November 18, 2020 - Nestled in Ontario’s IT sector in Waterloo, Ontario, Accelerated Systems Inc. (ASI), is quietly playing a big role in the global evolution of electric-powered vehicles. Their electric technologies can be found in outdoor power equipment, e-scooters, e-golf carts, e-motorcycles and e-bikes.
In 2004 ASI started developing electric motors for outdoor power equipment, and more specifically for lawnmowers. Just as they were in the process to deliver electric lawnmower motors for Swedish giant, Husqvarna, the US economy crashed leading to a recession.
The sudden turn of events stalled the production of this venture, but fortunately for ASI, their brushless AC motor technology segued nicely into the emerging e-bike market.
In 2008 they began producing controllers for a young Dutch company, Stella, which helped to solidify their place in the global e-bike marketplace.
“At that time, Stella was very small company and barely had the money for one container of bikes to be delivered to Rotterdam before they had to cash that out to buy their next container. Fast forward five years and ASI was a big supplier of their e-bike controllers and Stella is now a $100 million company. That is how we got into the e-bike market,” explains ASI’s CEO, Willem (Bill) Jager.
In 2016, along with supplying controllers to some big e-bike brands, ASI partnered with Swiss e-bike manufacturer, Stromer, to produce a rear-drive motor called the Juniper. Designed as a secondary source of motors for Stromer’s commuter line of e-bikes, the Juniper was specifically made to tackle the challenges of the Swiss Alps. Producing 60 Nm of torque it proved to be one of the most powerful and efficient motors available to Stromer.
Even with motor technology within their scope of expertise, it is ASI’s software and controllers which are the heart and soul of this operation. Their high-end controllers can be customized via their software to meet specific needs with over 500 different parameters available. They are also introducing newer, simpler software and controllers to meet the demands of smaller, more basic e-bike manufacturers while still enabling these companies to offer a highly customized product.
“Our controllers are the best kept secret in the industry. We have a big place in a niche market with the capacity to produce a variety of unique controllers containing more features with the ability to squeeze our hardware into tight spaces,” comments Jager.
ASI does not produce batteries but does play a role in the efficiency and safety of battery operation. They have the capacity to produce battery software and parallelization, something that would benefit cargo bikes and e-bike manufacturers looking to extend battery range. With their systems ability to communicate with batteries, they are also able to reduce the onset of warehouse battery fires, which can be a hazard in the industry.
ASI’s latest controller, 2BTube, is designed for top-shelf capabilities and compatibility – and soon to be launched to the industry. It can deliver a high amount of current for its form factor and its tubular shape allows it to fit into a variety of frame designs. It is sealed and waterproof and is currently in exceptionally high demand.
Currently ASI is also using their artificial intelligence autonomous vehicle group of engineers to develop a rear warning system for bikes. Dubbed the “safety bubble” by ASI engineers, this small camera clamps onto the back of a bike and scans for anything behind the rider and uses neuronet to identify it.
If it identifies an on-coming vehicle, it will calculate the threat level and if deemed a threat, send a bright warning flash into the driver’s face. It is also capable of taking a photo of the driver and license plate. The information can be monitored by the rider through their bar-mounted cell phone.
With the future of electric powered vehicles bright, ASI will continue to develop high end software and controllers packed with more features and technology for not only e-bikes, but also for 4-wheel electric vehicles.
They currently supply controllers to some big name e-bike manufacturers globally, including a large west-coast based US brand where the number of units are reported to be in the hundreds of thousands.
With the continued rapid growth in the e-bike industry ASI’s leading edge technologies will strive to continue to enhance and accelerate the optimization of rider experience.
Harnessing their technology and expertise solidified over 30+ years this behind-the-scenes Canadian gem seems poised for more great things.
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