It goes without saying that e-bikes are pretty damn cool. I’ve long believed they’ll play a major role in the future of how people get around. And with big names like Shimano, Bosch, and Yamaha rolling out innovations in the e-bike scene, the market is buzzing with new tech left and right.
German company Bosch may be familiar to you as a maker of power tools, windshield wipers, and spark plugs. But recent years have put Bosch in the spotlight thanks to its e-bike motor and battery tech. And its latest announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) just might take e-bike security to the next level: a remotely lockable e-bike battery.
It makes use of Bosch’s existing ecosystem of e-bike tech which, by using Bosch’s Flow+ app, e-bike owners can digitally lock their battery when the bike is switched off. If someone snags the battery and tries to install it on another Bosch-powered e-bike, the battery won’t work, as it has been locked with the credentials of the owner.
Even better, it adds insult to injury by disabling motor support on the bike the stolen battery was installed on, rendering it practically useless.
Apart from improving security and deterring theft, the new system will also allow owners to create digital keys for friends or family, letting them share a single bike.
This feature will roll out later this summer via an over-the-air update for Bosch’s smart system-equipped e-bikes. It’s the latest in a series of security upgrades from Bosch, which already offers smartphone-based locks, alarms, and traditional mechanical systems.
But Bosch didn’t stop there. At CES, the company teased an AI-powered feature that allows riders to set a target battery charge level for their trips. At the moment, details surrounding this innovation are sparse, but this could be a game-changer for battery management and reducing range anxiety. After all, e-bike systems have become so smart that they can automatically adjust motor output to further optimize battery performance.
Plus, even if the battery does go out, it isn’t the end of the world, as you’ve got two muscly things called legs that can do some of the work for you. It’ll burn some extra calories, too.
Now, while Bosch’s lockable battery tech is pretty smart, it’s by no means fireproof. We live in an age where pretty much anything digital is vulnerable to hacking, and e-bikes aren’t exempt by any measure. Head on over to Amazon or eBay, and speed limiter hacks for all sorts of mainstream e-bikes are easy to come by with a tap of your finger. So no, it’s not far-fetched to imagine someone cracking this new virtual lock.
That said, it’s an added layer of deterrence. After all, security isn’t about making theft impossible, as there’ll always be hoodlums out there looking to get our stuff. Instead, it’s about making it inconvenient enough for thieves to move on, and ultimately have them looking for an easier target (which hopefully isn’t you).
Sources: TechCrunch, Bosch
