Invisible, lightweight, quiet: the boom of hub motor systems

Invisible, lightweight, quiet: the boom of hub motor systems

Rear motors have been out of the limelight for a while, but now they are experiencing a boom, especially in the field of lightweight urban bikes as well as in the gravel and road bike segment. And here, a still quite fresh manufacturer presents itself very well with its range.

With Mivice, a new supplier of e-systems comes to Europe.  The company was founded in 2017, but the team around owner and CEO Tony Luo has more than 20 years of experience developing electric motors for bikes.

The company describes itself as an ePerformance manufacturer, which is reflected in the product development, design and choice of materials for production and quality control at the highest level. Nevertheless, they want to be attractively priced, in line with the company founder’s motto of making the great riding experience of a performance ebike affordable for everyone. This does not mean that Mivice products are not represented by quality-oriented manufacturers in the mid-range and upper price segment.

M080 segment

One highlight from the portfolio is the ‘M080’ rear hub motor. With a diameter of less than 109mm, it can be unobtrusively integrated into the rear wheel hub. With a peak torque of at least 40 Nm, it is very sporty in practice and is preferably used on sporty bikes and in the travel bike sector.  It weighs about 2.5 kg. However, the motor is also suitable for longer tours with steep climbs, as it can provide its maximum performance over a longer period of time in combination with an optimised controller technology.

The system scores with a high efficiency and performance of the motor. Instead of a cadence sensor,Mivice uses a torque sensor on both sides, which noticeably improves the measurement quality and thus the response of the motor.

I am always surprised at how sporty and fast rear-wheel hub motors are”

“I am always surprised at how sporty and fast rear-wheel hub motors are, even though on paper they have ‘only’ 40 Nm of torque,” says Steffen Krill, Marketing Director at Mivice. “But since the motor power acts directly on the rear wheel, even a low torque generates real power. And the system can be integrated inconspicuously in the frame design, and is very quiet.”

M70 system

With the M070 engine, Mivice has another rear motor in the range.  It is mainly used in city and urban bikes, that need less power.  With 35Nm, it also surprises with a decent thrust and, at 1.7 kg, is still  lighter than the M080 engine.

The system has been successfully positioned in the trendy and fast-growing segment of lightweight urban bikes with hub motors. Tenways or Voltaire swear by this system. The system supports the current trend towards lightweight e-bikes, especially for urban and short-distance use. The motor is not only visually, but also acoustically inconspicuous. With a measured 55 dB, the system is very quiet.

Lower costs

There are more arguments in favour of rear motor systems: lower costs and fewer workshop visits. Anyone who rides a bike with a mid-engine, knows about the significantly higher costs of materials such as chain and cassette. Depending on the quality and level of use, these can quickly add up to several hundred euros.  For these drive components, the consumption is significantly lower for hub motors.

An additional argument: rear-mounted motors also deliver full power at higher speeds and large gears, which is why they are popular for sporty bikes.

Full power

Mivice’s rear hub drive systems are complemented by the M090 motor system. This is another drive that is preferably used on fat bikes or special cargo bikes. With 75 Nm, a high torque is provided, which is also required for these specific applications.

Although the variants mentioned here with values between 35Nm – 75Nm theoretically have less power than mid-engines, the direct power transmission is noticeably better due to the direct effect on the rear wheel axle. Because of the different ways in which the power development works, a direct comparision between rear and mid engine Newton meter measures is not really possible.

This article is sponsored by MIVICE