

The Vvolt Alpha 2 now comes with a wider handlebar with more sweep, which will give riders a more upright position, making it easier to look around, whether those views are of nature or traffic. They also spec a longer stem on the medium and large sizes than they do on the small, further dialing fit.