e-Moblity - should bike shops be looking at the wider e-transport picture?

mark sutton

Pedelecer
Apr 25, 2016
54
75
36
Found Eurobike's decision to extend a hall to e-Mobility interesting. https://cyclingindustry.news/eurobike-to-open-hall-to-e-mobility-solutions/

Provided it's all done above board (steps are being taken to enable this for the masses on speed pedelecs), I'm leaning toward wondering whether the bike shop of the future will be a mobility provider. e-Bikes, speed pedelecs and e-Anything else that gets you from A to B and is serviceable by a bike/e-mechanic.

Thoughts?
 

Auxtail

Pedelecer
Nov 1, 2017
32
16
57
Milton Keynes
HI Mark,
The merging of bike and cars is interesting. The electric car is a curiousity at 1% of sales, but electric bikes are mainstream (20% and growing). Electricification of bikes is a lot cheaper and easier (charging is a challenge in cities).
I am ex-Nissan of 20 years, and am focusing on a Bimodal car+bike commute as a mobility solution for congested cities.
Park and Pedal is in it's infancy, but being trialled in a few places, USA and Australia.
Would be great to chat further.
Cheers
Craig
 
  • Informative
Reactions: LeighPing

mark sutton

Pedelecer
Apr 25, 2016
54
75
36
HI Mark,
The merging of bike and cars is interesting. The electric car is a curiousity at 1% of sales, but electric bikes are mainstream (20% and growing). Electricification of bikes is a lot cheaper and easier (charging is a challenge in cities).
I am ex-Nissan of 20 years, and am focusing on a Bimodal car+bike commute as a mobility solution for congested cities.
Park and Pedal is in it's infancy, but being trialled in a few places, USA and Australia.
Would be great to chat further.
Cheers
Craig
Sure, drop me a mail if you like: mark AT cyclingindustry.news
 

Artstu

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 2, 2009
2,420
925
HI Mark,
The merging of bike and cars is interesting. The electric car is a curiousity at 1% of sales, but electric bikes are mainstream (20% and growing).
So that's 1% of car sales. and bikes at 20% of bicycle sales? So I wonder what the real percentage of e-bike sales is 0.003% (plucked from fresh air) perhaps ?
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Current (oh! a pun!) legislation is a brake on innovation in the e-mobility space. Assimilation of more powerful and/or faster e-bikes with ICE mopeds is one example. In fact real mopeds are all but dead because it is impossible to pedal with a full motorbike helmet on so pedal assistance has been removed and mopeds are now mini motorbikes (scooters included).

Brakes have moved on since the old cable hub or rim brake days. Suspension has improved vastly as has tyre technology. Active and passive safety has come a long way since the Peugeot 103 moped. New legislation is needed for hybrid vehicles - ones that can be pedalled, assisted or not. The s-pedelec would be a viable solution if it could be ridden with a cycling helmet and the over cutoff speed wasn't limited to 45 km/h (I have been up to 67 km/h legally on a pedelec). Cargo bikes need more powerful motors even if the cutoff is fixed at 25 km/h - yes this legislation is in the pipeline but it is taking way to long to be applied today.

rant over
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
19,569
16,494
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,840
30,394
So that's 1% of car sales. and bikes at 20% of bicycle sales? So I wonder what the real percentage of e-bike sales is 0.003% (plucked from fresh air) perhaps ?
Until quite recently bike sales in the UK were 2 millions a year with e-bikes at 20,000, so 1% electric assist.

In the last three years or so bikes sales rose to 3 millions and e-bikes likewise, but 2017 is indicating a big shift. Bike sales slumped to circa 2 millions again, but e-bikes probably 40 to 50 thousand.

So e-bikes currently up to between 2 and 2.5% in the UK, doubled.
.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Artstu and Woosh

Artstu

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 2, 2009
2,420
925
Until quite recently bike sales in the UK were 2 millions a year with e-bikes at 20,000, so 1% electric assist.

In the last three years or so bikes sales rose to 3 millions and e-bikes likewise, but 2017 is indicating a big shift. Bike sales slumped to circa 2 millions again, but e-bikes probably 40 to 50 thousand.

So e-bikes currently up to between 2 and 2.5% in the UK, doubled.
.
So in Craig's context e-bikes account for around 0.01% of combined car and bicycle sales.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: flecc

Wisper Bikes

Trade Member
Apr 11, 2007
6,235
2,209
69
Sevenoaks Kent
Hi Auxtail, welcome to the forum.

