The bicycle of the future

By Björn Carstens

As temperatures start rising many bicycle enthusiasts wake up from hibernation. While they were giving their bikes a break others continued refining the future of the electric bicycle. A player in the thick of the technological revolution: the motion technology company Schaeffler. The first cargo bike fleets are already on the road with the completely chainless Free Drive system from Schaeffler.

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Technology

The generator on the pedal axle is the centerpiece of the zero-emission bike-by-wire Free Drive system that doesn’t need an oily chain or sprocket wheel.

As an inverse electric motor, in a manner of speaking, the generator produces the electric power for the wheel hub motor driving the rear wheel. The generator setting provides a natural and pleasant pedal feel. If desired, the resistance while pedaling is lower than that of classic drive systems.

Schaeffler development

In addition to the generator and motor, a replaceable battery and digital human-machine interface are part of the Free Drive system that Schaeffler has developed together with an e-bike motor specialist.

Schaeffler has launched production for the first vehicle fleets and production capacities are continuously being ramped up.

First customer

As the first user the Munich-based mobility platform “Mocci,” which is part of the global CIP Group, has deployed the Free Drive system. Mocci has created a new vehicle class, the Smart Pedal Vehicle (SPV), according to information released by the company.

The Pedelec innovator aims to set new standards for commercial mobility in urban and industrial areas and to establish a combination of hardware, software, and innovative materials.

“With the partnership between Schaeffler and CIP, we strengthen Germany as a research and manufacturing location with innovative prowess and efficiency,” says Mocci co-founder Dimitrios Bachadakis.

“With the chainless drive, all-new bicycle architectures and pedal configurations are possible to include use cases with three or four wheels, with or without a roof.”

Mario Vondracek, product manager at Schaeffler

Benefits of the bike

Energy that is not used for propulsion is stored in the battery from where it is retrieved as needed.
The system can recuperate excess energy via the wheel hub motor, for instance on downhill stretches.
Complex chain changes are a thing of the past.
Fewer mechanical components such as chains or sprocket wheels mean less wear and maintenance requirements.

© Schaeffler

Further advantages

A digital gear change occurs automatically by means of software.
Instead of steel or aluminum frames Mocci uses a design with recyclable and robust plastics.
Luggage racks and trailer hitches make it possible to use a variety of trailers and box systems.
Since the Mocci bike is classified as a pedelec there are no requirements for insurance, taxation, driver’s license, and wearing of a helmet.

© CIP-Group

Use cases

Due to lower wear, operators of cargo bike fleets particularly benefit from the Mocci bike because their bikes can be operated for longer periods with fewer failures.
The Mocci bike is suitable for a variety of sectors: for transportation of food, for tradespeople, in event-related mobility, or as campus or fleet vehicles.
The Smart Pedal Vehicles can also be used in last-mile logistics, as courier vehicles, in parcel deliveries, or for freight haulers

© CIP-Group

Sustainable logistics

Delivery logistician “Bolloré Logistics” uses Mocci cargo bikes at its Hamburg location. The pedelecs replace vans and trucks for transporting tools, spare parts, and documents. Here’s a link to a video.

© Bollore

Market potential

If we give credence to market analysts and research institutes worldwide sales of electric cargo bikes will multiply in the next few years. The global market for electric bicycles was estimated at 44 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. It is expected that the market will grow from 50 billion U.S. dollars in 2024 to 150 billion U.S. dollars in 2032, reflecting an annual growth rate of 14.6% in the forecast period. (Source: Fortune Business Insights). In urban areas, electric cargo bikes are about 60 percent faster than delivery vans, reducing carbon dioxide emission by 90 percent compared to diesel-powered delivery vans and by one third compared to electric delivery vans, according to the Mobility Foresight website.

© CIP-Group

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