Chain-free drives: Podbike welcomes EU recognition as pedelec

Electric bicycles driven by a serial hybrid system, which includes the four-wheeled velomobile Frikar, have now been legally recognized by the European Union as e-bikes (and not as cars). The Norwegian manufacturer, currently working on the market launch of its model, welcomed this long-overdue step. The serial drives, which do not use a chain and transfer pedal power via a generator, are also increasingly being used in cargo bikes, which need to be particularly robust and low-maintenance. Recently, for example, Pendix presented such a system at the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, specifically designed for e-cargo bikes. The auto supplier Schaeffler also presented a chainless "bike-by-wire" system consisting of a generator and electric motor, developed with cargo bike drive specialist Heinzmann at Eurobike 2021. It is set to premiere with the Bavarian cargo bike manufacturer BAYK and is capable of recuperation. Cargo bike manufacturers like Vowag, Citkar, and UM are also already using such solutions. 

"This is a groundbreaking moment for us. Five years of lobbying by Podbike and other European members of the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA-EU) have finally paid off. The change has removed a significant regulatory bottleneck that restricted the technological development of e-bikes in Europe. This is a decisive turning point for e-bikes in Europe," explains the manufacturer.

They point to the technical pioneer of the serial hybrid drive Mando, whose model Footloose initially raised the question of approval.

"The Footloose was a radical departure from standard bicycle design, as it had no chain. Instead, the cranks were connected to a fully enclosed generator that transmitted human-generated energy from the pedals directly to the motor. The motor was integrated directly into the hub of the rear wheel," recalls the Norwegian provider.

Overall, twelve EU members expressed their concerns to the European Commission about bicycles operated with the hybrid system. The only EU country that preemptively approved system hybrid bikes was the Netherlands. The slow response of the EU discouraged investment in the development of hybrid bicycles and likely prevented other e-bike innovations over the past five years, Podbike criticizes.

Five years for a regulation that seems self-evident

With the new regulation, the issue of hybrid system regulation has finally been resolved. LEVA-EU presented a detailed statement to the European Commission and the members of the twelve EU countries that opposed the hybrid system. At a meeting on February 17, 2022, the technical aspects and market potential of this new type of human-powered and battery-assisted vehicle were explained in detail, the provider continues. Consequently, there are now four different criteria that system hybrid bicycles must meet to be classified as e-bikes.

• The power output of the electric motor must be limited to 250 watts.
• The motor must turn off when the rider stops pedaling.
• The motor must remain an auxiliary energy source. This means that it must not be possible to drive the bicycle solely by motor power. This is a significant change, as the Mando Footloose could be ridden simply by pulling a lever on the handlebar without the rider having to pedal.
• A chain to generate kinetic energy is no longer required to be classified as an e-bike.

Any e-bike that meets these criteria now complies with EU road traffic regulations. This change to regulation 168/2013 opens the door in the EU for FRIKAR and other new EPAC designs, particularly cargo bikes based on a combination of human and battery power. In EU jargon, e-bikes are officially known as EPACs, Electrically Power Assisted Cycles.