Volkswagen puts driver assistance tech on an eBike

Annoyed by the features that beep and bong at you in a modern car? Volkswagen thinks you might want them on two wheels as well.

The Volkswagen Smart eBike, developed and built under licence by premium bike maker n+, debuts at the IFA Berlin technology show next month with what is claimed as a first for a production electric bike: a radar-activated rear-view camera.

The difference is that on a bicycle, the case for electronic nagging is rather easier to make. The biggest blind spot in cycling is directly behind the rider, and quiet EVs and traffic noise have made ears an unreliable warning system.

The system, called Smart View, pairs a full-colour handlebar display with a radar and camera unit built into the rear mudguard. The radar monitors traffic up to 70 metres behind, while the camera streams a live rear view to the screen. Riders can use the display as a trip computer, run the camera feed permanently, or select an Auto Mode that switches to the rear view with an orange alert bar the moment the radar detects a vehicle closing in.

“The optional radar-activated rear-view camera is an unprecedented innovation for production eBikes,” says Peter Jost, chief executive of Volkswagen Accessories, describing it as automotive technology transferred to two wheels.

The radar also drives full-length LED strips on the top tube, which glow amber as side markers and brighten automatically as vehicles approach, doubling as indicators and brake lights alongside illuminated VW emblems at each end.

The assistance suite extends to the rider’s head. Smart Glasses, developed with engineers with fighter-pilot head-up display experience, project radar alerts, Google Maps navigation and ride data into view via a microOLED display, activated by a glance to the top corner of the lens. They weigh 47 grams. A Smart Helmet mirrors the bike’s brake lights and indicators with more than 500 lumens of lighting, and includes crash detection that can alert emergency contacts with the rider’s location.

The bike, glasses and helmet are available to order at smart-bike.net, with visitors to IFA Berlin able to test ride the eBike from 4 to 8 September. There is no word yet on New Zealand availability.