As cities move toward greener, more efficient mobility, e-bikes are quickly emerging as a sustainable transportation solution. To meet growing consumer expectations for longer ranges and lightweight designs, e-bike manufacturers are replacing metal components with advanced plastics. Envalior’s Stanyl® PA46 provides exceptional mechanical performance and wear resistance at elevated temperatures, as well as design flexibility—making it the ideal gear material for compact, high-torque e-bike drive units.

Overcoming gear design challenges in e-bike drive units

Today’s e-bike riders demand more range, speed, and comfort—pushing the E-bike motor suppliers to reinvent their drivetrain designs. While metal gears provide exceptional durability and strength, they add weight and often also noise and costs. That’s why manufacturers are turning to high-performance plastic alternatives for low weight, low noise and cost-effective  drivetrain designs.

However, commonly used plastics like polyamide 66 (PA66) and polyoxymethylene (POM) often fall short under the high torque and high temperature requirements  typical of demanding geartrain systems. These materials tend to wear quickly, causing performance issues and premature gear failure. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) offers better durability but comes with a steep price tag.

To truly optimize e-bike drivetrain performance, suppliers need plastic materials that combine temperature performance, mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, and ease of processing, without compromising the cost-effectiveness.

A good balance between performance and costs

Envalior’s Stanyl® PA46 is a leading high-performance polyamide used in over 100 million gears annually. Its outstanding temperature, fatigue, wear and high-flow performance make it ideal for molding thin, strong gears that withstand continuous torque and stress in compact gears that e-bike drive units often need.

Stanyl®  PA46 offers:

• Up to 50% higher torque resistance compared with PA66 and POM dependent on operating conditions
• High temperature gear durability performance comparable or better than carbon-fiber reinforced PA66 and PPA alternatives
• Lower cost than PEEK
• Up to 25% reduction potential in gear size compared with PA66, PPA PPS and POM gears, without sacrificing gear durability performance 
• Excellent wear, fatigue, and creep resistance in dry and grease lubricated environments
• Potential improvements in NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) for a quieter ride compared with  metal gears
• Fast injection molding cycle times and reduced manufacturing complexity
• Proven performance with over 100 million gears made from Stanyl®  PA46 each year

With these benefits, manufacturers can strive to meet both performance and cost targets while shortening their development cycles and time-to-market through fewer design iterations.

Advancing sustainability with bio-based gear materials

In response to the shift toward more sustainable transportation, Envalior also offers EcoPaXX® PA410, a high-performance, bio-based, low moisture absorption polyamide that delivers excellent durability, strength and high dimensional stability. Made from 70% castor bean oil, EcoPaXX helps gear suppliers lower their environmental footprint without compromising quality.

Envalior is committed to launching fully bio-based or recycled alternatives for its gear material portfolio by 2030—supporting our customers' sustainability goals and enabling cleaner mobility solutions across the e-bike sector.