Powunity Adopts 4G as the Mobile Network Standard for Biketrax

With the Biketrax, Powunity is one of the pioneers among GPS trackers for ebikes. The Innsbruck-based company is now changing the mobile phone standard for the devices supplied to Germany. This increases the performance of the system.

Powunity’s theft protection has been available since 2017. About the size of a USB stick, the device is connected directly to the ebike’s motor. An integrated SIM card sends position data. You can receive this data via the app – and forward it to the investigating authorities in the event of theft. Until now, the manufacturer has used the EDGE and GPRS standards of 2G technology for data transmission. According to Powunity, the main reasons for this decision were the high reliability and broad network coverage.

At the time the product was launched, there were no objections at all. In the meantime, however, 4G and 5G offer significantly more advanced alternatives. Powunity has announced that it will rely on the LTE-M and narrowband IoT standards of 4G technology in future. The network required for this has now been expanded so extensively in Germany that the leap to more powerful and reliable technology can be made.

Noticeable progress

According to Powunity, the switch will result in very specific advantages for GPS tracking with Biketrax. These include, for example, more stable and reliable tracking in real time. Thanks to the greater network coverage, areas that were previously considered a black hole can now be reached. Fewer failed tracking attempts and a generally faster connection setup reduce the tracker’s power consumption. As a result, its battery life is extended. And ultimately, the improved connectivity means a gain in safety, as a stolen ebike can be located more quickly and precisely.

Given the improvements that have now been announced, Powunity is closing the gap on other competitors. For example, It’s My Bike has long relied on the LTE sub-standard Narrowband IoT, which Biketrax can now also handle.

Growth in the range

Powunity had already attracted attention at the end of March with an expansion of its portfolio. The manufacturer has developed new versions of the Biketrax. One of these now supports the PW-X3 motor from Yamaha. This means you can use the GPS tracker on ten different Yamaha ebike motors. However, three motors from Giant are brand new. These are the second-generation Giant SyncDrive Core, the Giant SyncDrive Pro from 2020 and the current Giant SyncDrive Pro 2.

In total, the Powunity portfolio now includes various ebike motors from six motor manufacturers.

Bosch

• BES03 Smart System
• BES02
• BES01

Brose

• Drive C ALU
• Drive C MAG
• Drive GEN 1
• Drive S ALU
• Drive S MAG
• Drive T ALU
• Drive T MAG
• Drive TF ALU

Giant

• SyncDrive Core 2. GEN (TE)
• SyncDrive Pro 2020 (X2)
• SyncDrive Pro 2

Specialized

• Specialized 1.2
• Specialized 1.3
• Specialized 2.1

Shimano

• Steps E5000
• Steps E5080
• Steps E5080-H
• Steps E6100
• Steps E6110
• Steps E6180
• Steps E6002
• Steps E6012
• Steps E7000
• Steps E8000
• Steps E8080
• Steps EP8000

Yamaha

• PW
• PW 45
• PW-SE
• PW-S2
• PW-ST
• PW-TE
• PW-X
• PW-X2
• PW-X2 45
• PW-X3

Pictures: Powunity GmbH