Artificial intelligence will change how we go for e-bike rides in future, according to one major manufacturer that has unveiled a means to use this emerging software to rule out range issues and find more comfortable routes in battery-assisted bicycles.
At the Eurobike bicycle fair in Frankfurt, German technology company Bosch presented a new AI solution called Range Control designed to make planning tours with e-bikes easier.
The navigation software uses AI to "learn" from live data, while taking into account various parameters such as the total weight, the route's elevation profile and individual riding habits to calculate the battery charge level a rider will have when reaching a destination.
At the start of a tour, riders can also set a minimum battery charge level they wish to have upon reaching their destination. In this case, the system dynamically regulates the electric motor and adjusts motor assistance as required.
Bosch says the predictions become increasingly accurate over time.
AI may also help with route planning, since the system learns over time which types of roads, surfaces and inclines are preferred and at what speeds they are typically ridden, and can suggest an appropriate route based on all of this.
At the bicycle fair in Frankfurt, Bosch also introduced innovative electric gear shifts that pave the way for e-bikes to change gears fully automatically.
Inexperienced e-bikers are sometimes unsure about selecting the correct gear, but with the automatic shift, developed in collaboration with specialists from TRP and Shimano, they can fully focus on the riding experience and traffic environment, Bosch says.
"E-bike riding becomes more comfortable, personalized and also safer," said Claus Fleischer, Managing Director of Bosch eBike Systems.
This Bosch subsidiary is one of the largest suppliers of e-bike components such as motors, batteries, and software for connected bikes, supplying bicycle manufacturers including Centurion, Cresta, Flyer, Gazelle, Kalkhoff, Kettler, KTM, Riese & Müller and Velo de Ville.
Fleischer told dpa that the demand for e-bikes is "still good," but admitted that it had been "better before." The industry is experiencing "headwinds from politics," which he said includes "a lack of courage regarding bicycle infrastructure and the expansion of cycle paths."
Fleischer said politicians need to recognize that bicycles and e-bikes provide "a great alternative for urban mobility as well as for leisure activities."