Smart electric bike – how digitalization is revolutionizing e-bikes
Digitalization opens up fascinating opportunities to increase the longevity of electric bikes, improve user comfort and protect expensive pedelecs from theft. But it is only recently that companies have begun to really exploit this potential. Here we look at what this development means for e-bike owners, when an e-bike is a true smart e-bike and how the technology behind it works.
E-bikes are an expensive investment. That’s why their owners usually want
them to last a long time,
them to provide the greatest possible benefit or maximum riding enjoyment, and
the best possible protection against thieves.
Digitization opens up new possibilities in all 3 areas, but previous e-bikes have hardly taken advantage of them – not even those marketed under the dazzling term “smart e-bike”. It is only in the recent past that trends towards smart electric e-bikes worthy of the name have become apparent. What technologies are behind them and what “smart” means in this context, you can find out in the following.
Digitization of the smart ebike
First, a basic question: What does progressive digitalization mean in relation to bicycles or e-bikes?
The key factors in this context are
the rapid further development of smartphones into small high-performance computers with a lot of computing power
the availability of data that can be read out by means of sensors and micro-chips that can be built into e-bikes.
increasing possibilities to network objects with current radio standards, whether 5G and LTE- for long distances or Bluetooth Low Energy for short distances.
All these developments are closely linked to the Internet of Things (IoT). This means that physical objects are connected to each other, exchange data and, in part, perform actions on their own based on this data. A well-known example of the Internet of Things are smart home applications such as heaters that automatically adjust their temperature to the outside temperature.
Internet of Things: Many things can be controlled and monitored practically via smartphone app.
From the previous explanations it is already clear: to make an e-bike smart, it is not enough to give it an on-board computer and a sleek design.
Instead, a true smart e-bike fullfils four prerequisites:
Sensors and digital components are integrated in the e-bike (for example, acceleration sensor, rev counter, temperature sensor or air pressure sensor).
These can be connected to a smartphone via app or a server/”the cloud”.
The digital components in the e-bike and the server/the cloud as well as the smartphone exchange data.
The data collected by the sensors is used, for example, for theft protection or predictive maintenance.
Only when these requirements are met can one speak with a clear conscience of a smart bike.
A good example of a smart e-bike application is anti-theft protection via a GPS tracker. The position of an e-bike can be monitored in real time.
By the way: The smart e-bike we are talking about here has nothing to do with the “Smart” ebike that Daimler launched on the market a few years ago, which was characterized above all by a powerful motor and a futuristic design.
Excursus – smart bikes need electricity
Smart e-bikes have only existed since e-bikes have been around.
Why? Quite simply.
Both the collection of data via sensors and the exchange of data between components, systems and servers need electricity. But only e-bikes have the necessary power on board through their battery, unlike classic bicycles.
The potential of smart e-bikes – applications at a glance
1. Durability
Every e-bike, smart or not, consists of numerous wearing parts, from front and rear brakes, the light, the wheels, and gears to the drive, the rims or the power battery. Careful maintenance plays a decisive role in ensuring that these wearing parts function for longer. This also increases the overall service life of your pedelec.
Genuine smart e-bikes support maintenance by continuously collecting data on the condition of your e-bike and making it available to you, for example on the
battery charge level,
the condition of the brakes, chain or motor, or
tyre pressure.
With the help of this data, you can prevent accidents or breakdowns and carry out maintenance work, repairs or replace wear parts at an early stage.
There is also an additional bonus: you are more relaxed. After all, you don’t have to constantly check the condition of your bike. You also don’t have to worry as much about overlooking a defect and having the brakes fail on the next downhill ride.
Smart e-bike apps keep you informed about the condition of your e-bike (battery, brakes, etc.) so you can relax and do other things.
E-bike fleet operators benefit especially from smart e-bikes
E-bike fleet operators, for example e-bike rental companies or delivery services, sometimes manage thousands of bikes. For them, it is particularly important to stay up to date on the condition of their bikes.
In this context, data exchange via smart e-bikes has the following advantages:
It significantly reduces the maintenance effort.
The automatic data collection facilitates management.
The collected data provides new insights into the riding behaviour of customers or employees.
As a result, fleet operators benefit from high savings and a system that constantly optimises itself. Sometimes smart technologies even make new services possible.
2. More benefits in daily use
The data exchange in a smart e-bike can increase the riding pleasure and improve the user experience in several ways.
Route tracking: Smart systems save routes ridden on demand, without you having to press start or stop. This feature can be used for a logbook at work as well as for a private overview.
Display of CO2 savings: Display how much CO2 you have saved because you have ridden routes with the pedelec instead of by car.
Adaptation to heart rate: You want the motor to kick in only on uphill gradients? With a smart e-bike, you can set a heart rate that should not be exceeded.
Intelligent route planning: If you pair your smartphone via app with a smart e-bike, you can have routes displayed that are adapted to the battery power level of your bike.
