Swytch Technology of London is soon to launch an e-bike battery little larger than a (large) iPhone and — with the addition of an included wheel kit — this can turn any bike into an electric bike.
The company was founded in 2017 and has sold almost 40,000 units of its original e-bike conversion kit.
The battery for the original kit was contained in a handlebar bag. The new battery is smaller and lighter, and is shown in promotional videos being taken out of trouser pockets.
“Our new Swytch Kit is a game-changer,” said Swytch’s CTO and co-founder Dmitro Khroma adding that it is going to “disrupt the e-bike industry because it is so much lighter and smaller than anything else out there.”
The new battery weighs 1.5lb (700g) and provides 250 watts of power and enough range for a “daily commute,” claims the company. The product is being teased on the company’s website but no price is listed. The existing product costs $1,300.
Swytch said it currently sells 20,000 units a year and, with the new kit, is hoping to sell 50,000 units annually.
The company recently raised $4.9 million in equity investment, mostly from climate tech and sustainability focused investors including Green Angel Syndicate, Calyx Venture Fund and One Planet Capital.
The Swytch Kit comes with a new front wheel for a bike and, in corporate videos, the conversion from a standard bike to an e-bike takes just a few minutes, requiring no more than a hex key.
A snap-on pedal sensor detects pedalling and provides power to a 250W hub motor in the front wheel. The battery is attached to a mount bolted to handlebars.
Earlier this year Swytch opened an office in New York to service the US market.
