Asus, a company best known for laptops and PC hardware, is making an unexpected move into electric mobility. The Taiwanese tech giant has presented the Oxiis E250G1, branded the “Intelligent Bike Booster” — a compact retrofit drive designed to electrify a conventional bicycle without any frame modifications.
Unlike the mid-drive and hub motors that dominate the European market, the Oxiis uses a friction-roller design: the unit clamps to the seatpost and a roller presses against the rear tire to drive it directly. Gears and brakes remain untouched, and Asus says no special tools are needed for installation. The complete system — motor, mount and battery — weighs just 3.7 kg.
The motor delivers a continuous 250 watts with short peaks of up to 500 watts, keeping it within EU pedelec regulations. The removable 158.4 Wh battery is small by e-bike standards, but it charges via USB-C Power Delivery at up to 100 watts, reaching full capacity in roughly two hours without a proprietary charger. Asus claims up to 50 km of range in Eco mode, dropping to around 10 km in Sport mode.
The system relies on a cadence sensor rather than a torque sensor, and it is only rated for light rain — clear signs this is aimed at casual city riders and folding-bike commuters rather than tourers or eMTB users. Asus also promises automatic adjustment of roller pressure to reduce tire slip, a classic weakness of friction drives.
Whether a PC brand can win over cyclists remains to be seen, but the entry underscores how attractive the e-bike segment has become for consumer-tech players.
Source: ebike-news.de