We expected competition for Avinox — we got a motor for old people

So it’s true. Two weeks ago I wrote a speculative article about what Bosch was planning for June 18th. I had a theory about Fazua patents, about a lightweight motor, about „Almost invisible“ being a hint at integration.

And Bosch unveiled a hub motor in 2026.

What is it actually

Bosch today unveiled its first-ever rear hub motor for e-bikes — the Hub Line. It’s aimed at urban e-bikes and goes straight after the segment where Chinese brands have dominated with their hub motors.

The motor offers 45 Nm of torque, the legally mandated maximum of 250W continuous power, and a 25 km/h assist speed limit. It weighs 2.3 kg and its compact housing has a diameter of just 100 mm.

It’s powered by a new slim PowerTube 360 Wh battery weighing 2.1 kg and measuring just 68 mm wide — slim enough to fit into a down tube close to the width of a regular non-assisted bike. Estimated range is 80 km.

Why it’s smart — and why it’s a little sad

Bosch spent years building its reputation on mid-drive motors. Hub motors are common on city e-bikes thanks to their simplicity and lower cost, but Bosch had avoided this segment until now.

So why enter it now?

Because Avinox and other brands started eating into Bosch’s market share even in segments where it was once untouchable. As German magazine BIKE put it — Bosch can’t escape the power arms race, but it’s still far from the „overpower“ of Avinox.

A hub motor — an idea from a decade ago

I have to be honest here. A hub motor could have worked about ten years ago. For old people.

But the „problem“ with today’s old people — people 60+ — is that they already know how to use the internet. They can find what’s best for them. The old model where a retiree walks into Walmart and a salesperson talks them into something doesn’t work anymore. Maybe it still works a little — but probably not for more than another five years.

Today’s sixty-year-old watches YouTube, reads reviews, is active in Facebook groups. And there they see Avinox, see the power numbers, see the range. Why would they buy a motor with 45 Nm and 80 km of range when a mid-drive with 130 Nm and 100+ km exists for similar money?

And one more thing

If Bosch doesn’t already have Hub Line contracted in the thousands for shared bike systems like Uber Bike or Lime — then good luck.

Because that’s really the only place where this motor makes genuine sense. Shared bikes need a motor that’s unobtrusive, durable, cheap to service, and doesn’t require a big battery — exactly what Hub Line offers. But there, Bosch is competing against Chinese suppliers who do it for a fraction of the cost.

Without major B2B contracts with bike-share operators, Hub Line is an interesting product looking for a market.

„Almost invisible“ — now I get it

No acquired Fazua patents. No power revolution. Just a motor you can barely see — exactly as the teaser promised.

Hub Line is designed for stop-start city situations where early acceleration support matters, and for handling gentle inclines in a way that blends seamlessly with the rider’s cadence.

It’s a motor for people who don’t want their bike to look like an e-bike. And in that sense, Hub Line is honest — it doesn’t claim to be an MTB revolution, doesn’t claim to beat Avinox. It’s a product for a completely different segment.

My take

45 Nm vs. 130 Nm on my Crussis. 80 km range vs. over 100 km. 360 Wh vs. 800 Wh.

Comparing Hub Line to the Avinox M2S is like comparing a Fiat 500 to a BMW M3. Completely different cars for completely different people.

And that’s actually what makes Hub Line interesting. Bosch realized it can’t win the power war against Avinox — so it opened up a completely new battlefield. The city. Elegance. Invisibility.

Will it work? That depends on bike-share contracts, and on whether today’s retirees — who are getting more comfortable googling things every year — go for 45 Nm or for Avinox.

Personally, I’d bet on Avinox. But Bosch is going to try anyway.

One last thing — to be fair

This might all sound like I don’t like Bosch. But the truth is different.

My favorite e-bike — the one I rack up the most kilometers on every year — isn’t my Crussis e-Full 12.11 with the Avinox M2S. It’s a Cube Compact Hybrid with 20″ wheels and a Bosch Performance Line motor.

As someone who lives in an apartment building, nothing beats it. I can park it anywhere, it’s reasonably light, and for grocery runs and carrying my kid to daycare on the rack, it’s absolutely ideal.

So Bosch knows how to build great products for specific use cases. Hub Line might be another one of those — just not for me. And I think the 60+ market it’s targeting is smarter than Bosch gives it credit for.

But maybe I’ll be surprised. We’ll see.

Vasek

Avinox.cz is primarily a Czech-language blog about Avinox e-bikes and everything around them. This is one of the few articles published in English.

If you’d like to see more English content — leave a comment below. If there’s enough interest, I’ll start creating regular English content.