AI – or artificial intelligence – is currently on everyone’s lips. Now it is also used in an e-bike. The Acer company, which otherwise mainly produces computers, presented an electric bike with an AI-controlled motor this week.
The 16-kilogram pedelec is based on an aluminum alloy frame with a 20-inch front wheel with a single-arm guide and a rear wheel with a two-arm swing arm. The 460 Wh battery is housed in a control box together with the control module. A 250 W hub motor with a torque of 40 Newton meters works inside.
The Ebii has a driving assistant that is designed to adapt to the driver’s driving style, driving conditions and preferred level of assistance. The intelligent system should be able to learn over time. According to the manufacturer, it also saves driving habits for future trips. The stated top speed is 25 km/h.
An installed radar sensor should ensure the necessary safety, which according to the information draws attention to oncoming vehicles or other objects in the area. Accident detection is also installed. The tires are airless and should therefore be puncture-proof. In the dark, the front and rear lights switch on automatically.
As with modern cars (and now also with other electric bicycles), a connection with the smartphone via Bluetooth is also possible with the Ebii. The remaining range can be viewed using a special app. In addition, various functions can be controlled, such as locking and unlocking and the choice between the three driving modes Eco, Balance between performance and energy consumption and Boost mode. In the event of theft, a warning message with GPS location recording should be sent automatically to the owner’s smartphone.
Acer specifies a charging time of 2.5 hours for the battery charge. If this is fully charged, it should be able to take the e-bike up to 110 kilometers. In addition, the battery should be removable and can be used as a power bank for other mobile devices. AI is also used here: energy distribution controlled by the system increases the service life of the battery. The Ebii is not yet available. It is expected to be available from September at a price of at least 1,999 euros.
The Acer Ebii is not the first e-bike to work with integrated software solutions. Rather, the trend is gradually moving towards “smart bikes”. For example, the Urtopia carbon e-bike also relies on AI. Commands can be given using voice control. Like the Ebii, it also has a GPS location function and is compatible with an app. Overall, the technical specifications are similar to those of Acer; The Urtopia even weighs only 15 kilograms and, according to the manufacturer, can travel 100 kilometers on one battery charge. You can read how the e-bike rides here in the practical test.
Harley Davidson, known for its motorcycles, is now also developing smart e-bikes. The Serial 1 is available in different model variants, such as the Rush/City. It has an automatic transmission and several driving modes. It also enables connectivity to the Google Cloud service. Connected to a smartphone, the most important driving data should be recorded. The e-bike also has a monitoring system.
Sources: Acer, Handelsblatt, Urtopia, Serial1, Harley Davidson
