There’s something special about the number “100,” like it’s a magic barrier between “some” and “a lot.” Triple digits. For the last year or so, the e-bike world has been awed by new drive units that have surpassed 100Nm of torque, principally DJI’s Avinox. Now, the biggest player in e-MTB is powering up: Bosch is announcing a raft of new technology for 2026, and the headline is an upgrade to 100Nm of torque for both existing Performance Line CX drive units and its new CX-R motor, as well as a boost to 750w of maximum assistance.
But it’s not just about raw torque and wattage numbers. Along with the power upgrades, Bosch has a new Kiox 400C display, a new eMTB+ mode, and better auto shifting functionality to boot.
The “R” Is (Basically) For Race: CX-R Motor
OK, let’s get this out of the way first. Here are the key specs for the new Performance Line CX-R drive unit:
- Torque: 100Nm
- Peak power: 750w
- Peak pedal assist: 400%
In addition to these impressive specs, the CX-R motor has an exclusive Race mode, not unlike the limited-edition Performance Line CX Race motor that came out in 2023. This mode offers linear power delivery, immediate response to pedal input, and maximum power over-run for that extra oomph after you stop pedaling. I haven’t ridden a CX-R yet, but I have a hunch this Race mode will feel like that of the CX Race; both have the same 400% peak pedal assist. Although with an extra 15 apples under the hood (you know, like Sir Isaac Newton?), CX-R should hit harder on short power moves like steep uphills or standing starts.
People of taste will also notice that the CX-R has some fancty trimmings, like a titanium crankshaft, a magnesium housing, and ceramic bearings. This brings the drive unit’s weight down to 5lbs, 100g less than the Performance Line CX drive unit.
The Performance Line CX-R will start to appear on bikes in fall 2025.
Watts For All: Performance Line CX Upgrade
Now, if you already have an e-bike with a Gen. 5 Performance Line CX drive unit, you can do a software upgrade (after July 2025), and your motor output will be … Hold on … Is that right? It will be the same as the Performance Line CX-R drive units (minus the Race mode). Considering how many bikes are produced with Bosch’s bread-and-butter drive unit, this is a pretty sweet upgrade. To be clear, this only applies to the latest CX motor, released in September 2025.
While this feels like exciting news, Bosch seems to be almost grudgingly increasing power on its CX drive units. Company reps believe that e-MTB motors should not go beyond the 100Nm/750w threshold for fear of trail access issues. They also maintain that the 85Nm/600w configuration of a stock CX drive unit is optimal, and as such, those units will continue to ship at stock specs, requiring riders to choose to update to 100Nm/750w limits on their own.
Bosch’s cautious approach to this power upgrade is a contrast to drive unit manufacturers who are shooting for the moon.
On a more practical note, drive unit and drivetrain wear might be accelerated when a Performance Line CX is upgraded to this higher power output. And lastly, filed under the heading of “obviously,” maxing out a motor’s torque and peak power will reduce battery range. As always, riders can use the Bosch Flow app to dial power up and down for each assist mode to tune their drive units, no matter if they have the upgrade or not.
Now, I’m not deep enough in the industry to know all the ins and outs, but there is an interesting debate brewing about how much power is too much power. Bosch’s cautious approach to this power upgrade is a contrast to drive unit manufacturers who are shooting for the moon. The DJI Avinox hits a peak output of 1,000w and the new Specialized Turbo 3.2 motor can be toggled into a Class 3 mode, for example. For a deep dive on this, I’d strongly suggest this exhaustive article written by Rob Hancill (a.k.a. @RobRidesEMTB).
New eMTB+ Mode
Along with the power and torque updates, the updated Bosch software gives drive units a new assist mode called eMTB+. Like the existing eMTB mode, eMTB+ is dynamic and delivers power on a progressive curve (unlike the linear Race mode mentioned earlier). The “+” indicates that this mode offers a slightly steeper power curve than the non-positively designated eMTB of yesteryear. Sounds trivial, but I think it will be a nice do-it-all mode.
In fact, on the CX drive unit on my Moterra test rig, I manually adjusted eMTB to hit just a little harder, rarely requiring a click into Turbo mode. With eMTB+, you get that range and versatility out of the box (figuratively speaking).
How I Like It: New Kiox 400C Display
I have always preferred integrated displays that are neatly tucked into the top tube. Keep it out of harm’s way, and don’t clutter my handlebars, please. This new Kiox 400C grants my every wish with a high-contrast color display that shows all of the information that I’ve come to expect from a Bosch Kiox dash without being obtrusive on my bars.
Also of note, this new Kiox has some automatic features, like automatically toggling different data screens depending on whether you’re climbing or descending. Clever? Yes. Over-complicated? Maybe? It also has a USB-C charging port for smartphones and the like. This is the type of feature you often see on motorcycles, and could potentially come in handy. However, I’d need to give some thought to cord management and phone stowage if I was going to charge up on an actual mountain bike ride. Given how prolific Bosch’s drive units are, this could be a more relevant feature for a commuter bike with a CX motor, of which there are many.
Increasing Shifting Integration With M+
Finally for bikes with TRP’s electronic shifting, the new Bosch 2026 update allows for shift-while-coasting functionality. This brings the rarely seen (speaking for myself) TRP drivetrain up to speed with offerings from Shimano and SRAM, which both cleanly integrate with drive units to auto-shift. Bosch will rely on its suite of sensors to gauge speed, acceleration, and deceleration.
Having ridden this type of auto-shifting functionality on a Shimano bike, I think we’ll eventually see every e-bike shift on its own. For one, these systems are smart enough to rarely make the wrong shift. Also, going back to concerns about drivetrain wear with more powerful motors, autoshifting should do a better job of protecting the chain and derailleur from mis-timed shifts that put undue strain on the parts. And anyway, it’s kind of cool to see the chainring spinning on its own to actuate shifts while you are coasting.
How It All Looks to Me
Honestly, there’s a lot to chew on. I’m not even wading into the nuances of Bosch’s updated ABS system or inertial sensors. The biggest take home for me is the potential for over-the-air updates that improve and expand the functionality of e-bikes — any kind, really. But today, we’re talking about Bosch, and given their engineering capabilities, they seem well positioned to make updates and improvements like this a regular thing, like when your iPhone’s app icons look a little different one morning. To me, this says that your existing hardware is good, and it is worthwhile for Bosch to keep it updated and find ways to improve it.
As for the looming debate about a limit to e-bike torque or max wattage, I am not sure I have enough information to form an opinion. It is nice to have the option to bump up the power just a little bit. However, I will say that a recent ride on my previous-generation Specialized Levo was super enjoyable. I had enough battery for a couple of hours, lots of laps, and I didn’t feel underpowered by any means.
I’d love to get my hands on one of these new 100+ rigs, but I don’t need one. At least not yet.
Some images provided courtesy of Bosch (not the shitty iPhone photos).