eBikes: These Are the eMTB Trends for 2018/2019

Two interesting figures about the direction in the area of eMTB: according to SAZ Bike, 2935 Euros were paid this year per purchase of an eMountainbike in Germany. 41 percent of retailers are looking forward to better sales than expected.

The dazzling figures also have something to do with the innovations for the 2018/2019 season for the eMTBs: everything from special tyres and new engines to navigation systems is included.

E-Mountainbike goes Motocross: For the first time Schwalbe offers a tyre specially developed for eMTB with different sizes for front and rear wheels. The 29 x 2.4 inch front tyre should be more direct to steer andoffer better rollover characteristics than smaller tyres. With the 27.5 x 2.8 inch rear tyre, the power of the engine was taken into account in order to accelerate quickly on steep climbs and to provide a large contact surface for the fastest possible stop when braking.

The aim in developing Schwalbe's tubeless Eddy Current ("eddy current") was to achieve maximum performance under the most difficult conditions. "Such a bike weighs 22 to 25 kilograms, with up to 75 Newton metres of torque almost as high as on a motocross bike. Due to the stronger forces, we have borrowed from trial and motocross tyres, such as the stable studs, more rubber and larger widths," says Carl Kämper, Product Manager MTB tyres.

"I am pleased that the variety of engine manufacturers in the e-bike sector has increased even further. Even more companies from the automotive sector have found their way into the bicycle industry. This is good news," says Burkhard Stork, Federal Managing Director of the German Bicycle Club (ADFC).

Market leader Bosch is continuing to develop its engines further - from model year 2019, for example, the Performance CX line will feature an integrated tilt sensor that automatically adapts the pushing aid to the terrain. But automotive companies like Brose or Yamaha offer just as competitive drives as Shimano. New on the market is the Munich start-up Fazua with its detachable engine and 250-WH battery, which weighs just 3.3 kilograms. The unit used in the eMTB Focus Raven, for example, can be removed completely at the push of a button.

The first ABS for ebikes has arrived. Market leader Bosch launches the first anti-lock braking system for pedelecs. It was developed on the model of the proven motorcycle ABS. The principle: wheel speed sensors monitor the speed of both wheels. If the front wheel locks during a heavy braking manoeuvre, the eBike ABS intervenes and ensures riding stability.

In addition, there is an intelligent rear wheel lift-off control which reduces the probability of rollovers. A tool that could also be useful for eMTB's at high speed.

Digitalization and networking are, of course, also becoming an increasingly important topic for the eMTB. For eMTB's there are many smart smart smartphone apps with interface to the supplied display. Bike-Crowd from the IT service provider Double-Slash from Friedrichshafen, for example, is developing a route planner that also takes into account current weather data such as wind direction uAnd of course, uphill, downhill and driving style are taken into account.

Thus, the range of the eMTB can be calculated depending on the battery size. The navigation device should only be a puzzle piece of a large platform, via which dealers are networked with manufacturers. A software update should then also be possible there or emergency help should be organised. Let's start with the beta phase at the end of the year.

New companies are pushing into the eMTB market with innovative offers. One example is the automotive supplier Mubea (Muhr und Bender KG), who recently presented an extraordinary model - in terms of both appearance and data.

The self-developed engine with 8-speed gearbox produces 4 kW and is powered by a 1130 Wh battery.