Last month, we released our first-ever eBike with a mid-drive motor: The Lectric XPremium. As we gear up to get these new eBikes on the road in just a few weeks, we thought we'd take a moment to explain what mid-drive motors are all about, and why they're game-changers in eBiking!
Difference Between the Mid-Drive Motor and the Hub Motor
To start, let's touch on what the mid-drive motor is replacing. In our XP™ 2.0 and XP™ Lite designs, the hub motor is where the eBike's power comes from. While riding an eBike with a hub motor, you can feel the power coming directly from your rear wheel, and propelling you forward with either pedal assist or throttle.
With a mid-drive motor, the electric power comes directly from your pedals, giving your ride a more natural feel. While using the correct gearing, you can feel the power of the motor correlating seamlessly with the power you're putting into your eBike by pedaling!
eBike Gear Ratio
Mid-Drive motors can achieve this pedal-forward ride with their gear ratio. As Electrek explains, the gear ratio "allows the rider to power the rear wheel via the same chain and gear set as the pedals, which means that a low gear can be selected for powering up steep hills or accelerating from a stop with massive torque." To sum it up, a mid-drive motor makes the marriage between rider and eBike virtually seamless.
eBike Torque Sensor
In addition to the gear ratio, mid-drive motors use torque and shift sensors to give the ride of the eBike a smooth and natural feel. In a hub motor, these items would be replaced with a cadence sensor. The Next Web explains, "a cadence sensor only detects if and how fast you are pedaling, whereas a torque sensor measures how hard you are pedaling." Sensing how hard the rider is pedaling and what gear the eBike is in allows the eBike to propel the rider forward intentionally and seamlessly.
A Quiet eBike Experience
Lastly, mid-drive motors are quiet and well-hidden when compared to hub motors. The small motor compartment is tucked in between the pedals, just behind the eBike's crank. The mid-drive motor makes only a slight humming sound, milder than that of a hub motor.
Ride Our First-Ever eBike with a Mid-Drive Motor
Our team here at Lectric is thrilled to provide this premium piece of technology in our XPremium design, and we can't wait to get them on the road soon!
Questions about mid-drive motors? Give our team a call at (602)715-0907, or send an email to [email protected].