The X30 will form the basis of Mahle\u2019s drive systems moving forward. It is said to turn ebikes into smart bikes, with the digital ecosystem adapting the motor performance to your needs.\u00a0<\/p>
A new industry standard\u00a0<\/h2>Spot the motor\u2026 the X30 continues Mahle’s aim of creating ebikes that look like non-assisted bikes. – Javier Mart\u00ednez de la Puente \/ Zubiko Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>Mahle acquired the Spanish ebike company, Ebikemotion, in 2018 a year after it released the X35 ebike motor<\/a> system.\u00a0<\/p>Mahle\u2019s ebike business has grown to include more than 100 brands in its portfolio and half a million ebikes on the market. That growth has in part been achieved through Mahle\u2019s scale and resources. The automotive and mobility company has more than 72,000 employees, 148 product locations and 11 tech centres. It made \u20ac12.8bn in sales in 2023.<\/p>
Mahle Smartbike Systems\u2019 head of marketing, Diego Rodr\u00edguez, says the X35 changed the ebike game: \u201cThis was a system that made people understand that ebikes can be done in a different way.\u201d<\/p>
In short, they could be light and retain the look of a non-assisted bike, something Mahle maintained with its X20 system, released in 2022 and targeted at performance cyclists.\u00a0<\/p>![\"Two](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/06\/Mahle-X30-2024043077.jpg\")
The new motor can be used across adult and kids’ bikes. – Javier Mart\u00ednez de la Puente \/ Zubiko Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>The X30 shares this philosophy, but Mahle is keen to frame the X30 ebike system as a new industry standard. \u201cThis system was born to be the standard light ebike system for the industry in the upcoming years,\u201d says Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0<\/p>
Marco Antonio De la Serna founded Ebikemotion, but now acts as\u00a0Mahle Smartbike Systems\u2019 head of strategy and business development. He says the X30 is \u201cwhat I would have liked to have seven years ago,\u201d when the X35 was released.\u00a0<\/p>
For fans of professional bike racing, Mahle Smartbike Systems\u2019 X Drive product manager, Gonzalo Garc\u00eda, says if you imagine the X20 as Grand Tour specialist Jonas Vingegaard, then the X30 is multi-discipline champion Mathieu van der Poel. This may also explain their differences in weight, with the X30 system weighing 500g more than the X30 at a claimed 3.5kg.\u00a0<\/p>
The fact that the X30 can be used across virtually all types of bikes, apart from electric mountain bikes<\/a>, aids Mahle\u2019s claim that it will be the industry\u2019s standard for lightweight ebikes. So, too, does the backward compatibility with Mahle\u2019s existing components, accessories and the digital ecosystem shared with the X20.\u00a0<\/p>Efficiency over power<\/h2>![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/06\/Mahle-X30-2024042974.jpg\")
Greater efficiency means you can get further with the system’s energy capacity. – Javier Mart\u00ednez de la Puente \/ Zubiko Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>Each of the three X Drive units in Mahle\u2019s range delivers 250W of power, but with 45Nm of torque, the X30 sits between the X35 and the more powerful X20, which delivers 55Nm.\u00a0<\/p>
Garc\u00eda stresses that power isn\u2019t everything: \u201cWhen we’re thinking and choosing a system for our bike, we think of power. But there\u2019s something important that we forget, which is the efficiency of the system.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cThe efficiency helps you to go further with the system\u2019s energy capacity. That means for the same range, if you have an efficient motor you can have a smaller battery.\u201d<\/p>
Mahle claims the engineering of the X30 rear-hub motor lowers energy loss and increases energy efficiency by 15 per cent compared to similar systems, helping you extend your trip in an \u201cenvironmentally friendly way\u201d. The smaller battery also helps keep the weight of the system down.<\/p>
There are three batteries available for the system with different ranges:<\/p>
- iX3:<\/strong> 130km range<\/li>
- iX2: <\/strong>90km range<\/li>
- eX1:<\/strong> bottle-shaped range extender offering 55km of range\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>
Motor mapping\u00a0<\/h2>![\"Man](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/06\/Mahle-X30-2024043079.jpg\")
Motor mapping means the X30 can be tailored to disciplines and a brand’s wishes. – Javier Mart\u00ednez de la Puente \/ Zubiko Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>The X30 will deliver more power, up to 12kph, than the X20 and X35 \u2013 and slightly less than the X20, up to its top speed of 25kph.\u00a0<\/p>
However, adjusting the performance and behaviour of an ebike motor via motor mapping plays an important role in the X30\u2019s versatility.\u00a0<\/p>
A cyclist on a \u00a310,000 electric road bike<\/a> will want different ride characteristics from their ebike motor than a gravel rider, commuter or child bombing around a pump track.\u00a0<\/p>Mahle outlines the following motor characteristics for different disciplines:\u00a0<\/p>
- Road:<\/strong> Smoother response to the rider torque and smoother acceleration at low and high speeds<\/li>
