This free feature helps make stolen Bosch e-bikes unsellable
Buyers, service centers, and authorities will be alerted when connecting to a stolen e-bike.
Buyers, service centers, and authorities will be alerted when connecting to a stolen e-bike.
is a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years.
Stolen electric bikes built around Bosch motors will be harder to sell, service, and ride at the end of January. That’s when Bosch is rolling a new digital theft feature that lets owners mark the bike as stolen in the Bosch Flow app — no subscription required. Bosch rolled out a similar feature for expensive Bosch batteries last year, but it stupidly required a subscription to Flow Plus.
“If an e-bike or a battery is marked as stolen, it can be identified as such throughout the entire digital ecosystem of Bosch eBike Systems,” says the company in a press release. “This makes reselling the eBike difficult and increases the chances of the owner getting the e-bike back.”
Bikes marked as stolen will send a warning to buyers and authorities when they attempt to connect to it via the Flow app. Dealers also receive the warning in Bosch’s diagnostic software when they connect to the e-bike for servicing. The stolen e-bikes are blocked from connecting to the Flow app, won’t receive over-the-air updates, and riders can’t switch riding modes.
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