Velco's first German e-bike partner is Cologne-based cargo bike manufacturer, muli cycles
Nantes – Smart products from Velco, the French pioneer of the connected e-bike, are now being installed in muli cycles' compact cargo bikes. By using the Shimano EP6 cargo motor, the Gates belt drive and the Velco applications, the muli Motor st pro cargo bike model is turned into a real smart bike.
Connected services are offered through the muli Rider mobile app, a customised version of the Velco Rider white label app which connects the smartphone directly to the motor unit. On the one hand, this offers the user increased theft protection – recognising suspicious movements, triggering an alarm, switching off the motor at the touch of a button and determining the bike's location using GPS tracking – and, additionally, maintenance instructions can now be given and statistics on journeys can be collected and analysed. Velco places particular emphasis on compliance with European data protection guidelines when developing the software.
Cargo bike manufacturer muli cycles is well-known for its German-based sustainable production chain. Even the frames are produced at their headquarters in Cologne. "Velco's IoT products are highly innovative and are the technical leaders when it comes to connecting Shimano motors. We can therefore offer our users an attractive overall package of a connected bike. With Velco, we also have the right partner to continuously work on new features and offer future-proof and innovative products." Felix Schön, Head of Marketing at muli cycles. By working with muli cycles, Velco is strengthening its presence in both the German- and international markets. "As an official IoT partner of Shimano for their EP6 and EP8 motors, the innovative compact cargo bikes from muli are the perfect playing field for us. We are confident that other brands will follow muli's example in the future and will reinvent cycling through both design and services." states Estelle Monnet, Communication Manager at Velco.
What is Velco?
Velco transforms the electric bike into a connected bike. The Velco IoT solutions (Internet Of Things) are integrated during the assembly of the e-bikes and then linked to the software suite. The devices are developed in France and manufactured in Europe (France and Portugal). Velco already works with several French brands, including Gaya Bike, Ultima Mobility and Nakamura, and is also the connectivity provider of the largest long-term e-bike hire fleet in Paris, Véligo, which has more than 20,000 e-bikes. Velco is now an official partner of Shimano and recently announced that it is able to couple with Shimano's EP6 and EP8 motors.
Features and functions of the app:
- Real-time detection of suspicious movements
- Real-time remote alarm triggering
- Real-time geolocation of the bike
- Remote switch-off
- Real-time information: battery life
- Ride statistics: kilometres traveled, average speed
- Maintenance alerts, advices and reminders
- Weather forecast for planning your journey (planned for 2024)
- Crash detection (planned for 2024)
