The electric motor, which one is the best

If you hit the road nowadays, the chances are very high that you’ll encounter an electric bike. They are popular, in 2021 we saw an increase of more than 50% in e-bikes on Belgian roads. In the past, only a Bosch motor was trustworthy, but here too we see new brands bringing quality motors to the market.

In this article, we discuss these electric motors and examine the pros and cons of each brand.

What is important about an electric motor?

Newton meters (nm) of torque power of e-bikes

Electric bikes are limited to 25 km/h, speed pedelecs to 45 km/h. The electric motors are restricted not to exceed this limit. Every e-bike will be able to reach this speed, more importantly is the torque power and acceleration.

Torque power is expressed in nm (Newton meters). It indicates how much power your electric motor can pull or push. The higher the weight or hillier the route, the more need for higher nm.

On average, an e-bike has 50 to 65 nm of torque power. Powerful bikes, or cargo bikes, require more power. Here you can sometimes expect up to 90 nm of torque power.

Watt-hour of an electric bike

The battery has a Wattage, usually 500 Wh. This indicates how powerful the battery is. The electric motor has a Watt-hour. This is about the power of your bike, how much assistance you get. E-bikes are limited to 250 watts. Speed pedelecs are allowed to deliver more watts.

Weight and placement of the e-motor

The weight of the motor has a small impact on performance. If the bike breaks down, you have to cycle home or push the bike. Every kilogram makes a difference here. Although we hope this doesn’t happen too often.

Placement is even more important. For cargo bikes, it’s best to choose a mid-drive motor. There are also electric bikes with a motor in the front or rear wheel. Especially for regular electric bikes, rear placement is a logical choice. The placement of the motor affects the balance point of the bike.

Bosch electric bike motor

The electric motors from Bosch are currently the best on the market. A year ago, there was no competition. Nowadays, we see new brands as well as house brands making their entrance.

Bosch doesn’t necessarily produce the most powerful or fastest motors. Especially their technology and software are ahead of the competition. These motors have many sensors that measure your speed and pedaling frequency. Based on this, the electric assistance is applied perfectly.

A good electric motor provides assistance when you pedal, neither earlier nor later. If you stop pedaling, the assistance stops. If you pedal softer, you get less assistance. This sounds simple, but many brands are still looking for the right settings.

Shimano Steps

After Bosch, Shimano is a second brand with a strong reputation. The first electric motors had many problems, but these seem to have been gradually resolved. The Shimano motors are welcome because of the popularity of these bikes; there was still a shortage of Bosch parts.

Shimano offers a wide range of electric motors. They are powerful and lightweight, but their software is not yet at the same level as Bosch motors.

The most commonly used Shimano motors are the E6000 and E6100, with 50 and 60 nm respectively, intended for general electric bikes. The E8000 (70 nm) and EP8 (85nm) are comparable to Bosch’s Performance line. These are for mountain bikers and E-racing bikes.

For cargo bikes and other cargo bicycles, they have the EP800-CRG. This also delivers 85 nm torque but has a start mode and sensitive walking and pedaling support. Acceleration also happens automatically with the Di2 gear hub.

Bafang

Initially, Bafang was virtually unknown. They existed but were only used by new bicycle brands. Nowadays, Bafang has built a good reputation. They have greatly improved in quality and offer powerful motors. However, their software is not yet up to par; there is still much work to be done to catch up with Bosch or Shimano. Nevertheless, they are attractive due to their exceptionally low price. They are also increasingly being used as house brands.

Bafang offers some powerful electric motors but also some very weak ones suitable for children’s bikes. They have many extreme models; we found a motor with 25 nm, but also one with 160 nm. The biggest difference is that Bafang produces not only mid-drive motors but also rear-wheel and front-wheel motors. Here, we see few Bosch, Shimano, or other brands.

Bafang is affordable and reduces the total purchase price of electric bikes. They are popular among lesser-known brands, and we often find Bafang motors in electric fat bikes as well.

Fazua E-Bike Motors

Fazua is a German manufacturer making waves with its lightweight yet powerful integrated electric motors. Integrated motors provide a sleekly finished design. Lightweight motors are of interest for road, gravel, or mountain bikes.

Fazua stands for quality and durability, with a focus on delivering high-quality products that enhance the cycling experience. Fazua’s motors are designed to offer seamless integration with the bike, resulting in improved aesthetics and functionality.

Following their first motor, the Evation, they now introduce the Ride 50 and the Ride 60. The Ride 50 is a light and efficient motor, ideal for city bikes and commuters. The Ride 60 is a revolutionary motor offering almost 200 watt-hours more capacity than its predecessor. The Ride 60 is permanently integrated into the e-bike frame, resulting in a sleeker look and a more secure motor placement. This motor is particularly suitable for sporty e-bikes, thanks to its increased power and torque. One downside is that repairing it is more challenging since the motor is fully concealed within the frame.

Brose E-Bike Motors

Founded in 1908, Brose is a global company that has applied its high-quality standards from the automotive industry to e-bike motors. With nearly 50 e-bike manufacturers worldwide relying on Brose e-bike systems, the company has built a strong reputation in the market.

Brose produces four different drive units, each with its own characteristics: Drive C, Drive T, Drive TF, and Drive S. These motors are quiet and have minimal vibrations, available with two housing options, aluminum and magnesium.

The Drive C is ideal for electric city bikes and commuting, while the Drive T is designed for long distances. The Drive TF, used in speed pedelecs, supports riders up to a top speed of 45 km/h. The Drive S, with its 410% maximum support, is perfect for sporty e-bikes and cargo bikes.

Brose motors are used by various e-bike companies, including Decathlon/Rockrider, Douze Cycles, ELOPS, BMW, Pininfarina, QWIC, and Specialized.

AEG Electric Motor

We don’t know much about it yet. AEG is entering the market and is currently being used in electric bikes from the Prophete brand.

House Brand

Some brands, like Ahooga, Venilu, …, utilize their own manufacturer. No Bosch motor, no Shimano or Bafang. They use a house brand and equip their bikes with their own production. Bafang also produces such motors, and the quality is determined by the bike brand.

Most Powerful Electric Bike Motor

The most powerful or strongest motor is the Bafang M615. This has 160 Nm torque and is intended for speed pedelec cargo bikes. So far, we haven’t found a model equipped with this motor.

The most powerful electric motor for a cargo bike is the Douze V2 Brose house brand. Panasonic also has a 95 Nm electric motor. According to Prophete, the AEG motors are good for 100 Nm torque. This would make the AEG the most powerful electric motor.

The strongest Bosch and Shimano motors usually have 85 Nm torque. The question, of course, is how many Nm you actually need for your route. The more Nm, the more expensive the motor.