Belgian e-bike brand Cowboy has announced that riders will soon have access to advanced in-app anti-theft features.
As part of the Find My Bike experience, the Brussels-based company has developed a sound alarm which users can activate through the app from up to 30 metres away. This feature is hoped to aid customers and the police to narrow the position of the bike down to a precise location. The alarm can also be activated up to one week after the bike’s battery power has died courtesy of a backup cell within the vehicle.
Product Director at Cowboy Mélanie Sedda told Zag Daily: “We are committed to providing the most advanced software capabilities in the industry that serve current and future generations of e-bike riders, and the new and improved in-app Find My Bike experience is testament to our commitment to software innovation.”
GPS tracking also enables riders to locate their vehicle through the Find My Bike function, and the Theft Alert function alerts the rider when someone attempts to steal their bike.
The latter works by the bike sensing movements two minutes after the user turns the vehicle off via the app. If someone touches the bike for a few seconds after this point, the user will receive a theft alert notification on their phone followed by their bike’s GPS position. The alert is dismissed if the user is within close proximity or connected to the bike via Bluetooth.
The announcement also includes a new in-app compass view which assists the user with locating their missing bike.
Also new is the Theft Report Link, which enables riders to generate a link if their bike is stolen. Key data will automatically be generated through the app, including the bike’s most recent location, serial number, colour and model. This can then be shared with the police and insurance company.
These security features are part of the brand’s efforts to tackle bike theft and encourage the wider use of micromobility.
“Sadly, bike theft remains a top barrier to purchase,” Mélanie said. “We want to make it very clear to anyone considering stealing a Cowboy: there is no point. You can’t use it or resell it.
“The connectivity of our bikes means that not only will the rider be able to locate the stolen vehicle and alert authorities, but a thief won’t be able to activate the motor power as this is controlled by the owner via the app, so it will be extremely difficult to ride.”
Cowboy boasts a recovery rate of 94% compared to an industry average of 5%. Since September this year, only 0.2% of its entire global fleet of e-bikes have been stolen, and of this, over 90% have been recovered.
“In today’s e-bike industry, we recognise that software plays a vital role in driving innovation and enhancing the overall riding experience. As all our software is developed in-house, longer term this opens up the opportunity for us to gather more data around theft hotspots and ultimately prevent future thefts.”
