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Product news: E-bike motors 2019: safety, integration and innovation

February 18, 2019 by the editorial office

E-Performance: In Germany alone, more than 2018 e-bikes were sold in 800.000, so almost every fifth bicycle sold in this country has electronic support. For 2019, the industry even expects to break the 1 million mark. It is mainly city and trekking bikes that have an electric drive. This is also reflected in the developments of the drive manufacturers, because they offer increasingly specialized technologies for this segment. We have summarized the most important information and offer you an overview of the e-bike motors 2019.

E-Bike Motors 2019: Bafang's Extensive New Product Portfolio

E-Bike Motors 2019: Bafang
M-800 - The compact mid-engine system from BAFANG

M800 - The mini motor is ideally suited for electrically assisted e-road bikes and e-gravel bikes. Here, value is placed on optical minimalism, because in this category of bike, the electrical inconspicuousness counts above all. With a rated continuous output of 200 watts and 55 Nm torque, the focus here is on acceleration and support in steep passages. Due to this focus, the range in combination with a 200 Wh battery is estimated at a strong 150km.



Bafang M420
More compact, lighter and more powerful. M-420, the facelift of the M-400 series.

The M400 series has been given a contemporary facelift with the M420. More compact and stronger than its predecessor, the development of modern city and trekking bikes is taken into account. 250 watts and 80 Nm are the key performance data of the central motor, which is powered by a 450 Wh in-tube battery.

In order to meet the global performance and speed regulations, Bafang is presenting three more mid-mounted motors on a uniform platform when it comes to e-bike motors in 2019: the M500 and M600 series. These have a rated continuous output of 250 watts (M500) or 350 watts and 500 watts (M600) and the two newcomers also achieve a torque of 95 Nm (M500) to 120 Nm (M600)



Bafang has also followed suit when it comes to the hub motor. The H500 is an electric drive available in two variants, which scores with an output of 350 watts or 500 watts. The Mini-Hub, a hub motor for city and trekking pedelecs and speed pedelecs, was also added to the portfolio. These are a bit smaller and more discreet, but still deliver a respectable 45 Nm of torque with a diameter of just 100 mm.

Details in our Bafang items or on www.bafang-e.com



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E-bike motors 2019: BionX

BionX continues to rely on the hub motor. For the wheel designers, this drive has the huge advantage that you can save yourself the time-consuming task of integrating the motor into the frame. In 2019, the two drive systems of the D series and the P series are made in Canada. The slim hub motors are used in city bikes, hand bikes and recumbent bikes as well as in traction devices for wheelchair users. The possible combination with a Pinion gearbox is also interesting here.

E-bike motors 2019: BionX
The powerful D series from BionX


The P series has undergone a detailed facelift here. What is new here compared to the previous models is the cassette mount, which is available for both Shimano and SRAM cassettes. With an output of 250 watts and a torque of 40 Nm.

BionX P Series
The more compact design of the P series also enables integration into smaller wheel sizes.

The BionX D series is a little more powerful. With an identical 250 watts, the significantly slimmer and even lighter wheel hub motor delivers 10 Nm more than the P series and thus achieves an impressive 50 Nm. torque.



More info in our article or on www.ridebionx.com

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E-bike motors 2019: Brose

In addition to various further developments, Brose presented the new Brose Drive S Mag (Mag stands for magnesium) last year and revolutionized the city bike drive segment with the Brose Drive C at the beginning of 2019.



Brose Drive S Mag - Lighter and more powerful than its aluminum brother

With the further development of the Brose Drive S, Brose has made a big leap forward with the Drive S Mag. Not only the technical data of 410% support, 250 watts of continuous rated power and 90 Nm maximum torque make the new lightweight from Brose one of the top e-bike motors 2019 for sporty bikes such as e-MTBs, compared to its little brother Aluminum makes the Drive S Mag 15% smaller and can therefore be integrated even better, and the Berliners also pack another 30% on top when it comes to support.

E-bike motors 2019: Brose Drive-S Mag
This is behind the magnesium housing of the Brose Drive-S Mag

Another new feature of the Brose Drive S Mag is the "Flex Power Mode" with which up to 30% more power can be flexibly accessed even at high cadences and the bike still remains easy to control even when accelerating.



