Every year, thousands descend on the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to see what's new and what's in store for the future in the fast-moving world of technology - and that includes e-bikes! Here are a few cool things that were on display at the show...
JackRabbit 'penny farthing-inspired' cross e-bike
Longing for yesteryear with a modern twist? Look no further than the JackRabbit, an e-bike that sort of looks like a Penny Farthing then shrunken a bit! Described as "a compact, lightweight and nimble electric vehicle for campus and urban mobility", the JackRabbit started out on Kickstarter which was successful before being shown off at CES. it weighs less than 9kg, it's foldable and can take on all terrain with its chunky tyres and 36 volt Brushless DC hub motor.
New Van Dessel e-bikes, powered by Panasonic
Panasonic is now working with Kent International to launched three models of e-bikes. They will all use Panasonic batteries and motors and all models are being designed and assembled in the U.S. The bike above is the the Univega USA touring e-bike. named UVG-1, and will feature Panasonic's X0 motor system. The other two bikes are the Van Dessel e-MTB and the Van Dessel gravel bike, named the Passepartout. Both are ground-up designs based around the Panasonic GX0 motor, and the e-MTB will be raced in the 2019 UCI-sanctioned eMountain bike world championship series.
Pragma Industries hydrogen bike
Pragma has been developing and producing hydrogen fuel cell modules for more then 10 years as an alternative solution to conventional battery-powered systems, and designing consumer products with their innovations integrated into them for the past five - and now their hydrogen-powered bike has landed Pragma with a CES Award nomination in the Smart Cities category. It's the first commercially available electrically assisted bike with a hydrogen fuel cell, and charges in just two minutes. The flagship Alpha2.0 has a Brose 36V electric motor, and lasts up to 100km on a single charge.
Cybic E-Legend, the first bike with Amazon Alexa
Arguably the most talked about cycling product on display at this year's CES, this is the first bike that will have Amazon Alexa built in. Asking for directions, turning lights on, picking music... all these things will be possible via voice-actived commands on the Cybic E-Legend, available in Halfords this summer. Check out our full article here.
The high-vis vest doubles as an airbag to help protect cyclists in the event of a road traffic collision. It’s made by Helite, a company based in Fontaine-lès-Dijon in eastern France and the prototype has won an innovation award in the wearable technology category at CES this week. Designed to protect the thorax, neck and back in the event of a collision, the airbag is deployed through two crash detector unit (CDU) sensors triggering a CO2 canister to inflate it. One sensor, in the garment itself, analyses the cyclist’s motion and detects when he or she is falling, while the other, fitted below the saddle, detects shocks. A Kickstarter campaign for the product will follow in April, with the B’Safe being shipped to consumers from Spring/Summer 2019.
Could you see yourself cruising round on a JackRabbit, or topping up your hydrogen fuel cell before going for a ride in the future? Let us know what your favourite CES innovations are in the comments.
