E-Bike News: Integral and Addmotor E-Cargo models, new Yamaha technology and much more!

Addmotor Graoopro

A potential competitor to Maven is the new one Addmotor Graoopro. It’s also a step-through design with smaller wheels, a rear hub motor and the option of a second battery, although the standard offering of a single 960Wh unit should be sufficient for most riders. And like the Maven, it has indicators.

Payload capacity is listed at 204kg and there is also a throttle twist grip and torque sensor for smooth pedelec-style riding. It’s available to pre-order now and Addmotor says it will “ship in November.”

Does Yamaha’s future technology really point the way to the future?

Yamaha will be showcasing some future e-bike technology at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show according to Insideevs.

Your Y-01W AWD has two electric motors – one on each wheel, so yes, it is a four-wheel drive e-bike. “The two motors are complemented by not one, but two batteries, which enable long journeys between charges.” It is offered as an e-gravel bike, where the motors drive different wheels, which presumably provides better traction than “All Wheel Drive” (AWD) means. Interestingly, the article adds: “The concept model is expected to be classified as a fast pedelec in the European market, meaning it will have a top supported speed of more than 25 km/h (15 mph).”

In contrast, the Y-00Z MTB is a full-fledged e-MTB “that features a sophisticated electronic power steering system.” As the article says, the Y-00Z MTB looks little different from a normal E-MTB because the power steering is mainly housed in the head tube. As the article also notes, strong steering is generally not a problem, even on e-mountain bikes. Therefore, it will be interesting to learn more about what potential value Yamaha believes it is actually worth.

CPSC could regulate electric micromobility devices — but not so quickly

Bicycle & Retailer Industry News (BRAIN) reports “The Consumer Product Safety Commission will consider regulation of micromobility devices, including e-bikes, but does not expect anything final to come before 2025.”

Under pressure from some in the e-bike and e-scooter industry to adopt mandatory battery standards to address a recent surge in lithium battery fires, Commissioner Mary T. Boyle stated, “We will be proposing mandatory battery requirements.” Micromobility products. But it will take a while.”

Future developments will likely focus on the existing (but voluntary) standards UL 2271 and UL 2849 We explain the complexity of this in our article here. In short, the former only applies to the battery and the latter applies to the entire electronic system of the e-bike, including the battery and motor as well as other connected elements.

Plea for more protected bike paths, supported by death statistics

Streetsblog reports “More cyclists were killed in traffic accidents in New York City in the first nine months of 2023 than in any other year on record – and 94 percent of the victims were killed on roads without protected bike lanes, according to a new report from Transportation Alternatives “Place responsibility for the crisis squarely on Mayor Adams.”

The article also states, “Adams’ record as mayor has so far failed to deliver on his campaign promise to create 75 miles of new protected bike paths annually during his four years in office.”

While in an ideal world the number of traffic fatalities in New York would be zero, New York’s stubborn rejection of cycling fatalities does not mean that it is becoming more dangerous for cyclists – in fact, the opposite could be the case. As Momentum magazine reports on the recent bicycle boom in the USA“New York City took the lead in growth, nearly doubling its average daily bike volume in 2022 compared to 2019. Western metros, including San Diego, Bakersfield and Las Vegas, followed NYC in terms of growth over the three-year period.” So it could well be that cycling is becoming safer despite rising accident rates per mile traveled.

Medical benefits of e-bikes

Despite the news from New York, it is clearly the case that e-bikes are, when viewed as a whole, life-extending machines. And a few stories from the British ebiketips certainly suggest this:

“A University of Bristol.” Study on the enjoyment of riding an e-bike in adults with type 2 diabetes found that “e-biking was viewed as an easier way to manage their diabetes than diet or other types of exercise, largely because of the joy of cycling,” according to this recent article.

There is also the news that “Bristol researchers are looking for breast cancer patients to take part in an e-bike study.” Researchers from the Center for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences in Bristol will investigate whether a 12-week individual e-bike program can be used for people with breast cancer or breast cancer treatment is suitable and whether they can complete the program.”