TranzX Develops Automatic Transmission for E-Bikes

[Lock]

http://evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=26044

TranzX Develops Automatic Transmission for E-Bikes
Bad Nauheim, July 5, 2011 – The JD Group, a major manufacturer of bicycle components and leading developer of electric technology for electric bicycles, announced today a new automatic gear shifting system that allows convenient rider control of gear selection, providing TranzX PST powered e-bikes with peak electric support at all times. The cyclist can choose between a fully-automatic or semi-automatic mode to effortlessly change gears. At Eurobike 2011, JD will present the development of this technology in detail to the bicycle industry for introduction in model year 2012.

The Automatic Gear Transmission (AGT) is a computer-controlled system for e-bikes which constantly calculates the optimal gear ratio to smoothly shift to the precise gear necessary to keep the rider at an ideal cadence. After a long period of development, the company is introducing a product it believes will revolutionize the electric bicycle.

“AGT is an outstanding innovation that will further boost the e-bike’s acceptance among casual cyclists. By merging this new automatic gearing system with TranzX PST, we are maximizing the potential of e-bikes to their fullest capacity. This is a logical and forward-looking development that will generate new impulses and opportunities for the e-bike market,” said Johnson Cho, CEO of the JD Group.

Besides a significantly higher level of driving comfort and enhanced riding performance, the AGT technology above all, increases energy efficiency. This is especially important for e-bikes where undershifting or overshifting results in undermining the electric system’s effectiveness. JD’s automatic transmission allows an optimization of the power ratio, generating higher acceleration speeds and moreover achieving greater riding distances.

Without any restrictions, the AGT technology can easily be integrated into TranzX PST powered e-bikes. In particular, the combination of this technology with a coaster brake is an important technical feature and vital benefit for manufacturers catering to casual cyclists.

The Winora Group will be the first to launch e-bike models equipped with JD’s AGT technology during Eurobike 2011. These fully automatic TranzX PST powered e-bikes will be available to dealers for 2012 under the Winora Comfort Series or under the Hercules Touring Series.

Technical features and functions
The AGT technology consists of hardware components including a handlebar operating unit and an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) with an integrated micro-processor and software.

Located directly next to the handlebar grip, the operating and display unit allows the user to easily disable or enable the automatic function while a compact LED screen displays the active gear. In manual mode, the rider can shift gears electronically by touching an up or down button.

The ECU with its integrated computer chip receives and processes the different digital sensor data (rpm, speed, torque and tilt sensor) to analyze the actual riding condition and pedal cadence. The software then determines the appropriate gear and forwards a command to the actuator, which causes the shift cable to physically engage the gear.

 

[neptronix]

Interesting, but i think it will be another cost prohibitor for eBikes. Maybe it will come on the higher end stuff.

If you think about it, a system like this is not too complex. A stepper motor connected to the rear shift control with a torque sensor and a DC-DC converter to power it would work. But that's $100 worth of stuff easy..

Would be best with an internally geared hub or CVT.

Interesting to think about i guess.

 

[Hillhater]

What a total waste of time ! :x
Who the feck needs a computer processor to change gear on a bike ??
..and i have never seen so much drivel saying so little !
The last line is the closest to explaining what the "transmission" actually is .... nothing new, just a SA or Nexus type hub apparently with some dumb arse , over thought, over priced, "electronic" shifter actuator !

 

[ptd]

What a total waste of time ! :x
Who the feck needs a computer processor to change gear on a bike ??

how about anyone on a motorized bike needing an automatic transmission? like california 406a.

not to mention, if it's programmable, you could "dissengage" a motor (gas or electric), at the moment of shift, might save some wear and tear on the chain and sprockets (or especially some IG hubs that can't shift under power).
it's also likely to be quicker
and if you want to accelerate quickly, you don't have to worry about a downshift at the same time.

sheet, where do i get me one? what do they cost? thought about making one a long time ago. what about a pair of tiny worm gears, one for each direction, and some tiny motor? and lose the return spring.

just outta curiousity, what do you have against somebody making something easier? sounds like something a lycra would get upset about. some purist thing? like you've commited to memory which of the 24 gears to skip and you want to be the only efficient one out there or something. how about automatic transmissions in cars? got somethin against those too? and look how popular THOSE are. seems to me, the easier we make things, the more likely people are going to join up, so +1 in my books

 

[Lock]

Interesting, but i think it will be another cost prohibitor for eBikes. Maybe it will come on the higher end stuff.

The Europeans spend more on their bikes than North Americans, and the Dutch the most, and they're already paying 1/3 more than average bikes to get into pedelec... As long as it's high quality w/style they're "in there". Then there's Japan and Germany, where they just love tech anyway... Presumably it'll start out priced at a premium but if popular price will come down.

Having said this, can't say this is true for BionX pricing ...but they seem to be doing all right.

Lock

 

[Hillhater]

just outta curiousity, what do you have against somebody making something easier? sounds like something a lycra would get upset about. some purist thing?

Nope !! i suspect the "lycra" brigade would lap this up,.. they love any gimick, expensive and unique.. but they already have electronic shift control for their gears !

Hey wait a moment ! .. why has nobody developed power steering for bikes ??? .. that seems popular on cars too ?
.. Oh yes thats right ... because its totally UNNECESSARY
There is always some idiot who wants to complicate things unnecessarily, just to try to make a few $$s off gullible fools.

 

[dogman dan]

It's a market niche. Fits those so mechanically inept, they can't select a gear for themselves. Terrified to let go of the bars even enough to flick a trigger shifter. IE, 99.9% of most populations. If these folks buy a bike, the shop better put it in a good gear for 10 mph for them, it will stay in the gear it rolls out the door in.

