2017: the year of bicycle digitalization

This will be an exciting year for e-bikes, announces Eurobike that will focus on innovations in this filed and will dedicate a large test fleet during the Festival days of it International Show (Friedrichshafen, Germany, August 30 – September 2, 2017).

With 200 million electric bicycles ridden today and a prevision 2 billion by 2050, according to the Electric Bike Worldwide Report, we are in a turning point for e-bikes and, in particular, for bicycle digitalization.

For definition, the use of digital technologies in the digitalization process aims at changing a business model thus providing new value-producing opportunities. In particular, in e-Mobility, bicycle digitalization starts with the digitization of vehicle data and the development of smart systems aiming at enhancing the retrieving of information both from the e-bike components and from the customers’ behaviours and vehicle usage.

This is exactly what ESB has done by providing an intelligent IoT solution that brings connectivity to e-bikes. ESB electronics is deeply integrated in the vehicle and allows manufacturers to manage a real-time components’ diagnostic by remote.

How does it work?

Digitized data from the vehicle are transferred to a cloud platform via Bluetooth or GPS/GPRS connection and can be accessed by manufacturers or retailers who manage the connected e-bikes or a bike-sharing fleet. At the same time, it is possible for the end-user to contact the customer assistance and ask for direct support by sending a message and receiving precise instructions by remote.

Moreover, the end-user will receive periodic notifications reminding to charge the e-bike battery in order to preserve its state of health and improve the vehicle performances.

In its article presenting Eurobike 2017, BikeEurope writes “digitalization, connectivity, and big data are increasingly becoming the focus of all bicycle industry stakeholders”. In addition, “This digitalization of the bicycle and its infrastructure is being shaped by specialized service providers with expertise not only in the bicycle industry but also in software development such as for Sitael with ESB connectivity system”.

Are you wondering what ESB is presenting this year? We are glad to meet you at Eurobike Show 2017.