Anyone interested in sleek ebikes with high-quality drive systems will have read one name more and more often lately: MIVICE. Numerous new releases now feature the manufacturer’s e-drive and we have already been able to convince ourselves of its quality in several tests (including the Tenways bikes CGO 600 and CGO 600 Pro, the Java Frenetica or the Voltaire Bellecour). So it’s high time to take a closer look at the globally active manufacturer, whose European headquarters are located in Bamberg, Germany!
A look at the company’s history shows that MIVICE is by no means a newbie: the company was founded in 2017 and has since developed into a specialist for electric drives. While the company started out as a pure supplier for well-known manufacturers, it now also operates as an independent provider under the name MIVICE and employs over 170 people worldwide.
Specialist for hub motors
The range currently includes a mid-drive motor called X700 as well as three different hub motors of the types M060, M070 and M080. As you can easily see, the current focus is on the latter type of motors. The fact that MIVICE is on the right track with this is shown by the ever-growing range of mostly light and elegant e-bikes, which are hardly noticeable for their electric drive. This is exactly where the hub motor shows its strength!
But there is much more to an e-bike drive system than just the motor. The main focus here is also on the controller, a mostly invisible electronic unit, and the HMI — the Human Machine Interface. This interface is nothing other than the control elements of the drive system, for which MIVICE offers two different displays with control buttons. However, bicycle manufacturers can decide for themselves whether one of these displays is to be used in combination with the MIVICE motor — which also makes it possible to use other display types with the MIVICE system.
There is no way around the torque sensor at MIVICE
However, there is less freedom of choice with an additional system part, the torque sensor. This has to be installed in combination with the MIVICE motor — and that’s good! After all, it is an essential feature and a distinctive feature of the MIVICE system.
This sensor is installed in the bottom bracket and provides precise measurements of the rider’s pedaling force. The information is then used to control the support of the motor, which results in a particularly natural riding experience. Simply put, this means that the motor delivers extra power exactly when you really need it.
If you currently look around at e-bikes with hub motors, there are unfortunately still numerous models without this sensor technology. In this respect, it is really to be welcomed that MIVICE as a system supplier now wants to establish this feature as a quasi-standard!
With motor, controller, torque sensor and display, MIVICE has almost the entire drive train for e-bikes on offer. Only the battery is currently still excluded — which means that every manufacturer is free to decide which battery type fits best in their bike. Nevertheless, it is rumored that MIVICE would like to tackle this as well. And that would make it a truly all-inclusive package in the portfolio.
Conclusion
When it comes to complete drive systems for e-bikes, a handful of manufacturers spontaneously come to mind for mid-mounted motors. However, the situation is different for hub motors, where each bike manufacturer often does its own thing. And the X35+ complete system from Mahle, which is certainly the most widespread at the moment, has to do without the advanced torque sensor control.
In this respect, it is extremely welcome that a new competitor is now emerging on the market in the form of MIVICE — which not only supplies another e-drive, but also raises the standard to a new level with its integrated torque sensor technology!
So we can be excited about which new bikes will soon appear with MIVICE drive and how the system will continue to develop. More information about the products can be found on the MIVICE website.
