An electric motor is one of the core components of an e-bike, serving as the power source that directly affects the bike’s climbing ability, acceleration performance, and top speed. With continuous technological advancements, the efficiency, power density, durability, and level of intelligence of electric motors are constantly improving. In the e-bike motor industry, each brand has its unique product features and technological advantages. Today, we will take stock of the well-known brands in the motor field.
Overseas Motor Brands
Bosch is one of the most renowned and recognized motor brands globally and is often the top choice for high-end products. The Bosch motor product line is comprehensive, covering various needs in different fields and performance levels. Bosch’s e-bike series are diverse and mainly divided into Active Line, Performance Line, and Cargo Line. The Active Line series, mainly for commuting, offers a gentle acceleration performance with a torque output of 40-50Nm; the Performance Line series is suitable for users pursuing high performance and a sense of sports, providing up to 85Nm of torque output, along with a new generation of drive units and intelligent control systems for personalized and natural riding experiences; the Cargo Line series mid-drive motor is designed for freight transport, offering powerful performance in cargo transportation, with a 2.9kg motor reaching a peak power of 1250w and providing 85Nm of torque.
Shimano, with its profound technical accumulation in the field of bicycle components, has developed a series of high-quality motor products. The target groups cover three major sectors: off-road, commuting, and leisure. The main product series of Shimano motors currently include EP8, EP6, EP5, EP500, and EP501. The EP8 motor system is designed specifically for mountain bikes (eMTB), where the EP801 is the flagship product of the Shimano E-MTB series, providing the vehicle with powerful power output, high torque, and stable performance suitable for more professional cycling needs. The EP6 and EP5 are used for sports and urban travel, respectively.
YAMAHA also covers a variety of usage scenarios with its product line arranged by performance, including PWseries C2, PWseries ST, PWseries S2, PW-X3, and PW-XM. Among them, the PW-XM has a maximum torque of 85 Nm and a weight of only 2.6 kg, making it a high-end eMTB drive device of YAMAHA, with the most superior comprehensive performance in the YAMAHA e-bike system, suitable for users pursuing high-performance riding.
Mahle motor products are known for their lightweight technology. The X20 model motor weighs only 1.4kg, and the system integrates key components such as the motor, sensors, and control units. The entire system, including the controller and battery, weighs only 3.2kg, while providing a rated output of 250W and a maximum torque of 55Nm. In addition, the X30 drive system inherits the lightweight, sports, and intelligent characteristics of Mahle products. The system consists of a motor, battery, HMI (human-machine interface), and other components. The motor weighs only 1.9kg but provides a torque output of up to 45Nm. For more details on the X30 product, you can refer to the article “Lightweight and Efficient! German Motor Manufacturer Mahle Launches a New Motor System X30, Setting a New Benchmark for Industry Power!”
ZF has recently entered the e-bike motor market with an ultra-lightweight mid-drive motor, CentriX. The CentriX has the size of a can but weighs only 2.5 kilograms, with a maximum output of up to 600W, and a peak torque of 90Nm, redefining the lightweight and high-performance standards of e-bike power systems. The only wheel network introduced this product in “Cross-border players layout e-bike electric control, ZF launched the first e-bike drive system, torque 90Nm, only 2.5 kilograms!”
Enviolo, a well-known Dutch bicycle parts manufacturer, has developed innovative continuous variable planetary gear (CVP) technology and produced a series of intelligent hub products covering various usage scenarios from commuting to freight.
Domestic Motor Brands
With the popularity of E-bike and other micro-mobility products, many domestic companies have joined the core technology research and development of bicycles in recent years, actively entering the motor track.
Among them, Bafang, established in 2003, has become one of the world’s largest suppliers of e-bike motors after many years of development. Bafang positions its drive systems according to different usage scenarios, including eMTB, eROAD, eTOUR, eCITY, eCARGO, and eFAT, some of which are suitable for different scenarios. The M600, M620, and M820 are representative products of Bafang, reaching the industry-leading level in torque, output power, and lightweight design. At the same time, compared with foreign capital and foreign companies, the price of Bafang’s motor products is more close to the people, but the performance is not inferior.