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Brose drives now also in city bikes - the Brose Drive C

With the Brose Drive C, the supplier from the automotive sector is focusing on the constantly growing market for city and trekking e-bikes, and the debut in this segment has been more than successful. (Test) Due to the very compact design of the drive unit, it can be integrated inconspicuously. The Brose Drive C drive delivers a rated continuous output of 250 watts and a maximum torque of 50 Nm. This supports up to 280% and almost triples the pedaling power.

E-bike motors 2019: Brose Drive C
This is what the new City drive from Berliner looks like behind the housing cover.


The Brose Drive C is such an efficient endurance runner, optimized for urban requirements. The support power is accessed as comfortably and harmoniously as possible between 20 and 70 revolutions per minute. This ensures an extremely smooth response and brings you relaxed to your destination.

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The first bikes equipped with the Brose Drive C should be on display at dealerships later this year.



An overview of the Brose drives in our article:

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There are technical details www.brose-ebike.com



E-bike motors 2019: Bosch – development focus for 2019 on safety and usability.

At Bosch, the current development focus is primarily on safety and usability. The pioneers of e-bike drives are again setting new standards with the developments already presented. In addition to the highly praised ABS system, which basically works like a car, this also includes the new Kiox display and the fast charger. But other innovations are already in the development pipeline and will be presented to us in June of this year.

The ABS system is mounted on the handlebars like a small backpack.

The ABS (anti-lock braking system) system has become an integral part of the car and yet it took some development time until the accident-reducing technology was available on two wheels. According to Bosch accident research, one in four pedelec accidents can be prevented with such a system, because correct braking plays a significant role in an emergency. And so the Bosch ABS system has recently become available for e-bikes from the 2019 model series.



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Robust and easy to read thanks to Gorilla Glass and adaptive display lighting.


In terms of ease of use and data overview, Bosch presented the compact Kiox display at Eurobike 2018. The new color display system, designed for sporty e-bikers, can be conveniently controlled from the handlebars using a separate control unit. In addition to the support modes and speed, all information on distances and cadence is also displayed. A heart rate monitor can even be connected via Bluetooth for optimal training.

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Due to the central positioning on the stem, the reading angle is ideal and the information can be provided perfectly at any time, even in direct sunlight. This is achieved by automatically adjusting the display lighting. The KIOX system is rounded off and therefore particularly robust with the use of particularly resistant Gorilla glass.



A BOSCH PowerPack 1,2 is 500% charged within 50 hours.

Annoying waiting is over. The fastest charging system comes from Bosch. With a charging current of up to 6A, a Bosch PowerPack 500 is fully charged within three hours, and even up to half in 1,2 hours. This plays into the cards not only for the growing rental infrastructure, but also for hobby bikers. Because a short lunch break of about an hour is enough to refill the empty battery by 40%. So nothing stands in the way of long bike trips. The FastCharger is compatible with all Bosch systems and is hardly noticeable with an additional weight of 20% compared to the standard charger.

Further information on www.bosch-ebike.com.



E-Bike Motors 2019: Fazua - Lean module-based drive concept

Perfect integration of the powerful Fazua drive.
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With Fazua, everything is "hidden" in the down tube. The integration specialists have developed a modular concept, so all three necessary units - gearbox, motor and battery - are in one pluggable module. The Evation drive can be found in 90% of e-racing bikes or e-gravel bikes, because a discreet appearance plays a major role here. With up to 400 watts of continuous rated power, the 250 Wh battery can cover a maximum of 50 kilometers. But if the e-racers focus more on acceleration than permanent support, the Fazua Evation drive decouples imperceptibly and a speed of >25 km/h is only opposed to air resistance.



Details on the drive www.fazua.com

E-bike motors 2019: Shimano

Shimano motors 2019: Steps E7000 - E-MTB drive for bargain hunters

The Shimano STEPS E7000 system is the supplement to the well-known STEPS E8000 drive. While the focus of the E8000 was on extreme gradients and technical terrain for the ambitious e-mountain biker, the STEPS E7000 system appeals to the more price-conscious e-MTB audience. With a rated continuous output of 250 watts (max. 500 watts) and a torque of 60 Nm, it satisfies all the needs of hobby mountain bikers.

