The French startup Angell revealed its first e-bike this week, a ‘smart bike’ with advanced design and features, according to TechCrunch.
The company is positioning itself to take advantage of an opportunity in the French market, where their data shows only 2 percent of commuters travel cities by bike, compared to 31 percent in the Netherlands and 13 percent in Germany.
But with an e-bike pitched as smarter and more advanced than the competition, they also plan to expand to other cities worldwide.
The bike includes a 2.4-inch touchscreen between the handlebars, to control its wide array of features. Some keep pace with those found in other ‘smart’ e-bikes, such as a Bluetooth connection for phones, and an integrated lock and alarm system. Any attempted theft would sound an alarm on the bike, and a GPS chip would help track bikes that are stolen.
But with their integrated screen, Angell is aiming to go above and beyond those models. The bike can be unlocked automatically by phone, or by a PIN number. The screen can display information like speed, calories, battery level, and distance, in a choice of operational modes. It will allow users to set an emergency contact who will be automatically notified if the bike detects a crash or fall. GPS directions will be available, which will use vibrations on each side of the handlebars to indicate turns.
The lightweight battery recharges in just two hours, and at 14 kilograms, the bike overall is lighter than other comparable e-bikes.
It will be available in the summer of 2020, for €2,690 ($2,966), with a financing option of €74.90 a month, for 36 months. Through a partnership with an insurance company, Angell offers theft and damage insurance for €9.90 monthly.
Angell is currently funded entirely by co-founder and CEO Marc Simoncini, the French entrepreneur behind the Heroïn racing bike, as well as the dating platform Meetic and the investment fund Jaïna Capital.
Simoncini wants to eventually use Angell to build a network of startups that will reinvent urban mobility. He said 75 percent of trips in a city are less than 5 kilometers, and that Europe will soon be forced to rethink urban transportation. Within the next five years, he says, we’ll likely see a ban on combustion engine cars in a major European city.
Photo by Tiziano from Italy [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
