World
Taipei Cycle Award Refocuses Attention on Sodium-Ion Batteries
Taipei, Taiwan Chinese manufacturer Phylion has triumphed at Taipei Cycle’s 2023 Development & Innovation Awards with its first-generation sodium-ion battery cells, as the technology firms as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes. Phylion used Taiwan’s global bike trade show to highlight its self-developed sodium-ion battery cell models, the Golden Brick Version 30110 and 19118…
Giant Foreshadows Delayed Economic Recovery
Taichung City, Taiwan Inventory issues and the “headwind of economic outlook” will continue to affect short-term revenue and earning performance in the global bicycle industry, Giant Group declared in its 2022 financial year report released this month. The Taiwanese company says the bike market’s balance of the supply and demand is yet to normalise, although…
Production Breakthrough for Chainless Drive System
Munich, Germany The horizons for future e-bike designs opened considerably last month, when Munich-based e-cargo bike company Mocci became the first brand to go into production using a chainless drive system developed by fellow German company Schaeffler. The Free Drive system, unveiled back in August 2021 and now incorporated into Mocci’s Smart Pedal Vehicles, opens…
SRAM’s $490 Million Commitment to Taiwan
Taichung, Taiwan SRAM Group is investing A$490 million (10 billion New Taiwan dollars) in a new Taiwan plant, the US company announced last month. The new plant, in Taichung’s Tanzi District, will consolidate all of the company’s existing production facilities in the east-Asian country, developed during the company’s three decades in Taiwan. SRAM’s vice president…
$18 Million Injection as Arcimoto Resumes Production
Oregon, US A US company at the forefront of light electric vehicle production, Arcimoto, has accrued a total of US$18 million (A$26.71 million) in funding during the past two months, and late last month resumed production for 2023. Arcimoto recorded a nett loss of approximately US$17 million (A$25.28 million) in the third quarter of 2022,…
Podbike Starts Deliveries to Customers
Stavanger, Norway Norway’s Podbike has finally started delivering its Frikar light electric vehicle to customers, eight years after cofounder Per Hassel Sørensen embarked on a journey to build a better bike. “After all the stops and starts, engineering challenges, a global pandemic, a shortage of computer chips, and a painful trimming of staff last year…
Giant Jumps into Indoor Market with Stages Purchase
Portland, Oregon Giant Group has escalated its presence in the indoor cycling market by investing heavily in one of the leaders in the sector in North America, Stages Cycling Inc. Taiwan-based Giant announced a US$20 million (A$29 million) investment in Stages, including buying 32.5% of the company’s ordinary shares. A statement from Giant says the…
Folding Bike Giant Seeks Supply Solutions to Global Challenges
Greenford, UK Mounting predictions of a possible invasion of Taiwan by China is one of several reasons folding bike pioneer Brompton is shifting parts of its supply chain away from those two countries, the company has revealed. Additional global challenges such as Brexit, transportation through the Suez Canal and the impacts of Covid have all…
Mate’s First SUV Wins Design Award
Copenhagen, Denmark In the wake of Mate.Bike Australia’s launch in June, the parent company in Denmark has struck gold with its first e-cargo bike. The Mate SUV last week won the Gold distinction award at the German Design Award, the premier award of the German Design Council. The SUV was nominated because of its features…
Pierer Industrie Buys Syntace and Liteville
Wels, Austria Austrian motorcycle giant Pierer Industrie AG has acquired a majority stake in high-quality componentry manufacturer Syntace. The takeover includes Syntace’s MTB branch, Liteville. “The innovative strength of Syntace and the expertise of its technical staff is complementary to the Pierer Group, where technology and the transfer of know-how between the business units is…