- Gravel:<\/strong> More reactive to the rider torque with higher acceleration at low speeds and lower acceleration at high speeds<\/li>
- Urban:<\/strong> More reactive to rider torque with higher acceleration<\/li>
- Kids: <\/strong>Reactive to rider torque with smooth acceleration across speeds<\/li><\/ul>
Beyond these rough guidelines, Mahle says it works with bike brands to customise the motor mapping of their bikes. They can adjust more than 100 parameters for the desired ride quality and feel.<\/p>
\u201cIf you try two different bikes with the same system, you feel there\u2019s a difference in how the bike is behaving. But the system is still the same,\u201d says Garc\u00eda.\u00a0<\/p>
A brand\u2019s decision can also be informed by rider behaviour accessible via a virtual dashboard.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cThat\u2019s important because that way they get to know the end users better,\u201d says Garc\u00eda, adding that this will help them \u201cboost their business\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
A customisable system and tech integration<\/h2>![\"Mahle](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/06\/Mahle-X30-2024053176.jpg\")
The HMI unit is the \u201cheart of the system\u201d. – Mahle<\/figcaption><\/figure>You can customise the X30\u2019s performance \u2013 and even let the system adapt to your riding independently.<\/p>
Mahle\u2019s HMI head unit, located in a bike\u2019s top tube, enables you to turn the ebike on or off and flick through three levels of assistance.\u00a0<\/p>
\u201cThis is basically the heart of the system. All the intelligence and decision-making of the system is in this device,\u201d says Garc\u00eda.<\/p>
This intelligence extends to a fourth setting called Smart Assist, available on ebikes fitted with Mahle\u2019s torque sensor.<\/p>![\"Hand](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/06\/2024.05.22_MahleX30PressEvent_byZubikoPhoto_0389.jpg\")
You can customise your X30 system via the Mahle app. – Javier Mart\u00ednez de la Puente \/ Zubiko Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>Mahle says Smart Assist will use the torque reading to adapt the bike\u2019s response to your power input, the conditions and the terrain. The feature uses AI and machine learning<\/a> and the real-time information processing of the HMI head unit.\u00a0<\/p>You can customise Smart Assist via Mahle\u2019s MySmartBike cycling app<\/a>, where the assistance level can be adjusted on a sliding scale.<\/p>Furthermore, the app enables you to record your activities and will integrate with Strava.\u00a0<\/p>
Mahle provides an Apple Watch app, too. Like the smartphone app, you can use it to record your rides, and change assistance levels and power. Using the sensor in the Apple Watch, it will monitor your heart rate data to \u201coptimise and track your performance\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>
\u2018Rich on accessories\u2019<\/h2>![\"Graphic](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/06\/Mahle-X30-2024042273.jpg\")
The X30 can be used with a range of accessories, including a range extender and shifters. – Mahle<\/figcaption><\/figure>Complementing the customisation offered to brands and end users, Mahle says its ebike platform is \u201crich on accessories\u201d to \u201cenhance an ebike\u201d.<\/p>
Alongside the eX1 range extender, there are two shifting button accessories. These mean you can switch between assistance modes from the handlebar rather than reaching down to the HMI head unit on the top tube.<\/p>![\"Mahle](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/06\/Mahle-X30-2024053172.jpg\")
The Duo Remote means you can change the assistance level without reaching to the HMI in the top tube. – Mahle<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Duo Remote has two buttons and is suitable for the flat handlebars of electric commuting bikes<\/a>. The eShifters consist of two separate units that can be fitted to either side of the drop handlebar of an electric gravel bike<\/a> or road bike.\u00a0<\/p>
Mahle acquired the Spanish ebike company, Ebikemotion, in 2018 a year after it released the X35 ebike motor<\/a> system.\u00a0<\/p> Mahle\u2019s ebike business has grown to include more than 100 brands in its portfolio and half a million ebikes on the market. That growth has in part been achieved through Mahle\u2019s scale and resources. The automotive and mobility company has more than 72,000 employees, 148 product locations and 11 tech centres. It made \u20ac12.8bn in sales in 2023.<\/p> Mahle Smartbike Systems\u2019 head of marketing, Diego Rodr\u00edguez, says the X35 changed the ebike game: \u201cThis was a system that made people understand that ebikes can be done in a different way.\u201d<\/p> In short, they could be light and retain the look of a non-assisted bike, something Mahle maintained with its X20 system, released in 2022 and targeted at performance cyclists.\u00a0<\/p> The X30 shares this philosophy, but Mahle is keen to frame the X30 ebike system as a new industry standard. \u201cThis system was born to be the standard light ebike system for the industry in the upcoming years,\u201d says Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0<\/p> Marco Antonio De la Serna founded Ebikemotion, but now acts as\u00a0Mahle Smartbike Systems\u2019 head of strategy and business development. He says the X30 is \u201cwhat I would have liked to have seven years ago,\u201d when the X35 was released.