Category Archives: eBike

Fully Charged Live 2022 is a resounding success!! We’ll be there on Sunday!

Fully Charged Live 2022 is in full swing and we’re there on Sunday!

  • More than 20,000 visitors experience 200+ clean energy and electric vehicle exhibits at Fully Charged LIVE
  • Every type and size of electric vehicle including over 100 electric cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds, bicycles, trikes, scooters, skateboards, classics, and concepts
  • UK’s largest EV test drive opportunity comes to Farnborough – 29 April to 1 May
  • Fully Charged and industry experts to deliver 50+ live sessions on greener living and EV ownership
  • Independent Home Energy Advice Team will help thousands move towards cheaper or cleaner living
Live Sessions at Fully Charged Live 2022
Live Sessions at Fully Charged Live 2022

Fully Charged LIVE is the biggest of its kind in the world, with every type and size of electric vehicle including more than 100 electric cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds, bicycles, trikes, scooters, skateboards, classics, and concepts on show. Visitors to the show can also take part in thousands of test drives; soak up knowledge from an independent team of home energy advisors; and enjoy more than 50 live clean living theatre sessions.

Robert Llewellyn, Fully Charged joint CEO: “Public demand for cheaper and cleaner ways to live and get around has never been stronger, so the fact we’re able to deliver almost every clean energy technology and electric vehicle to thousands of people through Fully Charged LIVE is truly fantastic. Electric vehicles sales are rocketing, clean energy homes are moving to the mainstream and I feel we’re now at a turning point for our society. I’m confident that our visitors will leave the Farnborough show with ‘greater knowledge, passion and the tools to live cheaper and cleaner.”

Helen Czerski at Fully Charged Live 2022

Major attractions at the event include the UK public debut for the all-new Kia Niro EV, the highly anticipated Volkswagen ID Buzz, luxurious Genesis GV60, classically-inspired Nobe 100 GT, and compact Chinese EV, the Ora Cat. Elsewhere at Fully Charged LIVE, visitors can take part in thousands of test drives with dozens of different electric vehicles to choose from. Popular drives are sure to include the best-selling Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y, plus the Kia EV6 and Nissan Ariya, which debuted at the show in 2021.

The Home Energy Advice Team is a new feature for 2022. Visitors can access free, independent advice from 20 industry experts covering topics from energy efficiency and electric car charging to heat pumps and zero emission boilers. Having understood the potential clean energy options, the wealth of home energy exhibitors will help make visitor’s home improvements a reality.

The Fully Charged team of presenters, including Robert Llewellyn, Helen Czerski and Jack Scarlett will be joined by industry experts and famous faces including Philippa Forrester, Jordan Rand and Quentin Willson, in more than 50 live theatre sessions. Topics covered vary from choosing an electric car, and ditching boilers to engaging youngsters in clean living, and the future of electric flight.

Robert Llewellyn at Fully Charged Live 2022
Robert Llewellyn at Fully Charged Live 2022

Beyond the wealth of clean-living exhibitors, electric cars, vans, trucks, buses, electric motorcycles, e-bikes, e-scooters and classics, there is a wide array of other attractions. These include the Electric Education Zone, Family Fun Zone, Electric Picnic, Used Electric Vehicle Zone, Future of Flight Zone, Commercial Vehicle Zone, and Business Zone.

See you there on Sunday!

First Products of the Tech Giants – Play our Quiz!

We all have to start somewhere and so did some of the biggest tech companies. Play our quiz and see if you can guess what their first products were? You might be surprised at some of the answers!

Don’t forget to comment with your score and don’t forget to like and share!!

The Gadget Man – Episode 87 – Drones. Should they be licensed?

I was back on air this morning with Mark Murphy and James Hazell to talk about drones and the immense rise in their popularity.

With popularity comes a degree of public worry and a much larger degree of press coverage. Should drones be licensed? Should people need to take a proficiency test to use them? All of this was covered on BBC Radio Suffolk this morning along with interviews with The Civil Aviation Authority and local pilots.

Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles come in all shapes and sizes and can range in price from £10 to literally thousands. Many of the more expensive semi professional drones have ‘Geo Fencing’ which stops the drones from flying in banned areas or ‘No Fly Zones’.

Of course it is possible to build your own drone. Kits are widely available and many people have built their own drones from scratch using light weight computers such as the Raspberry Pi. In this case, no licensing is going to stop the production of these kinds of drones and increasingly advanced techniques such as GPS ‘way point’ route planning means that the pilot does not need to be in radio contact during the flight and therefore distances of 7km possible before battery charging is necessary.

