Tech

Electric bikes: free charging stations make their debut in Europe

Bosch’s division dedicated to electric bicycles, Bosch eBike System, and the British NGO Sustrans have joined forces to realize a major project: the deployment of free electric charging stations throughout the UK’s national cycle network. United.

bosch sustrans bike terminals
Credits: Bosch eBike System

Urban mobility has experienced exponential growth in recent years. In France alone, there will be one million electric scooters in circulation in 2022, according to the latest estimates from the Statista site. Of course, electric bicycles occupy a large part of this sector, and many manufacturers have decided to enter this buoyant market, such as Citroën or Peugeot with eCO1.

And as with electric cars, iit will be necessary to invest massively in the charging offer if we want to see electrically assisted bicycles become more democratic in France and in Europe. A first step towards achieving this objective has just been taken on the other side of the Channel.

In fact, the brand Bosch eBike System has decided to join forces with the British NGO Sustrans for throwing the deployment of hundreds of free electric charging stations across the UK’s National Cycle Network.

Free electric charging for all…

These charging stations will give cyclists the confidence to cover long distances in the British countryside,” assures Sustrans in its press release. It should be remembered that the NGO at the origin of the creation of the National Cycle Network, a national network of cycle paths of more than 20,000 km in Great Britain.

For now, the project is in its infancy with six charging stations (called PowerStations), notably between Bristol and Bath, in Sherwood Forest and in Scotland along the Caledonia Way. As you will have understood, the purpose of the maneuver is to make “UK roads and countryside more accessible to people who use e-bikes to get around.”

Also read: This small kit allows you to transform any bike into an electric bike at a lower cost

bosch sustrans bike terminals
Credits: Sustrans

Under certain conditions for now

On the other hand, and this is where the shoe pinches, only e-bikes with Bosch batteries can currently use the first six PowerStations installed on the country’s roads. However and according to Sustrans, charging stations will eventually be compatible with other battery systems of electric bicycles. Depending on the battery size, it will take about an hour of charging to reach 80% autonomy.

Note that users will not have to bring their own charging cable. In fact, it will be enough to detach the battery from the bike and connect it to the charging cable mounted inside the charging compartments (whose access can be locked by a key provided) to charge. All you have to do is wait quietly during the process. Of course, it would be interesting to see a similar project come to life in France, and we hope that will be the case.

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