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Jun 20, 2024
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Mahle’s new motor drops weight while picking up muscle over its X35 hub motor; the X30 motor will be compatible with components used by the X35 and X20 hubs.
Mahle, a maker of high-end hub motors, has introduced a new hub motor, the X30, to their lineup. Mahle already makes two of the lightest hub motors on the market, the X20 and X35.
The new X30 hub sits between the X20 and X35 both numerically and in terms of performance. The X30 produces 250W and 45Nm of torque which places it between the X20 (250W and 55Nm of torque) and the X35 (250W and 54Nm of torque).
The X30 is another lightweight wonder, weighing in at 1.9kg (4.2 lbs.). Compare that to the X35, which weighs 2.1kg (4.6 lbs.). Like the X35, the X30 comes with a threaded axle for bolt-on wheels. Also, the X30 is a freehub-equipped motor, same as the X35, meaning we will see it spec’d on e-bikes with 8-, 9- or 10-speed drivetrains.
The combination of 5Nm more torque and a loss of roughly 200g (4 oz., roughly the weight of a pair of socks) may not seem like much on paper, but we suspect that there will be a distinct enough performance difference that riders would notice the gains if switching from an e-bike with the X35 hub to the X30 hub. After all, tacking on an additional 5Nm of torque represents a 12.5 percent gain, an amount that will certainly be noticeable.
Mahle’s X35 Smart System, including motor, battery and controller weighs just 3.5kg (7.7 lbs.), making it one of the lighter complete systems on the market. The X20 Smart System is even lighter. Because the new X30 hub is compatible with batteries from both systems, brands will be able to choose from capacities of 350Wh, 250Wh or 236Wh, as well as a 171Wh range extender battery.
We anticipate that we will see this on e-bikes in higher price points, especially on road and gravel e-bikes where it is acceptable to give up power in exchange for keeping weight low. Despite the bolt-on axle, we don’t anticipate seeing this on e-bikes retailing for $2,000 or less.
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