- Volkswagen and n+ have unveiled a new premium eBike series
- It has a reversing camera and radar-based blind spot warnings
- Smart glasses and a connected helmet complete the safety ecosystem
Volkswagen has taken some of the most advanced safety features from its passenger cars and squeezed them onto an electric bike, unveiling what is claimed to be the world’s first eBike with an integrated reversing camera and dashboard display.
Developed in collaboration with premium eBike manufacturer n+, the new Volkswagen-licensed e-bikes are designed around the same “safety first” philosophy that has informed the German automaker’s road vehicles for decades.
Instead of focusing solely on bigger batteries and more powerful engines, Volkswagen says the new range is designed to make cyclists more visible to drivers and more aware of their surroundings.
The core of the system is Smart View, which combines an integrated high-definition rear camera with radar-assisted traffic monitoring.
Neatly integrated into the handlebars, the screen takes a real-time feed from a high-definition camera mounted on the rear screen, enabling riders to see what’s happening behind them without having to turn their heads. At the same time, radar sensors similar to those offered by Garmin can also warn of approaching vehicles in a cyclist’s blind spot.
The technology is similar to the camera mirror systems increasingly found in modern passenger cars, and the company says it could represent one of the most significant safety advances to hit the eBike market in recent years.
Volkswagen and n+ have also developed a full-length illuminated LED strip that runs through the bike’s top tube. The system works like a running light for cars, but can also flash red when braking and yellow when turning, signaling a rider’s intentions to other road users.
An optional Smart Helmet can synchronize with the eBike via Bluetooth, mirror the bike’s light signals and incorporate a built-in accelerometer that can detect crashes and automatically send text messages to relatives in the event of an emergency.
Then there are the Smart Glasses, which are perhaps the most futuristic of all. Inspired by automotive head-up displays and developed by engineers who previously worked on fighter pilot helmet displays, the glasses can project navigation instructions, blind spots and driving information directly into a rider’s field of vision.
Peter Jost, CEO of Volkswagen Accessories, Lifestyle and Licensing Business, said that technologies like these are “best known from the automotive world” and that seeing them arrive on an eBike demonstrates how safety systems can be “evolved and adapted in meaningful ways”.
Despite the abundance of new technologies on board, the innovative eBikes are priced to rival premium competitors, with Sport models starting at £3,999 in the UK (around $5,300/AU$7,700) which include the Smart View rearview display. The smart helmet and smart glasses cost an additional £499 (around $670AU$960) each.
Analysis: are car safety systems the next big thing in eBikes?
As cities become increasingly congested and more people turn to electric bikes as an alternative to driving, safety is fast becoming one of the biggest battlegrounds in micromobility.
While innovations in recent years have largely centered on extending range and increasing power, there has been relatively little focus on helping cyclists avoid accidents in the first place.
Many companies that specialize in bicycle accessories have come up with safety solutions that help increase visibility and awareness of other vehicles, but this often requires cyclists to bolt on awkward pieces of technology.
Having it neatly integrated into the bike itself feels like a logical solution, and with commuters looking for increasingly cheaper ways to get from A to B, it may well be the kind of innovation that prompts motorists to ditch their cars in favor of something sleeker and greener.
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