SRAM Patents Compact Motor and Battery Unit

Component maker SRAM has applied for a patent for a new compact motor and battery unit that would present a different approach to e-bike design. The design would use a mid-drive motor and considering the number of cells held in the casing (29 in the illustration above), it is likely to be a relatively low-wattage motor.

There are several features of this design that are notable. First is the fact that the entire motor is concentric with the bottom bracket spindle, making it one of the most compact designs we’ve seen.

By housing the battery cells in the drive unit, SRAM is able to help keep the center of gravity as low as possible. The battery unit is intended to be removable and will be charged either with a DC charger or by a USB-C cable.