Okawa, as an emerging force in the e-bike industry in recent years, has stood out in the market with its technological innovation and independent research and development capabilities. With its rich experience in automotive research, the Okawa team has transferred automotive industry technology to the E-bike field and developed the world’s first mid-drive gear. The mid-drive motor is excellent in precision, responsiveness, and smoothness. Okawa has formed a technical barrier and competitive advantage in the E-bike motor field with its independent research and development technology and excellent product performance, and has become an important partner and supplier for many E-bike brands at home and abroad.
The leader in the field of drones, DJI, has also launched an e-bike drive system, Avinox, which is outstanding in overall product performance. The motor provides a perfect combination of high torque and small size with a maximum torque of 105Nm and a weight of 2.52kg. At the same time, the system also adds intelligent management and optimization functions, as well as long battery life, which is particularly suitable for riders who need intelligent assistance and lightweight design. For more details about the product, please refer to the article “Drone giant DJI’s cross-border attack, releasing the e-bike drive system – Avinox!”
MIVICE has launched a series of power system products, such as M060, M070, M080, X700, which cover various types of models including city bikes, folding bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Each series has its unique features and advantages to meet the needs of different riders. For example, the M060 model motor is designed to be lightweight with a weight of 1.5kg and a maximum torque of ≥35Nm, suitable for users pursuing lightness and high performance.
Ananda is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the research and development, production, and sales of electric two-wheeler electric drive systems. The company’s products include three major series of motors: direct drive hub motors, reduced hub motors, and mid-drive motors, which are widely used in electric bicycles, e-bikes, electric motorcycles, electric scooters, and other electric two-wheelers at home and abroad.
LEXY motors, with high-speed motors as the core technology, bring the technical accumulation of the small home appliance industry into the E-bike industry. The bicycle motor products include hub motors and mid-drive motors, which are characterized by high speed, high efficiency, and low noise.
Suzhou Shengyuan Motor is an innovative enterprise focusing on motor technology. Its hub motors are known for their compact design, small size, light weight, and cost-effectiveness, widely adapting to various standard wheel diameter bicycles to meet the diverse travel needs of commuting and sports. At the same time, Shengyuan’s mid-drive motors leverage customization and scale advantages, combining market demand for cost control and performance optimization. The latest CMT07 mid-drive motor is specially designed for urban commuting, offering high torque in a small size.
Suzhou Wanjia Electric Appliance is a leading enterprise focusing on motor technology and products, known for their high efficiency, stability, and reliability, widely used in the field of electric vehicle drives.
Chuanke (TRUCKRUN) was established in 2017, dedicated to creating more efficient, intelligent, and comfortable smart e-bike drive systems, covering five major application scenarios: fat tire, mountain, travel, city, and road. The company’s motors are mainly characterized by high power and lightweight, achieving excellent results in key core areas such as motor research and development, intelligent riding, and human-vehicle collaboration.
Chongqing Zhen Youjin Technology is a professional manufacturer integrating R&D, production, and sales of intelligent e-bike mid-drive systems.
Ai Rui Electronic Technology is professionally engaged in the development and production of DC brushless motors and drives. With years of experience in the motor field, the company’s mid-drive motors are suitable for various vehicle models and scenarios.
All the above motor brands have different product characteristics and technical advantages. To gain an in-depth understanding of the performance of all motor products on the market, we have collected common parameters of the above manufacturers’ motorproducts (power, weight, torque, etc.), and classified them according to the rated power (250W, 500W, 750W), to find the top products in weight and torque among mid-drive and hub motor products.
In the design of e-bike motors, weight is a crucial parameter. Lightweight design affects the vehicle’s maneuverability and is also related to battery life and overall performance. Below is the weight ranking of products from different brands:
(The following data is organized for reference, comparison, and selection only and is not authoritative)
All the above parameters are from official data, organized by the only wheelive.
Torque is a key indicator to measure the motor’s power output, which determines the performance of the e-bike when starting, climbing, and accelerating. Below is the torque ranking of products from different brands:
All the above parameters are from official data, organized by the only wheelive.
Through different parameter comparisons, we found that motor products from different brands have their own strengths, from lightweight to high torque, from urban commuting to off-road riding, providing a variety of choices for consumers.
However, a single performance dimension cannot meet consumers’ needs for products. So, what are the factors that determine consumers’ product choices besides performance? The wheelive will explore in the next article, those choices that truly touch consumers’ hearts.
