In a short time, e-bikes have evolved from clunky, clumsy add-on kits to relatively smoothly integrated systems. However, apart from the likes of Vivax, e-bikes are still pretty easy to tell apart from their solely human powered counterparts, but that’s set to change.
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Henry Bosch is the product coordinator for Shimano’s electric STEPS system. He believes that the future of e-bikes is one where they’ll be almost indistinguishable from normal machines, something he says Shimano — and competitors — are working towards.
“I think within one or two years you’ll have to look twice at a bike to see if it’s an e-bike or a normal one. People don’t want to ride on a bike that is covered with battery packs and has a really high weight. They want to be light and easy to handle and carry,” says Bosch.
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At the moment, the limits of battery technology mean that getting sufficient range requires a fairly large battery. Many bike manufacturers have been working to adapt existing systems into much cleaner looking designs, such as Lapierre’s new Overvolt AM700, which has the Bosch battery pack incorporated into the frame — right on top of the motor rather than the conventional downtube placement.
Specialized worked with motor manufacturer Brose on their Turbo Levo e-MTB to integrate the battery into the downtube to give a much cleaner looking machine.
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