Pedelec motors cannot be powerful enough for riders of touring bikes and e-mountainbikes. Smooth and quiet drives are much better suited to everyday use. They demand less attention from their riders, which is good for nerves and safety in heavy traffic, frequent stop-and-go manoeuvres and narrow routes. Motors for everyday and city pedelecs should be easy to operate and always respond predictably to pedal pressure.
This requires neither high maximum power nor a lot of torque. What is more important is good sensor technology and a motor control system that is tailored to intuitive and natural riding characteristics. Bosch Active Line Plus and Brose Drive C are specially designed for everyday use in an urban environment and for short trips. Both provide a natural, bike-like riding experience.
As suppliers to the automotive industry, Bosch and Brose have many years of experience in the construction of electric drives. Bosch now has five different mid-mounted motors in its programme, which differ in terms of power, torque and motor characteristics. The Active Plus delivers a maximum torque of 50 Nm, enough for city traffic and leisurely short tours. Brose has been manufacturing pedelec motors since 2015. The basis for all four of the manufacturer's mid-motor models is a steering motor produced millions of times in-house.
Brose's Drive C city drive also pulls on the chain with a maximum of 50 Nm. This puts it in the same league as Bosch's Active Line Plus. The motor impresses with a very natural riding feel and extremely smooth running. The Drive C is also available with a magnesium housing. This makes it 500 grams lighter and 15 percent smaller than the aluminium version. Incidentally, there is no test winner in our motor comparison. Despite their different characteristics, both models are ideal for daily trips between home, work and the lake.
DRIVE TEST
Not everything that a drive is capable of can be modelled and measured on a test bench. You can only find out how sensitively a motor reacts to pedal pressure and how strongly it accelerates during a test drive. This also applies to response and cut-off behaviour. The drive must be controllable and start up as quickly as possible when starting uphill. When you stop pedalling, the motor should switch off immediately and not push on.
TEST STAND TEST
We measured the maximum continuous power output of the motors on our roller dynamometer. Depending on the cadence, the power output of the motors varies to a greater or lesser extent. Measurements were taken at 20 km/h and, depending on the gear gradation, at cadences close to 60, 70, 80 and 90 revolutions per minute. We simulated the rider's pedalling power with 100, 120, 140 and 160 watts. In addition to the characteristic increase in power, the power curves also show the maximum cadence and pedalling power at which the motor supports the rider. We measured the maximum motor power in each support level at 70 crank revolutions per minute.
You can download the complete comparison test of the Bosch Active Line Plus and Broses Drive C from MYBIKE 4/2021 including all individual ratings as a PDF below the article. The test costs 1.99 euros.
