I expect that it should only be a matter of time before the ICs used for USB C charging in laptops will make their way into the cost-optimized ebike market. In the domain of market scaling, I’ve written before that Apple can’t add massive image sensors to the iPhone until such technology reaches suitable scale, which they almost certainly are working on.
So too would ebike manufacturers and chipmakers be following the productization of high-end USB C powered laptops, since entry-level buyers might not want to pay (yet) the premium for USB C charging, while a business or high-end buyer would value the unified connector as a benefit. The “return to office” trend also means that businesses are outfitting desks with single-cable docks, which almost always use USB C to charge and for data. The demand clearly exists for higher end machines.
From there, chipmakers of power management controllers (PMCs) would be able to scale up their manufacturing, as well as introduce all-in-one chips that manage the charging and health of li-ion batteries, and maybe even include a microcontroller and other system-on-chip features.
These PMCs need to prove their worth in the market, before manufacturers of ebikes will consider committing to them for their future models. After all, no manufacturer wants to bet the farm on an unknown, unless they themselves are the ones developing that technology (ie Apple). But once we reach the point that these chips are everywhere and have sufficient features to comfortably charge an ebike, then the flood would begin.
Consumer demand for “USB C on everything” is already present, and it only takes a few manufacturers to start offering it at low/no cost premium, which would then instigate a race towards becoming a de facto standard feature.
I grant you that it’s a bit weird to think of USB C charging as some sort of cutting edge technology that follows an early-adopter pace of acceleration, but charging circuitry isn’t exactly easy to build. Just look at how Gallium Nitride (GaN) chargers still command a premium, because they’re smaller and more efficient than conventional silicon-based chargers.
I expect that it should only be a matter of time before the ICs used for USB C charging in laptops will make their way into the cost-optimized ebike market. In the domain of market scaling, I’ve written before that Apple can’t add massive image sensors to the iPhone until such technology reaches suitable scale, which they almost certainly are working on.
So too would ebike manufacturers and chipmakers be following the productization of high-end USB C powered laptops, since entry-level buyers might not want to pay (yet) the premium for USB C charging, while a business or high-end buyer would value the unified connector as a benefit. The “return to office” trend also means that businesses are outfitting desks with single-cable docks, which almost always use USB C to charge and for data. The demand clearly exists for higher end machines.
From there, chipmakers of power management controllers (PMCs) would be able to scale up their manufacturing, as well as introduce all-in-one chips that manage the charging and health of li-ion batteries, and maybe even include a microcontroller and other system-on-chip features.
These PMCs need to prove their worth in the market, before manufacturers of ebikes will consider committing to them for their future models. After all, no manufacturer wants to bet the farm on an unknown, unless they themselves are the ones developing that technology (ie Apple). But once we reach the point that these chips are everywhere and have sufficient features to comfortably charge an ebike, then the flood would begin.
Consumer demand for “USB C on everything” is already present, and it only takes a few manufacturers to start offering it at low/no cost premium, which would then instigate a race towards becoming a de facto standard feature.
I grant you that it’s a bit weird to think of USB C charging as some sort of cutting edge technology that follows an early-adopter pace of acceleration, but charging circuitry isn’t exactly easy to build. Just look at how Gallium Nitride (GaN) chargers still command a premium, because they’re smaller and more efficient than conventional silicon-based chargers.