Bike-subscription pioneer Swapfiets connects e-bikes to become more data-driven

We love the dutch cycling culture and hence we are extremely proud to contribute to its advancement. The leading dutch bike-subscription company Swapfiets started using Comodule’s IoT solution to reduce the number of missing e-bikes and gain insight into product performance.

A movement towards more livable cities

You might recognize Swapfiets bikes by their blue front wheels. Founded in 2014, Swapfiets was the first brand to offer bike subscriptions. Today they are the market leader with 260 000 members across 9 countries and 60 cities in Europe. Their concept is very simple - for a fixed monthly fee, you will always have a working bike. Swapfiets will take care of all the repairs and in case of bike theft, you will get a replacement bike.

Swapfiets’ goal is to create more livable cities by providing easy access to bikes. The flexibility and affordable price make the transition to sustainable mobility much more effortless. 

Swapfiets e-bikes now connected by Comodule

Swapfiets and Comodule have partnered to connect their fleet of e-bikes with IoT to reduce the number of missing bikes and gain insight into product performance. Comodule’s IoT hardware is integrated into Swapfiets e-bikes, enabling 4G connectivity and GPS tracking.

The end-to-end connectivity solution makes it possible to locate missing or stolen bikes and gather necessary vehicle and user behavior data. The first Swapfiets Power 1 and Power 7 e-bikes equipped with Comodule’s IoT are already on the streets.

Creating fully circular bikes

Swapfiets has set a goal to deliver fully circular bikes by 2025. To extend the lifetime of bikes, they are continuously repaired, maintained, and in use.  By collecting, remanufacturing, and replacing different components, Swapfiets can close the material loop.

Connectivity plays a part in delivering circular bikes and improving repair quality. Gathering insights about the performance of bikes and their different parts over time, it’s possible to improve them so they last longer and break less. Additionally, it’s possible to link the performance of different components to the distance traveled and keep the bike up to date with over-the-air updates.

As a step toward more circular bikes, connectivity enables the implementation of proactive maintenance notifications. For users, this would mean a more reliable bike, and all-in-all fewer repairs and new components would be needed. 

Tracking down missing e-bikes 

As an extra layer of protection, the location tracking of an e-bike is only activated in case of a theft report or debt to recover the vehicle. Decreasing (and preventing) the number of missing bikes allows Swapfiets to keep more vehicles on the roads and in active use.

“By connecting our bikes we are starting a new exciting chapter. We see opportunities to build a more efficient business and improve the consumer experience. Reducing the number of missing bikes is crucial for achieving our sustainability goals, “ Martijn Obers,  Swapfiets founder and CPO.

To track the bikes and gather the data, Swapfiets uses Comodule’s Service Platform, a web-based dashboard that gives a detailed overview of the status of each module and vehicle. It is a great tool for troubleshooting and launching firmware updates to IoT. In addition, Swapfiets uses Comodule’s  API connection to connect their own data dashboard with the IoT system. 

“We are very excited to partner with Swapfiets as they are a true innovator and a role model in the micromobility sector. Connectivity plays a crucial role in achieving Swapfiets’ circular ambition and we are here to support them for the long run,” says Teet Praks, Co-Founder and CEO of Comodule.

Predicting the next move

Insights into bike performance and usability are not only helpful for improving the current products and services but also enable Swapfiets to look ahead and predict future moves and product developments. 

Swapfiets already works closely with multiple municipalities to improve the cycling infrastructure in cities and enable and promote biking as a main way of transportation. The collected data obtained by their connected bikes can also potentially be useful to further improve infrastructure and cycling experiences across cities.