German bicycle manufacturer Nicolai Bikes also showcased its new products at Eurobike 2024 in Frankfurt. However, there was also a surprise at the stand of the company from Mehle in Lower Saxony that had nothing to do with the bicycle brand. An ebike drive called Helius Drive was presented there. This promises excitement, if only because it is the brainchild of one of the most innovative minds in the German bicycle industry. Find out what else there is to say about the Helius Drive in this article.
1. Who founded Helius Drive?
2. Which drives are grouped under the Helius Drive brand?
3. Which ebikes suits a drive from Helius Drive?
4. What exactly is the Helius Wire Drive?
5. Which motors could be used on ebikes?
6. How many batteries does the Helius Drive offer?
7. What status has the drive system attained in the meantime?
8. Which use case could appear on the market first?
9. What strategy does Universal Transmissions pursue with Helius Drive?
10. Where will the Helius Drive drives be developed?
1. Who founded Helius Drive?
The mastermind and driving force behind Helius Drive is none other than Karlheinz, known as Kalle, Nicolai. Many of you may know him as the boss of Nicolai Bikes. Over the past 20 years, he has caused quite a stir on an international level with a number of daring approaches to frame construction. What fewer people may know: Nicolai also runs the business of Universal Transmissions. The company supplies parts for Bosch ebike drives, is the exclusive distributor of the Gates carbon belt in Europe and has been working on alternative drive concepts for bicycles since 2006. Helius Drive is the latest baby of Universal Transmissions, so to speak, and is completely independent of Nicolai Bikes.
Karlheinz ‘Kalle’ Nicolai, Managing Director at Universal Transmissions and initiator of Helius Drive
2. Which drives are grouped under the Helius Drive brand?
Basically, at Helius Drive, a single drive is created and many different ones at the same time. The manufacturer produces a complete electric drivetrain that can be used in a wide variety of light electric vehicles. It is based on a modular approach. Components such as motors, batteries, displays, inverters and other parts can be combined in various ways, ultimately resulting in completely individualised systems. The Wire Drive from Helius Drive plays a key role here. This is not a conventional primary mechanical drive. Instead, the energy generated when pedalling is transferred to a sensor-controlled generator and from there to the rear wheel. The system therefore does not use a chain or belt to transmit power.
At Eurobike 2024 in Frankfurt, Helius Drive presented not only motors but also its first displays.
3. Which ebikes suits a drive from Helius Drive?
Helius Drive actually gives pedelecs a wide berth if their electric assistance is limited to a speed of 25 km/h. The specification for the drive is: pedal-operated, single or double-track, assistance at more than 25 km/h, payload of at least 250 kilograms. Not all criteria have to be met. In Europe, this corresponds to the vehicle classes from L1e to L7e for light single and double-track electric vehicles. Details such as the maximum motor displacement and maximum speed are hidden behind the exact designation. For example, you only need a car driving licence for the L7e category.
Based on a modular concept, Helius Drive designs its drives for use on a wide variety of e-vehicles.
In terms of ebikes, speed pedelecs and larger, preferably three- or four-wheeled e-cargo bikes could therefore become interesting. Elmar Keinecke, Head of Marketing at Universal Transmissions, names the logistics sector, which specialises in last mile delivery, as a potential market for customers. Depending on the configuration, the drive is also recommended for electric mopeds, light electric scooters and light electric motorbikes for off-road use. He mentions motor outputs of between three and ten kilowatts with road approval up to 40 km/h or 45 km/h as relevant key figures.
4. What exactly is the Helius Wire Drive?
As already mentioned, the Wire Drive is at the centre of the drive system as imaginable on an speed pedelec and an e-cargo bike. The HW-1 has an electronic gearbox and automatic shifting. According to Elmar Keinecke, its transmission range extends to 1,000 per cent. As a reminder, the 3X3 gear hub with its 554 per cent was previously regarded as the benchmark in this respect. The efficiency is said to be an impressive 94 per cent.
