E-bike conversion technology company Swytch has announced that its latest battery solution, the pocket-sized Swytch AIR, can reportedly convert any bicycle into an e-bike.
The new Swytch AIR conversion kit features what is claimed to be the “world’s first pocket-sized e-bike battery”. The energy storage system weighs just 700g (1.5 lb) and reportedly provides 250W of power and can reach speeds of up to 15mph (24.1km/h).
It is designed to fit the handlebars of any bicycle, and powers a front motor wheel that serves as a substitute to the bike’s existing wheel.
According to Swytch, the resulting e-bike is lighter and more affordable than most new e-bikes currently on the market.
Oliver Montague, Swytch CEO, said: “There are many problems with e-bikes right now, they are generally far too expensive for the average consumer, they are too heavy, with very limited options in terms of style, design and availability.
“But, more importantly, every time someone buys a brand new electric bike, it creates more than 200kg of CO2 that could have otherwise been saved if they converted their existing bike into an e-bike.
“Given there are already more than one billion bicycles in the world, and many people already have a bike they enjoy riding, we want to encourage everyone to consider the conversion option instead.
“We believe our new product, the Swytch AIR, and it’s more powerful version, the Swytch MAX, is going to be the catalyst for a significant shift in consumer-behaviour towards converting existing bicycles into electric bikes, instead of purchasing brand-new electric bikes.
“This approach is better for the customer, and better for the planet!”
Swytch claims to have sold over 40,000 conversion kits to global customers since 2017 and over 9,000 conversion kits in the UK in 2020, making up 5% of the entire UK e-bike market by volume.
