BROSE Drive System 2020 – motor, display and battery in one cohesive ecosystem

The German ebike motor manufacturers Brose have started a new chapter by releasing their first ever complete ebike system. With immediate effect, the company will be offering its existing Drive S, Drive S Mag and other motors combined with its new in-house displays and battery to offer a complete ebike ecosystem.

The Brose Drive System marks the first time that the German motor manufacturer offers a complete system consisting of motor, battery and display

Brose motors are much-loved in the eMTB world and are used by more than 40 different ebike manufacturers. Up until now, Brose only offered the motor and manufacturers had to use third-party displays and batteries. While that has given manufacturers great flexibility in design and integration, it can make servicing and warranty cases a little complicated as the responsibility for different components in the system gets pushed between the different suppliers.

Brose, who we visited recently, now has a complete selection of Drive Systems, offering its own 630 Wh battery with seven different motors (yes, really!) and three different displays. This also means that Brose is responsible for all servicing and can be dealt with directly for everything. Indeed, a newly developed service tool for bike shops and a newly founded in-house team will offer quick help and assistance when required.

Brose’s magnesium motor housing saves an impressive 500 g and is also significantly more compact than its aluminium sibling

The Brose motor range in detail

Up until now, Brose have offered five different motors which have been suited to different applications based on their performance characteristics, power and maximum support. All drives offer a very natural ride and produce little sound. Last year, Brose introduced the Drive S Mag with a 500 g lighter and more compact magnesium casing. This lightweight housing is now being used for the other models in the range too. We’ve summarised the current motors in Brose’s range below:

Brose Drive C Alu: up to 280 % support, 50 Nm torque – the ideal motor for urban riding. It offers less support but is the most efficient model.
Brose Drive T Alu: up to 320 % support, 70 Nm torque – the trekking motor for those who want to might want to summit bigger climbs as well.
Brose Drive TF Alu: up to 380 % support, 90 Nm torque – F means Fast – this is the motor used for S-Pedelecs that offer support up to 45 km/h.
Brose Drive S Alu: up to 380 % support, 90 Nm torque – a classic amongst ebike motors and the most commonly used Brose eMTB model.
Brose Drive S Mag: up to 410 % support, 90 Nm torque – the rising star in the Brose eMTB lineup. The Flex Power mode offers excellent support across a wide range of cadences and is 500 g lighter than the Drive S Alu thanks to its aluminium housing.
Brose Drive T Mag: up to 320 % support, 70 Nm torque – this motor is very similar to the Drive T Alu, but is 500 g lighter, more compact and is even claimed to be a little more efficient.
Brose Drive C Mag: up to 280 % support, 50 Nm torque – offers the same characteristics as the Drive C Alu, but saves about 500 g and is more compact.

The lightweight magnesium housing was introduced by Brose last year. Now it will also be offered with Drive C and Drive T motor internals.

Brose-Riehmenantrieb — All Brose motors have the internal belt drive in common.

A generous 630 Wh of riding fun – the integrated Brose battery

The new Brose Battery 630 provides, as the name might suggest, 630 Wh capacity delivering 17 Amps and 36 Volts. The battery is 387 x 84 x 72 mm and according to Brose, weighs 3.8 kg. The battery cells sit inside a black anodised aluminium housing. Along with the battery, Brose have also developed a mount that is designed to ensure that it is held securely, without rattling, inside the frame. The battery can be secured inside the frame with a lock, but can also be removed from the bike when required.

Lots of people have been waiting for this for a long time: a Brose battery! It has a 630 Wh capacity and is held in and removed from your E-Bike with a specially developed mount.

Brose-Akku-integriert — The specially developed mount is designed to hold the battery securely and rattle-free in your bike

A lock secures the Brose Battery 630 in the frame

Foam is strategically placed to eliminate any annoying rattling

Three new displays for every type of rider

We already caught a glimpse of the three new Brose Drive System displays back in May. All the models have easy-to-use buttons which can be actuated easily. The minimal Brose Display remote relies only on LEDs to provide information about the battery charge and assistance mode. If you want, you can add on the 3.5” Brose Display Central. This, as the name suggests, is mounted centrally on the bars. The Brose Display Allround offers a compromise between the super minimal and the larger option. It consists of a 1.5” colour display with ergonomically positioned buttons. All displays have ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity and are therefore ready to upgrade with additional features or apps.

The Brose Display Central is 3.5” large and is mounted in the middle of the bars

The Brose Display Remote can be used either to control the Central Display or can be used on its own as a minimal option

Ergonomically positioned buttons make it intuitive to use and even offer enough room for a dropper remote

The power button sits on the top, the walk-assist is on the bottom

The Brose Display Allround has a 1.5” colour display which indicates which assistance mode you are in as well as other important data

The Brose Display Allround also has ergonomically placed buttons

Service tool and a new team for painless service

The best parts in the world aren’t worth much if you can’t get them serviced or repaired quickly. This is why Brose have developed their own service tool with which the system can be easily diagnosed at your local dealer. In addition, the team has been expanded and readied for any future servicing requirements.

Service-Brose — The new service tool allows your Brose system to be quickly diagnosed and examined for any problems

A complete system with complete freedom

During the presentation, Brose emphasised the fact that despite the new Drive ecosystem, manufacturers will continue to be able to combine its motors with third-party displays and batteries.

The Specialized Levo uses a Brose motor, but set new standards in terms of peripherals integration. Brose continues to allow manufacturers to fit third-party and proprietary displays and batteries.

Our thoughts on the new Brose Drive System

The new Brose Drive ecosystem is an important step forward for the German manufacturer and should make the already popular motors an even more attractive option for many manufacturers. In particular, the new compact Brose Display Remote is perfect for sporty riders and the specs for the new battery are very promising. The clear servicing responsibility in the case of any problems offers extra peace of mind for customers. We’re excited to see how the system will perform in the real world.

For more information, visit brose-ebike.com

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