Driven Technologies Inc has announced a new chapter in its story by exhibiting a new all-in-one e-bike drive system at Eurobike Frankfurt this week, named ‘Orbit Drive’.
You may remember seeing the wild-looking CeramicSpeed DrivEn drivetrain concept which first appeared back in 2018, winning an award at Eurobike that year. The DrivEn drivetrain featured a carbon fibre driveshaft and ceramic bearings to create a super low friction drivetrain.
After separating from CeramicSpeed in April 2021, the company became Driven Technologies Inc with Jason Smith, the inventor of Driven at the helm. The company then looked to raise money via equity crowdfunding to aid the development of the product itself and ultimately bring it to market.
It looks like Driven has made a bit of a lane change and has exhibited at Eurobike an all-in-one e-bike drive system. Named the Orbit Drive, Driven says its design has been inspired by hybrid cars and trucks, calling it a game changer for the e-bike segment.
So what exactly is the Orbit Drive? It’s a compact 4.6-kilo drive system that includes all the relevant gears, electronics, and a power delivery system to power the rear wheel via a driveshaft. Driven says e-bike manufacturers and fleet bike operators will appreciate the system because the all-in-one design means there is no need to spec a range of componentry to pull together an e-bike drivetrain package.
The Orbit Drive is claimed to bring the highest levels of efficiency, (a goal of the system from the beginning) additional battery range, a more pleasant riding experience and pretty much zero maintenance all in a bolt-on package for e-bike manufacturers.
Driven say planetary gearsets have been perfected by automotive brands like Toyota, Ford and Steallantis. Taking inspiration from this technology, and after stealth prototyping, Driven has chosen to use a variable speed ‘bevel differential configuration of planetary gears’ in the aptly named Orbit system. Driven claims this system allows for a seamless mesh of two rider inputs, these being the rider and the electric e-bike motor in delivery of power to the rear wheel.
The Orbit Drive itself is a ball-like mechanism, with…
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