Panasonic have recently taken over Sanyo who have a hub motor which they also currently supply to Giant for the Freedom and Express models for which they probably have to continue production for contractual reasons.
Given that, it makes sense to capitalise on that production facility by expanding it's market, which it looks like they've done with motor revisions for their purpose, utilising their excellent pedelec control system. That means manufacturers like Kalkhoff can offer a choice of hub motor or drive through chain systems on the same quality bike, the best of both worlds suiting many more customers. As I've often stressed, the Panasonic system doesn't suit everyone, and neither do hub motors.
The advantage of the hub motor in not too hilly areas is simplicity, the ability to have the rider and motor transmission separate, meaning speed can be restricted to legal limits without interfering with the cyclists needs, and avoidance of the motor drive suffering slightly from hub gear inefficiency.
The primary advantage of the drive through gear system is the ability to climb anything, suiting those in very hilly areas or those of limited cycling ability.
The Sanyo hub motor has a long history and is very reliable, and with Panasonic's revisions it should be good for those it suits. It also has a good detachable cable housing so wheel removal isn't a problem.
The "walk alongside" throttle is an option which only operates up to 4 mph/6 kph for when a hill cannot be ridden. I think it can only be fitted on the drive through the chain models.
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