The e-bike industry is sitting on a goldmine of data - why aren’t we using it?
Sten Soomlais, Product Manager at Comodule
As e-bikes have become more intelligent, many of them can gather a volume of data like speed, distance, or more granular info about the bike’s performance. And yet, we're facing a fundamental question as an industry: why aren’t we using this data? I’m sure the insights could improve the rider experience and offer better e-bikes, but what's stopping us?
For now, the most tangible use case for data is ride statistics, usually visible for the rider on the app that is paired with their e-bike. While riders enjoy comparing their rides and seeing how their speed evolves over-time, there is untapped potential in the data for manufacturers. We have the hardware to track every motor surge and battery cycle, yet many manufacturers still rely on traditional surveys, spreadsheets, and gut feelings to design their next models. It’s time to stop just collecting data and start using it to build better bikes.
Comodule’s IoT systems are already deeply integrated into the world’s leading drive systems, streaming granular diagnostic data in real-time. Here's what I think could help the industry to cross the chasm from having connectivity to being data-driven:
Data has to be easily available
Data shouldn't be a black box. Immediate and visual access to everyone helps to recognize patterns and gain valuable insights. We know how many bikes were sold, but we might find answers to questions such as:
What‘s the average battery usage per trip and per day?
How often do people charge their bikes, and is the battery large enough for comfortable daily usage?
Is the bike used by a single person or multiple users (input for product teams to think about how to make rider position easily adjustable)
Is there a spike in error codes when the weather gets colder?
How does the calculated range compare to the actual mileage people get from their bikes?
There might be a great story or an untapped segment hidden in all this information. At Comodule, we’ve implemented automatic trip detection, so no bike ride goes untracked. All the ride stats are automatically available for cyclists from the Comodule Companion App. Currently, manufacturers can use this aggregated anonymous data by syncing their own dashboards with the IoT system. The data must be available to all the teams, especially as a direct feedback loop to the engineering and product teams. IoT data can serve as the unfiltered truth that confirms or disproves laboratory tests. If the data shows that 80% of riders never use the highest assist level, R&D can re-allocate resources to optimize the battery range for mid-level assist in the next model.
2. Clear examples of how to turn diagnostics into cost savings
For an e-bike manufacturer, it is crucial that their bikes don’t break and riders can keep on cycling. Using real-life data, it’s possible to create a system that helps cyclists to take care of their bike preventively, making the bike and the brand behind it more reliable. Instead of waiting for a rider to bring a broken bike into a shop, the data-driven manufacturer reaches out first. By monitoring battery health and drivetrain performance remotely, brands can offer automated maintenance reminders, turning a potential failure into a premium service touchpoint. This can be especially helpful for D2C brands that don’t have a dealer network.
In addition, bike brands can identify weak links before they lead to mass recalls. And there's proof that it works! Early adopters have already seen a 66% reduction in breakdowns by using IoT insights to reinforce specific mechanical parts based on real-world wear-and-tear data.
Need more ideas on how to use the data? I can think of many: more accurate forecasting and product planning, better targeted marketing, improved customer experience, to name a few.
3. Resources to decipher the data
While having data is a great start, the e-bike industry’s real hurdle is interpretation. Most manufacturers are bike experts, not data scientists. There isn't an easy solution to tackle this issue, but I believe this could be solved by joining forces and building a system that works for everyone. Comodule is open to working with the industry to make this change happen.
We can build high-tech bikes, so let's become a high-tech industry and stop flying blind. The leap from the current situation to digitalising the way e-bike companies work is within reach. Reach out to me at sten@comodule.com if you want to change ideas on how to make it happen.