3 ms·

Most of the large bike manufacturers (Trek, Giant, Specialized, etc) make eBikes that use more standardized parts.

blackbeans 3y ago
But the electric components are not standardized. You can buy e-systems from Bosch, Yamaha, Shimano, Fazua, Mahle, Stromer, Bafang et cetera and they all have different dimensions, different mounting holes, different communication protocols and different chargers. If you need a replacement part as a consumer, you have no choice but to buy the same part, which is usually quite costly because of lack of competition.
- Daz1 3y ago
  Not sure why you think you're entitled to standardised parts across various manufacturers? When has that ever been the case for driveline components in vehicles more complicated than a standard pushbike?
- athrun 3y ago
  The tech is still rapidly evolving though—I'm not sure it's realistic to expect standardisation here for a while. Manufacturers are experimenting with form factors, perf-to-weight ratios, noise levels, weatherproofing, connectivity features, anti-theft mechanisms, ABS, etc. Battery connectivity and charging is where I'd personally like to see more standardisation—even if there are obvious form factor challenges. Standardisation here could drive costs down, which would benefit the entire market. Maybe the EU should start leaning in this area.
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djaychela 3y ago
Not my experience here - I bought a Giant eBike which has a Yamaha powertrain... which is neither fish nor fowl. Battery is Giant, motor is Yamaha, but it uses a different comms protocol between motor and battery than the later Giant-only ones, so it's actually Yamaha... and notorious for comms failures. Battery says it's OK, and motor says it's OK, but there's a comms issue between them, so no power. I'll need to spend time sitting on a 1-wire serial comms link to have any idea what's wrong (rumour is that the transistor that powers this in the motor is a common failure point). Some of these batteries can't be re-celled as if they've had a failure, the BMS deliberately goes into a 'permanently dead' mode, so it can't be recovered even if the dead cells are replaced. It's criminal what's happening in the proprietary eBike space.

But the electric components are not standardized. You can buy e-systems from Bosch, Yamaha, Shimano, Fazua, Mahle, Stromer, Bafang et cetera and they all have different dimensions, different mounting holes, different communication protocols and different chargers. If you need a replacement part as a consumer, you have no choice but to buy the same part, which is usually quite costly because of lack of competition.

Daz1 3y ago
Not sure why you think you're entitled to standardised parts across various manufacturers? When has that ever been the case for driveline components in vehicles more complicated than a standard pushbike?
athrun 3y ago
The tech is still rapidly evolving though—I'm not sure it's realistic to expect standardisation here for a while. Manufacturers are experimenting with form factors, perf-to-weight ratios, noise levels, weatherproofing, connectivity features, anti-theft mechanisms, ABS, etc. Battery connectivity and charging is where I'd personally like to see more standardisation—even if there are obvious form factor challenges. Standardisation here could drive costs down, which would benefit the entire market. Maybe the EU should start leaning in this area.

deleted 3y ago

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djaychela 3y ago

Not my experience here - I bought a Giant eBike which has a Yamaha powertrain... which is neither fish nor fowl. Battery is Giant, motor is Yamaha, but it uses a different comms protocol between motor and battery than the later Giant-only ones, so it's actually Yamaha... and notorious for comms failures. Battery says it's OK, and motor says it's OK, but there's a comms issue between them, so no power. I'll need to spend time sitting on a 1-wire serial comms link to have any idea what's wrong (rumour is that the transistor that powers this in the motor is a common failure point). Some of these batteries can't be re-celled as if they've had a failure, the BMS deliberately goes into a 'permanently dead' mode, so it can't be recovered even if the dead cells are replaced. It's criminal what's happening in the proprietary eBike space.