From TechRadar · · 1m 20s
Volkswagen's safest e-bike, and that helmet
Volkswagen brought radar, smart glasses and one very odd-looking helmet to IFA 2026, and the ride was better than the headgear.
In brief
Volkswagen brought radar, smart glasses and one very odd-looking helmet to IFA 2026, and the ride was better than the headgear. The safety tech on Volkswagen's e-bike is genuinely good; the helmet is the part that still needs a designer. Originally reported by TechRadar.
A bold safety claim
Volkswagen rolled into IFA 2026 calling its Smart eBike the world's safest. That is a big thing to say out loud at a show full of e-bikes.
“world's safest e-bike”
Riding it on the floor
The only way to test a claim like that is to get on and pedal. TechRadar's Hamish Hector took it around the IFA show floor himself.
Radar watches your back
The headline feature is rear radar that tracks traffic coming up behind you, so you know about the car before you hear it.
Alerts land in your glasses
Pair the bike with smart glasses and the warnings show up in your eyeline instead of on a bar-mounted screen you have to look down at.
Then there is the helmet
The safety story falls apart at the top. The helmet is the one piece of the system that looks awkward enough to put people off wearing it.
“the helmet looks a bit silly, doesn't it?”
Good tech, odd looks
The radar and glasses combination is the convincing part and worth copying. The helmet needs another pass before anyone wears it to work.
“I love the glasses and radar, but the helmet looks a bit silly, doesn't it?”
The short version
The safety tech on Volkswagen's e-bike is genuinely good; the helmet is the part that still needs a designer.
