Mahle, the German brand renowned for its hub motors, has entered the mid-drive motor market. The M40 comes with some pretty impressive specs, with 105Nm of maximum torque and 850W peak power - something that rivals the recent offerings from Bosch, Specialized and almost DJI.
The new motor also signifies Mahle's intent to wrangle its way into the electric mountain biking segment - something the old X systems failed to do.
The M40 drive system
According to Mahle, the new M40 weighs a claimed 2.5kg (the same as the XS system launched last year) and comes with newly developed batteries, display and controllers. But, Mahle does say it will remain compatible with other accessories from the existing Mahle ecosystem.
The introduction of the M series doesn't mean Mahle is forgetting about the hub motor fans, instead, the M series will expand alongside the X series.
Mahle says the M40 has been specifically designed with the needs of electric mountain bikers and trekkers in mind, offering what the brand says is a "powerful but natural riding experience" with assistance that "adapts to every riding situation."
That being said, the brand is not ruling out urban use - although one might argue that a motor this powerful could be deemed a little too much for many urban riders.
And by powerful, we mean it's a motor system that's rivalling the top mid-drives already on the market. The Bosch CX (with the power update due in July), the Specialized 3.1, and of course, DJI's Avinox system.
With 105Nm of torque and a peak power of 850 watts, the motor delivers a support ratio of up to 400%.
> Torque it up: What is the maximum peak power from a 250W e-bike motor?
System tech and features
The system is compatible with the ETOR crank standard, which to you and me means you probably won't find a new set of cranks that don't fit. Alongside this, the motor is decoupled from the frame of the bike in an effort to reduce vibrations into the frame.
Mahle says the M40 comes with the "most advanced sensors on the market" which the brand claims helps the software to provide smooth and progressive motor response. Interestingly, it is also claimed the system can recognise changes in speed over distances less than 3cm, which is comparable to the DJI Avinox.
Alongside the tech, the system comes with two "advanced driving control functions", or features, to you and me.
These are hill braking, which works the same way as it does in your car and uses an 'auto hold' function to help you set off on something steep, and motor dynamic overrun, which Mahle says reduces the braking effect of the motor, thus encouraging a smoother overrun after pedalling.
Batteries and accessories
There are two batteries in the M range, the 534Wh iM5 and the 800Wh iM8, which Mahle claims offers up to 150km of riding, or 2,500 metres of climbing.
There are also two new accessories being presented within the M40 system: a trio remote, and a head unit+. The trio remote mounts to the handlebars and does what you'd suspect it does, it remotely operates the motor system.
The head unit+ is a 1.9in colour screen display and can be mounted in a few places, including in the top tube (if your bike has the right spot for it).
So what bikes can we expect to see with the M40 system? Let's be honest, if you're a bike manufacturer making electric mountain bikes, you're probably looking at Avinox or Bosch, right? But a quick peak on the Mahle website suggests a few brands are taking their chances with the M40, including the Labrynth E-Agile, the Abums E-001 and the Titan Racing Reaper.
While they're not particularly big names (in the UK at least), it does show that interest has been piqued by some eMTB brands and maybe this will encourage manufacturers who already use the Mahle hub systems to dive into the MTB market. Or maybe it won't, only time will tell.
