Shimano EP8 electric bike drive unit unveiled with more torque, less ‘lurch’

It’s lighter, it’s stronger, it’s higher… It’s the brand new Shimano EP8 mid-drive motor system for electrical mountain bikes.

The bicycle element large has simply launched its newest electrical bicycle drive unit with a variety of efficiency upgrades.

Shimano releases new EP8 e-bike motor

The brand new Shimano EP8 mid-drive motor unit packs much more torque than Shimano’s earlier drive models, as much as 85 Nm.

Whereas rising the drive’s torque, Shimano was additionally capable of concurrently scale back the load of the unit to simply 2.6 kg (5.7 lb).

As the corporate defined:

EP8 delivers as much as 85Nm of torque, a 21% enhance (in Path and Increase modes) over the STEPS E8000 motor platform (Shimano’s earlier top-end eMTB drive system).

The brand new magnesium drive unit casing design delivers a 300-gram (0.66-pound) weight reduction (5.7-pound complete weight) in a ten% smaller type issue.

With 85 Nm of torque, Shimano is competing head-to-head with Bosch’s most powerful mid-drive motor. However for any riders who don’t need such excessive torque on faucet, Shimano’s E-Tube Venture app permits riders to regulate the utmost torque anyplace within the vary from 20-85 Nm.

The Shimano EP8 drive unit additionally includes a new gear design that reduces gear drag by 36%. That ought to assist it really feel extra much like pedaling a conventional bicycle. The lowered motor noise will even assist riders overlook that they’re pedaling an electrical bike as a substitute of an acoustic bike.

As the corporate continued:

Because of a brand new seal construction and kit design, drag is lowered by 36%, getting a lot nearer to the traditional pedaling feeling of a conventional bike. Riders will really feel a smoother cutoff as they attain the utmost help velocity after which profit from lighter pedaling with out help.

The brand new Shimano EP8 motor unit is designed to combine with Shimano’s larger-capacity batteries that were announced earlier this spring.

A serious a part of the brand new motor’s programming consists of an emphasis on smoother energy supply.

A brand new algorithm was developed to extra precisely calculate and apply the correct quantity of energy primarily based on the rider’s pedaling, which additionally leads to a slight vary enhance as properly as a consequence of much less vitality being wasted when it isn’t wanted.

The brand new algorithm additionally helps enhance a novel quirk of earlier Shimano mid-drive motors that noticed e-bikes fitted with the motors generally lurch ahead when used within the highest pedal help mode.

As Shimano elaborated:

The brand new algorithm always calculates the best help ratio for the scenario. This straightforward idea improves the trip high quality in all conditions, eliminating the lurch ahead and wasted vitality because the bike accelerates whereas additionally persevering with to supply further help when the path will get harder and the rider works more durable.

The discharge of the EP8 sees Shimano holding regular with different business leaders comparable to Bosch and Brose, which every launched their very own new motors lately.

New electrical bicycles that includes the Shimano EP8 drive system are anticipated to debut later this 12 months.

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