If you have an electric bike with a Bosch motor, you will be able to mark it as stolen using Bosch’s eBike flow app from the end of January.
Bosch says the feature will make stolen components “permanently identifiable” across its ebike digital ecosystem, which will make the resale of a stolen bike “much more difficult and increases recovery chances while deterring theft”.
Bosch goes as far as to say stolen ebikes will “become worthless to thieves” and will make resale “nearly impossible”.
The stolen status will be visible to bicycle dealers, potential second-hand buyers, authorities and other users of the eBike Flow app.
If you mark your bike as stolen, Bosch says there will be an increased chance of recovery.
“When a bicycle dealer connects the ebike to the Bosch DiagnosticTool, or a potential buyer tries to pair it with the eBike Flow App, a warning is displayed, making the stolen property easily identifiable,” Bosch says in its official press release.
If a bike is marked as stolen, a person won’t be able to connect it to the eBike Flow app, which will prevent access to functions such as over-the-air updates or ride-mode adjustments.
Bosch says you’ll be able to mark your ebike as stolen with “just a few clicks” in the app, and only the registered owner can remove the flag once the bike is recovered. This action will also provide the option to create a theft report for the police.
You’ll also be able to use the free feature to mark your ebike battery as stolen.
The new anti-theft feature is made possible because every component of an ebike – the motor, battery and display – has a unique registration in Bosch’s smart system and they are linked to a specific user profile.
Bosch’s existing safety features include an ebike lock, ebike alarm and battery lock, but it says its latest feature “offers an additional layer of protection”.
