A flourish among ebike drive manufacturers: The noble brand Porsche is joining Fazua. Fazua itself announced this in a press release today. As with the performance of its sports cars, Porsche does not do things by halves. The Stuttgart-based company has secured a full 20 percent of Fazua’s shares as of the end of January 2022. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. Even more shares could be added in the future. The contract stipulates that Porsche may increase its stake further after mutual agreement. Even a complete takeover is within the realms of possibility.
Not surprisingly, Fazua is very enthusiastic about the commitment of the automotive icon. “Porsche’s investment will further accelerate Fazua’s positive corporate development. Together we will put even more pressure on the pedals to drive our vision of ‘Better Rides’ forward,” said Fazua’s management.
The management of Fazua has a good reason to laugh due to Porsche’s entry.
Porsche and bicycle – wasn’t there something?
Insiders may have expected this development. After all, both companies are already collaborating on another project. Alongside Storck and Greyp, they launched the Cyklær bicycle brand in 2021. The lively crowds at the trade fair stand at the last Eurobike were a first indication that this step could soon turn out to be a successful move. It is quite possible that in the course of this cooperation Porsche and Fazua developed mutual sympathies and plans for a joint future emerged.
The design of the Cyklær E-Gravel is Made by Porsche.
Seen from the outside, there seem to be enough points that connect the two. There is the orientation towards a target group that defines itself by a certain sportiness. At the same time, both Porsche and Fazua like to go their own way when it comes to technical solutions.
What happens to its own ebikes?
In addition to its participation in Cyklær, Porsche made other bicycle headlines last year. The Porsche eBike Sport and the Porsche eBike Cross were the first two ebikes to be presented under the company’s own brand name. However, Rotwild was largely responsible for the bike-specific know-how. As in the case of Cyklær, Porsche was primarily dedicated to the design.
-
- Porsche Sport eBike
-
- Porsche Cross eBike
Interestingly, both ebikes still had motors from Shimano, a direct competitor of Fazua. Nevertheless, Porsche would like to continue this side project with the eBike Sport and the Porsche eBike Cross. For the current eBike models, Porsche will continue to work with its long-standing partner Rotwild, according to a corresponding statement. Therefore, you will still be able to buy ebikes in Porsche dealerships in the near future.
The knowledge surrounding the use of electric motors on the part of Porsche is at least indisputable. Almost 40 per cent of the vehicles delivered by the manufacturer in Europe in 2021 were already electrified – i.e. plug-in hybrids or fully electric models. According to its own statement, this wealth of experience is to be incorporated into the attractive and rapidly growing ebike market.
An important side note: Porsche’s press release indicates that the acquisition is not yet completely in the bag. So far, the necessary approval by the responsible antitrust authorities is still pending.
Pictures: Fazua GmbH
