E-Performance: There is a lot of news from Bosch for the 2020 model year - from the new CX motor and its own cargo drive to better connectivity, larger batteries and decisive anti-tuning measures. We give an overview of the Bosch E-Bike News 2020.
It's been ten years since the automotive and power tool giant Bosch ventured into the bicycle and e-bike sectors. To do this, an in-house start-up called Bosch E-Bike Systems was founded, which was initially part of the automotive division. With Claus Fleischer at the helm, there were initially only four employees who dealt with the topic of e-bike drives and motors - but the risk should prove to be worthwhile in the near future.
We jump ten years into the future: Bosch eBike Systems is celebrating its 10th birthday in the Stuttgart Wagenhallen, and is also presenting the third generation of its motors. It feels like the entire bike journalism is a guest – from Germany, Europe, the USA and Australia. No wonder: e-bikes are booming, especially in Europe, and Bosch is one of the main drivers behind this success. Of course nobody wants to miss what the manufacturer from Swabia is revealing today.
Bosch Performance CX 2020: smaller, lighter, better?
The star in the new Bosch lineup for the coming season is undoubtedly the new Performance CX motor. That's not surprising, after all, the well-known, established CX drive is probably one of the most popular and probably also the most used drives in the E-MTB sector. Despite its now considerable age of almost five years, it still keeps up with the much younger engines of the competition and also has many fans because of its high reliability. Big footsteps that the successor has to fill. In particular, the weight and form factor have been improved: the significantly smaller motor is around one kilo lighter than its predecessor at 2,9 kg - remarkable! With a consistently high torque of 75Nm, the support performance could even be increased from 300% to 340%.
You can find all the details and first driving impressions in our article on the Bosch Performance CX 2020:
Product news: Bosch Performance CX 2020: All information and first driving impression
E-Performance: The time has come! Bosch lifts the curtain on the new E-MTB drive - the Bosch Performance CX 2020. Smaller dimensions, lower weight, better performance - can the new drive fill in the large footsteps of its popular predecessor? The Bosch Performance CX should - without downplaying other drives - at least in this country still […]
Bosch Performance Line and Performance Line Speed 2020: Evolution instead of revolution
In the recent past, the Bosch Performance Line was clearly overshadowed by the more powerful CX drive, and with the new Active Line Plus motor two years ago at the latest, the once successful drive became more of an exception. That should change with the 2020 model year. The new generation of the sporty motor is not only lighter than its predecessor, but also offers a little more torque with 65Nm and provides a whopping 300% support. Another big plus point: When the drive is switched off or over 25km/h, there is now almost no pedaling resistance from the drive. As with the predecessor, the new Bosch Performance 2020 will again be available as a speed variant for 45km/h fast S-Pedelecs - here the motor then delivers a crisp 75Nm of torque.
You can find all the details and first driving impressions in our article on the Bosch Performance Line 2020:
Product news: Bosch Performance Line 2020: The new insider tip for engines?
E-Performance: With the Bosch Performance Line 2020, the all-rounder enters a new generation. Bosch itself speaks of the most versatile drive in the new portfolio – our practical test also shows that you could be right. With the Speed version, S-Pedelec fans will also get their money's worth. The Bosch Performance drive was the link between the […]
Bosch Cargo Line and Cargo Line Speed: The first proprietary motor for cargo bikes
Bosch had a big surprise up its sleeve with the new Cargo Line: Although the sales figures for e-cargo bikes are constantly increasing, the pack donkeys have not really emerged from their niche yet. Perhaps that will change in the near future: Bosch is entering two of its own drives, a 25km/h and a 45km/h variant, in 2020, thereby showing its own conviction that e-cargo bikes will prevail in the long term. The Cargo drive is based on the new CX motor, both visually and technically. Here, too, there is a compact magnesium housing, a weight of almost 3kg and 75Nm of torque. At 400%, however, the motor provides even more support than the eMTB variant, but without its crisp acceleration.
