E-bike drive system manufacturer Bosch has announced further expansion of its Smart System and its digital theft protection for e-bikes. A new update will bring the facility to use a Kiox display as a key alongside the eBike Flow app.
Bosch is one of the biggest e-bike drive system manufacturers on the market, known for their torquey mid-drive motors which are used on everything from electric commuter bikes to racing eMTBs. Their e-bike locking feature, while not a substitute for for a heavy duty lock, is another deterrent that can be used to counter - or at least delay - thieves.
The eBike Lock feature, which enables users to disable motor support, creates another level of security for users whether they’re parking the bike inside or out. This will be available to use with Kiox 300 and Kiox 500 displays. The Kiox 500 display is the most recent addition to the Kiox family as part of Bosch's MY24 product lineup.
Furthermore, users can use their Kiox devices as ‘keys’ by simply removing or inserting the display into the mount. This can be helpful for those who share an e-bike with family members - for example with e-cargo bikes - as it means you don’t need the same smartphone or eBike Flow account to be able to lock or unlock your bike digitally.
Bosch hasn’t stopped there though. They’re also introducing the ability to remove the automatic unlock function which unlocks the e-bike whenever the user’s smartphone is within Bluetooth distance of the bike.
Separately, the Kiox 300 and 500 display functionality has been increased, with the ability to arrange the metrics and data on screen as the user wishes, with up to three data tiles available on each screen, and 13 individual screens overall.
Like other Smart System updates, this one can be downloaded through the eBike Flow app. While we wouldn’t recommend using this safety feature on its own as a lock, having a backup and something that could slow would-be thieves is of course of benefit.
