About Thule

The market for electrically powered bicycles – e-bikes – is booming all over Europe. But with e-bikes being wider and heavier than regular bicycles they are not suited for most regular cycle carriers. Vehicle accessory company Thule is therefore now launching the world’s first carrier for e-bikes.

The trend with electrically powered bicycles is growing by the day. E-bikes seams to be what many have waited for when it comes to leaving the car and taking to the saddle, both for commuting to work and for getting around in their free time. ”Sales of more than 200 000 e-bikes are predicted for next year in northern Europe alone”, says Robby De Cock – product manager at Thule. E-bikes have a small electrical motor that aids the rider when pedalling gets heavy. This also makes the bikes heavier and wider than regular bicycles. Something that calls for special transport solutions.

”E-bikes are perfect to bring on holidays”, De Cock continues. ”You can go for long day trips without getting tired, even if you are in the mountains. But you still get the exercise!” to accommodate for this need Thule has developed the worlds first car mounted bike carrier specifically for e-bikes – Thule EuroPower. ”A regular bicycle weighs somewhere between 15 – 20 kg”, says Robby De Cock. ”An e-bike can often weigh up to 30 kg, with two bikes meaning 60 kg’s on the carrier. Our e-bike carrier has been specifically constructed to be able to handle the higher weight.” A further consideration is that many e-bike buyers are aged from their mid-50s upwards, and might find it a strain to lift 30 kg up onto a bike carrier. For this reason Thule EuroPower can be equipped with a detachable ramp on which the bike can be rolled on to the carrier. ”It’s a clever solution that makes it possible for anyone and everyone to take their e-bike with them without having to ask for help for loading or unloading.” Europower is tiltable so that the boot can be accessed even with bikes loaded. The bikes are secured to the carrier with a quick-lock moveable frame holder. Like all other Thule bike carriers it has undergone full safety testing at Thules test center in Hillerstorp, Sweden. Thule Europower will be available in shops from February 2009.