The e-bike of the future - made in Munich - is set to revolutionize city traffic

Created: 08/30/2022, 15:40

The drive does not need a chain - the power is only transmitted by electricity.

© Oliver Bodmer

The market for electric bicycles is huge.

Without chains, but with plastic, a Munich company now wants to equip professional users - and thus revolutionize city traffic.

Munich – Dimitrios Bachadakis glides silently over the bike path.

Although e-bikes have become a familiar sight, the 48-year-old's vehicle not only catches the eye because of its striking pattern: With its low center of gravity, sturdy construction and reinforced luggage rack, it looks like it was made for transporting goods.

“Each pedelec can carry 160 kilos with the driver.

There are various luggage solutions and an adaptable luggage rack,” explains Bachadakis, who is the managing director of the young Mocci company.

There will also be a trailer.

Mocci pedelecs should transport people and loads efficiently and safely

Because the Mocci pedelecs are supposed to transport people and loads efficiently and safely: “Our target group are professional and commercial users: we have l’Osteria, Baywa, Schaeffler and Caritas on board for our test series,” says Bachadakis.

Because the avalanches of traffic in city traffic don't just make life difficult for commuters.

“The market is growing rapidly, especially in the service sector.

Delivery services, caretakers, nursing staff: they can all move around the city much more efficiently with a pedelec,” says the Mocci managing director.

The drive does not need a chain - the power is only transmitted by electricity.

© Oliver Bodmer

He sees the advantage in the ease of use: Legally, the bicycle is considered a pedelec.

"That means: The drive supports up to 25 km/h, you can use cycle paths, you don't need a driver's license or insurance," explains Bachadakis.

This is how the bike can play its biggest trump card: "The special thing is the digital drive: We only have a pedal generator that converts muscle power into electricity, which in turn is passed on to the drive motor via a cable," explains Mocci founder Bachadakis.

"As a result, we no longer have wearing parts such as chains or belts."

The location of the wheels can be read using GPS technology

Thanks to the digital drive and the networking of the pedelecs, developers at Mocci can also fulfill special requests: “There is the possibility of system control: you could use geofencing, for example, to specify that the bicycle cannot drive faster than walking speed in a pedestrian zone.

But that is entirely at the discretion of the customer,” explains Bachadakis.

Because GPS technology can be used to read the location of the bikes and define specific zones.

In addition, there is the special design of the pedelec: "It consists of a very unbreakable high-performance plastic and is completely recyclable," explains the Mocci boss.

"The frame, the spokes and the seven shells are each made in one piece." This means that the components are very robust, and there are no frequent defects such as broken spokes.

The design also allows for very fast and efficient production: "We can injection mold the parts for a pedelec in three minutes," says Bachadakis.

The development is in Munich, the casting and assembly takes place elsewhere

While development takes place in Munich, the parts are cast in Baden-Württemberg and assembled in the Ore Mountains.

The simple production makes the wheels marketable.

Depending on the equipment, one costs between 4500 and 5000 euros.

"In addition, there are low maintenance costs - no comparison to other pedelecs, where the spokes often break or the chain causes problems," promises Bachadakis.

Reinforced luggage rack and spokes made of one piece allow the transport of heavy loads.

© Oliver Bodmer

The first users will be available in autumn: "From September we will be delivering 100 units to our partners for the pilot phase," explains the managing director.

After that there should be steep growth: "Next year we want thousands of Mocci's".

Europe should only be the beginning: “We will start in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

But we also plan to grow globally.” Bachadakis believes that manufacturing can easily be transferred to other regions: “Our advantage is that we developed the platform.

In other words, if we produce for the local market in the USA, we can buy batteries from an American manufacturer, for example.”

Even as the pedelec is being launched, Bachadakis is already thinking of a successor: “The next step is a tricycle based on the same platform.

This is a very popular concept for logisticians.

We will start with that in about two years.”

And the competitive private customer market?

“So far, our pedelec has been of particular interest to professional users because of its robustness.

Over time, however, we will also be able to offer products for private customers, because more and more people see an e-bike as a means of transporting goods," hopes the head of the start-up.

MATTHIAS SCHNEIDER