Product news: E-bike motors 2018: An overview of the new drives

E-Performance: When the Swabian global corporation Bosch presented a rather wacky niche product almost eight years ago, big industry reacted with a shake of the head and an amused smile. An electric motor for bicycles - a nice idea, but probably more of a gimmick by a cycling engineer than a real guarantee of profit. Today, the doubters are smarter and with Brose, AEG, Kymco, Panasonic, Yamaha and Bafang, numerous global players have jumped on this (electric) train. The e-bike has had an incredible success story. 600.000 units were sold in Germany alone in 2016 – with a strong upward trend. There are quite a few bicycle brands that now sell more e-bikes than classic bicycles. The development is correspondingly rapid; we have summarized the e-bike motors 2018.

Success proves Bosch right. It is not uncommon for an e-bike buyer to come to a specialist shop and ask for a "Bosch bike" - regardless of the brand - he has heard that the drives are the best. However, the matter is not that simple and other mothers also have beautiful daughters. All drive manufacturers are busy, nobody can afford to stand still and miss the innovation connection for a season. Accordingly, we can expect a flood of new motors, batteries and updates for the coming year. It's hard to keep track of that.

E-bike motors 2018: Bosch – Smaller, lighter and with integrated batteries

They've been the top dog in the engine space for years, and with the 2018 innovations, they want to Bosch stay that way: the popular Active Line and Active Line Plus motors for pleasure drivers have been completely redeveloped. They have become lighter and, above all, quieter. Even under load on the mountain, there is now hardly any noise from the drive. Due to the smaller dimensions, the manufacturers can now also integrate the mid-motors more favorably into the wheel design.

More information about Bosch Active Line 2018 and Active Line Plus:

There are also innovations for the battery in 2018: Previously, the Bosch battery pack could not be integrated into the frame. Completely new frame designs can be realized with the new PowerTube variant. With the revision of the motor transmission, a previously essential point of criticism has also been eliminated - the motor's own resistance: If the drive is switched off or at speeds above 25 km/h, the bike now runs almost as easily as a normal bicycle.

More information about the integrated Bosch batteries 2018 and other innovations:

E-Bike Motors 2018: Brose – New drives for E-MTBs and S-Pedelecs

The drive of auto parts suppliers Brose was previously mainly found on premium e-bikes for everyday use and touring. It received an update in 2017, is now called Drive T and is said to be six percent more efficient – ​​meaning it offers more range. The Brose Drive S is brand new. It delivers more torque than the Estate: up to 90 Newton meters - and is therefore aimed at e-mountain bikes. By the way: The mid-engine manufacturers measure the torque on the drive shaft, not on the rear wheel axle; a comparison with the performance of the rear engines is only indirectly possible.

More information on the new Brose Drive S motor for e-mountain bikes:

However, with this performance, the steepest root-infested ramp loses its terror. As early as September, the S should be available in the first bikes with an extra boost - for example in the E-MTBs from Rotwild. Brose also has something new for commuters: the TF engine variant. It supports S-Pedelecs up to a speed of 45 km/h - as quietly as usual - and will be found in fast e-bikes from 2018. 

E-bike motors 2018: Shimano with individual drive adjustment via app and battery innovations

The Steps mid-engine Shimano has many fans in the touring and city area - it responds harmoniously and runs very quietly. The more powerful E-MTB version (E8000), which has been available for a year, has now received a software update: With the latest firmware from Shimano, the motor can be precisely adapted to the respective riding situation, off-road or on the road. Mobile phone at hand and optimally adjust the setting to the terrain via app - done. An “intuitive” mode for your favorite trails is also possible.

As far as the hardware is concerned, bike manufacturers go even further with the drive: BMZ, the large German battery manufacturer, developed two narrow individual batteries for e-MTBs. There is space on the left and right of the down tube. 375 watt hours each - so a total of 750! That's enough for a few nice hours in the field. For example with the new Bulls E-Ecore Evo, which already has a double pack. The integration of STEPS battery caterpillars in the frame is also completely new: Individual, connected battery packs can be pulled out through a narrow opening in the down tube. The small opening looks better than tube-length "doors", but above all gives the bike manufacturers the opportunity to build lighter frames with the same stability. In terms of battery integration, this should currently set the benchmark.

E-Bike Motors 2018: Bafang – full power made in China

The Chinese manufacturer Bafang is one of the largest engine manufacturers in the world and has been offering front wheel, rear wheel and mid-mounted engines for a long time. With the new M model, the Asians presented a hit at the Eurobike 2017: according to the manufacturer, the currently most powerful pedelec mid-motor. With the mandatory 250 watts, it should deliver a whopping 95 to 110 Newton meters of torque. Bafang is also particularly interested in off-road pedelecs with speeds of up to 25 kilometers per hour. The system will only weigh around 3.000 grams and can be fitted with one or two chainrings. Also new: the M 600 with 350 or 500 watts. These two motors are reserved for the S-Pedelec with up to 45 kilometers per hour. So far, Bafang has not wanted to say which bicycle manufacturers will use the motors from 2018 onwards. Some will - as is quite usual - label it with their own names.

