Shimano Announces Entry in e-Bike Market

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany – Finally there’s some light shed on the plans the biggest in bike components has in stall for the rapidly emerging e-Bike market. Head of Marketing and Product Planning at Shimano Inc., Taizo Shimano, said at last week’s Eurobike Demo Day:

“Everybody is these days talking about e-Bikes. We will do some action in a few years,” is what Taizo Shimano said in front of the camera of Eurobike TV.
Click here to see the complete interview.

Already for some years there’s speculation on whether Shimano will step in the market for electric bicycles with its own range of e-Bike components. Taizo Shimano is the first top manager of the company who is revealing that the world’s leading bike component manufacturer is actually working on its own range of parts for electric bicycles.

There’s also widespread speculation on what Shimano could be developing for electric bicycles. Discussing this with e-Bike specialists almost all point to a very specific much needed part which in particular would further enhance the mobility capabilities of this new bike category. That much needed component is an electric motor integrated in a hub gear.

In countries where electric bikes are already popular, it would open possibilities to equip regular city bikes (fitted with closed chain guards) with such motor integrated hub gears in the rear wheel. Currently in much city bike models the hub motor is fitted in the less preferred front wheel for being able to use a hub gear in the rear wheel.

Taizo Shimano is the son of Keizo Shimano; the company’s top technician; the inventor of for instance, Dual Control who passed away much too early. Taizo Shimano looks to be predestined to lead the world’s biggest bike component maker.

His current position as Head of Marketing & Product Planning is regarded as a key position within the company. And probably one more step towards Presidency. By the way, these steps started at a bike shop in Stuttgart, Germany where Taizo Shimano started his career in bicycles as a mechanic.

• For related items on Shimano, click here
• For related items on e-Bike, click here