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Motor - General

Drive concepts

There are basically three different drive concepts with different advantages and disadvantages: Front-wheel, mid-wheel and rear-wheel motors. An overview of the different drive concepts can be found on the page Special-E.de.

If you would also like to take a look at the mid-engines, you can read the article The big e-bike motor comparison - 13 e-MTB motors in the test from September 2023.

Stromer

Stromer uses 'brushless DC motors', or brushless DC motors (BLDC). BLDC is a marketing term for Three-phase machineswhich draw the AC voltage required for their operation from an electronic circuit that is connected to DC voltage is supplied. In contrast to a simple Direct current machine with carbon brushes is a Three-phase synchronous machine with excitement through Permanent magnets. The three-phase winding is controlled by a suitable circuit in such a way that it generates a traveling magnetic field which pulls the permanently excited rotor along. The control behavior is largely similar to a DC shunt-wound machine.

Sensors

Hall sensors: As shown in the diagram above, position sensors, so-called Hall sensors, are required to control the BLCD motor. There are three of them with the following tasks:

  • Feedback: The Hall sensors provide feedback to the controller, which enables precise control and regulation of the motor.
  • Position detection: Hall sensors detect the position of the rotor in the motor based on the magnetic field generated by the rotor.
  • Commutation: The information provided by the Hall sensors is used by the controller to activate the correct windings of the stator. Activating the correct windings generates a magnetic field that causes the rotor to turn.
  • Speed detection: The Hall sensors can also be used to determine the speed of the motor by counting the number of Hall signals per time period.

Temperature sensor: A thermistor is used to protect the motor from overheating. A thermistor (short for Thermal resistor) is a temperature-dependent electrical resistance whose resistance value changes greatly depending on the temperature. There are two types:

  1. NTC thermistor (Negative Temperature Coefficient): The resistance decreases as the temperature rises.
  2. PTC thermistor (Positive Temperature Coefficient): The resistance increases as the temperature rises.

Stromer uses an NTC thermistor. The protective function of the motor is activated at approx. 135-140 °C. The power is first reduced and support is stopped at 150 °C until the temperature value has fallen below the critical threshold again.

Components used:

  • Hall sensor: Honeywell SS461R
  • Thermistor: NTC, 10 kΩ (25 °C and Beta value ~3500) - 15 kΩ
  • MOSFET (power semiconductor) on the controller:
    For example ST1x, ASI controller:
    10 pieces 1290 BV6319 | 2 pieces 1290 BV6U11

    A possible replacement is an IRFB4110, for example:
    - N-Channel FET
    - VDSS of 100V (min. 80 V)
    - RDS on, as low as possible <10 mΩ
    - Diode over DS
    - I max. >100A
    - Housing TO220

The controllers are heavy, the newer ASI models are no longer repairable as the power electronics are potted.

Defects

See PROBLEMS - MOTOR - 'Repairs' ...and other topics

Updated on July 18, 2025
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