MAHLE is setting new standards in drives for e-bikes and pedelecs. With the new X20 drive, the Smartbike Systems business unit is opening the door to a new era in this segment: at 3.2 kilograms, it is the lightest drive system on the market, yet powerful and enduring, in addition to being completely integrated, intelligent, and networked.
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3.2 kilograms: That's how little the X20 system weighs, including the motor, battery and all other components. The motor delivers more than 23 Newton meters of torque at the rear wheel. This corresponds to 55 Newton meters for mid-engines.
The ultra-compact system is integrated almost invisibly into the bikes, making them visually and haptically indistinguishable from high-performance bikes.
The rear wheel hub motor weighs only about 1.4 kilograms.
A patent-pending connection system (AMC - Automatic Motor Connection) between the motor and axle manages completely without cables. The rear wheel is fixed with a 12-mm thru axle and can be installed and removed like a conventional wheel.
Two internal battery variants are available: a 236-Wh or a 350-Wh battery, which can be supplemented with a 171-Wh range extender. This extends your range to up to 200 kilometers - enough power for long climbs and long excursions by bike. The intelligent fast charging system with up to four amps brings the battery to 80 percent of its full capacity in less than two hours. Another clever feature is that you can also use the additional battery as a power bank with a docking station.
MAHLE Smartbike Systems has built a good dose of intelligence into the X20:
A sophisticated sensor package measures acceleration, speed, torque, temperature and cadence, and continuously adapts the drive to the person in the saddle through artificial intelligence and machine learning for a personalized cycling experience. The Head Unit's compact information system includes BT and ANT+ connectivity, a brightness sensor, and a 3D accelerometer.
This gives the cyclist all the important information compactly at a glance.
The app and web solutions provide the cyclist with lots of information and setting options: Consumption management, health data, ride data analysis, adjusting the engine power, battery status and much more. This makes an e-bike or pedelec with X20 drive a real smartbike.
How do I install software updates? How do I mount the display on the handlebar? How do I maintain my X35+ or X20 drive? How do I change the rear wheel of my bike? Answers are provided by the YouTube channel of MAHLE Smartbike Systems, which has been expanded to include the Smartbike Lab. It contains technical videos about MAHLE e-bike solutions and deals with everyday questions about the fascinating technology and is constantly being expanded.
What makes the X20 system so good?
An electrically assisted bike that can weigh less than ten kilos, including all components, is already a big deal. Our X20 is the lightest system on the market without sacrificing performance, robustness or functionality. Quite the opposite. It is optimally designed for high-end applications for the roads, for gravel roads as well as for the city. In other words, maximum flexibility of use. And it is full of innovations.
Do you have some striking examples for us?
Yes, many. The motor on the rear wheel hub, for example, is connected wirelessly to the bicycle axle. This is made possible by a connection system developed by us. The user disconnects the quick-release axle and can easily remove the rear wheel to change the tube or tire, all without tools or disconnecting connectors. We have also developed an active charger that enables real-time communication with the battery via the CAN BUS. There is also a micro USB port on the charger to update the software of the e-bike system itself. Furthermore, we have redesigned our app and web solutions. Because connectivity is at the heart of our development into a complete smartbike solution. The new connectivity platform is common to all MAHLE systems and is constantly being further developed. So development is far from over.
What can we look forward to next from MAHLE Smartbike Systems?
There, of course, I can not yet go into detail. But our claim is to get the topics of system costs, efficiency and user-friendliness optimally under one hat. And innovation will be the key to this. I'm thinking here of flexible drive systems that are easy to integrate and maintain and are highly intelligent. We have taken a big step with the X20 and, in our opinion, are well ahead of the market. We have been analyzing data from networked systems for a long time in order to continuously improve our offering in terms of hardware and software.
But don't just take it from us: The X20 drive has received an Innovators Prize 2022 on the international central platform of the bike and future mobility universe EUROBIKE.
The prize was awarded in five categories: Bikes, Components, Equipment, Services and Infrastructure Ideas. An online vote by the Eurobike audience and the opinion of a high-caliber jury of experts selected MAHLE's X20 system as the most innovative component.