Stolen e-bike batteries could be made worthless if Bosch was less greedy

[Aushiker]

Electric bikes built around Bosch’s smart drive systems will be getting a new digital Battery Lock function this summer that would make stolen batteries worthless to thieves looking to make a quick buck. Great idea — if only Bosch wasn’t being so greedy with the rollout.

More in the Verge article.

 

[Chargeride]

Thats like selling a thousand house alarms, but they only work if the customer pays a monthly fee and hope thieves wont take the risk.
Great until the subscription base gets leaked onto the net.

 

[harryS]

Comes with a key fob that will be $400 to replace if it falls out of your shorts when riding?

 

[Aushiker]

Comes with a key fob that will be $400 to replace if it falls out of your shorts when riding?

Not sure where you are getting that idea from. The article refers only to a digital lock.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I could see them charging a one time fee to upgrade your battery, but a subscription? I would stay away from a corporation with that kind of morality.

 

[Roamers]

Why is making a profit with optional features considered greed?

Seems like a no-brainer; it's either worth the price (do it) or not worth the price (don't do it.)

What in commerce is different than this?

I don't see a benefit to software subscriptions so use pre-subscription Adobe and Microsoft products.

 

[m@Robertson]

Why is making a profit with optional features considered greed?

Seems like a no-brainer; it's either worth the price (do it) or not worth the price (don't do it.)

What in commerce is different than this?

^^^ this exactly. Myself, I cannot see a benefit in paying for a theft-proof battery that doesn't prevent theft. It prevents use, but the value in the theft-proofing lies in the thief knowing (or believing ) that the battery cannot be used after they take it (or break it) off your bike.

I don't see a benefit to software subscriptions so use pre-subscription Adobe and Microsoft products.

Amen to this in spades. I am doing exactly the same thing. I had an Adobe Acrobat Pro subscription that I was more or less forced to buy and Adobe wanted farking $300 a year to keep it going. On top of the $300+ I paid when I 'bought' the software. I have an old version of Actobat Distiller on a server that came out before Adobe changed the license to demand single-user use, and that Distiller is still working just fine something like a dozen years later.

Don't get me started on the cash grab that is Office 360. No. Way.

 

[Gionnirocket]

This bs is for the Specialized and alike that live in the I have something special world and beieve the brochure and LBS blindly.
They've already overpaid for everything else so why not add on a "let's see how dumb they really are" tax.