And yet there is no saving on integration, because the electronic switching system Di2 can also be fully supported by the STEPS E7000 components. Bike designers have also been thought of, so the STEPS E7000 system has the same dimensions and screw points as the E8000 system, so nothing stands in the way of a simple change.



E-bike motors 2019: Shimano Steps E7000

Shimano motors 2019: Steps E5000 and E6100 for city and trekking

The Japanese are launching two innovations for city and trekking bikes. The STEPS E5000 series is the entry into the STEPS family. The comfortable city bike drive is not intended for extreme acceleration, but with its 40 Nm torque it provides pleasant and honest riding pleasure in the cities.



For more power and a longer range, Shimano throws the STEPS E6100 system into the race. The successor to the tried and tested STEPS E6000, with further development focusing on ergonomics and comfort. The background noise has been significantly reduced compared to its predecessor and the range has been increased by 20%.

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E-bike motors 2019: Shimano Steps E6100



As the next generation of information media on e-bikes, the smartphone is becoming more and more popular. In autumn 2018, Shimano introduced the new E-Tube Ride App. The mobile phone, regardless of whether it is an iOS or Android platform, serves as an independent or additional source of information while driving. Not only can the electronic shifting behavior be adjusted and coordinated with the Di2 transmission, but the display and the information shown on the app can also be individualized.

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Pragma Industries Alpha 2.0 – fuel cells instead of lithium-ion batteries

Since 2017, Pragma Industries from France has been breaking new ground in terms of e-mobility on bicycles and, with the combination of hydrogen and fuel cells, is focusing on an energy source that is not new - but innovative in the e-bike industry. Since 2004, the alternative energy producer has been researched in the south-west of France and now the current Alpha 2.0 e-bike has been presented. The French e-bike is not powered by a conventional lithium-ion battery, but in the massive down tube there is a fuel cell and a small hydrogen tank, this combination provides enough electricity to fire a Brose motor in turn.



When it comes to driving speed, the same rules and key data apply to conventional e-bikes. With support up to 25 km/h with a 250 watt 36V Brose motor. In terms of charging speed and range, the 2-liter hydrogen tank packs a punch. This provides enough capacity to move the futuristic e-bike up to 100 kilometers (depending on the intensity of support). And if the reserves are used up, you "only" have to drive to a suitable hydrogen filling station to "charge" the e-bike for the next 100 kilometers within a record-breaking two minutes.

The Pragma Industries Alpha 2.0 is initially aimed at commercial fleet customers, as the bike is only available in a set price of 150.000 euros. For this you get ten Pragma Alpha 2.0 e-bikes for 7.500 euros each, as well as a 75.000-euro hydrogen filling station. The fuel cell bike is the ideal alternative for tourists and bike rental companies, because annoying waiting times when loading are saved and a significantly higher range is achieved.



Detailed information is available on the manufacturer's website www.pragma-industries.com

Novus Bike – An e-drive on two wheels can do it all

A bit off-topic, but the Novus shows what an electric drive can do with two wheels. The futuristic design of the carbon monocoque frame completely dispenses with additional design elements, it is the design element. This carbon fiber beauty contains a powerful high-voltage battery that can supply the e-(motor)bike with electricity for up to 3 hours in urban traffic.



The heart of the Novus Bike is a brushless wheel hub motor with a peak output of 14 kW, which corresponds to just over 19 hp. A maximum torque of 200 Nm is released. The maximum speed that can be reached is 100 km/h, which is anything but a classic e-bike.

The hyperbike was presented at the CES in Las Vegas. With a price of just under 41.000 At €100, it's anything but cheap, but you can call an electric motorcycle strictly limited to XNUMX units your own.

Detailed information is available on the manufacturer's website www.novusbike.com



Tags:alphaBafangBionXBoschbrennstoffzelleBROSEE-BikesE-PerformanceEBikeselectricindustriesNewsnexuspragmaShimanoTANKSTELLEWaterhydrogen

More than the editorial office

Velomotion is your team of bicycle and e-bike experts, professional cyclists and enthusiastic cyclists. In our magazine we present new products, current and critical test reports as well as news from the world of cycling. We stand for quality awareness, know-how and lived enthusiasm for the subject of bicycles.

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