Bosch has launched its first rear hub motor for electric bikes. The Hub Line motor is targeted at city ebikes and goes head-to-head with Mahle’s rear hub motors. There’s also a new smaller, lighter, higher torque Active Line Plus mid-drive system.
Bosch, along with brands such as Specialized, TQ and Avinox has concentrated on electric bike motors housed in the bottom bracket, so the new Hub Line motor is a departure for the brand.
Mahle, on the other hand, has focused on rear hub motors, although it now offers a mid-drive motor as well.
Claus Fleischer, CEO of Bosch eBike Systems, says: “With our new products centred around the Hub Line, we are ushering in a new era of urban ebikes. Not only are these lightweight, agile, and inspiring, with their clear and modern design language, but they also revolutionise the urban riding experience.”
Minimalist design
The new motor offers a modest 45Nm torque, along with the legally mandated maximum 250 watts continuous power output and 25km/h maximum assist speed. It weighs a claimed 2.3kg, while the compact housing is just 100mm in diameter, so it sits cleanly in the rear hub.
It’s powered by a new slimline 360Wh in-frame battery that weighs a claimed 2.1kg. It is 68mm in width, so it can be housed in a down tube that’s close to the width of that in a non-assisted commuter bike. Bosch says that should power a bike for around 80km. The battery can either be mounted permanently within the frame, or made removable. There’s a 250Wh external range extender battery available as well.
Elegant ebikes
Bosch highlights the Hub Line's minimalist design relative to a mid-motor system and the capability to power an 'elegant' electric bike. It claims a smooth ride, with an intelligent sensor that ensures power delivery for gentle climbs and starts from lights.
There’s a whole suite of products to support the new motor system. This includes the new non-removable Intuvia 200 display, which houses a user-configurable 2.4 inch high-contrast greyscale screen.
Bosch has also annouced a new, smaller LED controller with five buttons that it says are positioned near the rider’s thumb so that they’re easy to use. A set of LEDs show data such as riding mode and battery level and there’s a USB-C port built in to charge smartphones and other devices.
Challenging Mahle in hub motors
Bosch looks to be coming after Mahle’s systems with its new hub motor, which shares many of the features of Mahle’s hub systems, including the relatively modest torque figure and the in-frame battery.
Mahle’s systems have been popular for electric commuter bikes and electric road bikes, thanks to their small size, light weight and clean frame integration. This is particularly true in ebike segments where the raw power of systems such as the Avinox M2S is less important.
While Mahle has concentrated on rear hub motors, it’s also launched the M40 mid-drive system, aimed at electric mountain bikes and with 850 watts peak power and 105Nm peak torque.
Updated Active Line Plus motor
Alongside its new Hub Line motor, Bosch has announced an update to its Active Line Plus mid-drive motor, which is aimed at urban and leisure riding and was originally launched in 2017.
The motor’s maximum torque has been upgraded to 60Nm from the previous generation’s 50Nm, while the peak power of 600 watts, with 340% assistance available remain unchanged. Bosch says it’s updated the power delivery for a smoother ride. The rider can customise the output to suit their ride style.
It’s also compatible with Bosch’s eShift automatic electronic gear shifting system.
The motor’s 2.7kg claimed weight a reduction from the older Active Line Plus’s 3.2kg. It’s also more compact, with a 17% size reduction. Bosch says that improved seals and bearings improve reliability, while the CO2 emission footprint of manufacture has been reduced by 50% thanks to the use of part-recycled aluminium and recycled plastics.
There’s also a new PowerTube 720 battery as a power option. Bosch says that this high power density battery weighs 3.9kg and can provide a range of up to 185km. It has the same dimensions as Bosch batteries, from 360Wh to 800Wh capacity, and can either be built into the frame or made removable.
New anti-theft tech
Both the Active Line Plus and the Hub Line motor include Bosch’s newly enhanced ConnectModule, which uses GPS plus BLE and is claimed to locate a stolen bike within a few metres.
There’s also a built-in alarm and owner alert, although users need to subscribe to the Bosch Flow+ service to access the complete range of functionality.
Adding to theft deterrence, the new PowerTube 720 battery includes a digital battery lock function, which deactivates it if it’s stolen.
