Press Release
Swytch Electric Bike Conversion Kit by Swytch Technology Ltd Wins the A' Design Award in Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
Swytch Technology Ltd acknowledged for vehicle, mobility and transportation design by the international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Swytch Electric Bike Conversion Kit by Swytch Technology Ltd has been granted the A' Design Award in the Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design category. The award was conferred within the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
About Swytch Electric Bike Conversion Kit
Swytch is a conversion kit that turns a standard bicycle into an electric bicycle. The kit includes a front motor wheel, a pedal sensor, a handlebar mount and a pocket-sized battery called the Power Pack, which is similar in size to a large smartphone. The system is pedal-assist, so power is supplied while the rider pedals. Two Power Packs are offered, with a range of 15 kilometres or 30 kilometres. Installation requires no technical experience. The kit allows an existing bicycle to be reused instead of replaced, which reduces waste.
Award Record
With this recognition, Swytch Technology Ltd is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design Award
The A' Vehicle Design Award is an international vehicle design competition recognizing good vehicle designs by best vehicle designers and brands worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to vehicle designers, mobility solution providers, transportation design studios and automotive engineers from all countries. Typical entries include cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, buses and trains. The awarded vehicle designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/vehicle
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/143116
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/143116
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!143116
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/334549
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.swytchbike.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Swytch Electric Bike Conversion Kit
- Function
- Electric Bike Conversion Kit
- Category
- Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Automotive
- Colors
- White, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Light Gray and Dark Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Swytch Technology Ltd
- Country
- Great Britain
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2022 - 2023
- Design ID
- #143116
Credits
- Team
- Murray Allen, Lee Beale, James Cromarty, Louis de la Croix, Andy Durnan, Rebecca Fairchild, Helen Inman, Max Keizer, Dmitro Khroma, Oliver Montague, Delia Parrinello and Iola Ryland and others
- Image Credits
- Ardeshir Abdolrahimi
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Swytch eBike conversion kit features a pocket-sized battery (the Power Pack) which is similar in size to a large smartphone. The Swytch Kit enables customers to upcycle their existing bike, making it electric and reducing waste. Electric assist unlocks extra range and provides convenience to traveling which allows people to use their bicycle as a primary mode of transport. Anyone can turn any bike electric with the Swytch Kit, no matter their technical experience.
- Inspiration
- At Swytch, we are changing the way people move. We fundamentally believe that sustainable transport should not cost the Earth, so we have made it our mission to make electric transport accessible to everybody. Swytch believes that eBikes should be lightweight, affordable and work like a regular bike, whilst having electric functionality. Studies show (and our customers tell us) that people with eBikes cycle considerably more than the average regular bicycle owner, increasing exercise rates and improving health. The Swytch Kit allows anyone to upcycle any bike, turning it into a powerful electric bike for use on all terrains and in any weather.
- Research
- During the development of the Swytch Kit, the design team conducted extensive user research to explore how the users would assemble the Kit onto a bike, and how they would interact with the product. As the Swytch Kit is installed onto their existing bike by the customers, the design team conducted three different types of user testing. The first test was without any guidelines, to see how the users fit the fully disassembled kit onto the bike, without any instructions. The second test included a partially fitted kit. During the third round of tests, the users received a one-page instruction manual. All tests were recorded and summarized.
- Challenge
- There are two Power Packs available with either 15km (Air) or 30km (Max) range. The width and length of the two Power Packs are different, however their heights are identical to ensure that the handlebar battery mount fits both and they are interchangeable. The packs contain different cell types with different outer dimensions. The challenge was to find a design language which can be scaled in any dimension to account for the differences in the cell sizes, without disrupting the overall aesthetics. Applying a subtle pattern on the sides of the Power Packs created a uniform design language which tied together the product series, despite the slight difference in shape and size.
- Realization and Technology
- A regular bicycle produces emissions of over 200kg of co2 during the manufacturing process, and larger, heavier electric bicycles are almost twice as pollutive. A Swytch Kit takes just 50kg of co2 to manufacture, meaning that the environmental impact is eight times lower compared to most complete electric bicycles.
- Operation and Interaction
- The Swytch Kit is pedal-assist, meaning that it provides power as you pedal. The pedal sensor (placed next to the bike’s cranks) detects when you are pedalling, and the motor controller (contained inside the handlebar battery mount) draws power from the pocket-sized Power Pack and powers the 250W front motor wheel. So, how do you Swytch your bike? First, simply swap in the front motor wheel (built to fit your bike, and included in the Swytch Kit). Next, attach the pedal sensor and the handlebar battery mount, and finally clip on your Power Pack. That is it - your bike has been Swytched electric and will now give you 250W power for up to 30km.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in 2020 and ended in 2022. The design team was based in Swytch's London headquarters during the development.
- Specifications
- The powerful hub motor provides 250W of power. There are two Power Packs available with a range of 15km (Air) or 30km (Max). The Air Power Pack weighs as little as 700g while the Max Power Pack is only 1100g. The Air can be recharged in around 1 hour, the Max takes around 2.5 hours. The Air Power Pack's dimensions are 212mm X 100mm X 25mm. The Max Power Pack's dimensions are 228mm X 100mm X 35.5mm. Both Power Packs are available in multiple different colourways.
- Keywords
- ebike, bike, bicycle, electric bike, electric bicycle, light electric vehicle, electric vehicle
