Electric bikes: Porsche wasn’t joking
Entrepreneur Marc Simoncini somehow wanted to launch the iPhone of the bike with his electrified Angell bikes. Porsche he could well produce the boxer six and the PDK box of the UAE. At least that’s how we remember the announcement by the giant from Stuttgart, who was no joke when he announced that he was investing in this lucrative world of electrically assisted bicycles. But unlike the automobile, Porsche is starting from scratch as the German brand has neither experience in this field nor a factory to build bicycles. A very special skill that Porsche was looking for in a giant in the industry, the Ponooc Group. And both now go hand in hand.
A very lively market that interests Porsche
Porsche wants to increase its activities in the eBike segment. For this purpose, two joint ventures of the founders Porsche and the Dutch Ponooc Investment BV are starting their business today.
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In Germany, the electric vehicle is on the rise: two million sales in 2021 and a strong trend towards top models over 4,000 euros. A reputable brand like Porsche is bound to view this market with great interest, especially as it would perfectly complement Porsche’s range of electric vehicles. “We see great potential for Porsche in the e-bike segment, which is why we are constantly expanding our activities in this area,” says the Porsche CFO.
A real added value, but complex to integrate for an automobile manufacturer that does not master the complete production chain of a bicycle. Experience designing and manufacturing frames, integrating components and building a solid address book with the largest suppliers : All this takes a lot of time. And Porsche doesn’t necessarily have time, because the German wants to profit quickly from the growth of this lucrative market.
Porsche already had an agreement with the Ponooc Group (Focus, Cannondale, Santa Cruz, Cervélo, GT, etc.), which sells many bike brands. But the details of this project remained known. Here they are at last. Porsche and Ponooc founded the joint venture “Porsche eBike Performance” in Munich. But that’s not all: A second joint venture, P2 eBike, will also see the light of day.
Porsche is gradually weaving its web in the world of bicycles and has acquired Fazua, the well-known German manufacturer of motors for electric bicycles. Since then, Fazua has merged with… Porsche eBike Performance. To put it simply, here is the Porsche program for e-bikes:
- Porsche eBike performance : Munich-based structure that will develop electric groupsets for two wheels, including “motors, batteries, electronic management and connectivity”.
- P2 eBike : Structure based in Stuttgart and led by the former CEO of bicycle manufacturer Focus. It is she who will be producing the bikes with the components from Porsche eBike Performance from the middle of the decade.
An e-bike to match the Taycan
What will 100% Porsche e-bikes look like? It’s still very difficult to say, even if given Ponooc’s portfolio we can already imagine electric mountain bikes and why not hybrid bikes and assisted road bikes. If you come from Porsche, you have to reckon with hyper-high-end products, complete integration and state-of-the-art technology anyway. Light, powerful and quiet engine, “homemade” battery, customers will expect a lot from Porsche motorcycles. But the competition is fierce: Trek, Specialized, Transition, Scott, the range is already wide with very advanced products. But Porsche’s biggest rival might be the other German giant: Canyon. Luckily, Porsche can draw on the expertise of brands like Focus, also… German.