You can find all the details and first driving impressions in our article on the Bosch Cargo Line 2020:
Product news: Bosch Cargo Line: The new cargo bike drive under the magnifying glass
E-Performance: With the Bosch Cargo Line, there will be a separate drive for cargo bikes from model year 2020. Technically, the engine is based on the new CX drive, but brings even more power to the ground. Surprise! With the new Cargo Line, Bosch also revealed the […]
Bosch Powertube 625 and Powertube 400: More choice with integrated batteries
The big bottleneck of the current e-bike drives is not the motor, but rather the battery. The built-in lithium ion batteries are reliable, offer sufficient capacity, but are technically exhausted as far as possible. If you want more capacity, you have to accept larger and heavier batteries; Bosch e-bike riders will have this option from 2020. As the name suggests, the new Powertube 625 battery offers 625 Wh, which is noticeably more than the previous 500 Wh version. However, this capacity comes at the price of more weight (approx. 3,5kg - 500g more than the Powertube 500) and a longer design that requires special frames. The Powertube portfolio is also being expanded downwards: The 400 variant is 100% compatible with the well-known Powertube 500 and should be attractive to many drivers as a cost-effective second battery, for example.
More technical details about the new Bosch Powertube batteries in our article:
Product news: Bosch Powertube 625 and Powertube 400: New integrated batteries from 2020
E-Performance: With the Bosch Powertube 625 and Powertube 400, the southern German e-bike giant is presenting two new integrated batteries for the 2020 model year. While the 625Wh variant is slightly larger and heavier than the well-known Powertube 500, the Powertube 400 variant is fully backwards compatible. When people talk and write about e-bike drives, the […]
Bosch Smartphone Hub and KioX updates: Connectivity is key
In times when even refrigerators and washing machines bring their own apps, a modern e-bike can no longer do without smart features, especially since these can offer real added value. So far, Bosch has relied entirely on the Nyon on-board computer in this regard, but the next model year will see a lot more. The Bosch Smartphone Hub is the first product that will emerge from the acquisition of Cobi: The similarities to the previous Cobi system are unmistakable, but the cell phone holder now also has its own small monochrome display and can therefore also be used without a cell phone. It can also be controlled via the Kiox control panel. There are also some new features in the app itself, including its own app store.
More information about the Bosch Smartphone Hub in the corresponding article:
Product news: Bosch Smartphone Hub: Takeover of Cobi is bearing fruit
E-Performance / E-Bike: With the Bosch Smartphone Hub, the topic of connected bikes on Bosch E-Bikes has reached a new level. In particular, the small display integrated into the bracket is a great new feature and increases the everyday utility immensely. A few years ago, when Cobi.bike ventured into the topic of connected bikes or smart features on bicycles, […]
Bosch launches anti-tuning offensive
E-bike tuning is almost a taboo topic in the industry and also in the trade press. Few talk openly about it, but if you believe the sales figures of the relevant providers, a not inconsiderable proportion of the 25km/h pedelecs out there should be out there with a tuning and correspondingly unlocked support performance. At the Bosch news presentation, eBike Systems CEO Claus Fleicher devoted a few minutes directly to the topic; The tenor became clear: Bosch wants to decisively oppose tuning and put a stop to it in the future - the main reason: With every tuned e-bike out there, the user is sawing the legal equality of pedelecs and bicycles.
In order to make life as difficult as possible for tuners in the future, all new Bosch drives come with built-in anti-tuning software that detects manipulation and immediately takes appropriate action.
How the software works, what the Limp Home Mode is all about - all information about the anti-tuning measures can be found here in the corresponding article:
Product news: Bosch is declaring war on e-bike tuning using special software from 2020
E-Performance: From the 2020 model year, Bosch wants to make life difficult for e-bike tuners - an internal control mechanism should reliably detect tuning and then switch the bike to an emergency mode. E-bike tuning is almost a taboo topic in the industry: Sales figures from relevant providers show that a considerable proportion of e-bikes with […]