Ford Debuts E-Bikes at MWC 2015

As the world endeavours to better mobility and transport, Ford Motor Company is also working on expanding its global Ford Smart Mobility plan with a new experiment to study how electric bicycles can work seamlessly with cars and public transport to deliver faster and easier daily commutes and help businesses operating in urban centres.

Details of the experiment, Handle on Mobility, were detailed yesterday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It extends the range of transport solutions for a connected journey that is not only efficient, but also safe. It started with the company challenging its employees across the globe to submit designs for e-bikes. Out of the 100+ submissions, two e-bikes, i.e. MoDe:Me and MoDe:Pro made it to the Mobile World Congress.

The bikes, which can be folded into Ford vehicles, get a 200-watt motor with 9-amp-hour battery that provides electric pedal assist for speeds of up to 25Km/h, and also offer technology like a rear-facing ultrasonic sensor. This sensor enables a rider alert system that both warns the cyclist when a vehicle is overtaking, by vibrating both handlebars, and alerts motorists of the presence of the e-bike by illuminating handlebar lights.

The prototype e-bikes work with a prototype app called MoDe:Link, which is compatible with the iPhone 6. The app offers the following features:

a. Navigation: Handle-bar grip vibrations let the rider know when to turn. Turn signals are triggered automatically for safety. The app can identify bike-friendly roads, hazards and alerts, and will be able to sense, and communicate with other vehicles

b. Multimodal navigation and smart routing: Integrates journey planning with personal vehicle and public transportation networks, which can be filtered by cost, time, and amount of biking. Map includes weather, parking costs, and charging stations

c. Speed and comfort: Electric pedal assist rate can be adjusted based on heart rate, "No Sweat" mode reduces the requirement to pedal, allowing riders to arrive fresh at their destination

d. SYNC compatibility: While the e-bike is stowed and charging inside the vehicle, Ford's SYNC voice-activated connectivity system shows the app on the vehicle's display

Ken Washington, vice president, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, said, "There are so many ways to get around a city, but what is really needed is a way to connect all of these transport options together. Being able to seamlessly move between cars, buses, trains and e-bikes and react to changing traffic situations can make a big difference both for commuters and for those delivering goods, services and healthcare."