2023-09-21 09:50:23
This article was originally published in English
Imagined by French entrepreneur Adrien Lelièvre, the Pi-Pop electric bike uses a supercapacitor to store energy rather than batteries.
If cycling every day is too difficult for you, you might be tempted to upgrade to an electric bike.
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The problem is that the production of batteries consumes a lot of natural resources such as lithium or rare earths, which require extensive extraction procedures and are often harmful to the environment.
However, French entrepreneur Adrien Lelièvre has developed a pioneering and sustainable solution.
Equipped with a supercapacitor
The inventor, who has a background in electronics, designed and patented a electric bike called Pi-PopWho do not use batteries au lithium but supercapacitors.
“The system charges when riding is easy and when the bike brakes – thanks to the engine brake – the energy is returned when needed”explains Adrien Lelièvre, director of STEE, the company behind the bicycle, to Euronews Next.
Simply put, a supercapacitor works by storing energy electrostatically, that is, through a slowly moving charge. In contrast, a lithium battery stores energy in the form of a chemical reaction. In other words, a supercapacitor can store and release energy very quickly when needed. In the case of the bicycle, this means that it stores energy when the person pedals or brakes and uses it to facilitate more difficult actions such as restarting or going up a hill.
Adrien Lelievre estimates that the assistance offered to the cyclist by the bike’s supercapacitors is sufficient to withstand a height difference of 50 m if it is loaded on flat ground beforehand, making it usable in around 80% of European cities.
The concept of supercapacitors is not an innovation in itself: the first were manufactured in the late 1970s. Today, they are used in photovoltaic systems (such as solar panels), digital cameras and some hybrid or electric vehicles to improve their performance.
For Adrien Lelièvre, it made sense to use this technology in bicycles.
A symbol of sobriety
According to him, the 20 kg Pi-Pop “is truly a symbol of sobriety”.
“Always wanting more, that is to say wanting to go faster, add more energy… it’s a dead end”he says.
No rare earths are used in the manufacture of the bike, with the supercapacitors being made from carbon, conductive polymers, aluminum foil and paper pulp – materials for which recycling processes already exist.
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There is also no need to wait for the bike to charge, which is another advantage over regular e-bikes. The company also claims that the lifespan of the supercapacitor is 10 to 15 years, compared to five or six years for a lithium battery.
The bike – which is in its third generation – is currently assembled in Orléans. For Adrien Lelièvre, whose career was built in the French electronics industry, it was important that the product was manufactured locally, in his native France.
“I think we can’t innovate if we lose control of production.”he assures. “When we talk about sustainable development, ecological transition and energy transition, we must create jobs”adds Adrien Lelièvre, whose company employs 25 people.
Currently, Pi-Pop produces 100 bicycles per month. Moving forward, the company aims to produce a thousand bikes per month by 2024.
Adrien Lelièvre also has European ambitions.
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“In 2025, we want to target the European market, we are currently discussing a possible fundraising”he confides.
L’European Union imported 1.2 million electric bikes and 5.2 million non-electric bicycles (five times more than exports), according to Eurostat, the EU data agency. The company’s expansion is all the more timely as it comes at a time when Europe is striving to make 2024 the“year of the bike”.
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