AbstractsTransportation

The Ideal Electric Bicycle for Commuters:

by G.A. Bos




Institution: Delft University of Technology
Department:
Year: 2013
Keywords: electric; e-bike; pedelec; sustainability; cultural; culture; user; commuter; bicycle; strategy; Dutch; urban; startup; market; ideal; ideology
Record ID: 1253825
Full text PDF: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:2d3daee4-855b-4ca5-b894-687fdc9d6d3d


Abstract

This thesis represents a graduation project that was done for the early stage startup: Spaac. The alternative title is: A Design Intervention to Stimulate E-Bike Acceptance. A bicycle was designed to appeal to young commuters that currently do not ride e-bikes because of the social stigma. The Cultural Strategy of Douglas Holt was used to come to a design brief and vision that is based on a problem of cultural rather then functional nature. This led to a reactionary approach to the current Dutch bicycle market. The e-bike system is shown rather then hidden but the e-bike interface itself is made more unobtrusive to create a more authentic cycling experience. To better resists an urban context, wiring and lights have been integrated in the frame. The ideal e-bike system was prototyped into a working model to evaluate reliability. The final design is worked out so that it can easily be modified in order to suit consumer demands.