Project description
Innovative control system for e-bikes
The e-bike industry is gaining popularity. However, the limited autonomy of e-bikes represents a challenge for the market. The EU-funded LONGRIDER project is supporting Spain-based company ZUMA Innovation in introducing an innovative control system for e-bikes ensuring extended battery autonomy by applying extensive and efficient regenerative braking. The system supports the cyclist, when necessary, by controlling energy use. It also provides the feeling of continuously riding on flat terrain. The project is proposing two versions of this innovative system: an e-bike with the same battery size as competitors but lasting up to 200 % more, and an e-bike with a smaller battery size that ensures the same autonomy as competitors, but at a lower cost.
Objective
The e-bike industry is a blooming market since it provides a solid alternative for cleaner, more sustainable urban mobility. Annual e-bike sales are in the order of 3,400 M€ in Europe only and are expected to rise up to 7, 200 M€ by 2025. However, there is still an unsolved and recurrent complaint related to the limited autonomy of e-bikes.
LONGRIDER is a novel control system for e-bikes that provides extended battery autonomy by supporting the cyclist only when necessary and by applying extensive and efficient regenerative braking. By cleverly controlling the energy use (deliver and recover), the feeling for the cyclist is that of continuously riding on flat terrain irrespective of the terrain slope, and in the limit case it is even possible to make the battery last close-to-indefinitely (provided that the user is willing to compensate the system inefficiencies by pedaling). Thus, the value proposition of the LONGRIDER e-bike can be formulated in 2 ways:
-An e-bike with the same battery size as competitors that can last significantly more (up to 200% more with mild regenerative braking, and above that with a more intensive regeneration set-up)
-An e-bike with a smaller battery size than competitors for the same autonomy (LONGRIDER requires a battery-pack 60-70% smaller with the associated cost and weight reduction)
The development of this new concept is being carried out by a team that has extensive experience in the electric mobility industry developing next generation motors for electric vehicles, as well as a solid background in bicycles with over 10 patents related to innovative concepts for bicycles, some of them under licensing discussions with major brands in the bicycle industry (Sram, Campagnolo and FSA). ZUMA is currently working on patenting the LONGRIDER-related developments to secure a leading market position.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- social sciencessocial geographytransportelectric vehicles
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
48960 Galdakao
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.