Being a former racer, however briefly, and avid pedaler, I find it amazing most folks are like that. I am careful to hand my wife ebikes set in the right gear. I spoked my first wheel at 12. One of the first things I ever actually re-assembled. :lol: But for sure, we are 1% ers in our category.

 

[lesspedal]

How hard is it to flick a lever to change gears?

I would prefer someone to come up with an elec rear hub with changeable gears.

 

[ptd]

just outta curiousity, what do you have against somebody making something easier? sounds like something a lycra would get upset about. some purist thing?

Nope !! i suspect the "lycra" brigade would lap this up,.. they love any gimick, expensive and unique.. but they already have electronic shift control for their gears !

Hey wait a moment ! .. why has nobody developed power steering for bikes ??? .. that seems popular on cars too ?
.. Oh yes thats right ... because its totally UNNECESSARY
There is always some idiot who wants to complicate things unnecessarily, just to try to make a few $$s off gullible fools.

Unnecessary, hmmm, sounds just like what the lycra said to the ebike crossing the road about his motor, but he was thinking something different when the ebiker passed him on the hill. By purist, I meant the attitude of “you're not doing it my way, you're not worthy”. I guess I prefer people that think outside the box. I like the what ifs. I like trying new things. I like inventive minds, and i'd bet the guy that made this is no idiot. It's expensive, sure, but so is most anything when you roll it out. I like having the choice.

So, the creative guy gets a few bucks, and the gullible guy enjoys his ride, who are you to judge? Don't like it? DON'T BUY IT. But don't belittle the guy trying to make things better, I mean what are we here on this forum for anyways? Go ahead, explain to him the complications. Sure, possible mechanical failure, but the chances are pretty low mehtinks, and what else could go wrong on our bikes? I think it happens to simplify things, not complicate them, it just has it's own market. I guess I just don't like people criticizing others for doing something differently, if it's mostly a matter of preference. You want pink tires? They're out there, knock yourself out, take a picture. You want to do 60 on the freeway, maybe we should talk about those knobbies and that bicycle helmet.

I mean plenty of people on here still use hub motors. Is that wrong? No, maybe they live in the flats and it suits their needs. Do I like them, not really, but I live in the mountains, so. Doesn't mean i've stopped thinking about them though. I might even have a fix, integrating a CVT into one, could be a game changer. Is it necessary for the guy on the flats, not really. It's a marketing thing. So, the demand for power steering on a bike, pretty low, but tell that to the guy that's handicapped (now that I think about it, I see lots of power steering on battery powered vehicles). Power steering on a bike isn't useful to many, but it isn't PRACTICAL, either. There hasn't been an easy source of power for it. What about hydraulically assisted tilt resulting in free castor steering, does that count? Lol (btw, my version of the tripendo would have power steering and power tilt, more like fly by wire joystick). But this shifter just needs a, oh wait, what a coincidence, a battery. Hydraulic brakes, already here. How about antidive forks? Antilock? Windshields? (ok, fairings). Different strokes.

Let's face it, we're evolving. Me, i'm waiting for the cupholders, and automatic parking feature, which I guess will require the power steering, lol.

Ps, dogman, following that line of thought, maybe a motor is for those that are so physically inept that they can't pedal for themselves. Personally, I don't think so. The shifter, it's an assist, it's a luxury, sure, so what, I don't think it makes me inept, anymore than using a calculator makes me braindead, it's just convenient.

 

[Miles]

For those that haven't come across it:
http://www.fallbrooktech.com/09_lev_kit.asp

 

[dogman dan]

Didn't mean to say that you'd be a dope to want one. Just that there is a huge niche of people to market the thing to, who will love it. Just like I love a calculator too. Except I do need it .

Were I to get my hands on one of these sytems, I'd be likely to love it. Real likely, in a crosscountry mtb that's pedaled. When I do pedal mine, I constantly flick around on the last three lowest gears as the grade constantly varies on singletrack trails. An auto would be a dream for that niche too!

It's far from a new idea. Years ago primitive autoshift bikes were heavily TV marketed to the retired demographic. The ads ran a lot on daytime game shows.
I bet those that sold were ridden once or twice, like many bikes are. It likely really needed smartening up to work well. So an ECU to a different system doing the same thing makes a ton of sense.

Again, we are 1% ers. Not only ride bikes a lot, but know how to shift em, and even fix em. It really is amazing how many people even now, never rode a bike with a shifter before. Or rode a shift bike, but left it in one gear for years.

 

[Lock]

It's far from a new idea. Years ago primitive autoshift bikes were heavily TV marketed to the retired demographic. The ads ran a lot on daytime game shows.

Yes, but these are *special* - they're for ebikes! Just like helmets I've seen marketed as "ebike helmets"...
Lock

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, of course the drivel is written by the marketing guys, who maybe rode a bike last at age 12. Only one thing matters, SELL!

 

[tuxman]

[youtube]iWOd_0BYm0U[/youtube]

[youtube]cd2-vsTzd9E[/youtube]

The geared hub motors are a step in the right direction. Would love to see a selectable gear ratio in a hub motor of two or more speeds. One for low end torque and the other for top end speed.

 

[Miles]

The automatic gear shifting system has been designed to deliver 'peak electric support' at all times.

As all the TranzX bikes use hub motors...........

 

[liveforphysics]

I can't stand having a car pick my gear for me (which it always picks wrong for any technical situation). I couldn't imagine having my bicycle pick the gear for me... Imagine any technical riding, coasting up to something you need to power over or loft the wheel to clear etc, and while you're coasting up it picks a high gear for you... It would make good fail-blog videos I suppose.