22 May 2019 685 words, 3 min. read

A new generation of electric bicycles: the match between France and Belgium is being replayed

By Lorène Fauvelle PhD in marketing, director of IntoTheMinds
After the marketing of electric bicycles and the spread of electric scooters in large cities, it is time for connected and high-end electric bikes. As this sector is trendy and entrepreneurial projects are multiplying in the field, we thought that […]

After the marketing of electric bicycles and the spread of electric scooters in large cities, it is time for connected and high-end electric bikes. As this sector is trendy and entrepreneurial projects are multiplying in the field, we thought that a look at 2 significant players could help those who are still at the market research stage. In today’s post, we compare two electric bicycles: Cowboy on one side and Coleen on the other.

Summary

  1. Cowboy: the Belgian connected electric bicycle
  2. Coleen: the top-of-the-range French-style electric bicycle

Cowboy: the Belgian connected electric bicycle

Founded in 2017 by three entrepreneurs, Adrien Roose, Karim Slaoui and Tanguy Goretti, Cowboy aims to improve mobility in the city and thus to democratise the urban electric bicycle by offering quality at a lower price than the current market. The company provides a mobility assistance system using speed and torque sensors that intuitively adapt to each individual’s road style. The system improves the speed and ease of pedalling.

Also, this Cowboy bike has a range of 50 km and is designed to ensure your safety on the road with safety lights at the front, rear, and a brake light that increases in intensity as you slow down.

Until then, we could say that it’s a nice, high-end electric bike. However, the creators do not stop there as they have developed their own mobile application to connect the bike to its user. Thus, the app allows you to switch the bike on and off, offers a dashboard to track the route (distance covered, speed, historic)… Subsequently, the ambition is to integrate a navigation system as well as a GPS tracking system for the bike. All this, and in particular the fact that the Cowboy bike is connected to the Internet, allows the start-up teams to diagnose and optimise your bike from a distance.

Two awards for Cowboy already

July 2017: Cowboy receives the first prize at Euro-bike, Europe’s leading bicycle show, for its price-quality ratio, design and lightness.

March 2018: Cowboy receives the Red Dot award, a prestigious prize for its innovative design.

Some data on the connected Cowboy electric bike:

Weight: 16 kg (including battery)
Range: up to 50 km
Charging time: 2.5 hours
Price: 1790 €

Important investors quickly took part in the project, such as Index Ventures, Hardware Club, Kima Ventures, Thibaud Elziere (eFounders), Bertrand Jelensperger (LaFourchette), Harold Mechelynck (Ogone), Frederic Potter (Netatmo), Francis Nappez (Blablacar)…

Coleen: French electric bike (very) top of the range

The French company, Coleen, also wanted to develop a jewel of an electric bicycle made in France, but from a perspective that differs from that of Cowboy. Inspired by Tesla, which offers electric cars with an elegant and very high-end design, Coleen presented its electric bike, very graphic and connected to the CES in Las Vegas in January 2019.

The design is conceived from A to Z to ensure performance on the one hand, and on the other hand to convey the idea of the bike’s top-of-the-range positioning. The battery and cables are well hidden, the lock and key of the bike are also not visible. The bike unlocks by Bluetooth as the owner approaches. Still, on the latest car model, the lights are automatically switched on, and the bike has a GPS sensor that not only geolocates the bicycle but also warns the owner of any suspicious movement.

With its transflective display (combining internal lighting and exterior light reflection) integrated into the handlebar to display essential information, the Coleen electric bicycle offers an even more advanced form of connection between the bike and the user.

Many ideas are being studied to diversify the company’s sources of income: leasing, customisation of its bicycle and accessories, and so on…

Some data on the connected electrical bicycle Coleen:

Weight: 18 kg
Range: 100 km
Partial charge (80%): 1.5 hours; full charge: 2.5 hours
Prices from €4,700

One more step has been taken for Coleen, thanks to a €1 million fundraising campaign with private investors thanks to Deomenos, Bpifrance, Crédit coopératif and the New Aquitaine Region. The purpose of this investment is to finance the production chain of Coleen bicycles, recruit a few employees and develop distribution networks.

Photo credit: Shutterstock



Posted in Innovation.

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