Welcome back to TM-B: Seeing Deeper. We’re so happy you’re here, because in this installment we’ll be taking a trip together to the motor-land.
That’s right, it’s time to see deeper into DreamRide, past the cool transparent side covers, and straight to the TM-B traction motor and what it does for you, the rider. (Spoiler: it creates a ridiculously powerful bike.)
Let’s quickly zoom out. DreamRide, as you recall, is the TM-B’s breakthrough drive unit. It’s the software-defined system responsible for the power, performance, versatility, responsiveness, and many other features that define Transcendent Mobility.
Inside of DreamRide live two distinct motors: the generator motor and the traction motor. The generator motor is something we’ll touch on later in the series, but to give you a hint, it does things like capture rider input and deliver haptic feedback. DreamRide’s traction motor, on the other hand, is what we’ll be discussing today.
For starters, Nm stands for Newton-metre, which is the unit used to measure torque. Now that we have that fun bit of trivia out of the way, let’s talk about why this number matters.
The TM-B’s 180 Nm of torque is about twice the amount you’ll typically find on other ebikes. You might be thinking that sounds like overkill, but what it translates to is faster acceleration and smoother hill climbing, which to us is appropriate-kill. In fact, it’s what enables riders to go up to 30% grade hills with no additional effort. So instead of mashing pedals and stressing out the bike (and your body), when you want to pedal harder, the TM-B senses your ambition and is able to reward it with speed, ease, and unrivaled comfort.
The slightly longer answer: We intentionally built the TM-B to accelerate at 0.3G, which is the equivalent of a car getting off the line at a traffic light.
This is a big deal for rider comfort and safety, as riding alongside automobile traffic is one of the biggest deterrents keeping people off bikes and ebikes. When you can accelerate like a car, you no longer have to worry about feeling rushed, getting honked at, or having cars impatiently pass you, only for you to pass them at the next traffic light, thus repeating this dreaded and familiar cycle.
TL;DR: 0.3G → faster acceleration → feeling safer among traffic → happier riding
The TM-B Performance packs 10x pedal assist. That’s you and your effort, multiplied by 10. Or roughly 10 of you, 20 of your legs, and 100 of your toes, all pedaling 1 bike. Pretty heady stuff.
Read More: Ride Also Blog
That’s right, it’s time to see deeper into DreamRide, past the cool transparent side covers, and straight to the TM-B traction motor and what it does for you, the rider. (Spoiler: it creates a ridiculously powerful bike.)
Back up a sec. What’s a traction motor?
Ah, splendid, you’re paying attention!Let’s quickly zoom out. DreamRide, as you recall, is the TM-B’s breakthrough drive unit. It’s the software-defined system responsible for the power, performance, versatility, responsiveness, and many other features that define Transcendent Mobility.
Inside of DreamRide live two distinct motors: the generator motor and the traction motor. The generator motor is something we’ll touch on later in the series, but to give you a hint, it does things like capture rider input and deliver haptic feedback. DreamRide’s traction motor, on the other hand, is what we’ll be discussing today.
What kind of motor does the TM-B use?
Most ebike manufacturers use the same few third-party motors—we’re not naming names. However, we wanted something more powerful and more attuned to the rider experience, so we (aka a team of Rivian engineers) developed our own motor entirely from scratch. Built to modern EV standards, the TM-B motor is designed to unlock a new riding experience unlike anything else on the market. Now, let’s expand on that.TM-B torque: What’s the big deal?
The TM-B packs 180 Nm of torque. But what does that actually mean and why should you care?For starters, Nm stands for Newton-metre, which is the unit used to measure torque. Now that we have that fun bit of trivia out of the way, let’s talk about why this number matters.
The TM-B’s 180 Nm of torque is about twice the amount you’ll typically find on other ebikes. You might be thinking that sounds like overkill, but what it translates to is faster acceleration and smoother hill climbing, which to us is appropriate-kill. In fact, it’s what enables riders to go up to 30% grade hills with no additional effort. So instead of mashing pedals and stressing out the bike (and your body), when you want to pedal harder, the TM-B senses your ambition and is able to reward it with speed, ease, and unrivaled comfort.
TM-B acceleration: Is 0.3G a lot or a little?
The short answer: 0.3G is a lot of acceleration for an ebike.The slightly longer answer: We intentionally built the TM-B to accelerate at 0.3G, which is the equivalent of a car getting off the line at a traffic light.
This is a big deal for rider comfort and safety, as riding alongside automobile traffic is one of the biggest deterrents keeping people off bikes and ebikes. When you can accelerate like a car, you no longer have to worry about feeling rushed, getting honked at, or having cars impatiently pass you, only for you to pass them at the next traffic light, thus repeating this dreaded and familiar cycle.
TL;DR: 0.3G → faster acceleration → feeling safer among traffic → happier riding
TM-B pedal assist: What does 10x mean?
Another way to think about the TM-B’s pedal assist is through the lens of effort multiplication. Most ebikes top out around 4x pedal assist, meaning they can multiply your effort by roughly 4, and that’s the fastest assisted speed you can reach on those machines.The TM-B Performance packs 10x pedal assist. That’s you and your effort, multiplied by 10. Or roughly 10 of you, 20 of your legs, and 100 of your toes, all pedaling 1 bike. Pretty heady stuff.
Read More: Ride Also Blog