Chinese drone manufacturer DJI enters the e-bike business

The centrepiece of DJI's "Avinox Drive System" is the drive unit, which delivers a torque of 105 Newton metres at a weight of 2.52 kilograms. The new drive for e-mountain bikes was presented to the public at the Eurobike in Frankfurt, which ended on Sunday, 7 July.

According to Forrest Zhang from DJI, the expertise in battery and motor technology that the company has built up through drones and camera stabilisation systems led to the development of the "Avinox Drive System". For DJI, expanding into this industry was a natural step "as we have perfectly mastered the technologies that are essential for e-bike systems - reliable motor development, battery management and mechanical design", Zhang continued.

Range and fast charging

According to Zhang, the "Avinox Drive System" has a smart assist algorithm from DJI that automatically and continuously makes adjustments to the driving assistance based on the driving resistance. You can also choose between four standard driving assistance modes - Auto, Eco, Trail and Turbo - or activate Boost mode to achieve an additional increase in performance if required. In boost mode, the drive unit even delivers a torque of up to 120 Newton metres at 1000 watts, according to Zhang.

A 2-inch colour OLED display serves as the system's interactive interface. This offers two battery options with a choice of 600 or 800 watt hours, which enables a long range. The batteries weigh 2.8 and 3.7 kilograms respectively. According to Forrest Zhang, the 800 Wh battery, for example, can be charged from 0 to 75 per cent in just 1.5 hours thanks to fast-charging technology.

Amflow PL: the first e-mountain bike with DJI "Avinox Drive System"

DJI is also launching a new e-MTB brand with Amflow and is bringing the "Amflow PL", the first fully equipped with the new system, onto the market. According to Forrest Zhang, the carbon-framed bike should weigh 19.2 kilograms and can be fitted with either 27.5 or 29-inch wheels. Unfortunately, it was not possible to test ride the new bike at the time of my visit to DJI.