The car manufacturers are coming!!

[gzoom]

I've owned an EV since 2015, and an eBike since 2019. Whilst I'm neve going to give up my car, my eBike is the best tool for inner city commuting. Reliable, cuts through traffic, parking literally by my desk etc etc.

Porsche bought Fazua a year ago, and now has bought Greyp. This is a very clear strategic move from Porsche to acquire the knowledge needed to build proper eBike (sorry DIY fans).

I'm really excited by this move, as where companies like Porsche go, others tend to follow. Having just acquired my 2nd eBike in 3 years, I cannot wait to see what Porsche can actually come up with.

My Specialized Creo is 12.5kg, but there are lots of generics parts on it. Am pretty sure Porsche have the engineers and know how on novel manufacturing techniques to produce a 10kg eBike.......cannot wait

https://insideevs.com/news/652557/porsche-acquires-greyp-ebike/

 

[Andy in Germany]

I've owned an EV since 2015, and an eBike since 2019. Whilst I'm neve going to give up my car, my eBike is the best tool for inner city commuting. Reliable, cuts through traffic, parking literally by my desk etc etc.

Porsche bought Fazua a year ago, and now has bought Greyp. This is a very clear strategic move from Porsche to acquire the knowledge needed to build proper eBike (sorry DIY fans).

I'm really excited by this move, as where companies like Porsche go, others tend to follow. Having just acquired my 2nd eBike in 3 years, I cannot wait to see what Porsche can actually come up with.

My Specialized Creo is 12.5kg, but there are lots of generics parts on it. Am pretty sure Porsche have the engineers and know how on novel manufacturing techniques to produce a 10kg eBike.......cannot wait

https://insideevs.com/news/652557/porsche-acquires-greyp-ebike/

From Elder Son's opinion of the Smart Bikes he had to repair, I'm not sure this is going to be the Great Leap Forward being suggested.

My own experience of other "car company" bikes support this. I'm almost inclined to think they're a conspiracy to put people off cycling; no-one could make bikes that bad unless they really studied first.

 

[the_mikey]

At best, I would simply consider those bikes to be branded lifestyle accessories that they can sell with a new car, and another way to keep a customer coming back to spend money. I realise this is a very cynical point of view, but once you recognise that there are people in society who will happily spend a months wages on a nylon bag if it has the right brand printed on the side, you will then see where car manufacturers are coming from.

 

[DRM]

Car manufacturers make very good cars these days, bike manufacturers make very good bikes, and never the twain shall meet, usual car company bikes are crap BSO's, over priced junk designed by one of Lord Sugars Apprentice rejects to seperate fools from their money, there is no way they can compete with the current bike industry, they can make better, cheaper bikes all day long, anyone into cycling with a wedge to spend on an expensive bike will be looking at brands with a Racing heritage, or a top notch custom steel frame designed to do what the customer wants, or a proven MTB or Gravel bike, even one of each if the wallet is deep enough! not what some twit from Porsche thinks a bike is

 

[Cycleops]

Car companies obviously have a lot of money to throw at this and I can see them head hunting expertise from electric bike companies and creating specialist engineering divisions to try and leapfrog ahead of the existing bike opposition.

 

[gzoom]

Racing heritage

I think you will find Porsche has more racing heritage, experience, track record than every pedal bike manfacture combine + more .

The process of producing a powered racing machine is something every car manfacture is well rehearsed for. When it comes to R&D these car manfactures have budgets on a different level.

Porsche buying Fazua was interesting, buying another eBike brand shows some real commitment.

Five figure pedal bikes are well established, so the market is there for something really innovative. We'll have to wait and see, my Creo is great but it's still very much built using normal parts.

I would really love to see what a bespoke eBike could look like built up using all the technology a company like Porsche has access to. So F1 levels of carbon frame production/tolerances, the latest in battery and motor tech coupled with drivetrain optimisations, slim down power electronics, and ofcourse aero gains to the smallest detail. It'll be £££££ to buy (and develop) but compared to a £100k+ Taycan still 'cheap'.

 

[Cycleops]

I think you will find Porsche has more racing heritage, experience, track record than every pedal bike manfacture combine + more .

And a pretty good track record of producing tanks for Hitler.

 

[Andy in Germany]

And a pretty good track record of producing tanks for Hitler.

Mostly these as far as I remember.

 

[Cycleops]

I don't think the huge Maus ever saw action in WW2 and only two were made. Porsche certainly made turrets for the famous Tiger as well as Henschel.
I always thought Porsche designed it but apparently it was Krupp.

 

[fossyant]

Unless you can make super light motors and batteries you won't see 10kg bike thats going to be affordable.



My commuter non-electric bike is quicker than an e-bike, and can be easily adapted for tarmac or mud. Why would I get a slower bike.

 

[Time Waster]

I think it all depends on the motor. Fossyant it seems is a better motor than is found on an ebike. I suspect that is not the case with me!

 

[fossyant]

You can keep your five figure pedal bikes. 99% of people can't afford one, nor is something that expensive particularly wise for commuting. You need good, but not ruinously expensive parts that wear out.

Also parking an expensive bike makes it a target. It was bad enough parking a £1,300 fixed gear bike at work.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I don't think the huge Maus ever saw action in WW2 and only two were made. Porsche certainly made turrets for the famous Tiger as well as Henschel.
I always thought Porsche designed it but apparently it was Krupp.

From what I've seen of car manufacturers bikes they're slightly lighter than the Maus.

 

[Time Waster]

The idea that bike manufacturers are good at making bikes is highly flawed. Mostly bike manufacturers make car branded bikes so if they're rubbish it's solely down to the bike manufacturer making to a lower budget than it's possible to make a good bike at. Albeit based on the brand's supplied budget.

Also, my Brompton is a good example of a badly made bike. Controversial?! Well I've got a few bikes and I've ridden them in all conditions, ridden them a lot in some cases. The only one that has developed rust was my Brompton, In the first year and half all bolts have rusted. There's chipped and bubbled paint, rusting. I am actually disgusted with the how little details like using good quality bolts got missed by Brompton. Now I need to replace them all.

Is is surface rust but it's also pitted rust so I think it's got deeper. Not great on a £1400 bike. My main hack bike is 8 years old planetx bike costing £650. Not got any rust despite my 4 years of nearly 5 days a week commuting on it for 48 weeks a year plus leisure rides and 2 week tours.

As to car brand's buying up ebike and ebike drive system companies, well isn't it better to buy up good tech in the sector than reinventing the wheel so to speak? If those are good brands then at least Porsche are starting off with good quality basics. They're not a bad car brand and I don't think their branded bikes will be as bad as say the land rover ones from years ago.

 

[presta]

One of the things that depresses me about ebikes in general is that they'll spell the end for bikes made from industry standard, compatible, interchangeable components. Once manufacturers decide to stop making spares all you've got is a load of scrap metal.

The era of the throwaway bike is just over the horizon.