The highlight of the Bosch innovations for 2024 is certainly the compact and lightweight Performance Line SX mid-drive with the equally new CompactTube 400 battery. We report on both in detail in this separate article. In addition, there are other innovations around the smart system from Bosch:
New and yet familiar: the Active Line motors
Last year, we were still a little nostalgic for the Bosch Active Line Plus motor, as it was not supported by the smart system. But with the 2024 model year, it will now make the leap to this smart system together with the regular Active Line motor — which means that Bosch will have converted all known motors to the new standard.
Although the 50 Nm Active Line Plus motor was not uninteresting for urban bikes thanks to its quiet operation, the new Performance Line SX drive now makes it look rather outdated and it will probably only be used in the budget segment.
From very small to very large: New displays
With its Kiox 300, Bosch introduced a compact color display with a 2″ diagonal screen last year. Now, with the Kiox 500, it has been joined by a larger alternative with a 2.8″ diagonal, which should ensure better visibility of the navigation in combination with the eBike Flow app.
While the aforementioned displays still require an additional control element to control the drive system, both are combined in the new Purion 200. Thus, the new model succeeds the well-known Purion, which also combined buttons with display. While there was hardly anything to complain about functionally, we were always critical of the old-fashioned design — which has now come to an end! The new and much more modern Purion 200 comes with a high-resolution color display including an integrated ambient light sensor and offers all important information such as percentage charge status, riding mode, time or total distance. Thanks to its buttons, it can also be used to control the electric drive, which makes further controls unnecessary. However, it can even be combined with a second display if needed!
Easy and convenient gear shifting with eShift
Interesting for urban bikes is the eShift electric shifting solution, which will also be available for e-bikes with the smart system with hub gears from fall 2023. It is designed to make gear changes easier and more convenient by allowing you to select the desired gear even when the pedal is pressed hard. The smart system will then automatically ensure that the gears are changed optimally at all times — without the otherwise loud crashing noise from the transmission. eShift for the smart system will initially be available with shifting systems from Rohloff, 3×3 and Enviolo.
More connectivity and security with the Flow+ premium subscription
Bosch now also wants to retain users with a subscription model called Flow+. This includes the premium service eBike Alarm at the start. However, in order to use this service, the eBike Lock feature must be activated in the eBike Flow app and the ConnectModule for tracking must be installed on the E-Bike. The premium subscription will be expanded in the future to include additional services and functions and costs 4.99 euros for a monthly subscription or 39.99 euros for an annual subscription.
Independently of the subscription model, the eBike Flow app will offer the option of defining the content and sequence of the display screens for Kiox displays from the 2024 model year. Up to three tiles can be created on one screen at the same time.
Conclusion
Even if the new Performance Line SX system is undoubtedly the star among the Bosch innovations for 2024, the other innovations are also quite interesting. In particular, with the new Purion 200 there is now a contemporary control and display unit, which should find its way to many handlebars!
Improvements in the support of hub gears and the expansion of connectivity with Bosch’s eBike Flow app round out the innovations and make the Smart System now finally so complete that you should finally miss nothing from the previous system!
