Porsche hasn’t been coy about its electric bicycle ambitions over the last few years, but now the company is jumping in with both feet as it starts two new electric bicycle companies to expand its reach in the e-bike market.
Both are joint ventures founded in tandem by the automaker Porsche and the Dutch company Ponooc Investment B.V. this week.
The first of the two new companies will be known as Porsche eBike Performance GmbH and will focus largely on the development of electric bicycle components including motors, batteries, and drive software.
Porsche eBike Performance GmbH will likely draw heavily upon the technology developed by electric bicycle drive maker FAZUA, which Porsche acquired earlier this summer.
The second venture will be known as P2 eBike GmbH and will use the drive technology developed by Porsche eBike Performance GmbH to produce complete electric bicycles for consumers.
Jan Becker, the former CEO of Porsche Lifestyle GmbH & Co. KG, will become the chairman of Porsche eBike Performance GmbH. Moritz Failenschmid, the Managing Director at Focus Bikes, will become the chairman of P2 eBike GmbH.
As Porsche AG’s Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board Lutz Meschke explained:
We see great potential for Porsche in the eBike segment. This is why we are consistently expanding our activities in this area. Jan Becker and Moritz Failenschmid are proven experts when it comes to setting up and developing forward-looking and customer-oriented ventures. As part of a highly skilled and motivated team, they will prove this in the two joint ventures. As is characteristic of Porsche, it’s all about developing products that inspire people through intelligent design, sophisticated technology and outstanding performance.
A statement from the company explained that in addition to continuing to develop the FAZUA electric bicycle drive system, Porsche will now create “powerful” new electric bicycle motors under the Porsche nameplate.
In addition to those motors finding their way into Porsche’s e-bikes, the company also plans to provide the technology to other manufacturers around the world.
This news is just the latest in a string of e-bike related announcements from Porsche.
Porsche has already released several high-end electric bicycles under its own brand. It also purchased a controlling stake in premium electric mountain bike company Greyp last year, which was developed by electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac.
Earlier this year, the company began expanding its e-bike reach by investing in a 20% stake in FAZUA before ultimately buying the rest of the electric bicycle drivetrain maker earlier this summer.
Now it looks like Porsche has gone all in on electric bikes, seeking not only to build its own e-bikes but also to supply other major manufacturers with the motors, batteries and software needed to build their e-bikes as well.
In doing so, Porsche could be positioning itself as a major competitor to e-bike drive makers like Bosch, Brose, Bafang, Shimano, and Yamaha.
Electrek’s Take
If anyone needed more evidence that electric bicycles are the next major frontier in the electric vehicle space, let this serve as Exhibits A through Z.
It should come as no surprise; we’ve watched as electric bicycle sales in Europe have far exceeded sales of electric cars. And considering they take much less effort and material to produce, they are becoming an attractive target for automakers.
Those companies unfortunately only see the dollar signs (or euro signs, in this case). But if that’s what it takes to shove automakers towards smaller and more efficient vehicles, then I’m fine with it.
The world isn’t going to be saved by more Porsche Taycans on the road. Hell, it’s probably not going to be saved at all. But at least we all stand a much better chance if we can replace as many cars – electric or not – with lighter personal vehicles like bicycles, e-bikes, kickscooters, e-scooters and e-motorcycles.
Why not at least give humanity a fighting chance?
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Author: Micah Toll
Source: Electrek
