The QiCycle electric folding bicycle boasts cutting edge technology, uses the same batteries as Tesla, and retails for the equivalent of £335.
With the growing realisation that pollution from car use must be drastically reduced, China is embracing the electric bicycle; 200 million e-bikes are currently on the roads in China, a tenfiold increase in the last decade.
The speed of uptake is being matched by the development of new electric bicycle models, such as the QiCycle, which features Shimano hub gears, a 36v 250W Panasonic Li-ion battery, built-in lights and a trip computer. Tech fans can use a companion smartphone app to display bike status, GPS navigation and ride stats.
The QiCycle measures the torque you apply through the pedals and adjusts the power delivered from the electric motor accordingly. Weight is a respectable 14.5kg and the maximum range is a claimed 50km.
The bike is certified to European standards but there are no plans currently to export the QiCycle outside China. More information at en.miui.com
The future for electric bicycles
According to the inventor of the Brompton, Andrew Ritchie, the small-wheeled folder is a ‘magic carpet you could fit in your pocket’. Like all the best designs, it has remained largely unchanged from one decade to the next. However, behind closed doors the company has been developing an electric-assist version of its famous folder.
Brompton describes the development of its electric bike has having been fraught with a series of ‘immovable technical problems’. These led to development ties with Taiwan being traded for a partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering – a division of the Williams Formula One Company. The association between these two companies may be indicative of a wider trend. According to Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports, a paradigm shift in the market will see car makers enter the electric bicycle business. It is suggested that the arrival of car makers will bring with it the collision avoidance technology currently being developed for autonomous cars. Quite how this tech will be applied to bicycles is unclear, but it gives some indication of the expanded technology and marketing options at their disposal.
Electric bicycle insurance
ETA Cycle Insurance covers road-legal electric bicycles, ebikes and pedelecs as standard.
If your pedelec weighs less than 60 kg, and its output does not exceed 250 W/15.5 mph, it can be covered under our cycle insurance at no additional cost. Every ETA cycle insurance policy includes the following as standard:
- Theft, accidental damage & vandalism
- Battery theft cover
- Cycle Rescue (breakdown cover for your electric bicycle and you)
- No devaluation of your bike over time
- £5m third party PLUS £20,000 personal accident cover
- Shed and garage storage
- Low standard excess of 5% (£25 minimum)
- 90 days’ worldwide travel cover
- Any rider covered to use your bike
Read a full list of what is covered here
Up to 250W covered
When you compare cycle insurance for your electric bicycle, it is vitally important to check the small print. Almost every single pedelec or electric bicycle sold and in use in Britain today is rated at 250 W. However, some cycle insurers do not cover bikes over 200 W. Cycle insurance from the ETA extends its definition of a cycle to include any mechanically or electronically-assisted bicycle weighing less than 60 kg and with an output not exceeding 250 W /15.5 mph.
Battery theft
If the battery for your electric bicycle is secured with a key (as most are), or requires any type of tool to remove, then it is covered against theft by our cycle insurance policy. Get a quote
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