In the summer, Bafang presented its most advanced rear wheel hub motor with integrated gear shift. Now, the ebike motor with the simple name Bafang H730 has received its first prestigious award, the German Design Award. An excellent opportunity to introduce you to the Chinese manufacturer’s new product in more detail.
1. Bafang H730: Hub with motor, gearbox and automatic shifting
2. Three gears for greater riding comfort
3. Urban ebikes and touring ebikes featuring Bafang H730 in the future?
4. German Design Award 2026 for ‘a model exemplary in this field’
1. Bafang H730: Hub with motor, gearbox and automatic shifting
Typical ebike motors supply the necessary power for the entire ebike system, including the battery, display, control units, sensors and everything else that requires electricity. However, some ebike motors can do more than that. This applies, for example, to motor-gearbox units such as the Pinion MGU, the Intradrive GD8, the Valeo Effigear Cyclee or the E2 Drives Owuru. They expand the mid-motor with an integrated gearbox.
The new Bafang H730 does something very similar – but on the rear wheel. It is a rear wheel hub motor with an integrated gear shift. This comprises three gear ratios and even changes gears automatically. The riding speed determines when the gears are shifted. In practice, the advantages of this fully enclosed automatic transmission are obvious. Firstly, the gearshift is completely enclosed by a housing, the rear wheel hub. This greatly reduces the amount of maintenance and care required. Secondly, there is no need for a separate gearshift system. This saves weight, facilitates integration into the ebike and ensures a minimalist design.
This technology is not entirely new at Bafang. The manufacturer calls it Gear Variable Transmission, or GVT for short. It launched its first motor with this system back in 2022. The H700 was later followed by the H710 and H720. However, all three models in the H700 series have only a 2-speed gearbox.
2. Three gears for greater riding comfort
The Bafang H730 builds on the experience gained with the H700 series and goes one step further. With the addition of a third gear, it increases the potential of the motor. The impetus for this appears to have come from feedback from ebike manufacturers and ebike riders. As well as the previous solution worked, the two gear ratios of 1.0 and 1.36 proved to be too high in hilly terrain. Bafang has therefore added a gear ratio of 0.76 to the H730. The manufacturer has adjusted the other ratios to 1.0 and 1.31. According to the manufacturer, it has reduced the step sizes between the three gears to promote the smoothest possible transition. It wants you to experience pedalling as naturally and continuously as possible.
The first gear requires the least effort. It is therefore ideal for starting off and tackling inclines. The second gear, with its medium gear ratio, could be the one you use to cover most of the distance on flat terrain. With the heaviest gear ratio, third gear is the best choice for riding at higher speeds and on slightly sloping terrain.
3. Urban ebikes and touring ebikes featuring Bafang H730 in the future?
As a rear wheel hub motor, the Bafang H730 naturally takes the attention of ebike manufacturers when they design urban ebikes or simpler touring ebikes. Bafang has tailored the system precisely for such applications. With a continuous output of 250 watts, the drive generates a maximum torque of 50 Newton metres. If this value refers to the torque actually measured at the rear wheel and not a theoretically determined equivalent to the torque of a mid-drive motor, it sounds like a lot of riding fun.
What we cannot yet assess at this stage is how the weight of the motor will affect the ebike and its handling. At 3.6 kilograms, it weighs around 1.5 kilograms more than a Mahle X35. However, the difference to other rear wheel hub motors from Bafang without integrated gears, such as the H305, is only around 500 grams. In all likelihood, an ebike with the H730 will not be among the lightest models. At the same time, not every manufacturer wants to set a new record with every model.
Which ebikes you actually encounter the motor on may depend even more on its installation dimensions. Bafang was able to limit the width of the hub to 148 millimetres. However, this already corresponds to the Boost standard for a rear wheel hub. This dimension is more typical for e-mountain bikes than for city ebikes. However, this is not a new situation for Bafang. The Bafang H710 measures the same. Only the Bafang H700 is ten millimetres slimmer. The Bafang H720, which is primarily intended for fat bikes, is even 175 millimetres wide. The manufacturer will therefore have done enough market research to find a niche for the H730 that is large enough to make money.
Bafang H730 at a glance
- Nominal rated power: 250 W
- Operating voltage: 36 V
- Assistance up to: 25 km/h
- Torque: maximum 50 Nm
- Compatible wheel sizes: 20‘‘ / 26‘‘ / 700C / 28‘‘
- Weight: 3.6 kg
4. German Design Award 2026 for ‘a model exemplary in this field’
The jury of the German Design Award 2026 definitely considers the rear wheel hub motor with integrated gearbox as a solution for the future. In its reasoning for the award, it praises the ‘clear, low-maintenance construction and consistent integration of technology’. The ‘elegant combination of comfort and functionality’ makes ‘this product exemplary for outstanding technical design in this field’.
Pictures: Bafang Electric Co., Ltd.