Is a brand-new EV motoring manufacturer launching into e-bikes?
US-based electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, a challenger brand to the likes of Tesla, Nio and other EV giants, has registered an electric bike trademark for the first time, possibly signalling a broader family of electric products.
EV manufacturers are clearly making a play for the rapidly growing e-bike market share, seeing the opportunity to offer a family of products, adding depth to their customer connection. The list of manufacturers includes Porsche (the new owner of e-Bike brand GreyP), Mercedes-Benz, Harley Davidson and BMW. Ducati, the official supplier of electric motorbikes for the FIM MotoE World Cup, also have an e-bike range.
As electrek rightly point out, “Electric bicycle sales are growing 16x faster than general cycling”, so “While the focus is often on electric cars – since they replace gas-powered mileage and help address issues with pollution – electric bikes are actually being adopted at a much higher rate. They introduce people to electric propulsion and are often the first electric vehicle that someone will own.”
The Rivian trademark is summarised as follows:
RIVIAN™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of bicycles; bicycle structural parts; electric bicycles; electric bicycle structural parts; electric bicycle components specially adapted for electric bicycles, namely, battery packs, motor controllers, electric motors, throttle controls, pedal assist sensors, display consoles, wiring harnesses, sprockets, cassettes, chains; bicycle frames; bicycle pedals; bicycle horns; bicycle brakes; bicycle chains; bicycle gears; bicycle wheels; bicycle seats; bicycle tires
Should the cycling industry be worried?
Auto industry interest in cycling isn’t entirely new territory. Think Subaru, Volvo and VW all taking sponsorship turns with Mountain Bike World Cup teams during the 90’s and 00’s. The major shift; it’s not brand alignment that’s being sought, it’s actual bike sales.
As industry consultant Edward Benjamin pointed out in 2016, “Hundreds of major car and consumer products companies, famous names, huge businesses, are paying close attention to the bicycle and especially the e-bike business. Their questions indicate that they are getting involved, or planning to get involved, at an accelerating pace, in nearly every market.”
For those keen to explore this conversation further, yesterday’s Cycle Systems Podcast serves as a good reference point for discussion surrounding car makers making a foray into the bicycle industry.