We have been developing ebikes for 12 years now and are spending all of our resources on a commuter model. The carbon motored version will tip the scales a under 11.7 kg (calculated) will have no cables to get caught up and will have a range of about 20 miles. Of course it will neatly fold to go into the back of a car or commuter train and be very manoeuvrable so it can be wheeled, folded, along the station platform.

We believe this is the next big market.

All the best, David
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,840
30,394
So in Craig's context e-bikes account for around 0.01% of combined car and bicycle sales.
Yes, a depressing figure in the UK, compared with the Netherlands where 70% of the population cycle almost every day and they've been buying around 300,000 e-bikes a year.

So annual e-bike sales:

Netherlands: 1 per 56 of population

UK: 1 per 1455 of population (based on 45,000 annual sales)
.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: Artstu

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Hi Auxtail, welcome to the forum.

We have been developing ebikes for 12 years now and are spending all of our resources on a commuter model. The carbon motored version will tip the scales a under 11.7 kg (calculated) will have no cables to get caught up and will have a range of about 20 miles. Of course it will neatly fold to go into the back of a car or commuter train and be very manoeuvrable so it can be wheeled, folded, along the station platform.

We believe this is the next big market.

All the best, David
This is my current favorite because of the bafang max drive, we know we can fix one of those ourselves:

https://www.ternbicycles.com/bikes/471/vektron-d8

And only 22.5 kg :)
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I think the sales of e-bikes are held back by poor second hand value. I would probably buy a new one every 12 to 18 months if my used one hadn't lost most of its cost price, and the fact that dealers (certainly in my area) want to sell, not trade only leaves ebay and the like which is a risky prospect at best.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: flecc

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,840
30,394
I think the sales of e-bikes are held back by poor second hand value. I would probably buy a new one every 12 to 18 months if my used one hadn't lost most of its cost price, and the fact that dealers (certainly in my area) want to sell, not trade only leaves ebay and the like which is a risky prospect at best.
As are e-car sales of course. In both cases the high battery cost and not knowing the health of the used battery frightens off buyers.

With cars Renault's battery rental answers that problem, just pay monthly at one's individual annual mileage rate.

The battery has a projected 8 year life and it it drops below 75% capacity within that time, Renault replace it without any extra payment.
.
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
As are e-car sales of course. In both cases the high battery cost and not knowing the health of the used battery frightens off buyers.

With cars Renault's battery rental answers that problem, just pay monthly at one's individual annual mileage rate.

The battery has a projected 8 year life and it it drops below 75% capacity within that time, Renault replace it without any extra payment.
.
Then the cells are rebuilt into a power wall to power your home!
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,840
30,394
Then the cells are rebuilt into a power wall to power your home!
There's proposal that the cars and home and work car chargers could be two way, feeding into the grid at peak times to even out demand, but still leaving a preset amount necessary for the owner's commute.

That won't happen for a long time, by which time batteries could be much higher capacity.
.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
As are e-car sales of course. In both cases the high battery cost and not knowing the health of the used battery frightens off buyers.

With cars Renault's battery rental answers that problem, just pay monthly at one's individual annual mileage rate.

The battery has a projected 8 year life and it it drops below 75% capacity within that time, Renault replace it without any extra payment.
.
My car has another couple of years to go before it needs changing so by then things will be different.. Depending of course on how much it is worth..
 
  • Informative
Reactions: flecc

Auxtail

Pedelecer
Nov 1, 2017
32
16
57
Milton Keynes
Seems we aren't trying hard enough.

Norway has made the effort and in 2017 more than half of all new car sales were electric. That's stunning, showing what can be possible.
.
Big subsidies and not sure they have any big city issues. Actually fully electric I think is closer to 30%.
Hi Auxtail, welcome to the forum.

We have been developing ebikes for 12 years now and are spending all of our resources on a commuter model. The carbon motored version will tip the scales a under 11.7 kg (calculated) will have no cables to get caught up and will have a range of about 20 miles. Of course it will neatly fold to go into the back of a car or commuter train and be very manoeuvrable so it can be wheeled, folded, along the station platform.

We believe this is the next big market.

All the best, David
Hi David,
Good to meet you at Bike Place. I thought of your development when this post went up. Impressive specification, and weight. I think you may have a winner there. Good Luck.
Our rack weighs 13Kg to carry 2 electric bikes up to 25Kg each.
Cheers
Craig