It's an interesting idea. But there are some big obstacles:
1. I question the need for a retrofit product. There are many mature e-bike designs on the market. I doubt it would be hard to find an ODM or CM that could sell you a good design off the shelf.
2. Many e-bikes have removable batteries. You can charge them at work. This doesn't look like it could.
3. Maybe the e-bike isn't the sweet spot. Maybe a slightly larger electric scooter is it. Or maybe an even bigger three-wheeler like Toyota has shown.
4. Outside of China, where gas scooters are prohibited in many (all?) cities, e-bike have not caught on (though I see quite a lot of them in Manhattan, still not enough to be mainstream)
Retrofitting avoids the problem of needless waste and cost when it comes to the vast quantity of existing bikes out there. I don't want to buy a new bike if I can avoid it so replacing a wheel is quite a bit more appealing. I can't imagine that I'm alone in this.
In fact, I'd argue most people would be willing to try this if only because it only involves replacing a wheel. It probably won't cost nearly as much as a new bike either so folks who couldn't otherwise afford it can purchase.
Plus, the target market doesn't likely have storage space for both their existing bike and a pedal assist model. If I'm a city-dwelling hacker, I'd prefer buying a wheel over a scooter. I just pulled up listings on Amazon for inexpensive e-bike pedal assists, and they're mostly largish scooter-types that take a significant footprint to store compared to a bike which I can hang on my wall.
Plus, having a wheel allows me to continue using my tires, frame, accessories and everything I love about my current commuter bike.
Also, I would use the e-wheel during the week for my commute to work and come the weekend I could fairly quickly switch the wheel over to my regular one and exercise properly. One bike, two purposes.
That's true. One of our neighbors used to take out the front wheel just for storage when he got out of the elevator. There's just no room and folding bikes are still a little expensive (unless you're lucky enough to score a used one cheap that needed a bit of TLC).
Of all the bike shops in Boston there is only one that I know of that sells wheels for older bikes. There are multiple widths between the dropouts and for the gear cluster for 5, 6, 7, etc. speed hubs. There are multiple rim diameters. There are multiple spoke patterns.
That alone makes it unlikely that, even if you are not alone, there aren't enough of you to matter when the FOB price of a basic e-bike is about $300.
Retrofit markets for anything less permanent than a house are very very tough.
I live in New York and we have tons of bike shops. Actually the area I live in attract a fair number of tinkerers and it's not unusual to see some weird contraption affixed to a vehicle that was formerly a bike. And used bikes in pretty good condition are bought and sold here ( sometimes even bartered ) for $180 - $300.
Electrically-assisted bikes are quite popular in Japan, although the Japanese bike market is so huge they're probably still only a small proportion of the total.
Your concept of what an "e-bike" is seems a bit of out sync with this product. This isn't a scooter, or a scooter-replacement, or something you use for drag-racing with your friends. This is a modest assist for a normal bicycle that helps take the edges off normal bicycling. When you're hauling two kids and a load of groceries up a hill, a little bit of help can be very appealing... but it doesn't have to be a replacement for human effort.
If anything, this product seems to fit in a space beneath existing e-bike designs, which might be more powerful, etc, but exist in far smaller numbers than regular bikes, and so offer far fewer choices as to design, style, quality, etc. By making it possible to just choose a regular bike and "add electricity," they've given the consumer who wants the convenience of an electric assist a huge increase in choice.
Petrol assisted bikes, where a bike is retrofitted with a small 30cc engine, is hugely popular around Buenos Aires. I saw lots of them when I visited recently and they were fairly cheap apparently.
This problem is more to with technology than acceptability of e-bikes. The situation is like people complaining there is no demand for touch screen phones and they won't take off. And Apple comes along and shows them the iPhone.
The fact is you need to do it right. And its not just about the pedal assist. You need good battery performance, long lasting battery life and efficient motors. At the other end you need a good control system on board, which might more or less function as an ECU. When the pedal assist is no longer functioning or dead, its weight and friction shouldn't become a burden on the cyclist.
In all, if you look at it you are looking for an amazing electric driven engine of sort with a sound control system on board. I don't think people are putting too much mind into that. We are where cars where in 18th century.
These are the kind of projects which help local commute a lot. If you are commuting frequently to pick up groceries, or drive up to the local park for a jog, or anything local for that matter. You absolutely don't have to use your car, or your motor cycle. This would do.
We are just not doing it right, may be we are not serious about it. But someday, someone will come along as give something so awesome. We won't be able to resist ourselves to using it.
1. I question the need for a retrofit product. There are many mature e-bike designs on the market. I doubt it would be hard to find an ODM or CM that could sell you a good design off the shelf.
2. Many e-bikes have removable batteries. You can charge them at work. This doesn't look like it could.
3. Maybe the e-bike isn't the sweet spot. Maybe a slightly larger electric scooter is it. Or maybe an even bigger three-wheeler like Toyota has shown.
4. Outside of China, where gas scooters are prohibited in many (all?) cities, e-bike have not caught on (though I see quite a lot of them in Manhattan, still not enough to be mainstream)