Electric Bike Motors Explained: Mid-Drive vs Hub

Whether you are researching a multitude of electric bike configurations currently on the market, or trying to decide between different EVELO models, the motor will be one of the first things you look into. The information below will explain the differences between the two types of motors found on electric bikes – hub motor and mid-drive motor.

Mid-Drive or Hub Motor – Which Should I Choose?

The motor most commonly found on the market today is a hub motor. It is typically placed on the rear wheel, although some front hub configurations exist. The hub motor is simple, relatively lightweight, and quite inexpensive to manufacture. The EVELO Quest One electric folding bike, the Aurora Hub-drive, and the Aries Hub-drive all use a rear hub motor since simplicity and weight were important considerations in designing a folding bike. Many EVELO model is equipped with a mid-drive motor. After some initial testing, our engineers concluded that the mid-drive motor has a number of key advantages over the hub motor:

Performance. Mid-drive motors are known for higher performance and torque when compared to a similarly powered traditional hub motor. One key reason why is that the mid-drive motor drives the crank, instead of the wheel itself, multiplying its power and allowing it to better take advantage of the bike’s existing gears. Perhaps the best way to visualize this is to imagine a scenario where you are approaching a steep hill. You would change the bike’s gears to make it easier to pedal and maintain the same cadence. If your bike has a mid-drive motor, it also benefits from that gearing change, enabling it to deliver more power and range.
Maintenance. Your bike’s mid-drive motor is designed to make maintenance and service extremely easy. You can remove and replace the entire motor assembly by simply taking out two special bolts – without affecting any other aspect of the bike. This means that virtually any regular bike shop can easily perform troubleshooting and repairs. On the other hand, if you had a hub motor in the rear wheel, even basic maintenance tasks such as taking off the wheel to change a flat tire become more complicated endeavors.
Handling. EVELO’s mid-drive motor is positioned close to the bike’s center of gravity and low to the ground. This helps improve the overall handling of your electric bike by better distributing the weight.

Given that locating the motor mid-drive is the right choice in most situations, which EVELO mid-drive motor is the right one for you?

250W Motor

Currently available on the single-speed Quest One model, the 250W motor is a good option if:

You live in a flat to moderately hilly area
You plan to use the motor to complement your own power when you need a boost or feel tired, but still plan to pedal the bulk of the time
The rider’s weight is under 200 lbs

350W Motor

Currently available on our Galaxy and Quest Max models, the 350W motor is one of the newest motors in our lineup. It is highly efficient and generates roughly the same amount of torque as a 500W motor, while using less battery power. This is a great option if:

You live in an area with some steep hills
You plan to do little or no pedaling (relying more on the electric-only throttle)
The rider’s weight is over 200 lbs

500W Motor

The 500W mid-drive motor is available on our Compass electric trike, and is a good choice if:

You live in a really hilly area and want to have a lot of torque and power to go uphill, while still maintaining higher cruising speed
You plan to do little or no pedaling (relying more on the electric-only throttle)
The rider’s weight is over 200 lbs

750W Motor

The 750W motor, our most powerful motor yet, is available on the Delta X, Aurora Limited Edition, Aries Mid-drive, Aries Hub-drive, and Aurora Hub-drive. With a peak output of 1,000W, this motor configuration can take you up virtually any hill and over any terrain, regardless of the amount of pedaling you want to do. Note: Federal regulations cap the top assisted speed of any motor configuration at 20 mph, and the 350W, 500W, and 750W EVELO bikes are able to attain this speed with little pedaling effort. The “off-road only” option which allows for pedal-assisted speeds of up to 28 mph. Keep in mind that the actual speed you can reach depends on a variety of conditions, so it will vary significantly.

Additional Resources

Want to learn even more about the technology that sets EVELO apart from the competition? Take a look at the resources below:

EVELO MotionDriveᵗᵐ System NuVinci® Continuously Variable Transmission NuVinci® Fully Automatic Transmission Gates Carbon Drive™ Belt Drive