Aside from exploring electric bike concepts of its own, Bosch provides powertrains and battery packs for many other manufacturers, and has now given this ecosystem a makeover. The company’s new smart system pulls all the necessary components for modern-day ebiking into one clean package, all governed by a new smartphone app that allows for individualized performance and over-the-air updates.
Perhaps the most notable feature of Bosch’s new ebike smart system is a new battery pack, which, like some of the company’s previous offerings, is tube-shaped and designed to slot into the bicycle’s down tube. The new PowerTube 750 offers a higher energy density than the PowerTube 625, however, and therefore a 20-percent greater range, according to the company. It can be fully charged in about six hours using Bosch’s 4A Charger.
The company has also updated its 85-Nm Performance Line CX drive unit for compatibility with the new smart system, and introduced a new Kiox 300 color display that mounts on the handlebars and tracks not just speed and battery levels, but offers access to fitness data and ride modes.
A new LED Remote is what connects the ebike with the smartphone app, and acts as a control center for switching between ride modes and displays things like battery status and level of pedal assist through different colored indicators.
The new eBike Flow app is the central hub for the various smart components, and allows users to customize their ride modes and record ride and fitness data. As new functions and updates become available for the battery, motor or other components, the Flow app can deliver them via Bluetooth to improve the performance of the ride. Over-the-air updates are something Bosch has offered before through specialist retailers for specific components, but the new smart system does appear to make it an impressively seamless affair.
“With the eBike Flow app and the smart system, we are continuously evolving the eBike experience and shaping the digital eBike mobility of the future,” says Claus Fleischer, CEO of Bosch eBike Systems.
Bosch’s connected smart system boosts ebike performance over the air [New Atlas]