The ‘Battery Lock’ system digitally locks the ebike battery. — Bosch
Manufacturer Bosch has unveiled a new type of digital protection system against the theft of electric bicycle batteries. The idea is to render batteries unusable in the event of theft, making them pointless for criminals to steal.
Bosch presented this new solution to combat battery theft at the CES tech show in Las Vegas. The aim is to ensure that, in the future, no electric bicycle batteries equipped with a Bosch system are stolen.
Called "Battery Lock”, this system digitally locks the battery via an application (eBike Flow) or a smart display (Kiox 300 and 500) already installed on the bike. These devices act like keys to lock and unlock the battery.
Once the lock has been activated, the battery can no longer be operated on another ebike equipped with Bosch's smart system, where its installation then deactivates the motor, rendering the bike unusable. This measure is designed to discourage theft and resale opportunities.
Compatible with all batteries connected to Bosch's smart system, the "Battery Lock” function should be available in summer 2025, and can even be installed remotely on all electric bikes equipped with Bosch's smart system, again via the eBike Flow application. Note that this functionality will be included in the paid Flow+ subscription.
In the United States, it's estimated that a million bikes are stolen each year, with one stolen every 30 seconds, while in Europe 3-4 million bikes fall into the hands of thieves each year.
To combat this, most of the latest electric bikes feature one or more innovations designed to deter thieves. Bicycle locks, audible alarms and on-board GPS trackers are just some of the ways to protect your bike from thieves, bearing in mind that most anti-theft devices are primarily designed as deterrents. – AFP Relaxnews
