What can be said about a drive system which, firstly, hardly anyone has ridden yet and, secondly, hasn’t even been officially unveiled? Quite a lot, apparently. With its version of an integrated motor and gearbox unit as a drive system for ebikes – the X-Series – Gobao has been a constant feature in the media ever since Eurobike 2026. No wonder. After all, Avinox presented a solution that is almost identical in concept with its MG Concept at the trade fair in Frankfurt am Main. Not least for this reason, such motor-gearbox units seem to be all the rage at the moment. And Gobao is further fuelling this hype with the expectations the X-Series is generating.
1. Motor-gearbox units for ebikes: one of the defining trends of 2026
2. Design of the Gobao X-series drive units
3. Gobao X1 and Gobao X1P: one principle, two versions
4. Assistance levels and riding modes of the two systems
5. What’s it like to ride an ebike with the Gobao X-series?
6. On the path to series production
7. Top-of-the-range batteries and a great app are ready to go
8. Wide range of applications conceivable for the Gobao X1 and Gobao X1P
9. How much does an ebike with X-Series drive units cost?
10. Launch possible as early as 2027
11. Gobao: With a wealth of experience, stepping more firmly into the spotlight
1. Motor-gearbox units for ebikes: one of the defining trends of 2026
Why are so many manufacturers, both large and small, currently working on an e-drive that combines the motor and gearbox in a single housing? Well, because such a system offers numerous advantages. Essentially, these can be broken down to four points:
- The weight of the motor and gearbox is positioned close to the bottom bracket. This is the most advantageous location for the ebike as a whole – as central and as low as possible. Combined with a battery integrated into the down tube, this results in near-optimal weight distribution.
- The traditional derailleur or hub gear system can be dispensed with entirely. This significantly reduces the mass acting on the suspension system of the rear triangle. With less weight, it can operate much more responsively and is subjected to lower stresses over time.
- What is no longer needed cannot break, nor does it require maintenance or replacement. You no longer need to worry about the gear system here.
- If the motor and gearbox are housed together in a single casing, they are optimally protected against both climatic and mechanical influences, as well as against the threats posed by dirt, dust or road salt from the road surface throughout the year. Ideally, the entire system will run reliably for thousands of kilometres with virtually no maintenance. Presumably until the belt or chain needs replacing. Nothing more.
2. Design of the Gobao X-series drive units
The Gobao X-Series comprises a motor, the gearbox, i.e. the gear system, various sensors and software. The software is based on the corresponding algorithms. Ultimately, it is through these algorithms that the manufacturer translates its vision of how the ebike system should perform into digital language. Gobao refers to its drive system as a electrical stepless continuously variable transmission’ or ECVT, for short.
Manufacturers do not usually reveal much more than such general information about the precise design of their developments. Of course, some secrets are simply meant to remain so. Alex Boyce, alias Alex Bike Tester, apparently managed to find out a little more about the inner workings. In a video about the Gobao X series on his Youtube channel, he mentions two motors at work. The first motor rotates almost exclusively in one direction, whilst the second motor can rotate in both that direction and the opposite direction. Which motor rotates in which direction at any given time depends on the gear ratio required at that moment.
According to Simon Aldebert, a developer at the Swiss company Radiate Engineering and Design who worked on the Gobao concept bike showcased at Eurobike, the first motor generates the power required for the ebike to start moving and accelerate. It is connected directly to the crank and the chainring – or to the large belt sprocket, if the ebike uses a belt drive. The second motor is primarily controlled by the rider’s torque and cadence. It drives the actual gearbox but also contributes to the system’s overall power output. The coordination between motors one and two is managed by software.
3. Gobao X1 and Gobao X1P: one principle, two versions
In Frankfurt am Main, Gobao exhibited two models from the X Series. This corresponds to what the manufacturer is currently showing on its website. According to this, the company will likely produce at least two versions of the electric drive and offer them to ebike brands for integration. The Gobao X1 is intended primarily for use in urban ebikes and trekking ebikes. In contrast, the Gobao X1P is primarily intended for use in e-mountain bikes and e-cargo bikes. Both versions weigh around 3.85 kilograms, appear to use the same housing, and are suitable for use in both pedelecs and speed pedelecs. Consequently, their assistance can either cut out at a speed of 25 kilometres per hour or only at 45 kilometres per hour.
