Brose & Comodule debut dedicated e-bike sharing solution

Automotive supplier and manufacturer of e-bike drives Brose, and the connectivity specialist Comodule have presented a modular plug-and-play solution for e-bike sharing. Brose Connected Drive combines their drive with a connectivity module developed for fleet operators like Lime/Uber.

The product called Brose Connected Drive combines the Brose Drive C drive with a networking module that offers fleet operators digital functions. Brose and Comodule are targeting sharing providers, large companies or municipal utilities that offer e-bikes to their customers. The partners stress that their solution is easier and cheaper to maintain compared with other existing connectivity solutions many fleet operators use. Brose Connected Drive would solve that problem with decentralized and automated maintenance, service and organization systems, according to the companies.

At the heart of the solution by Brose and Comodule is the Brose Drive C in the lightweight aluminium or magnesium version. “The technology has already been proven in hundreds of thousands of e-bikes, making it the ideal choice for the demanding requirements of bicycle operators,” Horst Schuster, Director Sales and Marketing at Brose emphasises.

Fleet operators can now access a cloud-based platform to view real-time data on the status of their bikes regardless of their location. This also makes updating firmware easy thanks to remote access capability, the partners explain. A geofencing feature also ensures that the rental process only takes place within a predefined area. Besides, a fleet operator can customise and make further adjustments to the motor control system, for example, to react flexibly to local requirements.

“The reliable, location-independent real-time connection to the e-bikes is a deciding factor in professional fleet management. This is why the bikes are equipped with their own SIM cards for mobile Internet,” explains Sven Bernhardt, Head of Sales at Comodule. The manager also told electrive, that Comodule counts NextBike, PBSC and Beryl among their clients. “Our biggest sharing customer is Uber for whom we have networked Jump Kickscooters worldwide and exclusively. After the acquisition of Lime, the theme has changed a bit but the area continues to grow with us. The partnership brings speed and confidence to the projects that rely on tuned and robust systems,” Bernhardt added.

The Comodule connectivity module is positioned in the bicycle frame and links to the Brose drive. A standardized digital application programming interface (API) then connects fleet operators to their e-bikes and also allows integration into established fleet management systems.

Brose develops and produces the pedelec drive at the e-bike competence centre in Berlin. Since 2019, the solution also includes batteries and displays from a single source. The company claims 50 models are running on Brose from 50 manufacturers worldwide. We know of no fleet application in e-bike sharing so far and are awaiting a reply to our request for information.

The connectivity specialist Comodule has been developing networked solutions for electric mobility since 2014. The manufacturer claims to connect more than 300,000 small electric vehicles worldwide and also supports the introduction of micromobility in 60 cities around the globe. Headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, the company has grown from 18 to 72 team members in the last three years.

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