First Bosch now Ford enter E Bike market!

[eddieo]

and looks a decent enough first effort as well.....

Bike Europe - News: Ford Is Next on E-bike Market

 

[flecc]

Interesting, but it won't be at a Ford type price, more a Bentley type of price!

 

[timidtom]

Mmmm .. was it designed by a committee?

 

[the_killjoy]

Reminds me of the Go-Cycle (?)

I love the quote :

“To avoid instability when accelerating the electric motor has a sophisticated control system. This ensures that the motor support is evenly built up and unwanted reaction forces can not occur."

Must stop those damn high speed wheelies

 

[eddieo]

Reminds me of the Go-Cycle (?)

I love the quote :

“To avoid instability when accelerating the electric motor has a sophisticated control system. This ensures that the motor support is evenly built up and unwanted reaction forces can not occur."

Must stop those damn high speed wheelies

from the company that brought us the GT40

 

[Scottyf]

High Speed wheelies. Need to invent a manual clutch system into the hub ;-)

Speaking of wheelies... Becasue an electric motor has its peak torque at 0rpm, its hideously easy to wheelie a Bicycle with a rear motor. Even on my large 700c wheels!

If Only I was good at getting a balance point!

Interesting concept by Ford though. Cannot make my mind up if I like the look of it though...

 

[flecc]

from the company that brought us the GT40

They've certainly changed their focus (sic) since then, now it's more about such things as self-parking models and "Econetic" economy versions, performance versions having nothing like the prominence of yesteryear.

 

[bode]

Have Ford heard about the EU's proposed ban on motors over 250w?

 

[flecc]

Speaking of wheelies... Becasue an electric motor has its peak torque at 0rpm, its hideously easy to wheelie a Bicycle with a rear motor. Even on my large 700c wheels!

And by the same virtue, crank drives as well, I even used to wheelie my Lafree of the mark with the earlier low power Panasonic unit.

 

[lemmy]

I have to watch my Tasman - in spite of being built like a tank, in 3rd gear and trying to step off as quickly as possible from the lights, I often find the front wheel lifting.

Most unseemly for an old gent like me on a sit up and beg bike

On the other hand, I can out accelerate cars for the first 5 or so metres from stand-still which is a big safety factor in my neck of the woods.

 

[mike killay]

Probably this bike is just an advertising feature to keep the magic word 'Ford' in people's conversation.
For a new entrant to the market, it is over teched and over speced. It will probably cost a fortune, even the smart phone dashboard will be costly and vulnerable to theft.
Quite a lot of older people ask me about my bike and I can see that they are interested, but when I tell them it costs over £1,000, they lose interest because many of them are OAP's.
It is alright for enthusiasts like us, but if the market is to grow, prices will have to be in the £500-£600 region.
That is why I think that the hub motor still has a future. Many possible new entrants to the market will be content with a simple bike with a simple motor attachment. The prize will go to the designer of a simple bolt on crank drive system.

 

[lectureral]

On the other hand, I can out accelerate cars for the first 5 or so metres from stand-still which is a big safety factor in my neck of the woods.

As a student I used to drive an Austin Champ which had about the same advantage at the lights - up to about 5 mph and the change from 1st into 2nd. The transmission used to break every few thousand miles.

 

[electric_avenue]

I see this concept version is 350W / 25Km/h so it would need tax, registration, insurance etc.