An electronic device on Brompton’s new electric bike is being used as a part in drones being built for the UK military. This has resulted in cyclists having to wait months to get their hands on the Greenford-based firm’s new £3,499 “G Line” e-bike because its supplier is too busy building drones for the Army.
It is thought these new drones are being used in Ukraine and to help the UK counter suspected Russian drone activity aimed at Ukraine’s allies. The extraordinary revelation was made by Will Butler-Adams, chief executive of Brompton, during a recent radio discussion about the adoption of “drone racing” as a sport by the Army.
The bike part needed for the drones is a controller, or control switch, that communicates with the bike’s battery-powered motor that makes the G Line bike easier to pedal. The controller – which is said to be remarkably quick at communicating with the motor - was designed by Brompton but its production was outsourced.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme on Sunday, Mr Butler-Adams said: “We make electric bikes, and inside our electric bikes we have controllers. The controller is made in the UK – designed by us and made by a British company. “We were launching a new bike – our G line – and it was delayed by two months because a controller manufacturer was also making stuff for the MoD [Ministry of Defence].
