Munich They were once notorious as senior bikes. In the meantime, however, millions of people in Germany are using e-bikes. Even die-hard mountain bikers and racing cyclists are happy to take advantage of a little support.
Last but not least, there is one reason why more and more consumers are opting for an e-mountain bike or a racing bike with an electric drive: it is hardly recognizable anymore that the bikes are equipped with a motor. The Bavarian electronics specialist TQ sees itself as a pioneer of this trend. The new system from the family company is “smaller, lighter and quieter” than previous drives, says Simon Hoffmann, head of TQ’s e-bike division. Above all, it offers “the most natural driving experience”.
With the bike manufacturer Trek, the medium-sized company from Ammersee recently won its first internationally renowned major customer. The Americans are enthusiastic about the drive. The Trek collection with TQ engines has been in stores since the summer.
“It was one of the most successful product launches we’ve ever had,” says Trek manager Travis Ott. “The demand exceeds our supply.” That is not a matter of course, because the e-mountain bikes and electric racing bikes with TQ drive are expensive. The top models cost 14,499 euros, and Trek offers the cheapest version for 6,999 euros.
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TQ competes with its e-bike drives against powerful competitors: the multi-billion dollar German automotive suppliers Bosch, Brose and Mahle as well as the Japanese groups Shimano and Yamaha. Market researchers estimate the market for e-bike drives at around six billion dollars.
The head of TQ’s e-bike division is counting on growing business.
But at Trek, division head Hoffmann believes that there are good reasons why they have prevailed against the big competition: “We are more agile than the corporations, but we are not a start-up.” The family business from the south-west of Munich has been developing and producing electronic devices for 28 years Assemblies, motherboards, drives and modules for industrial customers from sectors such as healthcare technology, the energy industry and aviation.
For Trek, that was one of the reasons to get involved with a comparatively small and unknown supplier, says Ott: “Anyone who manufactures robots and supplies space travel can also build bicycle motors.” The contact was made at a trade fair. The Germans had exhibited a Trek bike with a TQ motor there without prior consultation. There was a conversation about that.
“We don’t work with assholes”
TQ sees itself as a technology company for hardware and software solutions, but also develops complete products for its customers. As a rule, these are sold under the brand name of the client. With around 1900 employees, TQ recently achieved sales of 357 million euros.
When it comes to e-bike motors, TQ has shown great endurance. The company has been building electric drives for bicycles since 2008 – well before the boom. The deal with Trek could now mean a breakthrough: The family-run company from Wisconsin is one of the best-known bike suppliers in the world – and at the same time one of the most unusual.
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Because Trek selects its partners very carefully. “We don’t work with assholes,” says a book that John Burke, the boss and owner, wrote about his company. On top of that. Trek only sells bikes “that we love,” says the entrepreneur.
The electrical support provided by the TQ motor should be as reserved as possible.
The comprehensive range of bikes with TQ motors indicates that the Bavarians have now won the entrepreneur’s heart: Trek has nine different models with TQ motors on offer.
TQ developed the so-called “HPR50 Motor” in Inning, Bavaria, and also produces it there. Almost all of the components for this come from Europe, assures division head Hoffman. “HPR” stands for Harmonic Pin Ring Gear. According to the company, the motor contains three concentrically arranged precision components, an elliptical roller bearing, a flexible inner gear and an outer gear. According to TQ, the design is “more compact, more powerful, more harmonious and more durable” than classic gear drives and belt drives.
The e-bike business has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2011 only 330,000 electric bicycles were sold in Germany. Last year it was two million. Sales of conventional bikes, on the other hand, fell by a million to 2.7 million over the same period. Trek manufactures e-bikes at its Hartmannsdorf site in Saxony, among other places.
TQ builds the HPR50 in Inning am Ammersee.
June showed just how attractive the e-bike drive business is: the sports car manufacturer Porsche took over the remaining shares in the start-up Fazua. Previously, the Stuttgart had already participated with 20 percent. Like TQ, Fazua, a young company based near Munich, has specialized in building particularly light and compact engines. A year ago, Porsche also swallowed the Croatian e-bike producer Greyp.
TQ expects the premium models to boom
Selling the e-bike division is out of the question for TQ. Rather, division manager Hoffmann wants to expand the business. According to the manager, the really big boom in electric bikes is over. But that doesn’t apply to the premium models that contain the TQ motors.
Until now, Trek was exclusively allowed to use the “HPR 50 Motor”. The unit is now also available from the Austrian brand Simplon.
Meanwhile, Trek manager Ott assumes that the recently presented collection is just the beginning of a long-term partnership. “We put a lot of resources into it and definitely want to continue with TQ.”
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