TQ, the German power behind among the lightest and quietest e-bike motors in the marketplace, simply took a leap ahead – once more. Barely weeks after debuting the light-weight HPR60 e-bike drive system, the corporate has launched the HPR40, now claiming the title of the lightest and most effective mid-drive motor on the earth.
Tailor-made for highway and gravel e-bikes, the HPR40 clocks in at simply 1.17 kg (2.6 lb). Meaning it has slashed almost half the load of the earlier HPR60, which weighed 1.92 kg (4.2 lb).
Regardless of being smaller, it nonetheless delivers a decent 40 Nm of torque and as much as 200W of peak energy, making it superb for riders searching for refined help moderately than brute power. This isn’t about uncooked horsepower; it’s about effectivity and seamless integration.
Don’t anticipate to see it on the subsequent 750W Lectric or Aventon, however search for it on higher-end gravel and highway e-bikes the place riders are in search of a modest enhance as an alternative of a strong burst.
Not like motors which were rebadged from their unique use on mountain bikes or commuters, TQ designed the HPR40 from scratch for lighter frames, aiming to stay almost invisible on a motorcycle’s backside bracket and with controls hidden contained in the handlebar. The result’s a drive system that blends into the bike like a whisper, providing efficiency with out the majority.
On the coronary heart of the HPR motor is TQ’s Harmonic Pin-Ring Transmission, which is a refined drivetrain rearranged to reside absolutely inside a motorcycle rather than the underside bracket. This intelligent design eliminates noisy gears, reduces friction, and lets the motor have interaction immediately with zero lag. Whereas which may sound like many mid-drives we commonly see from producers like Bosch, TQ’s is so small and so deeply built-in that it’s barely seen to an off-the-cuff observer.
The HPR40 pairs with a 290Wh battery that weighs simply 1.46 kg (3.2 lb) and is hidden contained in the downtube. There’s additionally a water bottle-sized 160 Wh vary extender out there, protecting complete system weight beneath 2.7 kg (6 lbs). That’s one of many lightest absolutely built-in e-bike techniques on the market.
Management comes by way of a hidden handlebar distant hidden beneath the handlebar tape, and a smooth end-cap LED show retains necessities in view with out disrupting aesthetics. This stripped-down interface reinforces TQ’s philosophy: get out of the rider’s method. Or as New Atlas humorously described it, “it’s nearly as if the corporate is daring riders to start out a contemporary spherical of mechanical doping scandals.”
TQ’s HPR40 isn’t only a fancy new drive system in a show sales space, it’s already constructed into the brand new Canyon Endurace:ONFly, a sub‑10 kg (22 lb) e-road bike that suggestions the scales at simply 9.9 kg. The Endurace:ONFly marries TQ’s whisper-soft help with Canyon’s aerodynamic finesse, providing riders a motorcycle that feels analog however rides electrical.
The HPR40’s excessive torque density means riders can double their pedaling output with a modest 200 W enhance. That interprets to higher climbs, longer rides, and a pure experience really feel, all with out the compromises of heavier techniques. Contemplating that many riders can put out round 200W of fixed energy by themselves, the impact is like having a tandem rider alongside serving to out, besides that he solely weighs 6 kilos.
The transfer exhibits that not each drive maker is merely chasing horsepower and torque figures. As an alternative, by merging elegant design, noticeable but pure energy, and light-weight weight, TQ is proving that electrical help doesn’t need to scream. It may possibly whisper.
Electrek’s Take
Right here’s the true story: the HPR40 isn’t only a technical footnote, it’s a sign. It exhibits that electrical bike engineering is transitioning from brute power towards a future that additionally contains invisible, intuitive energy techniques. For riders chasing the fragile line between analog really feel and electrical help, this can be a breakthrough.
And contemplating that many riders are reaching an age the place their thoughts desires to do the sort of rides that their physique would possibly not be able to, techniques like these can maintain these riders within the saddle for longer. That’s many extra years of protecting the nice occasions rolling (and protecting the physique younger by persevering with common train).
Now the query is whether or not different manufacturers will comply with swimsuit. Will we see this ultra-light motor trickle down into commuter e‑bikes or adventure-ready gravel rigs? If that’s the case, the day when an e‑bike feels precisely like a motorcycle, however provides you a bit of help if you want it most, simply obtained a lot nearer.
TQ is taking part in a protracted recreation: refined, sensible, and purpose-built. The HPR40 is merely the primary transfer, and if that is any indicator, the subsequent wave of e-bikes could really feel much less electrical and extra… old fashioned?