Support for the purchase decision: If you want to trade in your current e-bike for a new one, a saved ride profile will help you find a suitable successor – no need of further assistance.
Sharing your location: With the help of IoT and GPS, you as a rider can share your current location at any time. This is especially useful for older people who often ride their pedelec alone.
Smart e-bikes applications make your life easier: they can help you monitor your sports performance, plan routes,
3. Protect your e-bike from theft
We have already mentioned this: Because of their high price, e-bikes are coveted by bike thieves. A good lock is important, but it will only protect your e-bike from experienced thieves to a limited extent. The situation is different if you upgrade your bike with a GPS tracker for theft protection. Then it is even protected if thieves hijack it in a van.
Best possible protection against theft: GPS trackers send an alarm to your smartphone if your e-bike is moved without authorization.
Excursion: Bluetooth or GPS – how components and servers communicate on a smart e-bike
Digital components of an e-bike can communicate with a server or the cloud in two ways.
Bluetooth: A Bluetooth module is integrated into your smart e-bike, which connects to your smartphone app. The smartphone in turn connects to the server or the cloud.
GPS tracker: Communication takes place via a GPS tracker on the e-bike. This can be compared to a modem that collects all the data from sensors and the like, “packages” it and transfers it to a server or the cloud.
One advantage of GPS trackers is that all services also work when your smartphone is not connected to the e-bike or when you and your e-bike are many kilometres apart. This is a decisive advantage in the case of theft.
How theft protection works with GPS trackers
Good GPS trackers for bicycles or e-bikes allow you to track the location of your bike at all times via app. In case of a theft attempt, a movement alarm is transmitted to your smartphone app. If you arrive too late to prevent the theft, you can transmit the live location of your bike directly to the police via the tracker app. The police can then arrest the thieves and recover your bike.
The reactions of bicycle insurance companies show how efficient such modern theft protection is. Even today, you can benefit from reduced premiums if you have a GPS tracker. In the future, the devices could even be a condition for signing a contract.
Good GPS trackers such as BikeTrax are mounted hidden on the e-bike and offer all the necessary features such as motion alarm, BikePass and much more.
Smart systems for e-bikes that increase durability, improve ease of use and the riding experience, as well as protect against thieves, are a comparatively new phenomenon.
It is true that the term “smart e-bike” or “smart pedelec” has been used diligently for several years. But the development of really smart systems for bikes with motors is only just beginning in 2021. This is also due to the fact that the e-bike industry is young. Manufacturers were initially busy optimising other areas such as the range of batteries, motor torque or the initially somewhat clunky design of their bikes. Smart or not smart was not the decisive question in this situation, nor was it a purchase criterion.
But in the meantime, e-bikes have come a long way.
This means that the next big evolutionary leap is now upon us:
extend the service life of e-bikes
increase the benefits and enjoyment of the bike
Making e-bikes theft-proof
Clear the stage for the smart e-bike:
Important: Not all smart bikes are the same – tips for buying a smart bike
If you want to buy a real smart e-bike, be careful. Because if the marketing departments of e-bike manufacturers have their way, the market is teeming with smart pedelecs.
But the fact that an e-bike and smartphone can be connected is not yet smart.
You can only talk about a real smart e-bike or smart pedelec when digital components such as sensors collect data and these data are processed and transported via a server/the cloud and the smartphone in such a way that you as the rider benefit from them.
An e-bike is only really “smart” when data is collected (via sensors), exchanged with the server/the cloud and used to your advantage.
Also note: Many new manufacturers who cleverly advertise a “smart e-bike” place emphasis on a sleek frame design and unusual features that seem interesting at first glance but are of little use at second glance. The e-bike itself is often of significantly lower quality than a comparable bike from established companies. So there is a risk that you will buy an e-bike that is neither smart nor particularly good.
PowUnity is a specialist for e-bike IoT solutions
Looking for a company that knows about smart e-bikes? PowUnity has focused from the beginning on developing a GPS anti-theft protection specifically for e-bikes. We know our customers, their biggest pain points and their wishes, because our support team has bikers on the phone every day.
All the learnings that we take away in direct customer exchanges is packed into a smart IoT system based on an integrated GPS tracker and a Bluetooth Energy module. Together with e-bike manufacturers, we develop smart e-bike solutions that are really smart. Today, the scope of this cooperation already ranges from simple GPS tracking solutions to fully comprehensive smart e-bike IoT solutions, including a manufacturer’s own white-label app for operating their e-bikes.
Hier erklären wir dir, wie du erkennst, welche Bosch-Version des Motors in deinem E-Bike verbaut ist.
If you have a Bosch "Active Line" motor, then it is a Bosch Generation 2 or 3 motor.