E-bike motors 2018: Continental with a new 48V system

auto supplier Shelf brings a new central motor with 48 volts - most motors currently run on 36 volts. The power plant should weigh around four kilograms and be equipped with batteries with a capacity of up to 600 watt hours. Even if you use the full torque of up to 70 Newton meters, range should not be a problem.

Among other things, the Conti drive is used in the wheels of the e-bike manufacturer. There is also a special treat here: Conti has developed a motor variant in which the stepless Nuvinci gearshift has been integrated directly into the drive system. A freewheel hub rotates in the rear wheel and the weight of the Nuvinci sits in the center of the bike with a favorable center of gravity. The gear ratio is now regulated automatically: you set your favorite cadence and the electronic control ensures that it is maintained – no matter what your speed. Integration is also a design trump card in 2018: the battery should disappear into the frame in the new models from Cycle-Union, to which the e-bike manufacturer belongs.

 

E-bike motors 2018: Panasonic – New touring motor X0

Panasonic is one of the pioneers of the mid-engine. Even after that, efforts were made to innovate. In 2016, for example, the company presented a drive with an integrated two-speed gearbox that was installed exclusively in pedelecs from the Swiss brand Flyer and could be shifted automatically or manually. From 2018 there will be, among other things, a new single-speed pedelec motor X0, as installed in the new Flyer Gotour5 model. It was specially developed for touring e-bikers - with a very harmonious acceleration, but also a very high torque of 80Nm.

E-bike motors 2018: Fazua with a light and extremely compact drive for sporty e-bikes

Also already available: bikes with the Evation drive system from the German manufacturer fazua. It consists of a bottom bracket gear and a rod motor including a battery unit that disappears into the frame tube. Since the bottom bracket gear itself is hardly larger than a normal bottom bracket, the complete drive will be invisible. Overall, the motor/battery unit should only weigh 3,3 kilograms – surprisingly little.

The German bike manufacturers Focus and Cube have already presented a new generation of racing bikes with Fazua. During the first test drives, the Fazua was able to convince with its unobtrusive support.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwFC4UxTHn0

E-bike motors 2018: rear-wheel drives for fat bikes, beach cruisers and recumbents

The BionX The D model series has a clear distinguishing feature: the motor is narrower than other rear motors, but has a significantly larger diameter. The larger area provides, among other things, the advantage of better heat dissipation. Now a new variant called DV is coming onto the market: The axle width of 170 millimeters is specially adapted to beach cruisers and fat bikes with their extremely wide tires. The drive only fits bikes with 26-inch wheels. The battery is not quite as "fat" - with 555 Wh it belongs to the middle class of powerful energy dispensers today. There will also be a version for recumbents (20 inch) soon.

Test of an Elby e-bike with classic BionX D drive:

E-bike engines 2018: Kappstein with new B3 drive

Also the drive specialist capstone has developed a new drive, the B3. Specifications: small, light, particularly quiet. The gearless motor from Gotha weighs just 2,5 kilograms – not including the battery. Motor control and torque sensor are integrated. Therefore, a particularly light and minimalist e-bike could be built with it - for example with the two-speed bottom bracket gearbox from the same company. The B3 is available in variants for chain and belt drive. It is still unclear who will put the motor in his wheels. It is not available as a retrofit kit.

 

E-bike motors 2018: Go Swissdrive - intelligent hub motor with mountain assistant

Go Swissdrive, German manufacturer with Swiss roots, launched new rear motors this year that rely on particularly sophisticated sensors and highly developed software. This means they should even be able to think ahead: a sophisticated algorithm predicts future heating at high power output and reduces power if the engine is expected to get too hot. A shutdown due to overheating - a feared scenario with the rear engine on the mountain - is thus avoided. Thanks to the low-resistance technology, pedaling beyond the 25 mark feels like a normal bike.

The new mountain assistant works as an engine brake: It automatically maintains a previously set speed and then works like a generator: it generates electricity, which it feeds back into the battery. Smartphone connectivity is trumps here too, and there's even an app called Heartgo that allows drivers to monitor medical data like heart rate. Option: Direct contact with the trainer or doctor. There's enough power: up to 45 Nm are in it - measured directly on the rear axle. The new generation of engines is installed in bikes from Tout Terrain and Maxcycles, among others.

E-bike motors 2018: Alber Neodrives with a particularly long range

The German e-drive specialist Alber has long been the world leader in wheelchair drives; So the step to the e-bike rear motor was a small one. The new Neodrives motor is said to have an efficiency of 85 percent - a value that primarily affects the range: 145 kilometers should be possible with a 612 watt-hour battery. With a slim battery (500 Wh) integrated into the frame, it's still 120 kilometers. The engine's color display is multifunctional - depending on the model, it can even navigate, and depending on the version, it can be connected to a mobile phone with many options for collecting data about your own driving behavior or the route.

The new Neodrives motors are used on Raleigh e-bikes, among others:

In 2018 the e-bike will be clever - this applies to motor characteristics as well as communication with the smartphone - the e-biker and his bike grow even closer together.