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Unallowed product tying with e-bike batteries

Published: 04 April 2019
Last updated: 06 September 2024

Electric bicycle manufacturers do boycott aftermarket batteries

At electric bicycles, only a battery of the own brand can be used, that is product tying and is prohibited. If the same existed for cars, the 12V battery could not be replaced by any other battery, which is of course very undesirable. 

The sale of batteries is an important revenue model for electric bicycle manufacturers. Therefore almost all e-bikes use special software that blocks the motor when another battery is detected, while in principle every battery is usable. That is why there is no secondary market for batteries for the major brands of ebike motor manufacturers such as Bosch, Yamaha and Shimano.  

Comparison with 12V car batteries

Just like the open market for 12V car batteries, the same should apply to e-bike batteries. In principle, any battery with the same voltage will work. The safety of the battery is the responsibility of the battery manufacturer, not the bicycle manufacturer.

Communication with the battery

An e-bike motor has to communicate with the battery to determine the state of charge. That is why a battery not just has a + and - cable but also one or more communication cables. This communication is not standardized. Every manufacturer uses its own system. Used are for instance I2C or CAN bus. But the communication is also used to detect if an own brand battery is connected. If only the + and - cable is connected, without the communication cables, the system will not work. A battery must have the same communication as the original battery. Often this cannot be copied because encrypted battery authentication, for instance SHA-256 is used.

Forbidden product tying with e-bike batteriesForbidden product tying with e-bike batteries

Brand-batteries are expensive

For battery replacement, people are forced to buy a battery of the same brand as the bike, they have no choice. But these batteries are expensive. While the battery of an electric car has a lifespan of more than 8 years, a bicycle battery barely lasts 3 years. The sale of own brand batteries is an important revenue model for electric bicycle manufacturers. Product tying is not allowed according the European Union competition law.

Legislation

  • I want to bring about that these tying will be get prohibited.
  • EU has banned similar practices of Windows and Google.
  • There is an effective aftermarket in the automotive industry and it is also regulated: Block Exemption Regulation.

More and more people are buying ebikes, but the poor quality of the batteries is a major frustration for them. Better and cheaper batteries will be available in a free market of e-bike batteries.

Yamaha dongle to use 3rd party batteries

Only Yamaha doesn't use encrypted authentication. That made it possible for me to develop this Yamaha dongle, see: Yamaha mid-drive motor dongle to use 3rd party batteries.

 OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Encryption types

The following overview is generated with ChatGPT:

BrandEncryption Type
Bosch AES-128 encryption
Specialized Custom variant of AES encryption
Shimano (STEPS) E-Tube encryption (possibly AES-based)
Fazua RSA encryption (Digital signature)
Yamaha Proprietary encryption (possibly AES-based)
TQ Systems Proprietary encryption (asymmetric key)
Panasonic Proprietary encryption (possibly AES-based)

Why manufacturers say encryption is necessary

  1. Safety: Encryption ensures that only authorized and compatible components, such as batteries and controllers, are used. This reduces the risk of overheating, electrical shorts, or fires, which could occur with substandard or incompatible parts.

  2. System Integrity: By encrypting communication between the battery, motor, and display, manufacturers ensure that the system performs as intended. This helps maintain reliability, optimize performance, and prevent malfunctions caused by unauthorized modifications.

  3. Counterfeit Protection: Encryption helps prevent the use of counterfeit or unauthorized components, which may not meet safety and quality standards. This protects consumers and the brand's reputation, ensuring that only high-quality, original parts are used.

  4. Warranty Management: With encryption, manufacturers can better enforce warranty conditions by verifying the use of original components. This ensures proper support and reduces issues caused by unauthorized parts.

  5. Theft Prevention: Some e-bike systems use encryption to link specific batteries and motors to a particular bike. This makes it more difficult for stolen components to be reused or resold, discouraging theft.

  6. Security: Encryption safeguards against hacking and unauthorized software changes. It ensures that firmware updates are secure and that the e-bike's safety features and performance settings cannot be tampered with.

 

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