Update from 9th June 2026
Some things just take longer than expected. It seems there was a hold-up somewhere at Yamaha Motor eBike Systems regarding the firmware update for the Qore Drive3 Peak and Qore Drive3 motors. Having already announced the power boost for these motors back in summer 2025, it looks like it’s finally becoming a reality. All current ebikes from manufacturers Waldbike and Campus equipped with a Qore drive will receive the free performance boost via an over-the-air update.
Those of you buying a compatible ebike manufactured after 1 June 2026 have something to look forward to. The motors in these models already come with the performance upgrade as standard.
For the first time, wireless transmission technology is being used in the Qore drive app for the update. As with other competitors, the update can be conveniently installed at home from a smartphone with just a few clicks. Yamaha Motor eBike Systems plans to rely consistently on this technology in future. “With over-the-air updates, the Qore system instantly becomes much more user-friendly. This enables us to provide all conceivable updates – such as new features, security updates or bug fixes – as downloads via our app,” says Lionel Sternberg, Product Manager for Software Architecture at Yamaha. “This not only extends the lifespan and reliability of our products, but also enables us to respond quickly to the needs of ebike riders. Last but not least, Qore users save money and time thanks to over-the-air updates, as many visits to the dealer will no longer be necessary in future.”
Original post from 9th September 2025
Just a few weeks ago, Yamaha received final approval to acquire Brose’s ebike division. To our knowledge, not a single ebike featuring Yamaha’s new Qore Drive has been officially unveiled or is already available. Nevertheless, Yamaha is now announcing its first update for Qore. Both the Qore Drive3 Peak and the Qore Drive3 Power are expected to generate more power than previously known from the systems.
More power, but for which Qore ebikes?
More power for ebike systems already on the market via software update – DJI and Bosch have already attracted a lot of attention this year with this model. Yamaha probably wants to be on par with the competition with Qore when it launches its first ebikes. At least, that could be one interpretation of the manufacturer’s latest announcement. The only difference is that hardly anyone has ridden a “real” ebike with one of the Qore drives yet. When selected bicycle magazines were able to test the Qore Drive3 Peak, for example, this was usually done on a model originally developed for this purpose that will never actually be mass-produced by an ebike manufacturer.
Therefore, we don’t have much more to go on at the moment than to quote the bare figures. And these sound quite impressive, after all. For the Qore Drive3 Peak, the peak power output increases from 600 watts to 800 watts. This corresponds to an increase of around 33 percent. At the same time, the motor adds an additional ten Newton meters to the torque compared to the previously communicated value and now reaches 105 Newton meters – an increase of just over ten percent. The support is also on the rise. It has increased from 420 percent to 600 percent. Based on the figures alone, Yamaha’s Qore Drive3 Peak outperforms Bosch’s Performance Line CX, even after its update in May 2025. However, the system does not quite match DJI’s Avinox.
Qore Drive3 Peak motor at a glance
- Operating voltage: 48 V
- Continuous rated power: 250 W
- Peak power: 800 W
- Assistance up to: 25 km/h
- Torque: 105 Nm
- Maximum assistance: 600 %
- Weight: 2.9 kg
- Axle width: 136 mm
Update for Yamaha’s entire current Qore portfolio
While we have already seen the Qore Drive3 Peak integrated into a test bike and are familiar with pictures of the motor, the Qore Drive3 Power is still largely unknown to us at this point. In any case, the unit is a step down from the Qore Drive3 Peak in Yamaha’s lineup. It could be used in entry-level e-mountain bikes, trekking ebikes, and touring ebikes. Especially since Yamaha identifies this system as one that is suitable for combination with hub gears.
The Qore Drive3 Power achieves a maximum output of 700 watts. Both the torque of 90 Newton meters and the maximum assistance of 410 percent are only slightly below the level originally announced for the Qore Drive3 Peak. Overall, it is also a very powerful motor. Three or four years ago, we would have talked about it as a drive for professional sports.
Qore Drive3 Power motor at a glance
- Operating voltage: 48 V
- Continuous rated power: 250 W
- Peak power: 700 W
- Assistance up to: 25 km/h
- Torque: 90 Nm
- Maximum assistance: 410 %
- Weight: 2.9 kg
- Axle width: 136 mm
In practice, not every ebike manufacturer will probably deliver both motors with the power set to the maximum. You should then have the option of increasing the values accordingly in the respective app.
Implementation planned for the end of 2025
Without going into more detail, Yamaha cites the end of 2025 as the date on which the update is to take effect. However, according to our information, Waldbike and Campus will already be offering the first models with the Qore drive for sale in late fall 2025. If these are still delivered with the “old” performance, the free update will ensure that no one is disadvantaged in the end and that everyone can enjoy the same level of performance. All motors produced from 2026 onwards should then have the specified performance data installed ex-works.
Pictures: BAT GmbH