Canyon to integrate V2X technology into electric bikes to improve safety

Canyon has announced a new partnership with vehicle-to-vehicle communications company Autotalks whose V2X technology will soon be built into the German brand’s e-bikes.

Canyon currently expects the technology to be available on selected e-bikes from 2026 and they say that the technology will “help reduce cycling accidents and improve cycling safety in traffic”.

V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything Communication) allows vehicles to communicate key information such as speed, location and direction to other road users and infrastructure via an online safety network.

Vehicles using the technology are made aware of any potential hazards within a one-mile radius and it’s already used by multiple car brands including Volkswagen and Toyota.

While there are no accurate estimates on the number of vehicles using the technology, Autotalks estimates that it will be featured on 35.1 million cars by 2025.

“Bike safety illustrates the effectiveness of V2X technology in accident prevention and constitutes a fundamental component of the global V2X deployment plan," Autotalks’ Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, Yuval Lachman, said in a press release. "Autotalks' leadership in developing V2X technology to prevent bicycle accidents sends a strong message to the ecosystem about the company's dedication to protecting those who are most vulnerable on the road.”

Canyon offers a range of road, city, gravel, mountain and touring e-bikes but they haven’t confirmed which models will have V2X. However, they say that adding it to certain premium models will “help bicycles get noticed on the road, increasing the safety of cyclists, and giving them extra confidence on the road”.

The technology will do this by notifying any V2X-equipped vehicles and infrastructure when a Canyon e-bike that’s also using the technology is nearby. This includes sending a warning alert to vehicles ahead of any potentially dangerous situations.

There are plans to increase the functionality in the future so that V2X has the ability to automatically reduce a car’s speed or prevent a road user from opening a vehicle door if a bike is passing.

Canyon

V2X may soon have the ability to control vehicle speed.

Autotalks’ V2X technology is supported on the widely used European (DSRC) and US/Chinese (LTE-V2X) standards of communication systems.

“At Canyon, we want to inspire people around the world to ride more,” Lionel Guicherd-Callin, Global Director for Canyon Connected Solutions, said in a press release. “We see safety on the road as a barrier to getting more people cycling, so we are excited to partner with Autotalks to bring more V2X enabled bikes to our roads and enable more responsible motor vehicle driving behaviour.”

Canyon

Canyon Bicycles GmbH is a German manufacturer of road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, triathlon bikes and e-bikes based in Koblenz, Germany.