Compared to Europe’s strictly regulated electric bicycle market, the US has fewer restrictions on e-bikes. Bosch, one of the leading electric bicycle drive system manufacturers in Europe, hopes to see that change through the implementation of tighter safety regulations.
The US market isn’t quite the wild west, but it’s much closer to that end of the spectrum than Europe’s tightly-regulated electric bike market.
Hundreds of large and small e-bike companies and e-bike drive system manufacturers compete for their own sliver of the growing pie that is the US e-bike market, whereas the European market is dominated by a few larger players.
Bosch is perhaps the biggest, with its complete e-bike drive systems found on many of the most popular e-bikes in Europe.
Claudia Wasko, the general manager of Bosch E-bike Systems Americas, recently spoke to Bicycle Retailerabout Bosch’s desire to see increased federal oversight of electric bicycles in the US.
Wasko explained that Europe uses several standards for e-bikes and their batteries, including EN 15194 that covers common hazards and hazardous events related to e-bikes.
In the US on the other hand – the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – only recommends voluntary standards from organizations including ASTM, ANSI and UL, but the CPSC does not use Europe’s EN standards.
As Wasko explained, Bosch would like to see that changed so that the CPSC also covered e-bike safety standards in a more effective way, similar to the manner they have approached other products like hoverboards:
With e-bikes becoming more important in the U.S., Bosch would appreciate the CPSC becoming more involved in the topic of e-bike safety standards.
In 2018, the agency issued a letter that “urged” manufacturers and distributors of self-balancing scooters (hoverboards) to sell only products that comply with voluntary safety standards like UL 2272, which is a standard for electrical systems for personal e-mobility devices. Bosch would appreciate a similar approach for e-bikes.
Bosch also supports US e-bike safety regulations covering the entire e-bike system as opposed to just an individual part like the battery.
Most e-bikes sold in the US market use a combination of e-bike drive components from various suppliers; the motor might come from one supplier, while the battery and controller come from other suppliers. In Europe, it is more common for e-bikes to use a single unified supplier like Bosch to produce all components of the e-bike drive system.
Standards such as UL 2849 exist to cover broader e-bike systems including the drivetrain, battery, and charger. It’s a standard that Bosch would like to see applied to e-bikes in the US.
As Wasko continued:
UL 2849 has robust functional safety requirements for battery packs and battery management systems, and it also addresses risks associated with the other components of an e-bike system. Certification includes a detailed evaluation and testing of the drive unit, display unit, interconnecting cables and connectors, electrical accessories, battery system and charger system combinations.
Standards such as UL 2849 are essential to ensure safety through the thousands of cycles of charges and discharges. Testing and validating the safety of battery packs and battery management systems is needed to minimize the risk of fire and electric shock.
Getting certified to this system standard requires an investment of both time and money. Consequently, only a limited number of suppliers has taken these efforts.
The expense of these broader certifications makes it harder for new and smaller electric bicycle companies and component suppliers to compete against established industry giants like Bosch.
This would result in e-bike manufacturers having fewer choices for drivetrain components, with the remaining options likely consisting of larger companies like Bosch that can afford the certifications.
That’s a point that Wasko also made clear, though pointed to the safety benefits as Bosch’s rational for supporting complete system certification:
A system certification could decrease sourcing options for bicycle manufacturers who prefer to purchase e-bike components separately. But brands could undertake the efforts to comply with UL 2849. From the Bosch perspective, only complete-system standards can ensure the highest level of safety.
When discussing the difference between the EU and US markets for e-bikes, Wasko described the US e-bike market as lacking maturity compared to Europe’s e-bike market. In the US, it is common to order e-bikes online from direct-to-consumer companies. In Europe, most e-bikes are sold in bike shops that serve as middlemen between manufacturers and customers.
For many reasons including their perception, e-bikes in the U.S. have not reached the maturity level of the European market. The electrification rate in the U.S. is around 8%, compared to an average of 23% in Europe, with established countries reaching even 40-50%.
Electrek’s Take
The issue of increased e-bike regulations in the US is a touchy one.
American e-bike riders enjoy the benefits of looser restrictions that allow higher speeds and power levels. In Europe, it’s common for e-bike riders in bike lanes to be passed by pedal cyclists that traveling much faster than the e-bike’s 25 km/h (15 mph) speed limit.
In the US, e-bikes are often used on larger roads and outside of bike lanes, where higher power and speed limits help e-bikes keep up with US traffic levels.
Even if the issues of speed and power are put aside, safety regulations still create a massive point of contention. Few would object to the importance of safety regulations, but those that unfairly prevent smaller e-bike companies from competing or are crafted to benefit certain suppliers of complete e-bike systems could quickly draw accusations of bias.
While complete e-bike system regulations could certainly increase the safety of e-bikes, focusing on specific components – such as batteries – might be the most prudent choice in the short term. Batteries provide the most risk of any component on an e-bike, so they seem like the right place to start. And UL-rated batteries can of course be purchased by any manufacturer.
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Rivian will power its DC fast-charging network with renewable energy company RWE’s Champion Wind farm in Texas.
The two companies just signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for electricity from RWE’s repowered Champion Wind in Nolan and Mitchell counties, west of Abilene.
The 127-megawatt (MW) Champion Wind is getting new turbine nacelles and blades, which will extend the wind farm’s lifespan. Originally commissioned in 2008, the wind farm is expected to be fully upgraded by mid-2025. When the wind farm is back online, it’ll be capable of generating enough electricity to power nearly 1 billion miles of renewable driving every year for Rivian, or the equivalent of powering 36,000 homes annually in Texas.
