The French giant of small household appliances SEB will manufacture in France, from the summer, a high-end electric bike designed by the new start-up of the investor Marc Simoncini, founder of the Meetic dating site. "Our mission for 163 years has been to make people's daily lives easier," said Thierry de La Tour d'Artaise, CEO of SEB, guest of Europe 1 Monday morning.
>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation Monday, May 18
The Covid-19 pandemic, which is pushing many urban dwellers to abandon public transport in order to favor cycling in particular, has caused a surge in demand. "We are sensitive to changes in consumption", explains Thierry de La Tour d'Artaise. "Mobility is a very important part of everyday life, and more and more, the bicycle will be an answer."
A "high-end" bike made in Côte-d'or
Launched just before the end-of-year strikes in transport in France, the Angell connected urban bike, which intends to offer new safety standards using innovative software, will be sold for 2,700 euros. "It's a high-end bike. It's the only solution for producing here: you have to make innovative, intelligent products." The bike claims two-thirds of its value made in France, including the software part, and will be assembled in the SEB factory in Is-sur-Tille, in Côte-d'Or.
>> Watch Matthieu Belliard's morning show in replay and in podcast here
Half a billion euros in lost revenue
"We like to manufacture in France, there are enormous skills in our factories. Simply, you have to choose your fights. We cannot produce entry-level products in France: the competition, especially Asian, is too strong ", underlines Thierry de La Tour d'Artaise, adding that the SEB company has 11 production sites in France.
Despite this new project, 2020 "will remain a complicated year", he deplores. Following the health crisis, the company is already anticipating a loss of turnover of half a billion euros in the second quarter.