Hast du dein E-Bike in den Jahren 2020 - 2021 neu gekauft und hat dieses einen „Performance Line CX“ oder „Bosch Cargo Line“ Motor, dann ist es ein Bosch-Motor Generation 4 - nicht smart.
Wenn du dein E-Bike 2022 neu gekauft hast, dann ist darin ein Bosch-Motor Generation 4 - smart verbaut. Dies erkennst du auch, wenn am E-Bike eine „LED Remote“ Steuerzentrale angebracht ist.
Sollte diese Information nicht aus der Beschreibung deines Bikes mit Bosch-Motor hervorgehen, dann bekommst du diese Information bei Deinem E-Bike Händler.
Wenn du einen BikeTrax GPS-Tracker für E-Bikes bestellst, bekommt du eine Schritt-für-Schritt-Montageanleitung mitgeliefert. Darin wird Dir im Detail erklärt, wie du deinen BikeTrax GPS-Tracker einbaust, wo du diesen platzierst und auf welche Details du achten sollest.
Wenn deine Motorhaube die Tretkurbel wie auf der Abbildung umschließt, machen wir es dir leicht: Den Kurbelabzieher kannst du im nächsten Schritt schnell und einfach mit einem Klick bestellen und er wird dir zusammen mit dem GPS-Tracker geliefert.
Nähere Informationen dazu:
Bei einigen Elektrofahrradmodellen kann die Motorabdeckung (1) erst entfernt werden, nachdem die Tretkurbel (2) mit Hilfe eines Kurbelabziehers (3) abmontiert wurde. Erst dann kannst du BikeTrax in den Motorraum einbauen.
Kann der GPS-Tracker für E-Bikes mit
-Motor auch für andere E-Bike Motormodelle verwendet werden?
Im Großteil der Fälle benötigst du nur ein anderes Anschlusskabel. Dieses kannst du im Nachhinein bei PowUnity erwerben. Lediglich in Ausnahmefällen muss der komplette GPS-Tracker bei einem Motorwechsel ausgetauscht werden.
With some e-bike models, the cover of the engine compartment (1) can only be removed after the crank (2) has been taken off with a crank puller (3). Only then can you install BikeTrax into the engine compartment.
If the cover encloses the crank, as in the illustration, we make it easy for you: You can order the crank puller with just one click when placing your order, and it will be shipped to you together with the GPS tracker.
In this case, we recommend the 8mm HexLox Security Screw:
If you need to remove your crank before you can fit the GPS tracker into the engine compartment, you can additionally secure the Allen screw (1) of your crank with an 8mm HexLox Security Screw (2).
Once the so-called HexLox inlay has been inserted into the Allen screw, nobody can open the engine compartment with standard tools, let alone remove the GPS tracker.
Für Specialized E-Bikes mit Brose Motor gibt es einen speziellen Brose-Anschluss. Wähle den „Brose für Specialized E-Bikes“ Anschluss aus, falls Du ein Specialized E-Bike fährst. Für alle anderen E-Bike Hersteller, welche einen Brose Motor verbaut haben, gibt es einen einheitlichen „Universal“ BikeTrax-Anschluss.
In these cases we recommend you the battery extension for BikeTrax:
We always supply BikeTrax with an additional battery to ensure reliable and stable GPS reception if the e-bike is switched off and the battery is removed. It lasts up to 3 weeks when stationary.
However, we recommend our customers who do not use their e-bike for a longer period of time, e.g. in the winter months or during a longer vacation, to order the battery extension for the GPS tracker. This includes another additional battery and a Y-cable to which both batteries are connected.
Wie erkenne ich, welche Bosch-Version des Motors in meinem E-Bike verbaut ist?
Hast du einen Bosch „Active Line“ Motor, dann ist es ein Bosch-Motor der Generation 2 oder 3.
Hast du dein E-Bike in den Jahren 2020 – 2021 neu gekauft und hat dieses einen „Performance Line CX“ oder „Bosch Cargo Line“ Motor, dann ist es ein Bosch-Motor Generation 4 – nicht smart.
Wenn du dein E-Bike 2022 neu gekauft hast, dann ist darin ein Bosch-Motor Generation 4 – smart verbaut. Dies erkennst du auch, wenn am E-Bike eine „LED Remote“ Steuerzentrale angebracht ist.
We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us improve this website and your experience.If you are under 16 and wish to give consent to optional services, you must ask your legal guardians for permission.We use cookies and other technologies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience.Personal data may be processed (e.g. IP addresses), for example for personalized ads and content or ad and content measurement.You can find more information about the use of your data in our privacy policy.You can revoke or adjust your selection at any time under Settings.
If you are under 16 and wish to give consent to optional services, you must ask your legal guardians for permission.We use cookies and other technologies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience.Personal data may be processed (e.g. IP addresses), for example for personalized ads and content or ad and content measurement.You can find more information about the use of your data in our privacy policy.Here you will find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to entire categories or have more information displayed and only select certain cookies.