Shimano STEPS Up
Shimano joins the E-Bike market with the launch of their Shimano Total Electric Power System (STEPS). A whole range of components and parts for E-Bikes were showcased, featuring the torque sensor and regenerative power capacities, easy-to-use and battery characteristics.
Invited to Shimano’s opening for STEPS were major European OEMs of about 250 E-Bike manufacturers and suppliers to learn all the specific features and salient perspectives of the system. Such features include a 250W brushless mounted on the front wheel along with a geared hub motor, a bottom bracket integrated torque sensor, a crankset with a rotation sensor, a rear carrier integrated battery and tail light, and a system management unit. The unit is composed of an integrated headlight, with an electronic shifting Nexus 8 speed gear hub, a cycle computer display and has brake button levers for system control and the power regenerative capabilities of the STEPS system.
STEPS highlights the Nexus 8 speed gear hub with a torque sensor generating the SEIS, Shimano Electronic Intelligent System for electronic shifting, especially designed for E-Bikes that operates through buttons, which control the motor unit integrated with the gear hub. The front wheel mounted hub motor provides additional brake capabilities on downhill maneuvers. It also possesses the energy saving system called E-Gain.
All these power regenerative capabilities are operated through the brake levers, which are built with sensors providing control of the added power brake. It has a detachable battery that has 3,000 charging cycles. Charging goes for an hour and provides a range of 40 km run in regular mode and 60 km for the ECO mode. The battery is 24 V, 4Ah-Li-lon unit weighing 2.7 kg with the taillight and control system.
“Such features include a 250W brushless mounted on the front wheel along with a geared hub motor, . . .”
It is obvious that whoever wrote this article knows very little about EBikes. What he means of course is a 250W brushless geared hub motor mounted on the front fork.
This seems to be a wide market attempt that will be acceptable under most European, Canadian and Australian laws. 250 Watts is one of the weakest motors available, most new bikes have 36V, not 24V, and the standard for batteries is 10Ah not 4Ah. The only reason it has this much range is because it probably doesn’t provide much assistance.
Many experienced EBike users feel that regenerative breaking is not worth the constant cogging drag, as it precludes freewheeling the motor.
The bottom bracket torque sensor is new, and a very interesting development.
I would have been more enthused to see an integrated brake shifter with a built in motor cut-off.