Unsurpassed in its position as market leader in the vehicle electrification arena, Valeo is now turning its attention to new forms of urban and soft mobility. Building on its expertise in the 48 Volts domain, in late 2020 Valeo launched its first dedicated Valeo Cyclee, offering a revolutionary, high-performance electrical assistance solution for cyclists.
A unique to the market 48 Volts motor system for electric bikes
Valeo has developed an all-in-one system for electrically assisted bikes. Unique to the market, the system developed in partnership with French company Effigear integrates a 48 Volts electric motor and seven-speed adaptive automatic gearbox into the pedal assembly. Furthermore, Valeo has partnered with another French company to produce the battery pack and also the handlebar-mounted display interface that allows the rider to view all system performance information.
An automatic electrical assistance adapted to the rider’s behavior, a world first for electric bikes
The Smart eBike system monitors the rider’s behavior and optimally adapts and adjusts the electrical assistance to the rate and rhythm of pedaling. With this solution, the electric bike adapts to the rider, rather than the other way round: with no additional user input required, the system’s predictive algorithms learn from the rider and anticipate the pedaling style in order to offer the optimal gear required in any given situation. This innovative pedal assist electric bike enables an eightfold reduction in cycling effort.
This is made possible by the adaptive automatic gearbox; a world first for e-bikes. Automatic gear changes take less than 100 milliseconds and are totally smooth, irrespective of the conditions. Producing 130Nm (Newton meters) of torque, the electrical assistance system for bicycles developed by Valeo is currently the most powerful on the market. This innovative electrical assistance allows cyclists to tackle parking ramps and slopes steeper than 14%, to travel with ease over rough, difficult terrain, and even transporting heavy loads (up to 315 kg with a cargo bike) poses no problem.
A powerful, safe and secure technology for electric bikes
Offering an end to derailleur malfunctions, and requiring little maintenance, the Valeo CycleeTM solution can be adapted to a variety of electric bike types. Specific features to match user requirements are available, including: regenerative braking, which extends the battery’s range; the “boost” function, for overtaking and climbing; and even an integrated anti-theft system in the pedal assembly. Cargo bikes also feature a “pedestrian” push-assist function.
Valeo assist electric system, an eco-friendly solution
A Valeo-equipped bike offers a real ease of handling and comprehensively addresses our current and future environmental concerns, thereby making the choice between soft mobility and less evolved means of transportation an easy one.
In the world of cycling, after-sales servicing is handled by equipment suppliers in direct partnership with bike shops. This requires an organization capable of supporting thousands of shops, without the use of intermediaries. In response to this requirement, Valeo is developing an after-sales service structure based on the Valeo Service team.