Currently in the UK, I can’t see how any ‘proficiency’ testing can be brought in being, it would be far too costly and reliant of the purchaser of the drone. Tracking the drones is equally difficult without elaborate (and expensive) tracking transmitter/receivers being added to the drone.

Consequently, it lays with the manufacturers of these devices to ensure that their equipment is safe, easy to use, legal and abides by any global no fly zones.

I will be reviewing the Parrot Bebop 2 camera drone very soon, so stay ‘tuned’.

 

The Gadget Man : Parrot Bebop 2 Drone with “Follow Me Bebop”

I’ve finished testing the Parrot Bebop 2 camera drone. A fully review is coming up shortly. In the meantime here is a selection of footage I have taken over the last couple of weeks.

The Gadget Man – Episode 62 – Batribike Storm Electric Bike

With the summer suddenly returning last week, it was lovely to have another electric bike to review. I’ve reviewed the Granite Pro from Batribike last year, so it was really exciting to get to check out their newest addition to the ‘stable’ in the shape of the MTB style Storm.

Listen in to the stream to find out all about this amazing e-bike and keep an eye on the website for a full review coming soon.

Thanks to Sue from Batribike for personally delivering the bike to me!!

The Gadget Man – Episode 57 – KTM eStreet P electric bike

KTM eStreet P Electric Bike
KTM eStreet P Electric Bike

Great fun was had this week as I was out on about testing one of my favourite forms of transport! Yes, I was testing an super electric bike from those clever people at KTM.

I even brought the bike into the studio to show everyone and nearly managed to run over a musician in the green room.

IMAG0009 KTM eStreet P Electric BikeThe KTM eStreet P is a really nice electric bike which makes great use of pedal assistance with the 250w motor giving you up to 400% assistance. I’m really impressed with the bike and I will be reviewing it in full later this week. For now listen in to the stream and find out about this very nice eBike.

Massive thanks to Louise Johnson at KTM Industries UK for all her help in getting the bike to me.

Batribike Granite Pro, two tone kerb appeal that throttles the competition

Continuing on our series of electric bike reviews, we took delivery of a wonderful looking Granite Pro from UK based electric bike manufacturer Batribike.  It seems the British company has a very handy card up their sleeves when it comes to building electric bikes, read on to find out. Continue reading Batribike Granite Pro, two tone kerb appeal that throttles the competition

Gadget Man – Episode 7 – Smart Ebike from Mercedes Benz

This week we talk about Matt’s seven days with the Smart Ebike from Mercedes Benz.  The bike is built from the ground up to be an pedelec bike, with futuristic looks and amazing features. A true ‘gadget’ for the 21st century.

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Special thanks to Carl Beer at Ipswich Mercedes for arranging the loan of the bike and for being incredibly helpful and informative prior to picking the bike up!!

The Smart Ebike from Mercedes Benz – Update July 2020

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Smart eBike Support in the UK – 1 July 2020

I get quite a large number of messages in the UK requesting assistance with the Smart eBike. Whilst I am also an eBike owner, I also fall into the category of everyone else with regard to problem-solving and troubleshooting issues with our bikes. I have actually reached out to Mercedes Benz and highlighted the issue of ongoing support from them on these bikes, which of course cost all of us a fairly hefty sum of money at the time of purchase. 

Personally, I have struggled to get support with my bike and had to bend several peoples eardrums to get a result after feeling left high-and-dry in the event of needing assistance. I personally was successful getting the repair work done on my Smart eBike whilst also having a Firmware update to boot. The technician at Smart was very helpful and in fact, was excited to be involved in the maintenance of a vehicle that was no longer manufactured. This involved the installation of software on his PC and connection directly to the bike. It might well be a good time for Smart to release this software into the public domain to allow for their customers to continue to maintain their bikes for years to come.

This does continue to feel unfair as I have (like many others) approached bike repair shops for assistance and have got absolutely nowhere! So indeed the only port of call continues to be Mercedes Benz themselves.

So, the official line is that in event of any issues with your Smart eBike, you should contact Mercedes-Benz Customer Care on the following email address [email protected].  I am reliably informed that you will be assisted with your query.

You can also view the Smart eBike Owners manual online using this link. Now read on!!

Matt Porter – 1 July 2020


Last Saturday I visited Lancaster Mercedes in Ipswich, an hour later I left with a beautifully designed and engineered German machine. But this wasn’t an AMG SLK, this was the ‘smart e-bike’.
Continue reading The Smart Ebike from Mercedes Benz – Update July 2020