smart ebike
The smart ebike is going into series production. A near-series version of the smart ebike will be on show at the Eurobike show in Friedrichshafen between 31st August and 3rd September 2011 before being on show at the Frankfurt Motor Show Show between 13th and 25th September 2011.
To be launched in the first half of 2012 initially marketed by dealers in Europe and North America, the smart ebike is being developed and built in cooperation with e-bike manufacturer GRACE, based near Berlin.
smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler says "The smart ebike is a true smart - but on two wheels. It is an extremely well designed bicycle that is sure to draw admiring glances in the city - it's also really practical and easy to ride. Anyone can zip through town on it with or without exerting themselves - depending on their fitness level and as their mood takes them. And it's even easier to find a parking space than with the smart fortwo."
According to the association of the two wheeler industry (ZIV), sales figures rose from 70,000 in 2007 to 200,000 in 2010 in Germany alone. The ZIV predicts that in 2018, e-bikes will count for around 15% of all bicycle sales in Germany.
For Europe, figures show that around 200,000 people chose an electric bicycle and the ZIV say that by 2009, the figure rose to 500,000. 700,000 e-bikes were sold across Europe in 2010, a 40% increase on the year before.
Annette Winkler says "We at smart have been gathering experience of electric drives and the mobility needs of city dwellers around the world for years. The smart ebike is the logical product of this experience and compliments the smart fortwo extremely well. We listened to what people wanted from the perfect city bike and then came up with some clever solutions such as the integrated USB port for smartphones and energy recuperation during braking."