\u00a0<\/p> For fans of professional bike racing, Mahle Smartbike Systems\u2019 X Drive product manager, Gonzalo Garc\u00eda, says if you imagine the X20 as Grand Tour specialist Jonas Vingegaard, then the X30 is multi-discipline champion Mathieu van der Poel. This may also explain their differences in weight, with the X30 system weighing 500g more than the X30 at a claimed 3.5kg.\u00a0<\/p> The fact that the X30 can be used across virtually all types of bikes, apart from electric mountain bikes<\/a>, aids Mahle\u2019s claim that it will be the industry\u2019s standard for lightweight ebikes. So, too, does the backward compatibility with Mahle\u2019s existing components, accessories and the digital ecosystem shared with the X20.\u00a0<\/p> Each of the three X Drive units in Mahle\u2019s range delivers 250W of power, but with 45Nm of torque, the X30 sits between the X35 and the more powerful X20, which delivers 55Nm.\u00a0<\/p> Garc\u00eda stresses that power isn\u2019t everything: \u201cWhen we’re thinking and choosing a system for our bike, we think of power. But there\u2019s something important that we forget, which is the efficiency of the system.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThe efficiency helps you to go further with the system\u2019s energy capacity. That means for the same range, if you have an efficient motor you can have a smaller battery.\u201d<\/p> Mahle claims the engineering of the X30 rear-hub motor lowers energy loss and increases energy efficiency by 15 per cent compared to similar systems, helping you extend your trip in an \u201cenvironmentally friendly way\u201d. The smaller battery also helps keep the weight of the system down.<\/p> There are three batteries available for the system with different ranges:<\/p> The X30 will deliver more power, up to 12kph, than the X20 and X35 \u2013 and slightly less than the X20, up to its top speed of 25kph.\u00a0<\/p> However, adjusting the performance and behaviour of an ebike motor via motor mapping plays an important role in the X30\u2019s versatility.\u00a0<\/p> A cyclist on a \u00a310,000 electric road bike<\/a> will want different ride characteristics from their ebike motor than a gravel rider, commuter or child bombing around a pump track.\u00a0<\/p> Mahle outlines the following motor characteristics for different disciplines:\u00a0<\/p> Beyond these rough guidelines, Mahle says it works with bike brands to customise the motor mapping of their bikes. They can adjust more than 100 parameters for the desired ride quality and feel.<\/p> \u201cIf you try two different bikes with the same system, you feel there\u2019s a difference in how the bike is behaving. But the system is still the same,\u201d says Garc\u00eda.\u00a0<\/p> A brand\u2019s decision can also be informed by rider behaviour accessible via a virtual dashboard.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThat\u2019s important because that way they get to know the end users better,\u201d says Garc\u00eda, adding that this will help them \u201cboost their business\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> You can customise the X30\u2019s performance \u2013 and even let the system adapt to your riding independently.<\/p> Mahle\u2019s HMI head unit, located in a bike\u2019s top tube, enables you to turn the ebike on or off and flick through three levels of assistance.\u00a0<\/p> \u201cThis is basically the heart of the system. All the intelligence and decision-making of the system is in this device,\u201d says Garc\u00eda.<\/p> This intelligence extends to a fourth setting called Smart Assist, available on ebikes fitted with Mahle\u2019s torque sensor.<\/p> Mahle says Smart Assist will use the torque reading to adapt the bike\u2019s response to your power input, the conditions and the terrain. The feature uses AI and machine learning<\/a> and the real-time information processing of the HMI head unit.\u00a0<\/p> You can customise Smart Assist via Mahle\u2019s MySmartBike cycling app<\/a>, where the assistance level can be adjusted on a sliding scale.<\/p> Furthermore, the app enables you to record your activities and will integrate with Strava.\u00a0<\/p> Mahle provides an Apple Watch app, too. Like the smartphone app, you can use it to record your rides, and change assistance levels and power. Using the sensor in the Apple Watch, it will monitor your heart rate data to \u201coptimise and track your performance\u201d.\u00a0<\/p> Complementing the customisation offered to brands and end users, Mahle says its ebike platform is \u201crich on accessories\u201d to \u201cenhance an ebike\u201d.<\/p> Alongside the eX1 range extender, there are two shifting button accessories. These mean you can switch between assistance modes from the handlebar rather than reaching down to the HMI head unit on the top tube.<\/p> The Duo Remote has two buttons and is suitable for the flat handlebars of electric commuting bikes<\/a>. The eShifters consist of two separate units that can be fitted to either side of the drop handlebar of an electric gravel bike<\/a> or road bike.\u00a0<\/p>Efficiency over power<\/h2>
Motor mapping\u00a0<\/h2>
A customisable system and tech integration<\/h2>
\u2018Rich on accessories\u2019<\/h2>