Are you considering buying an electric bike but don’t want to replace your existing ride? add-e could be the answer you’re looking for.
It transforms any bicycle into an electric bike in seconds. Just mount the drive unit and attach the battery. (The battery looks like a water bottle, so slots into the holder. It should also deter thieves, unless they’re thirsty.) Switch it on, and the drive unit will power your ride, meaning less effort for you.
So what are the advantages over a standard electric bike? E-bikes tend to be quite heavy, but this add-on weighs just 2kg. You won’t need to buy a whole new ride either, as it fits onto your existing bike. E-bikes can also be quite pricey. add-e isn’t exactly cheap – a select few sold out at €750, the current crop costs €770 (£554) – but it costs less than most electric bikes.
The makers claim it works with any bike.
Read more: Jivr | Bike: the chainless, folding, beacon-enabled electric bike
You can select various support levels, depending on how hard you want to work. Once you pedal, add-e starts within half a second. Stop pedalling, and it stops automatically, so you won’t waste any power.
Plus it’s waterproof, which will be handy if you live in the UK.
It’s sped past its €100,000 funding goal and still has 26 days to go.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.