Specialists for different types of ebikes
In terms of performance, there are differences between the X1 and the X1P. Even the ‘weaker’ Gobao X1 boasts figures that exceed what Gobao’s own most powerful mid-drive motor, the P120, an Avinox M2 or a Bosch Performance Line CX can deliver. Given a torque of 120 Newton-metres and a peak power output of 1,200 watts, one might well ask: Which city ebikes really need that much power? The 600 per cent maximum assistance and the 400 per cent gearing range seem more appropriate in this context.
Technical details of the Gobao X1 drive unit
- Rated continuous power: 250 W
- Maximum power: 1,200 W
- Torque: 120 Nm
- Maximum assistance: 600 %
- Gearing range: 400 %
- Number of gears: variable
- Weight: 3.85 kg
As expected, the Gobao X1P takes it up a notch. At present, only the Avinox M2S really comes close to its maximum torque of 150 Newton metres and peak power of 1,500 watts. The same applies to the maximum assistance of 800 per cent. The X1P’s gear ratio spans a range of 500 per cent. The improvement compared to the X1 lies in the low-gear range. Here, the X1P can achieve a ratio of 1:0.8, whilst the lowest gear ratio on the X1 is 1:1. In their respective ‘highest’ gears, both achieve a gear ratio of 1:4. This is roughly on a par with other high-quality gear systems. For example, a mountain bike cassette can nowadays offer a gearing range of 520 per cent. A Pinion MGU with twelve gears even achieves 600 per cent.
Technical specifications of the Gobao X1P drive unit
- Rated continuous power: 250 W
- Maximum power: 1,500 W
- Torque: 150 Nm
- Maximum assistance: 800 %
- Gearing range: 500 %
- Number of gears: variable
- Weight: 3.85 kg
4. Assistance levels and riding modes of the two systems
Normally, terms such as ‘assistance levels’ and ‘riding modes’ can be used interchangeably when describing an ebike system. With Gobao’s X Series, however, it is advisable to keep the two distinct. The system offers so many options when it comes to how you want to ride with this drive system that it’s easy to lose track.
Fortunately, Gobao makes things easier for us by distributing the options across different buttons. Incidentally, these are very reminiscent of Srams’s AXS Pods. Gobao calls its own solution ‘Remote Pads’. It seems that there will always be two of these fitted to the handlebars – one on the left and one on the right. Let’s start with the simpler one. On the left-hand Remote Pad, you can select classic assistance levels, just as you’ve been used to since the early days of ebikes. With its demonstration models, Gobao generally seems to have used three levels. Depending on whether the bike was a trekking ebike or an e-mountain bike, these were Eco, Tour and Turbo, or Eco, Trail and Turbo respectively. A ‘Boost’ level, available for a few seconds, could be added later.
Riding modes replace the gear system
The right-hand Remote Pad is used to select riding modes. Behind the three modes on offer lie three very different approaches to gear shifting:
- Target RPM: The gear system is based exclusively on cadence. You can enter your desired cadence directly into the ebike’s system. The selection is made in increments of five. After that, you ride at a constant cadence.
- Manual Gear: The stepless transmission simulates manual gear-changing. You can decide for yourself how many gears this spans. A maximum of twelve gears is apparently possible. You change these yourself using the button, just as you would with a conventional electric gear-shifter.
- Auto Gear: As with the manual setting, the same number of gears is defined here. However, the drive system changes them automatically. As the gears change, the cadence changes at the same time. So you’ll find yourself pedalling faster at times and slower at others. The mode utilises artificial intelligence and analyses, for example, the rider’s own effort as well as the route profile.
We’ve taken a look at a few of the scarce ride videos available for Gobao’s X-Series. A few astonishing details can be gleaned from these. For instance, in Manual Gear mode, the system can reportedly shift from gear 1 to gear 12 within 0.3 seconds. That would mean you could, from a standing start, reach a speed of 25 kilometres per hour in perhaps just one second – at which point the pedal-assist on the e-bike would then switch off again. Testers unanimously report that the gear change was taking place without any delay whatsoever.
