Which motors power an e-MTB? An overview!
If you thought that an electric bicycle was something of the past ten years, then you are wrong. A first patent was applied for as early as 1895, but without much success. In my 20sth Attempts continued throughout the century, but it would not be until sometime around the turn of the century that the concept really became a great success. This was accomplished by better battery technology.
The engines also became more and more compact, so their installation in a bicycle frame was no problem. The motors are available in different types depending on use. On an e-bike, the motors can be in the front or rear wheel, or on the bottom bracket. We focus our attention on the latter because it is by far the most commonly used drive.
The engines must also comply with legal provisions. According to the legislator, a standard electric bicycle may not deliver more than 250 watts of power and the pedal assistance must stop at 25 km/h. All engines that deliver higher power are classified as pedelecs and offer pedal assistance up to 45 km/h. And then there is the sports motorcycle category: these machines can deliver even higher power but are prohibited on public roads. You cannot register these e-bikes.
If you buy a new e-bike, it is best to look at how you use it. A city bike will have a motor with a lower torque (expressed in Nm) than a touring bike that must also provide sufficient power uphill. A city bike needs 35 to 40 Nm, while a sporty electric mountain bike can now be equipped with a motor that exceptionally delivers up to 120 Nm. The most important data of an electric motor for e-bikes are these:
- The power delivered expressed in Watts (250W, 500W).
- The weight (usually just over 3 kg).
- The torque expressed in Newton meters (Nm).
- Maximum pedal assistance up to, for example, 25 or 45 km/h.
- Maximum supported cadence.
There are now many manufacturers who have mastered the technology. And the share of electric mountain bikes is increasing every day. We list the main engines that are bolted to an e-MTB. There are other manufacturers who are trying to carve out a niche for themselves, but the list below lists the most important engines.
Bafang They were the first manufacturer to bring e-bike motors onto the market. The M600 Drive System from this Chinese manufacturer is a very powerful drive for e-MTBs. With a force of 120 Nm, this is one of the most powerful of them all. It consumes 500 Watts of energy from your battery and therefore weighs a bit heavier than, for example, a Bosch. At 3,7 kg it is not really a lightweight. Bafang even has a more powerful version that can go up to 160 Nm. This motor is used for e-cargo bicycles, e-tandems and some high-end e-MTBs. You will find a Bafang motor in the bicycles of Amercan Eagle, the Dutch brand of Bart Brentjens and Henk Schipper.
BOSCH batteries and motors The Germans have been market leaders in this segment for years. The Performance Line CX is the brand's most powerful drivetrain used for electric mountain bikes. The latest generation has a force of up to 85 Nm and a weight of 2,9 kg. There is support up to 25 km/h and up to 120 pedal revolutions per minute. This engine is used by Cannondale, Canyon, Conway, Cube, Orbea, Kona, KTM, Scott and Trek, among others.
BROSE The company was initially one of the major players in supplying electric motors for the automotive sector, but since 2014 it has focused more on drives for electric bicycles. The Brose Drive S is suitable for e-MTB and has the major advantage over its competitors that it does not develop pedal resistance when the motor is switched off while cycling. This 250 Watt motor provides pedal assistance up to 25 km/h. With a force development of 90 Nm, it is certainly a powerhouse in your mountain bike. It is really lightweight because 2,9 kg is not much for such a powerful machine. Brose is found in some bicycles from Specialized, Sunn, BH, and Decathlon.
FAZUA The Fazua Evation is a very compact system from Germany. The 250 Watt motor delivers 60 Nm of force. These engines are mounted under the frames of brands such as Focus, Nox, Kinesis, Wilier, Scapin and Lapierre.
PANASONIC A lesser known but not to be underestimated manufacturer of electric motors for bicycles. The brand's GX 0 motor is used to power e-MTBs. With 90 Nm, this power source is no slouch when driving uphill and at 2,9 kg it is also lightweight. The GX 0 engine is often linked to the Swiss bicycle brand Flyer.
SHIMANO Together with Bosch and Yamaha, Shimano is one of the best-known suppliers of electric motors for bicycles. Shimano is Japanese and one of the world's largest suppliers of bicycle gears. They also jumped into the electric bicycle market and can now offer a very complete range of drive systems. These motorcycles were given the name Shimano Steps at birth. There are two systems available for an electric mountain bike: the Steps E7000 and the Steps E8000. The E8000 is perhaps the lightest on the market at 2,8 kg. The maximum torque is 70 Nm and it supports up to 25 km/h. The Shimano Steps motor is used by many well-known brands such as BMC, Canyon, Ducati, Focus, Husqvarna, Merida, Stevens, Orbea, Ridley, Commencal and Scott.
TQ The brand's HPR® 120S is very clear with its marketing. 120 Nm comes from that block. Bam! TQ is a small German company in electronic components (including for aviation) that saw something in the electric two-wheeler market. This motor is perhaps the most powerful on the market and allows you to overcome extreme slope angles on a mountain bike. It is also the heaviest in weight with 3,9 kg dry on the hook. At maximum load, it converts your pedaling power to an impressive 920 watts. The TQ motor is usually found in the more expensive bicycles of the Haibike brand.
SPECIALIZED The well-known bicycle brand makes its own engines for its top models. The Specialized 2.1 engine is also a gem and is very high in the test rankings. When you select the highest pedal assistance on the display, your pedaling force is increased by a factor of 4. With 90 Nm, this motor is a strong player on the e-bike market. It hangs under the frame of the Specialized Turbo Levo. And this bike was recently tested by MXMag. You can take the test by Yente Dourte and Jurgen De Kinder here read it again. This engine is perhaps the smoothest on the market. The engine/frame combination is ultra-light, but you also pay a hefty amount for that. The engines are used exclusively in-house and you will therefore never see them hanging under a competitor's frame.
YAMAHA The PW-X2 motor is suitable for heavy mountain bike work. The PW-X2 delivers 250 W, 3,1 kg, a maximum torque of 80 Nm and pedal assistance up to 25 km/h. The Japanese manufacturer also makes a slightly less powerful motor for e-MTB with the PW Series ST. This delivers 70 Nm and weighs 3,4 kg. Yamaha engines can be found in mountain bikes from the Giant brand and the German brand Haibike, among others.
Photos: Specialized, Shimano, Bafang, Ridley and Bosch.
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