I don't like some of these changes if they are being imposed on the Panasonic motor unit models. The Kalkhoff Panasonic high power mode on EU legal bikes was originally times 1.3 to 1, then increased to 1.5 times to 1 which I feel was a sensible move, but they are now dropping it to 1.2 times to 1, the lowest yet. I wonder if the 9% motor power increase for high power mode will even be easily detectable (45.5% from the rider, 54.5% from the motor instead of 50% each in normal mode). The high speed models are dropping from 2 times to 1.75 times to 1, not so bad.
This to me is a backward step, the choice of enough power or longer range should rest with the owner.
Why have they done this? As ever, higher capacity within the same battery case space requires greater cell content density, in turn leading to increased current discharge restriction. Using round cells to increase cooling exacerbates this since case space is less well utilised. I suspect therefore that this is linked to that and the longer life they are claiming, since high current strain shortens life.
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