This wind power is set to support Rivian’s DC fast-charging Adventure Network with renewable energy. Rivian has set a specific goal to enable 7 billion miles of renewable driving.
Paul Frey, Rivian’s VP of propulsion, charging & adventure products, said, “Champion Wind is a powerful enabler for Rivian drivers to become active participants in building a cleaner grid every time they charge their vehicle. This project shows the potential to meaningfully decarbonize the grid and support a more circular economy through reuse and recovery of existing infrastructure, all while maintaining highly competitive economics.”
Siemens Gamesa is supplying 41 turbines with new nacelles and blades on existing towers. The nacelles and blades are being manufactured in the US. In addition, as part of the repowering project, six new Siemens Gamesa turbines rated at 3.1 MW each will also be added to the wind farm.
The decommissioned wind turbine blades from Champion will be repurposed. RWE is working with REGEN Fiber, an Iowa-based company that recycles wind turbine blades to make reinforcement fibers for the construction industry. Those fibers are then used in concrete to add strength and durability, extending the lifespan of infrastructure.
RWE is the third-largest renewable energy company in the US.
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Rivian is bringing back its “All-Electric upgrade offer” from now until November 30th, but with some changes to the program.
Earlier this year, Rivian offered $1k-$5k off a new Rivian if you trade in an old gas car, from April to June. The offer was available for specific vehicles, and with a sliding discount scale based on which Rivian vehicle you order.
Now the program has come back, but with quite a few changes from the previous version.
As of today, October 31, if you buy a new Rivian R1T or R1S new inventory vehicle from the R1 Shop, you can get a $3,000 discount if you also prove that you own or lease a qualifying gas-powered vehicle.
This is simultaneously simpler, more lenient, and more restrictive than the previous offer, in various ways.
First, the discount is a flat $3k (or $4,100 CAD), rather than having a scale based on what model you order, which is more streamlined.
Second, the discount applies to every gas or hybrid vehicle owner – you don’t have to trade in your vehicle, and you’re not limited to a specific list of vehicles. Just prove that you own or lease a gas car (copy of registration, proof of insurance, etc), and you get the discount.
However, third, it’s more restrictive as to what vehicles you can purchase. The current offer applies only to Rivian new inventory vehicles in the R1 Shop, and excludes demo vehicles, pre-owned vehicles, or custom build vehicles. It also does not apply to Rivian’s base Dual Standard models, but everything else is fair game.
In order to qualify, you need to place your order between today and November 30, and you must take delivery of the vehicle before December 31. Check out all the specifics of the offer on Rivian’s site here.
Electrek’s Take
Rivian is clearly trying to round out its yearly numbers with this offer, as the market for pricy cars is somewhat soft with increased interest rates. It just slightly lowered its annual delivery guidance, now planning to see roughly similar deliveries this year than last.
But its R1 vehicles just got a huge refresh to help the company with costs and to offer new features. The R1S is still one of the most popular high-priced vehicles in the US, and the company’s products earn universal acclaim from owners.
The interesting thing is that Rivian had a similar offer earlier this year, before the refresh, to help clear out inventory of older vehicles. It didn’t see it fit to offer the discount last quarter, perhaps buoyed by the updated model, but after a rough Q3 of deliveries it now brought the offer back.
Rivian is still guiding to reach a slight gross profit in Q4, though we’re sure we’ll hear more about that in its upcoming quarterly earnings next week.
If our coverage of Rivian has helped inform you about the brand, feel free to use our Rivian referral code to get 6 months of free charging or 750 Rivian Rewards points with your purchase.
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Hyundai’s new low-cost EV is getting a bold design upgrade. The Hyundai Casper EV Cross was spotted for the first time in public, revealing new design elements.
Although we knew a rugged “Cross” variant was headed to Europe, this was the first time the domestic model was spotted with an upgraded design.
The Inster EV is Hyundai’s overseas version of its domestic Casper Electric model. In Korea, Hyundai’s Casper EV starts at around $20,000 (27.4 million won). Hyundai said its new EV can be bought for under $8,000 (10 million won) with subsidies.
In Europe, it starts at under $27,000 (25,000 euros). The Cross variant is built for “those looking for an EV with a more adventurous look,” Hyundai said.
Although it offers the same versatility as the standard model, the Inster EV Cross gains rugged design elements, including new front and rear bumpers, black claddings, skid plates, a roof rack, and more.
Here’s our first look at the Hyundai Casper EV Cross
After a rugged new variant with the Casper EV logo was spotted in Korea for the first time, a Cross model is expected to debut shortly.
The new video from HealerTV reveals added design elements, including the roof rack and more aggressive black trim.
The reporter notes that the Hyundai Casper EV Cross has a “much more mechanical and futuristic feel than the existing model.”
It almost appears “robot-like” with an added off-road feel. The Inster EV Cross gets up to 223 mi (360 km) WLTP driving range. In Korea, the Casper Electric is rated with up to 195 miles (315 km) driving range.
Although Hyundai Casper (Inster) EV is not expected to launch in the US, the low-cost model was spotted driving in California for the first time this month.
In the meantime, off-road fans can get in line for Hyundai’s upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which will be available with a rugged XRT trim. The 2025 IONIQ 5 XRT model was also recently caught testing ahead of deliveries.
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