In our articles on the Urban Bike highlights of Eurobike 2024, we have somewhat excluded new motors and drives systems — although there are exciting innovations here too. But as good as a new system may be, how quickly and whether it can establish itself on the market is another matter.

There is no doubt that Pinion has made a spectacular market launch with its MGU. However, the reason for this is the technology behind it, which combines transmission and motor — and which no other manufacturer can currently offer. However, when it comes to “standard” mid-drive motors, it seems to be much more difficult for manufacturers of innovative products to assert themselves against established manufacturers.

A matter of assertiveness

Around two years ago, the Fazua Ride 60 and the TQ HPR50 were launched on the market, two drive systems that are actually perfect for sleek and lightweight urban e-bikes — we reported with great enthusiasm at the time. Market leader Bosch did not have a comparable product at the time and launched the new Performance Line SX late last year. Although it is certainly lighter and more compact than other Bosch motors, it is still much chunkier and more conspicuous than those from Fazua and TQ.

Nevertheless, numerous bike brands unveiled new bikes with Bosch’s SX drive at this year’s Eurobike show, while Fazua and TQ are hardly in any new products in the urban bike segment. However, Fazua’s Ride 60 in the Riese & Müller UBN Five, for example, was also very convincing in our test.

However, the big breakthrough is yet to come: In addition to Riese & Müller, Canyon and Velo de Ville have a few commuter bikes in their range — but all of them have been around since the launch of the Ride 60 system and there have been no new models since then. The situation is even more limited at TQ, where the HPR 50 can only be found in a few commuter bikes from Bergamont and Simplon among the urban models.

With the Performance Line SX, Bosch has certainly brought the topic of “light e-bikes” with lightweight and compact drives to a wider audience. At the same time, you could get the impression that the competition has been virtually overrun by the SX. After less than a year, we are already seeing numerous urban e-bikes from Moustache, Kalkhoff, Cube, Cannondale and Coboc with this drive. And even Riese & Müller, Canyon and Bergamont have models with Bosch’s SX in their range — as an addition to their Fazua and TQ bikes.

Nevertheless, other manufacturers are still venturing into this ambitious market and showing that there is still room for innovation. ZF and DJI in particular showed promising new products at Eurobike 2024!

ZF CentriX: compact motor for urban use too

For example, the new CentriX from ZF could have a good chance of success. Like Bosch, ZF is backed by a globally active technology group that is particularly successful in the automotive sector and now wants to gain a foothold in the e-bike market. The CentriX is a lightweight motor weighing just 2.5 kilograms with a powerful torque of up to 90 Nm at up to 600 watts. In addition, a further version of the CentriX has already been specified especially for gravel and urban bikes, which should offer 75 Nm of torque and up to 450 watts.

The compact design is particularly interesting: the mid-motor has a cylindrical design with an installation dimension of just 88 millimetres in diameter and 118 millimetres in width. This means that it is only slightly larger than a 0.33 liter beverage can and can be combined with both derailleur and hub gears.

Compared to Fazua and TQ, the motor is similarly inconspicuous, but delivers significantly more torque. For comparison: Fazua’s Ride 60 delivers 60 Nm, TQ’s HPR50 only 50 Nm. And even the much chunkier Bosch SX offers less torque at 55 Nm.

The rest of the “ZF Bike Eco System” is also impressive: it contains all drive components such as the motor, batteries, control units, app and a connection to the cloud. The controls in particular are beautifully designed, and the display is also modern, high-resolution and touch-operated.

DJI Avinox: Full power drive with high-end features

Camera and drone manufacturer DJI is also venturing into the e-bike segment and is launching the Avinox, a 2.52 kg lightweight mid-motor that is said to deliver up to 105 Nm of torque with up to 850 watts of power — setting new records for such a lightweight drive! In terms of form, however, it is similar to the familiar mid-mounted motors, making it bulkier than ZF’s new CentriX motor.

Here too, however, the operating elements with a controller for the top tube, which has a touch display as well as an integrated SIM slot for GPS tracking and an alarm function, look cutting-edge. The extensive app integration and the batteries, which at 3.74 kg for the 800 Wh version and only 2.87 kg for the 600 Wh model, are pleasingly light and quick-charging. The manufacturer’s experience from its other business areas seems to be paying off here. At the start, however, DJI is focusing on electric mountain bikes and is also offering a specially developed bike under the Amflow brand.

Shimano EP5 and E5100: the new entry-level class

With its EP5 and E5100, Shimano is further expanding its range of mid-drive motors downwards. Instead of new peak values in terms of power and weight, both drives are therefore intended to be found in more affordable bikes and are well suited to urban e-bikes. Shimano’s EP5 represents the new mid-range in the Japanese company’s line-up, following the introduction of the EP6 below the top-of-the-range EP8 model last year. All three motors are identical in terms of size. However, at 60 Newton meters, the new EP5 offers less torque than its two larger siblings and is heavier at almost 3 kg. On the other hand, it is said to operate particularly quietly and enable long ranges, and is also compatible with Shimano’s Auto Shift technology for automatic shifting.

The Shimano E5100 is positioned even lower, taking up the design of the previous generation of Shimano motors. At 50 Nm, its torque is slightly lower than that of the EP5, but at 2.4 kilograms it weighs a little less.

Which e-bike motor will prevail?

Even for established brands such as Shimano, it doesn’t seem to be easy to assert themselves against Bosch’s dominance in the mid-motor segment — at least in the urban e-bike sector. Shimano’s EP8 and EP6 can be found in some models, such as the Orbea Diem we tested or the Rose Backroad Plus. However, the majority of bikes are equipped with a Bosch drive system.

It is therefore questionable what chances the promising new products from ZF and DJI will have and how things will continue with the systems from Fazua and TQ. Success would be wished to all manufacturers, because as hackneyed as it sounds — competition is good for business!