Tammo king is the Director of product management of the traditional brand Kalkhoff. Kalkhoff is part of the Bicycle group Derby Cycle, the largest Bicycle manufacturer in Germany. From the beginning, the company focused on electric bikes. A Segment that is used for the two-Wheeler market becoming more and more important. We spoke with him about the Trends in the electro mobility on two wheels.
Mr. king, in Germany per year, nearly a Million E sold-wheels. There is no end to the Boom?
The the is we and all the other manufacturers to know whether. At the Moment, is certainly in sight to no end. We still reach many first-time buyers as new clients.
In the case of the cars, electric mobility is not just in Germany, so right on the spot. Other countries are turning their Traffic. In the case of the driving wheels, the looks different.
Yes, the E-wheels Germany is number One. So, a very different picture than the electric car. Only in the case of penetration, if not in absolute Numbers, the Netherlands. This can be surprised at that. The wheel has in the Netherlands always on a different significance. We assume that the European hinterland will follow suit. The market is growing so more.
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Why E-mobility is at the wheel and not the car works? What makes the difference?
The electric bike is because electric mobility is redeeming here, what the customer wants. In particular, in the range. Batteries with a capacity of 500 or 600 Wh. For almost all of the customer’s wishes. In the case of Alpine crossings, it could be a bit more, but not otherwise.
What will the future bring? Even more powerful batteries?
the size of The battery cells is not we, but our suppliers. How to take the only. But the performance should increase in density and the cells are small, we use smaller and lighter batteries. We will not increase the range in General. It is not necessary. Unlike cars, we have reached a good level.
How long holds a battery?
it depends on various factors. But if the battery is treated well, it will work perfectly for eight years. Even if the capacity decreases slightly.
If so many people E-buy wheels, will then be sold at all conventional wheels?
The paragraph of the conventional wheels is relatively stable. The are very different size dimensions. The electrical business is not the muscle wheels at the expense. This is for us and our dealers, of course, very pleasing.
There are now also quite viable brand wheels for about 2000 Euro. What your customers are looking for?
in fact, the customer is not so much on the cheap entry-level models, it is always more expensive bikes to be sold. Electric bikes are not fully to the end of the developed product, where it is passed down from Generation to Generation with small changes.
But?
much happened in such a short period of time: Integration is one of the important issues. Not only the cables, especially the battery disappear. You are invisibly integrated in the frame. This is important to our clients. A wheel is an aesthetic product and as it says then: It is something of value, if the battery is no longer seen as a bulky Egg is in the framework.
The invisible battery – is this the future?
the Integration of The battery will prevail in the market. I am convinced of that. As a layman you don’t see what’s behind it. In the case of the production of the framework, we have to change us completely. There’s a whole other precision with a small Gap is necessary for the fits.
Previously, there were various engine forms, today only the so-called mid-engines, the below are integrated in the frame.
In the case of the engines, the Central engine dominates the market. This is also the name of Bosch, but not alone. Bosch is clearly the dominant supplier, in addition there are also our own engine and a whole number of Asian manufacturers, which are already long in the technique.
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Why the hub motors are gone?
The hub motor is not per se bad. A hub motor can work extremely quiet, almost silent. The powertrain will not be charged with the power of the engine. The Motor and the wheel can be changed easily.
However, hub motors without a gearbox used to have a overheating problem on long slopes. In addition, the first electric-wheels had such engines and there were problems. The bad reputation is then left on the approach slopes. The not then. Now this is just a niche.
What do you say to the speed limit of 25 km/h, this is true for most E-bikes, Pedelecs,?
We have the strict separation between the 25 km/h and 45 km/h models. Because you have to go with the 45’s wheels are almost always on the road, not the faster wheels. Who was once with a wheel with a Tempo of 40 to 45 on a main road on the way, realizes that something is not fun.
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If I could wish something, that would be the Californian scheme: 32 km/h and then also on the bike path. Or, is more flexible and allows the faster wheels, the bike trails, if you drive faster than 25 km/h. With a Porsche you can in the Tempo-30-zones – if you stick to the Limit.
The top speed is strictly limited, but we are witnessing an arms race when it comes to torque. Why do you need so much torque?
This is a good question (laughs). The a is the fun, the other is “uphill”. Our customers love the feeling of Power when Starting – I even. You don’t need, but it feels good. And then you need the torque in the hilly terrain. Maybe not in the flat North, but there must also be no gradients, such as in the high mountains. To Stuttgart around the Ride is comfortable very much. A bit more power is an advantage, if it goes uphill.
And the downside?
So much load on the drive train and especially the pinion. So, you have a higher wear and tear. This is the disadvantage.
In the short time that you are in the market, changes in electric bikes is strong rt. What will the future bring?
In the market of E-bikes there is a special feature. Here, the Elderly were the trend setter or First Mover. Therefore, the novices were also a wide range of comfortable Deep. In the case of the forms has been done. We started with the deep-Leapers, now sports dominate more frames. Especially the classic trapezoidal frame with flattened top tube and the Lord of the framework have gained in importance.
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If it is not the pensioners, who buys these wheels?
The greatest movement there is at the trekking bikes. The E-wheels have stripped the senior Image and the commuter group, will be in stores. And want wheels sportier.
E-wheels were long considered to be embarrassing…
commuting to work, which is a change. Today you say, “I’m smart and drive with the bike to work”. At the beginning you embarrassed, but today this is no longer embarrassing, but also managers rise today, on an electric bike. And thanks to the engine it then travels a stretch of eight to ten kilometres without the sweaty arrive.
again and again we hear the theme of “sweaty”. Is it really so important?
and not move, is for commuters is an important factor. In the big cities, you realize the not so. But in smaller cities such as Oldenburg, you see, how many people are already a E-bike are on the road. There everything fits together: The routes are often longer than five but not more than ten kilometers, and the bike infrastructure is already in place.
Since some years, there is the Monk model. The wheel is then leased by the employer and is a tax advantage cheaper.
How to estimate we have 80 percent of the service wheels and an electric motor. This is currently clearly a driver from the area of electric mobility. The leasing model also leads to the fact that more expensive wheels are chosen, because you don’t have to pay 3000 euros at once.
Some employers support the Monk with co-payments. Earlier, Parking spaces were built for the employees, today, the Monk encouraged.
For employers, it is a point. Employees expect that the employer also promotes such models. Of course, the model of “Monk” for me, especially interesting, if my employer pays some of the costs. Then the wheel for the customer in the same measure is cheaper.
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Gernot Kramper
