November 3, 2020 - Automotive supplier and e-bike drive manufacturer Brose and connectivity expert COMODULE have teamed up to present the Brose Connected Drive, the first coordinated, modular plug-and-play solution for e-bike sharing. It combines the proven Brose Drive C with a connectivity module and was specifically developed to meet the needs of fleet operators: maintenance, service and organization can be handled remotely via a decentralized, automated system. By pairing high-quality drive technology with an open cloud platform, both partners offer a simple, customizable solution for the future market for micromobility.
Connectivity solutions are often used in sharing providers’ fleet operations. But they are costly to develop and maintain. Brose Connected Drive reduces this expenditure with perfectly coordinated components that are easy to install thanks to plug-and-play capability. The drive is targeted towards e-bike fleet operators like sharing providers, large corporations or municipal utilities that want to offer their customers affordable urban electromobility. “Brose Connected Drive offers fleet operators reliable system components with intuitively operable digital features from the COMODULE platform – like remote access, remote maintenance and software updates,” explains Horst Schuster, Director Sales and Marketing Brose Antriebstechnik.
Digital interface with cellular technology
The COMODULE connectivity module in the bicycle frame is linked to the Brose Drive C and features a standardized digital application programming interface (API) to connect fleet operators to their e-bikes. This enables them to quickly integrate e-bikes into established fleet management systems while offering options for customization. “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 Brose’s development partner COMODULE.
Fleet operators can access a platform to view real time data on the status of their bikes regardless of their location – parameters include position, charging status, charging cycles or error codes. Updating firmware is easy and convenient thanks to remote access capability. A geofencing feature ensures that the rental process only takes place within a predefined area and can individually limit the speed of the bikes in urban areas, for instance. Fleet operators can also make other adjustments to motor control – to enhance responsiveness or the assistance level – and respond flexibly to local requirements.
At the heart of the solution is the Brose Drive C in the aluminum or magnesium variant. “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 emphasizes. Its low power consumption and the harmonious riding experience that is typical of Brose products enable the Brose Drive C to meet these high demands.
About Brose Antriebstechnik
E-bike drives are part of the Brose Drive product family and offer the right solution for any situation – whether in city, trekking or mountain bikes. The family-owned company has transferred its decades of experience supplying electric motors to the automotive industry to the bicycle. 120 employees at the e-bike competence center in Berlin develop and produce drives that are used in models made by 50 manufacturers worldwide. Paired with displays and a battery developed in-house, the drives create a perfectly tuned system that offers a uniquely harmonious riding experience.
About COMODULE
COMODULE is developing IoT solutions for shared mobility operators and bicycle manufacturers to reduce global environmental pollution and traffic congestion. Since 2014 COMODULE has connected over 300,000 light electric vehicles to the internet and has also helped to launch shared fleets in 60 cities around the globe. The company has grown from 18 to 72 team members in the last three years. COMODULE is one of the few companies focused on the Internet of Things with its headquarters and production in Tallinn, Estonia.
