Lost in the shuffle of concept-mania at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show is the newly unveiled Ford E-Bike Concept. It’s not hard to see why Ford’s Eos Concept got all the attention – after all, it is an auto show – but the modern, minimalist electric-bike design is a gawk-worthy entrant itself.
The E-Bike Concept features a cross-gender design, and a 53-mile range from an electric motor in the front-wheel hub and an integrated lithium-ion battery within the frame. That range is aided by Ford’s F1-inspired “KERS” system, in which magnetostriction sensors convert magnetic energy into kinetic energy. The sensors read the front wheel’s revolutions and relay this information to the control unit, where it activates or deactivates the electric motor, providing a seamless integration of leg and electric motor power.
Ford says the E-Bike is just a concept and that it has no plans for production, but there is a niche market and precedent for an optional bike trim level. Volkswagen offered the Jetta Trek in the late 1990s, and Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and even Maserati, have all recently offered bicycle trims.
The Ford E-Bike could be a great option for the Edge Hybrid, forthcoming Focus Electric, and the Transit Connect Electric—a utility van in which many of its drivers perform short-distance deliveries.
“The E-Bike market is growing very, very rapidly, with some 30 million units sold globally last year,” said Axel Wilke, director, vehicle personalization, Ford Customer Service Division Europe. “We see E-Bikes as an important element of urban electric mobility. More and more people are using E‑Bikes for short distance commuting and they are becoming comfortable with the concept of electric mobility.”--blogs.automotive.com
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