Gates Introduces Carbon Drive Moto X5 Belts to "Unchain" Growing Electric Two-wheeler Market

New Design Enables Quieter & More Efficient Drivetrains

DENVER, Nov. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gates (NYSE: GTES), a leading global provider of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions – and a pioneer in belt-driven micromobility – introduces the new Carbon Drive Moto X5™ synchronous drive belt.

Gates Carbon Drive has been the leading belt drive solution for two-wheelers, for over 40 years as a cleaner, quieter, smoother, and more durable alternative to chain drives. The innovative Moto X5 belt is a significant addition to the Gates Carbon Drive portfolio as it offers the same core belt drive benefits but with even quieter performance than its predecessors.

Gates achieved this breakthrough in belt technology through the combination of a high-stiffness, long-lasting synthetic compound with Gates long-proven carbon-fiber cord reinforcement. The combination not only provides durability and strength, it also results in the quietest Carbon Drive belt yet. Independent lab testing by AVL combined with Gates internal testing shows Moto X5 to be up to 15 decibels quieter than chain over a range of vehicle speeds. Additionally, throughout the life of the vehicle and under normal operating and maintenance conditions, Moto X5 is more energy efficient than chain, which can lead to improved vehicle range, a critical factor on electric vehicle applications.

The Gates Carbon Drive Moto X5 product line is designed specifically for mid-motor, sit-down electric scooters and motorcycles typically found in commuting applications in the rapidly evolving Asian market. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), new registrations of electric two and three-wheelers reached over 10M units in 2021, with the majority coming from China, India, and Vietnam.¹ By 2030, they forecast that >80% of two and three-wheelers sold each year in China will be electric. As countries around the world implement sustainable transportation policies, such as further penetration of zero-emission electric scooters, Gates solutions are there to help.

"As the transition from internal combustion engines to electric scooters accelerates in core markets like India, Southeast Asia, and China, we expect drivetrain noise, efficiency and durability to become more important to customers," said Tom Pitstick, Chief Marketing Officer, and Senior Vice-President of strategic planning for Gates. "Moto X5 is designed to meet the needs for quiet, long-lasting, low-maintenance operation. Congratulations to the efforts of our global R&D teams that made this breakthrough possible."

Motorcycle and scooter OEMs interested in learning more about this new belt will be able to see it firsthand at the China International Motorcycle show in Chongqing November 3-5 and the following week at EICMA in Milan, November 8-13. For those not attending the show, visit http://www.gatescarbondrive.com/MotoX5 to learn more and connect with our Gates application engineers for individual consulting on optimized drive design using Moto X5.

Gates is a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions. Gates offers a broad portfolio of products to diverse replacement channel customers and to original equipment ("first-fit") manufacturers as specified components. Gates participates in many sectors of the industrial and consumer markets. Gates products play essential roles in a diverse range of applications across a wide variety of end markets ranging from harsh and hazardous industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and energy, to everyday consumer applications such as printers, power washers, automatic doors, and vacuum cleaners, and virtually every form of transportation. Gates products are sold in 128 countries across four commercial regions: the Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Greater China; and East Asia and India. More about Gates can be found at Gates.com.

¹ International Energy Agency (2022), "Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 2022", https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2022 Accessed Oct 3, 2022

SOURCE Gates