It feels like e-bikes powered by Boschโs popular mid-drive electric motors have been around in just about every market for as long as many of us can remember. But there are still major markets getting their first taste of the highly-engineered drivetrains. Boschโs mid-drive motors are now entering Taiwan, rolling in on Ternโs Vektron and Quick Haul e-bikes.
While Ternโs mastery of the Western e-bike markets has led many to assume they are a North American or European brand, the company is actually based in Taiwan.
Their Bosch-powered e-bikes carry an esteemed international reputation for quality and longevity, but so far the companyโs domestic market has only had access to its folding and non-electric bikes (Iโve often drooled over the Tern BYB, which offers a design that looks like if Brompton ratched up the style knob several clicks).
Now Tern is launching the Vektron and Quick Haul e-bikes in Taiwan, and in doing so, is bringing the first Bosch-powered electric bikes to the island.
โTaiwan is the global epicenter for quality bicycles and the country has come so far in promoting bikes for recreation and transport,โ stated Josh Hon, Tern Team Captain. โWith a large portion of Tern Team Members calling Taiwan home, it was easy for us to raise our hands when Bosch suggested entering the Taiwan market. Our bikes also make the most sense for dense cities like Taipei where a compact e-bike is easier to ride and store.โ
The Tern Vektron is an ideal urban city e-bike thanks to its tight-folding frame design, which is more compact than most folding e-bikes in its class. These types of folding e-bikes are a common sight in major European capitals where portability is key.
The Vektron is a convenient option for commuters who need to ride to the train station and then fold their e-bike to carry onboard with them into the city.
For those riders who use e-bikes more as a family vehicle than an individual commuter, the Tern Quick Haul offers more cargo and kid-hauling opportunities. Having tested the Quick Haul myself, I can confirm that itโs definitely a car-replacing electric bike thanks to its go-anywhere and carry-anything vibe.
The Quick Haulโs form factor is key, with the company describing it as โbrawny enough to safely ferry a passenger or handle 150 kg (330 lb) of load, the Quick Haul is still smaller than a standard city bike.โ
Both bikes also feature Bosch powertrains, meaning they sport the complete motor, battery, console, and drive system package.
Electrekโs Take
When I first heard this news, I was surprised to find out that Taiwan didnโt have any Bosch-powered e-bikes yet. After all, Josh Hon is exactly right โ itโs the epicenter of the higher-quality e-bike industry. But on second thought (and after a recent trip to Taiwan), I remembered that I didnโt actually see as many e-bikes on the road as I expected, since most two-wheeled commuters seem to love scooters there. Those great bike parts originating in Taiwan are mostly being exported.
Sure, there were certainly many of the types of e-bikes we think of here in the West, and I was impressed with the number of bike lanes around Taipei, but there werenโt the droves of e-bikers like youโd see in Berlin or Amsterdam. Instead, scooters dominate the streets.
But perhaps thatโs because they havenโt yet had access to the type of Bosch-powered e-bikes that Berliners treat as their daily drivers. Iโm sure I saw just a snapshot in time, and itโs great to hear that the trend is moving upwards towards higher rates of cycling. I guess weโll have to check back again this time next year to see if Bosch-powered Tern bikes become a common sight on the streets of Taipei!
