Hundreds of Brompton foldable electric bikes have been recalled for repair by the US government.
The foldable electric bikes from the UK brand is said to have a software fault that is causing the bikes' electric motors to deliver forward momentum even when the rider is not pedaling. This issue with the electric bikes poses fall and injury hazards, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission or CPSC, but it can be remedied by a free software upgrade done at certain Brompton dealers.
Brompton Electric Bikes Recalled
The software fault affects more than 600 bikes that were sold by Brompton's US dealers between June 2020 to March of this year, with the bicycles themselves retailing for between $3,500 and $3,800.
The owners can check if their electric bike is one of those that are effected by entering the product's serial number, which is found on the sticker on the frame of the bike, and then posting it on a tool on Brompton's website.
If needed, owners can head to a Brompton dealer to get the firmware upgrade. Anyone who is affected can apply for a $30 credit voucher provided by Brompton as a gesture of goodwill.
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Presumably this voucher can only be redeemed at Brompton's online store, where you can find a range of sensible biking wear and leather accessories specially designed for biking enthusiasts.
Even though unwanted acceleration is very high on any company's list of software faults that owners do not want affecting their electric vehicle, Brompton stated that the actual danger posed by the issue is very low.
The company said in a statement posted on its website that under specific circumstances, if a system failure happens, there is a low possibility that the electric system may continue to provide assistance to the motor. This can cause continued forward momentum, even when the rider is not actively pedalling.
Brompton added that the risk of an accident happening is very low with only one reported minor fault, which did not result in an injury or an accident.
Brompton's folding bicycles have gained significant amount of followers among the urban commuter.
However, a combination of COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit have hit the company's manufacturing operations hard, causing material shortages and rising production costs. A recall is hardly good news in such a tricky business environment.
Foldable Electric Bike Issues
This is not the first time that Brompton's foldable electric bikes were recalled.
Last month, Brompton issued a recall of its electric bikes after becoming aware of an issue with the firmware installed on some of its electric folding bikes, according to Cycling Industry. The recalled models had Version 1-2-7 and Version 1-2-8 Firmware installed.
Customers with affected electric bikes must have an upgraded version of the firmware installed. This can be done for free at a local Brompton dealer where a website voucher as compensation will be available. This is the same process that Brompton has implemented on this month's recall.
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Written by Sophie Webster