July 2017| 27
-bikes are often referred to as the future of cycling, or
even of transport, but what about the future of e-bikes
We are currently in a situation where, as technology
advances, e-bikes become cheaper. As they become
cheaper, more people buy them, and as more people
buy them, manufacturers are more willing to push the
boundaries of what could previously be done with e-bikes.
This can be seen as a highly virtuous
cycle, to use a lame pun.
around battery design. Currently, e-bike batteries are
basically very similar to laptop batteries. The four main
battery cell manufacturers, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic,
and LG, used to make battery cells that could be linked
together in a cylinder so as to provide power for T goods
such as laptops. Now, laptops and newcomers to the T
industry, such as smartphones, use at batteries. Cell
manufacturers have
since concentrated
on advancing at
cells, meaning that
an e-bike battery was
constructed in an old-
school manner. They
also did not see enough
of a market in e-bikes
to push forward with newer and better technology for
cylindrical cell batteries.
tion
We are currently in a situa
nces,
where, as technology adva
e-bikes become cheaper.
One of the main brands
to encapsulate this point
is Gocycle. Founded and
run by the former F1
car designer, Richard
Thorpe, the company
has brought lightweight
technologies to the world of folding e-bikes, as well as
the idea of using in ection-moulded magnesium alloy.
This has allowed his company to create a space-age
lightweight and comfortable chassis for consumers; not
only is the frame made from th