Auxtail

There should be some more green electric bikes on the streets of MK soon.

Sorry to bearer of bad news. I wouldn't fix an electric bike to the rear hatch of a new car. At best the paint will rub off. Most boots are now very thin metal and lots of plastic, especially the roof spoiler. Car manufacturers won't sell you a hatch mounted rack, because they don't want the trouble. There is no security for rear hatch mounted carriers and that's a lot of bike.

HI David, Electric Bike share is big business in US, see Uber and Lyft. This design is pretty similar to their requirements. Step Thru, electric and robust. I think there are a few operators out there, but Santander are the biggest. If you need a contact I can DM. Might need to bring the price down. Target weight 20Kg. High tension steel probably. Cheers Craig PS. Like the lots of people with great ideas quote.

Enjoyed this thread as a car industry man (office based Japanese Brand). Pretty sure the reliability has improved overall during my 20 years in the trade. Now I am a cycling evangelist and trying to get my startup off the ground. Main idea is to integrate bikes with cars! I have designs on fully integrating the rack onto the car, but so far the rack needs to be put in the boot. I wouldn't recommend a van if you can help it as the acoustics inside a big metal box are never great. Most towbars are specified to allow for 2 E bikes now. I designed these before leaving my last company. S load is the important figure. I don't think fixing to a towball is a good idea though. You need to apply a lot of force and this damages the surface treatments. Hence our Flange Towbar option. We are in discussion with a towbar manufacturer to offer an under the bumper fitting point for more vehicles.

If you take off the batteries, roof mounting may be an option. Most roof carriers are limited to 16Kg, but pretty hard to lift 15kg+ above your head and locate accurately. Saris Bones may survive the load but the contact points on the vehicle will be taking some significant point loads. Paint damage is certain, dents a distinct probability. If you have a flange towbar there are some carriers that sit between the caravan and vehicle, lifting the bikes up high. Be careful not to exceed nose load. Otherwise try to get them in the caravan. May need to remove front wheel. and bend handlebars.

Fast loading cycle carrier for cars. I suspect transition time is a big factor in which method people employ.

I agree with your analysis of this trend. I am also very interested in this phenomena and have been lobbying the local councils and transport authorities in the UK to add facilities. My local council have a plan to add 3 hubs. Hopefully due to me. The hubs should have car clubs, public transport and cycle routes to city centre. My company has a fast external rack to aid transitions. Hopefully this might assist in Ebike Park n Pedal/Bike in the future. I would be interested in understanding your research further?

It depends on vehicle a bit. Some towbars are not so common. I suspect Mitsubishi fits this category, so price is higher. Fitting shouldn't take more than 2 hours for most experts. I did myself and took 3 ish + 1 hour for electrics. I recon on £100 for fitting based on 2 hours. £300 is probably best price and £400 is average. £500 is top end. Of course you may have bought a detachable towball which probably adds £50-100 too.

Yes stay clear of volvo towbar and you should find something reasonable. All towbars have to comply to the same regulations, so a £100 is still safe, if fitted properly. I recommend getting this done professionally unless you like spending along time under cars, and have a big torque wrench. You do want some vehicle specific electrics though on a nice newish car. Splicing could be expensive if it goes wrong. I managed to find some on Ebay for my XC60 for £100, So all in towbar for £300 if you shop wisely. Some more guidance on the link. https://auxtail.com/towbars/ Auxtail make a nice 2 bike carrier too.

I have heard of a liking for old XC90 on Singletrack forums. Not sure how big your bikes are, but reckon that could swallow a large load.

I know that the government is getting excited about high viz and safety, but as elecric bikes already include a battery, wouldn't it be more sensible to mandate front and rear lights. WIth modern sealed LED's these are unlikely to ever need servicing and probably don't cost the earth too. What do you think?

Name proposal , Magnet or Rare It sounds like a really clever technology that. Simple. Cheers Craig

Hi David, Styling looks great. I think I would like lights front and rear as well as mudguards. I note you are planning a carbon band version which sounds good too. Good Luck Craig

Big subsidies and not sure they have any big city issues. Actually fully electric I think is closer to 30%. 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

Electric cars. I do not include hybrids. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-06/the-electric-car-revolution-is-accelerating Electric Bikes. Difficult to get good figures. This is based on value. Most sales are in China. https://cyclingindustry.news/global-bicycle-market-expected-to-reach-59-9-billion-by-2021-says-lucintel-report/

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

https://www.bultaco.co.uk/ do some speed pedelecs. Look nice. Probably need to buy through a retailer to let them do the registration. Number plate etc. You will also need insurance and a license.

I don't suppose you have considered a park and pedal commute. This might suit you if the last bit is into a busy town. Otherwise S Pedelec sounds the solution as you don't want to sit on busy roads at 15mph. The safety stats don't look good for cyclist then.

Yes Westfalia BC60 has a box option and a 3rd bike extension as well. As this is an electrics forum, please be careful about weights. 3 electrics on a towball is not a good idea. 60Kg based on 2 bikes is the most the germans allow.

Is this bike legal on cycle paths/shared paths?

Be careful your rack may have a vertical frame that will also present problems to load to 1st rail from the side. Loading to 2nd rail will be hindered by 1st bike. MIght be worth checking.

[mention=15337]DouglasXK[/mention] I have heard of tailgate mounted ones ripping off the rear of cars. Please add secondary safety. Cable through the towing eye. Just in case.

"The big issue with the Levo is the oversized tube and clamps don't get around it." Original post

Original post had oversize tube, so I suspect the Thule towbar products won't fit. Best get a tyre grip style carrier.

The Inno looks good. Make sure your bike is under the 23Kg. Not sure if you can remove the battery on a Levo. If you are over weight, you need to go to towbar fix as Inno is about the highest spec I have seen advertised. Pretty sure Thule only go to 18Kgs. If you decide on a towbar fit then please review ours. https://auxtail.com/