OREANDA-NEWS. A Bluetooth display with smartphone app, a fully integrated downtube battery, and a new, small processing unit – Continental's drive specialists will be presenting the expanded, modular Conti eBike System (CeBS) at Eurobike 2015 (Hall A, booth 301). In the future, it will offer an even wider selection of possibilities, creating greater flexibility for bicycle manufacturers. "Bikes will play an important role in the mobility concept of the future. That's why Continental is committed to this market not only as a component supplier but also a development partner and system supplier," says Regina Arning, who is in charge of drive systems for bicycles, eBikes, and pedelecs at Continental’s division ContiTech. "At Eurobike, many manufacturers are exhibiting bicycles and eBikes equipped with our systems."Fully integrated CeBS downtube battery
Continental's fully integrated downtube battery offers the Conti eBike System an additional option that supplements the downtube battery and luggage carrier battery. This consists of a specially developed downtube frame element accommodating a battery, battery management system, and motor adapter, along with a central motor, directly integrated into the frame. The battery has 50 lithium ion cells that can produce up to 612 Wh It can be fixed firmly to the downtube with an ABUS lock, and can be removed completely if required. Bicycle manufacturers can integrate the entire frame element individually into their designs. It is suitable for both everyday city bikes and for sporty mountain or trekking bike designs, and is available as of now to all manufacturers as an additional option in the modular drive system. As development partner, Rose is presenting the Rose eMTB, the world's first model with fully integrated CeBS downtube battery.

Bluetooth display with smartphone app
With the new Bluetooth display, Continental provides a connectivity solution for eBikes. The present display of the Conti eBike System is equipped with a Bluetooth interface, which allows a smartphone app specially developed for the system to communicate with the display in both directions. Performance data from the drive system can therefore be combined with the intelligent processing system of the smartphone. This enables a considerably more accurate calculation of the remaining range and other values. The shared information can be shown on both displays. When the two devices are paired, the eBike display will move into an advanced presentation mode, so that it can show additional functions. The smartphone can then either be mounted on the handlebars as well, to supplement the eBike display with an extended functionality, or be kept in your pocket.

One of the most important additional functions is navigation, which is provided via the smartphone app. Routes are calculated depending on the range still available and the resulting support mode, then step-by-step direction instructions with distance information show the way on the eBike display. Here the cyclist is provided with multiple map and routing options:
  • Online via the smartphone data connection, or offline, primarily via OpenStreetMaps
  • Routing with optional altitude profile
  • GPX Track Management: save, import, and share routes
  • Point-Of-Interest (POI) search and directions

The smartphone app is tailored exclusively to the Conti eBike System and is provided free of charge via the iTunes App store (Apple) and the Google Play Store (Android).

In addition to its own app, other services such as eSocialBike, eBike Motion, Cobi, or heart rate monitors can also be connected to the Continental app. When connected to the smartphone app, the CeBS drive system becomes a basic platform that offers additional compatibility with external applications. Bicycle manufacturers can therefore make use of a number of additional possibilities for selecting the most suitable solution for their eBike models.

Small control unit with 3-way joystick

Another innovation is a compact 5-key control unit. This is based on the same functional scope as the existing Ergon Comfort gear shifter, but uses a 3-way joystick. This includes the Plus/Minus and Mode keys, as well as buttons for power on/off and the light. Its minimalist design means that the processing unit can be integrated particularly unobtrusively. It can also be fitted to the handlebars and easily adapted for right- and left-handers (suitable for operation by the left or right thumb) independently of the handlebar grips.

Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2014, the corporation generated sales of approximately €34.5 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tire, and ContiTech. Continental currently employs more than 205,000 people in 53 countries.

The ContiTech division is one of the world's leading suppliers of technical elastomer products and is a specialist in plastics technology. It develops and produces functional parts, components, and systems for machine and plant engineering, mining, the automotive industry, and other important industries. Together with U.S. company Veyance Technologies Inc., which was acquired at the beginning of 2015, ContiTech generated sales of approximately €5.4 billion (pro forma basis) in 2014 and currently employs approximately 43,000 people in 34 countries worldwide.