One review of the Auto Gear described an almost eerie sensation, as whilst you could feel a change, you remained unsure whether it was the gear ratio or the assistance level that was changing.
5. What’s it like to ride an ebike with the Gobao X-series?
Everyone who has had a chance to take the system for a few spins so far has been enthusiastic. It should be noted, however, that we were unable to find anyone who had tested an ebike with the X-Series under real-world conditions for an extended period, either on public roads or off-road. This understandably limits the validity of the statements to some extent.
The overall first impression is certainly a positive one. The absence of any gear-shifting components gives the ride a unique, smooth feel. No clicking or sharp snapping when changing gears. No sound of a chain moving up and down the cassette. But there are also differences compared to other motor-gear units for ebikes. For instance, Gobao’s solution – which relies much more heavily on electronics – feels different from a Pinion MGU with its gears and numerous other high-quality mechanical parts.
Fine-tuning
At the same time, not everything was running perfectly yet. Alex Boyce describes a slightly squish feeling as soon as you apply greater force to the pedal and focus on the moment when the force is transferred from your body to the pedal. Gobao calls this slippage.
According to the manufacturer, this phenomenon occurs because, firstly, the pedalling motion works against the magnetic field generated by the two motors inside the drive unit and, secondly, the software takes a certain amount of time to implement the algorithm’s requirements when tuning the motors. This results in a minimal delay. Presumably, however, we’re talking about a nuance that only the most discerning experts notice and which 95 per cent of all other riders – ourselves included – probably don’t pick up on. Perhaps it’s even 98 per cent. 😉
Boyce describes the responsiveness as not quite as crisp as that of a Bosch Performance Line CX-R. Nevertheless, it was already performing at a surprisingly high level. He thought he detected a difference depending on the selected assistance level. At the highest level, the Gobao X series was hardly any worse than a Bosch motor. In the more moderate riding modes, however, a certain difference was noticeable.
6. On the path to series production
However, what sounds like room for improvement in the ride behaviour merely reflects the state of affairs as of June 2026. The prototypes available to ride at Eurobike were preliminary versions. Gobao confirmed at the trade fair that neither the X1 nor the X1P had yet been fully developed. Particularly with regard to the software and algorithms designed to ensure a good riding experience, there was still work ahead for the developers. On the path to 100 per cent, they had currently reached around 60 per cent.
7. Top-of-the-range batteries and a great app are ready to go
Gobao may not be as well known as Avinox. However, its ebike system offers a level of sophistication that is every bit as impressive. It even includes one or two unique selling points. Gobao’s batteries certainly count amongst these. As intube batteries, they can be integrated into the down tube with capacities of 500 watt-hours, 750 watt-hours and 900 watt-hours. So far, so familiar. Were it not for their fast-charging function, which is currently unique on the market. It allows the largest battery to be charged from zero per cent to 80 per cent within 30 minutes. That’s 720 watt-hours in 30 minutes! With the smallest battery, 80 per cent is reached after just 24 minutes. And if the battery still has 20 per cent of its capacity left, it takes just twelve minutes to reach the 80 per cent mark.
Gobao can charge this incredibly quickly because the accompanying charger is capable of delivering a charging current of 30 amps. To ensure nothing goes wrong, it even features its own fan. If you have more time to charge, you can also reduce the charging current on the device itself.
The batteries do not appear to have any specific features worth noting. They are standard lithium-ion batteries. However, according to Gobao, the company has solved a very important problem. Such batteries have always been able to discharge quite quickly – you may well have noticed this yourself on one trip or another. When it came to charging, however, there was always a limitation. The manufacturer has been working on this. However, it is keeping the exact nature of its secret to itself. We can only speculate as to whether, and if so to what extent, fast charging causes the battery cells to age more quickly. We suspect that Gobao cannot completely override the laws of physics and chemistry. Only independent long-term tests will reveal just how significant this effect is.
