E-bike route planner? Gazelle wants Google Maps e-bike option

Time for the Google Maps e-bike route planner?

Who is not familiar with the handy Google Maps route planner? You can even use voice commands to let your cell phone take over the task of the former Tomtom. The electric bicycle comes off a bit poorly, according to the country’s largest bicycle producer Gazelle. Of course there is the option to calculate the fastest route by bicycle, but this does not take into account the special aspects of the electric bicycle. At least, that’s what the bicycle giant from Dieren thinks. Does Gazelle have a point?

Gazelle stated this in an open letter to Google. Which the manufacturer had personally delivered, on a Gazelle cargo bike, of course, at the Google head office in the Netherlands. With a life size Google Maps symbol to make their point.

Gazelle certainly has a point

It is clear that the electric bicycle is faster than a standard bicycle. This is not so much due to the speed of 25 km per hour – as an ordinary cyclist you can easily match or even exceed it on short distances – but that the electric bicycle can sustain this for a long time as long as the battery is not empty.

With an auxiliary motor of 250 watts, the electric bicycle gives you the power of a trained athlete. So you can go up the hill, into the lanes with the strength of an average Tour de France participant. And that of course saves a sip on a drink. Because that way you can maintain that high speed for much longer. What makes an e-bike route planner useful.

However, you may wonder whether the relatively small speed difference of 30% between an electric bicycle and a normal bicycle justifies this distinction. With an electric bicycle, just like a regular cyclist who has to make do with muscle power, you also have to deal with things like traffic lights. In that regard, you can fairly well compare an electric bicycle with a racing bicycle.

For the speed pedelec it is certainly more important

Speed ​​pedelecs are electric bicycles with which you can travel almost 50 km per hour. Three times faster than the average speed of a bicycle. So it certainly applies that you will be at your destination a lot faster than the Google route planner for cycling indicates. Time for an e-bike route planner.

Many people use the route planner to calculate whether they can reach their destination just as quickly with an electric bicycle as by car. So an option for mopeds, which is a speed pedelec legally, wouldn’t hurt Google at all. And do this fast-growing group of road users a great service.

And Gazelle itself of course, because the more people switch to e-bikes for commuting, the more e-bikes and speed pedelecs Gazelle sells. Tip: You can buy Gazelle bicycles for the cheapest price at this bike shop. According to the Consumers’ Association.

Gazelle e-bike route planner

To take a look at Google’s addition of the e-bike route planner and the speed pedelec to Google Maps, the bicycle manufacturer from Dieren itself, powered by Google Maps, has already started tinkering. It result can be admired on the Gazelle site. With the e-bike you are about 25% faster than with a bicycle.