Automotive-branded e-bikes aren’t anything new, especially when they’re tied into specific car launches. If anything, car companies that don’t have their name slapped on an electric bike are outliers at this point. So making an e-bike that stands out from the rest can be a bit tricky. But Volkswagen wants to do so by giving its riders a ton of safety features, including a fighter pilot-style smart helmet.
The Volkswagen eBike is made by n+, the same company that makes Mercedes-AMG’s F1 and Petronas-branded electric bicycles. But according to Volkswagen, its n+ e-bike focused more on safety than any of its competition, rather than speed or range. And having seen several e-bike crashes in my neighborhood, I actually appreciate that approach.
Photo by: Volkswagen
VW doesn’t want you turning your head to see what’s behind you, so its main safety feature is a rearview camera, whose display screen is front and center. The camera is mounted to the back of the rear fender, so it gives the rider a low, wide view of what’s directly behind them. It displays on a screen mounted in the handlebars, so the rider barely even has to move their head to see it, so they’ll always be aware of the traffic behind them. It has radar-activated blind-spot alerts, too, keeping the rider aware of any vehicles getting too close.
Visibility will work both ways. LED light strips on the bike will let other drivers and riders an idea of what VW’s eBike rider is doing. There’s a light strip built into the frame’s top tube and a VW logo brake light at the rear, both of which are said to be visible even during the day. VW has two different version of the bike, Sport and Crossover. The latter features a cargo tray at the back, which is where its turn signal LEDs are placed.
Photo by: Volkswagen
The Smart Helmet is the most high-tech part, though. It also has LED lighting that pairs to the bike’s and works in tandem, so when you turn or brake, the helmet’s LED correspond with the bike’s. And if a crash does happen, the helmet has a built-in accelerometer that will detect it and send a text to your emergency contacts to let them know.
To up the safety ante even further, VW has Smart Glasses that work with the Smart Helmet and basically act as a real time head-up display. The glasses give the rider all of their eBike info, like speed and range, but also navigation info and safety alerts. So if your rear camera detects an incoming vehicle, you’ll get the alert in your glasses as well as the bike’s main screen. It’s like wearing a fighter pilot’s helmet, only with Spandex and not a flight suit.
Photo by: Volkswagen
As far as e-bikes go, this one seems pretty nifty, like it actually has some interesting thought put into it and isn’t just an electric bicycle with corporate branding slapped on. Both the Sport and Crossover bikes start at $4,349 and it currently comes with the Smart View rearview camera gratis. If you want the fancy helmet, that’s an extra $399. The HUD smart glasses will set you back an additional $499. And if need some extra range, there’s a range extender available only on the Crossover model for $749. So VW will keep you as safe as possible on its e-bike—but that safety doesn’t come cheap.