Volkswagen is bringing automotive safety features to two wheels with its new Smart eBike. The electric bike incorporates a rear-facing radar, a camera, and optional connected accessories that mirror the technology found in modern cars.
Smart View combines radar and video
The Smart View system is the centerpiece of the design. It fuses a rear-facing radar and a camera into a display integrated directly into the handlebar. The radar monitors traffic up to 230 feet behind the rider and can detect vehicles approaching at higher speeds. The camera provides a live view of what’s happening behind the bike.
Riders can use the screen like a standard instrument cluster to monitor speed, battery charge, and pedal-assist levels. Alternatively, they can leave the feed on the camera. An automatic setting switches the display to the camera feed when the radar detects an approaching vehicle, showing an orange warning.
LED strips running along the bike’s top tube also respond to the radar. These normally serve as amber side-marker lights, but they become brighter when a vehicle approaches. The lights also function as turn signals and brake lights.
Optional connected accessories
The bike can be paired with optional Smart Glasses that put traffic alerts and navigation directly in front of the rider. A microOLED display shows blind-spot warnings, Google Maps navigation, speed, distance, and battery status. The glasses weigh less than 2 ounces and allow the display to be turned on or off with a specific eye movement.
A Smart Helmet provides more than 500 lumens of front, side, and rear lighting. Its brake lights and turn signals operate in sync with those on the bicycle. This makes the rider’s intentions visible to surrounding traffic at a higher level. The helmet meets the NTA 8776 standard for higher-speed e-bikes and incorporates MIPS impact protection. A crash-detection feature can automatically send the rider’s location to designated emergency contacts following an impact.
The system is developed and manufactured under license by bicycle company n+ and will debut in September at IFA Berlin. Volkswagen and n+ will offer public test rides of the Smart eBike and demonstrations of the glasses and helmet during the show.
The rise of electric vehicles presents a specific challenge for cyclists. As cars become quieter, relying on sound alone to detect approaching traffic becomes less reliable. The Volkswagen system addresses this by giving cyclists warning about what is coming from behind, particularly useful in an environment filled with silent electric cars. By amplifying the rider’s visibility through synchronized lights and alerts, the technology aims to reduce the blind spots that often cause accidents. The partnership highlights the future of automotive technology extending beyond four wheels.