Wire Drive primarily controls the drive by pedalling. The Wire Drive even recovers energy to a limited extent. However, this alone is not sufficient to accelerate a speed pedelec to 45 kilometres per hour. The energy is fed into the system and can, for example, ensure emergency running. The decisive factors here are the respective vehicle parameters and the rider’s performance.
Helius Wire Drive HW-1
By dispensing with sprockets, chains and belts, the Helius Drive is reminiscent of solutions such as the Mocci and the Rover 45. At least the former has already made it to series production.
5. Which motors could be used on ebikes?
We don’t have too much information about the motors at the moment. What is certain is that there are already two hub motors on the shelf that interested parties could install on suitable ebikes. One of these is the HM-1200-H. The manufacturer advertises this rear hub motor as an ultra-compact motor that is suitable for speed pedelecs. Its torque is only specified as ‘high’. Fortunately, Helius Drive provides more specific values for the performance of the HM-1200-H. This is said to be 1,200 watts in continuous operation. At its peak, the value can rise to 2,000 watts. A boost mode with 3,000 watts is also mentioned.
HM-1200-H hub motor for speed pedelecs
The second motor, the HM-3000-H, only starts at this mark. In fact, the 3,000 watts are supposed to be its continuous rated power. For short periods of time, even 7,000 watts and 8,000 watts are said to be achievable. This hub motor has its own gearbox inside. According to Helius Drive, this should again be able to generate a high torque.
HM-3000-H hub motor for e-cargo bikes
6. How many batteries does the Helius Drive offer?
E-vehicles such as mopeds or large, double-track e-cargo bikes require considerably more power than a pedelec over a comparable distance. It is therefore not surprising that the Helius Drive battery, labelled HB-36-2140-V, looks more like a small radiation-proof container than an ebike battery on the website. However, with an operating voltage of 36 volts, it also offers a massive 2,140 watt hours of capacity. Incidentally, Helius Drive didn’t want to tell us how this translates to the scales. 😊
The drive manufacturer intends to introduce further batteries with cell technology that is superior to that of this Helius Battery 10S in the near future.
Instead, we were informed that this battery is, to put it bluntly, already outdated. In recent months, development has made great progress. It is now possible to utilise a cell technology that has not yet been used in the bicycle industry. It would offer great advantages for speed pedelecs in particular. A new battery with the designation HB-44-1500 is to be presented at the Italian bicycle trade fair EICMA in November at the latest.
The battery cells are manufactured in Asia. Universal Transmissions is working with a partner who is the world market leader in the field of cell technology. The actual battery as a combination of cells, control unit, electronics and housing will then be produced in Europe.
7. What status has the drive system attained in the meantime?
Generally speaking, the drive system is still in its development phase. This applies to all potential combinations of the modular system. Individual variants have already been installed in vehicles and are being tested. Helius Drive would like to be able to supply the first complete systems in one to two years.
8. Which use case could appear on the market first?
According to Helius Drive, the best chance is that we will see an e-cargo bike of some kind with such an electric drive. This customer segment is currently developing very dynamically and is in great demand. After that, a fun-focussed two-wheeler could appear.
9. What strategy does Universal Transmissions pursue with Helius Drive?
The brand sees itself as a supplier that works closely with interested parties to bring the necessary creativity and flexibility to realise individual ideas. Elmar Keinecke describes the profile with the term ‘enabler’. Helius Drive wants to allow vehicle designers, for example, to focus on vehicle design. The company itself takes on all tasks relating to the actual technical development of a drive system and its certification.
10. Where will the Helius Drive drives be developed?
By its own statement, the manufacturer wants to realise the vast majority of its value chain in Europe. Within Germany, the tasks are currently spread across three locations. Development and testing are located in the Stuttgart/Karlsruhe area. In Mehle, at the Nicolai Bicycles site, an engineering team is working on the construction of prototypes. Logistics, in turn, is managed from Thuringia.
Pictures: Universal Transmissions GmbH
Helius Drive is really pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the e-mobility space!