Gobao BT900FS at a glance
- Capacity: 900 watt hours
- Weight: 3.7 kilograms
- Dimensions: 425 mm x 71.6 mm x 71.6 mm
Gobao BT750FS at a glance
- Capacity: 750 watt hours
- Weight: 3.6 kilograms
- Dimensions: 425 mm x 71.6 mm x 71.6 mm
Gobao BT500ES at a glance
- Capacity: 500 watt hours
- Weight: 2.6 kilograms
- Dimensions: 425 mm x 71.6 mm x 50 mm
Familiar design elements in operation and the app
We’ve already briefly touched upon the operation of the X-Series in the section on riding modes. Gobao relies on a system with two wireless electric buttons installed on the left and right of the handlebars. The concept is complemented by two displays – one for integration into the top tube and one for mounting on the handlebars. Both can be operated via a touchscreen. Once again, we’re strongly reminded of Avinox’s solutions.
As for the app, all we can say is that it offers virtually everything you could currently wish for in this regard. As expected, the manufacturer places great emphasis on seamless connectivity. On your smartphone, you can see all the key information about the ebike itself and your rides. You can personalise the motor settings, use a dedicated navigation system, lock and unlock the ebike via your smartphone, protect the battery against theft, set up an anti-theft alarm for the ebike and, of course, use geofencing to define an area within which the ebike is permitted to be ridden. It is not yet clear whether some of these features will incur a charge.
8. Wide range of applications conceivable for the Gobao X1 and Gobao X1P
However sophisticated a system such as a motor-gearbox unit for ebikes – or, more specifically, an electric stepless continuously variable transmission (eCVT) – may be, it is highly unlikely to become the sole drive system in the future. One reason for this, for example, is the weight of the Gobao X-Series, which is just under four kilograms. For very lightweight ebikes such as a light e-MTB, an e-road bike, an e-gravel bike, or even a sporty urban ebike, this is simply too much.
For full-suspension commuter bikes, e-cargo bikes, ebike fleets operated by rental companies, and a large proportion of city ebikes, however, it appears to be a promising solution. Of course, the same applies to e-mountain bikes, where less emphasis is placed on riding uphill as quickly as possible and the focus is more on downhill riding.
If we make a very rough estimate, drives such as the Gobao X1 and the Gobao X1P could potentially be suitable for 40 per cent to 80 per cent of all ebikes. For models falling below or above this range, there are – and will continue to be – more specifically tailored solutions.
9. How much does an ebike with X-Series drive units cost?
Despite all the details already known about the Gobao X1 and the Gobao X1P, the question of the units’ price remains a major unknown for us. Alex Boyce mentions a figure of 6,000 euros, without elaborating on how he arrived at this estimate. Additionally, he quotes an anonymous source who reportedly confirmed to him that this system would cost an ebike manufacturer up to 30 per cent less than what they pay for a comparable mid-drive motor with gears. Could the final price of ebikes actually fall And if not immediately, how soon? Or will ebike manufacturers – in reality, probably in collaboration with Gobao – prefer to secure the highest possible profit margins right from the start? A reliable answer to this may only come with the first ebikes featuring the X-series. Whatever price is set at that point is likely to fall over time and as market penetration increases.
10. Launch possible as early as 2027
Velomotion’s editor Michael Faiß is already expecting big things as early as 2027. Alongside the official launch of the production-ready system, he anticipates that several ebikes from different manufacturers will be unveiled that year. Given the development timescales typical of Chinese technology companies and the state of development seen at this year’s Eurobike, this assessment seems quite plausible.
11. Gobao: With a wealth of experience, stepping more firmly into the spotlight
Well, first of all, Gobao isn’t actually called Gobao. The correct company name is Guangdong Gobao Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. Gobao is shorter and easier to remember. 😉Based in Dongguan in southern China, the company has further sites in China, Indonesia, Singapore and Germany. A new factory is currently being built in Vietnam.
Gobao has its roots in the automotive sector and boasts more than 20 years’ experience in e-mobility. The manufacturer initially focused its business on the production of drive systems and sensors for e-scooters. For several years now, it has also been developing and manufacturing ebike systems. Until not too long ago, this was done as an OEM. This means that Gobao developed and manufactured drive systems whose casings ultimately bore the client’s brand name. The company is now taking a more proactive approach under its own name. Gobao’s ebike systems can be found in models from Hepha, Aventon, Tarran and others. This brings together a wealth of sound engineering expertise.
Pictures: Guangdong Gobao Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd