Who is Brose? We went to Berlin to take a look behind the scenes of the winner of our 2019 motor group test to learn more about the automobile giant from the capital city. We got eight answers to eight exciting questions!

First of all, who or what is Brose? Founded some 110 years ago, today Brose is an international automotive supplier with over 62 locations and 26,000 employees worldwide. The engineers at the German company, whose headquarters are in Coburg, have been dealing with electric motors since the 1950s. To put Brose’s size in context: every second car that rolls off an assembly line today is fitted with parts supplied by the Brose Group. But what possessed an automobile giant to start producing eMTB motors? The foundation was laid on the day that was to go down in the annals as a black day for the global economy. On 15 September 2008, the New York investment bank Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. The resulting impact on the economy sent Brose looking for new business niches and technological trends in Berlin. The result: ebikes.

To do so, the Berlin development team engineered its own motor concept from the ground up…

When did the first motor equipped with Brose technology come onto the market? Two years later, in 2010, the engineers, product designers and marketing managers in Berlin began to put the first concepts on paper. In 2014, Brose’s first electric motor came onto the market. What makes the ebike motors from Berlin so special? From the start, Brose’s aim was to make a motor that offered the most natural ride feel possible. To do so, the Berlin development team engineered its own motor concept from the ground up, with a belt drive and double freewheel. Critically this allowed the motor to run very quietly and disengage completely at speeds over 25 km/h. But coupled with precise sensors, it also allowed the belt drive to improve the responsiveness and handling characteristics of the motor significantly compared to competitors on the market at the time.

Everything working on the “just in time” principle of the automobile industry. So there is no lack of knowledge and skilled labour in Berlin.

Why do Brose assemble the motors in Germany? Brose already had the necessary infrastructure in Berlin, and Germany also happens to be at the epicentre the ebike boom. The ebike motors are assembled, tested and carefully packed in the same factory as small batches of parts destined for brands like Ferrari, McLaren and Bugatti, everything working on the “just in time” principle of the automobile industry. So there is no lack of knowledge and skilled labour in Berlin. How did Brose move from the background as an automotive supplier to the foreground as an eMTB motor manufacturer? “Brose Antriebstechnik” wanted to establish themselves in the ebike market right from the beginning. Brose’s aim was to become one of the most important manufacturers of ebike motors and with the Drive S Mag, they’ve proved beyond all doubt that they’re capable of competing at the very forefront of the field. After all, it’s the winner of our most recent motor group test.

As you walk through what look like typical corporate offices, you have to ask yourself whether anyone at Brose even rides a bicycle? The answer is short and sweet: yes! Not only the product managers but also the developers regularly ride their eMTBs. Product Manager Volkmar Rollenbeck aka Yo showed us around Brose’s home trails on the Teufelsberg, below the former Cold War listening station that is not far from the Olympiastadion.

Where do Brose see themselves in the foreseeable future? When Brose launched their first motor about 5 years ago, their singular mission was to create a motor for demanding and aggressive riders. Today, the concept has expanded significantly. More and more motors are being adapted to suit the respective type of bike and rider – be it the Brose Drive C for the city or the Drive S for the eMTB. Besides development towards more efficiency, lighter weight, digitisation and integration, diversification will also play an increasingly important role. We’re excited to see what the future holds! Thanks for the insights, Brose!


This article is from E-MOUNTAINBIKE issue #017

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