Bosch eBike Systems has unveiled a new suite of e-bike products including its first ever hub motor.
The Bosch division has until now been known for its mid-drive motors that sit at the crank where a rider’s feet meet the pedals. The new ‘Hub Line’ is instead claimed to be “almost invisible”, fitting into the bike’s rear wheel hub with a diameter of 10cm.
Claus Fleischer, CEO of Bosch eBike Systems, said the Hub Line enables “particularly lightweight, slim e-bikes with a pared-back design” which he added is “ideal for minimalist urban e-bikes”.
Nevertheless, Fleischer stated that mid-drive motors “are and will remain a central component” of the company’s portfolio.
“Our aim is to offer the right drive for every e-biker and every purpose, whether mid-drive or hub motor. In the context of urban mobility, the Hub Line addresses a growing demand for e-bikes that are visually indistinguishable from conventional bicycles,” Fleischer told Zag Daily.
Alongside the Hub Line, Bosch eBike Systems has also launched a new generation of its mid-drive motor, its slimmest battery to date and a range of connected capabilities like Bluetooth theft tracking.
Up close: The Hub Line
Bosch eBike Systems is targeting its Hub Line for city bikes, with the motor offering a modest torque of 45 Nm and weighing in at 2.3 kilograms.
It comes connected with Bosch’s eBike Flow app – the rider control centre offering functions like navigation and theft protection.
“In recent years, we have consistently expanded our portfolio of mid-drive motors and, at the same time, established the smart system with the eBike Flow app,” Fleischer said. “Now is the right time to open up the advantages of this system to a new category of particularly lightweight and slim e-bikes.
“The Hub Line is therefore more than just a hub motor: it is the first hub motor from Bosch to be fully integrated into the smart system, offering e-bikers a fully-connected riding experience.”
Powering the Hub Line is the company’s slimmest battery to date – the PowerTube 360 – that is 68mm wide and fits into the frame. The battery weighs 2.1 kilograms, claims a range of 80 kilometres and can be permanently fitted to a frame or removed depending on the bike model.
The Hub Line can also be combined with Bosch’s electronic gear shifting, meaning riders can choose between manual or automatic mode.
Active Line Plus: An upgraded mid-drive motor
With a higher power, the new generation of Bosch’s mid-drive motor – the Active Line Plus – targets a different rider profile from the Hub Line.
It has a torque of up to 60 Nm, a power of 600W and claims 340% assistance while comes half a kilogram lighter than its predecessor and 17% smaller in size.
Like the Hub Line, the updated Active Line Plus is compatible with Bosch’s electric gear shifting solution, with the system able to automatically take over and determine the gear ratio.
Powering the motor is Bosch’s new PowerTube 720 battery. This weighs 3.9 kilograms and is said to offer a range of up to 185 kilometres “depending on the mode and conditions”. It can be fitted onto the frame either horizontally or vertically and, again dependent on the e-bike manufacturer, can either be permanently fitted or removed.
“Bosch eBike Systems positions the Hub Line and the Active Line Plus not as competing offerings within the urban segment but as clearly differentiated systems for distinct usage profiles,” Fleischer said.
“For manufacturers and dealers, this creates two clearly addressable buyer segments: the Hub Line for design-oriented, pure urban mobility and the Active Line Plus as a versatile, more powerful all-rounder for a wider range of use.”
What else has Bosch released?
As well as the new drive systems, Bosch has added more functions to the Bosch ConnectModule. The Bosch ConnectModule is equipped with GPS, mobile communications and motion sensors and it’s what connects the e-bike to the internet and grounds the digital theft protection features.
To the ConnectModule, Bolt has added tracking capabilities using Bluetooth Low Energy technology which is said to support e-bike tracking in areas where GPS lacks.
“By providing robust digital theft protection, we significantly reduce a major barrier to e-bike ownership and usage,” Fleischer said.
“Our survey data indicates that 70% of e-bikers would feel more at ease, and 60% would use their e-bike more often, with such features. This directly translates to increased ridership and broader acceptance of e-bikes as a primary mode of urban transport.”
The company has also unveiled a new screen display which is permanently mounted to the handlebars, with riders able to choose what information is displayed like heart rate, elevation or current smartphone battery levels.
Meanwhile a new LED Controller has been launched which is around 65% smaller than its predecessors, again aiming for a “minimalist” look. The LED indicators automatically adjust to lighting while a USB-C port enables smartphones to be charged.
