According to the test report of TUV Rheinland Laboratory in Germany in 2024, mid-motor ebikes (e.g., Bosch Performance Line CX) can sustain a speed of 18km/h at a slope of 25% and the torque is 85Nm (greater than that of a 250cc gasoline-powered motorcycle at 78Nm). The motor efficiency remains at 89% (market average for similar products is 73%). Tests on the Specialized Turbo Levo model reveal that when its motor peak power is 1050W, its climbing speed at 12% inclination is 22.4km/h, 317% higher than that of traditional mountain bikes, and its heart rate on riding is 42bpm lower than that of a hiking cart (Source: Journal of Cycling Engineering).
High-load performance of the battery system is of critical importance. At the repeated 1-kilometer operation on the 20% slope of the Shimano STEPS EP8-driven ebike, the battery discharge rate is increased to 1.8C (0.5C at normal temperature), but the battery cell temperature is controlled at 45℃ by the intelligent liquid cooling heat dissipation system (industry standard is up to 60℃), thus the capacity attenuation rate ≤2% per cycle. As Swiss Post’s field operation information in 2024 indicates, a 120kg-capacity ebike (plus packages) still has a battery range of 68 kilometers (80% of the certified 85 kilometers) driving uphill an average of 800 meters a day in the Alps, better than the lead-acid battery type’s 53% retention rate.
The design of transmission systems has direct effects on climbing efficiency. The combined force of Rohloff E-14 internal transmission hub and ebike motor can divide the 526% gear ratio range into 14 precise gears. When the start is on a 32% ramp incline, the response time of motor torque is decreased to 0.15 seconds (0.3 seconds for the chain drive system). Experiments of the Gates Carbon Drive carbon fiber belt drive system indicate that in the case of the muddy slope, its loss of transmission efficiency is no more than 3% (11% for common chains), and the maintenance-free cycle is up to 30,000 kilometers (the chain has to be lubricated every 1,500 kilometers).
Real-world tests confirm the performance threshold: Lime’s shared ebike service in San Francisco sees models with Bafang M620 motors ride an average of 87 times a day up Filbert Street with a 31% grade (the United States’ steepest public street). The motor failure rate is as low as merely 0.7 times per thousand units per month, and the maintenance cost is 63% lower than fuel-assisted vehicles. In 2023, 2,000 Ebikes purchased by Norwegian Post had successfully completed the delivery task of 25 kilometers average daily distance and 400 meters cumulative altitude in the cold conditions of -10℃ in Oslo. The deviation rate of the battery range was kept at ±5% (±15% is the contract value).
There are power distribution optimization intelligent algorithms. The Bosch Smart System actively controls the body posture of the vehicle in real time through a six-axis gyroscope. When it detects the slope change to be ≥2%/second, it automatically increases the motor output power by 15%-30% and modulates the energy recovery intensity simultaneously. 2024 Alpine ebike Challenge results show the variance of the system’s climbing speed has dropped from ±3.2km/h to ±1.1km/h, and the average rider power output has stabilized at 2.8W/kg (3.5W/kg without the intelligent system).
Economic indicators uncover advantages: In comparison to the price of fuel per car running uphill (2.5L/100km, oil price 1.8 euros/L), the electricity price per kilometer for an ebike is only 0.03 euros (assuming an energy consumption of 0.5kWh/100km), and it can save 1,620 euros in fuel costs for a period of five years. A Madrid city study pointed out that in residential districts with a slope above 10%, the “time-energy consumption” overall efficiency of ebike travel is 74% higher compared to that of public transport due to being able to bypass detour paths (on average 2.3 kilometers longer) and bus waiting time (on average 18 minutes per day).
Regulations and safety standards guarantee reliability. The newest EU EN 15194:2024 regulation requires the efficiency attenuation of ebike motors should not be more than 5% at 100 hours of unbroken 75% load testing (earlier, it was 10%). The report from Pendix Company indicates that once its drive unit has been continuously running for 30 days on the simulated Alpine route with cumulative rise of 1,000 meters a day, the amount of wear on the gearbox is as little as 0.02mm (the design limit value is 0.1mm). These technological developments have enabled modern ebikes to break terrain barriers and become a feasible mode of commuting up inclining hills.