The Basic Difference Between Alloy Wheel Hub Motor And Mid-drive

The Alloy Wheel Hub Motor is located in the hubs of the front or rear wheels. You will often find more rear hub motor electric bikes than front hub motors.

In-wheel motors work by applying torque to the wheels and working independently of the gears.

On the other hand, the mid-drive motor is located in the middle of the e-bike and is connected to the gear and pedal assembly. A mid-drive motor sends torque to your wheels through sprockets that work with your gears for more responsive power and acceleration.

Because the mid-drive motors work in tandem with your gears, they provide a more natural feel and greater efficiency when driving in the proper gear.

An important consideration is a weight and design. Since in-wheel motors are generally lighter in weight and located in the rear hub, it offers a range of other e-bike designs, such as folding or AWD e-bikes, that many mid-drive models shy away from.

Mid-drive motor setups are more difficult to design for folding e-bikes or have many customizable components given the weight. Fortunately, many electric fat tire bikes combine a hub motor with a mid-drive motor for better performance.

With that in mind, let's compare in-wheel motors to mid-drive e-bikes in terms of efficiency, ride quality, and maintenance.