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What is the Fazua Evation eGroupset?
Fazua was founded in Munich Germany in 2013 by Johannes Biechele and Fabien Reuter with the goal to provide a motor system for the sportive (including e-Road) market. To achieve their dream they had to overcome several technical and perceptual challenges. Once they had the right weight they needed to ensure a smooth transition in and out of assist because the sportive rider will notice any motor resistance, transition hesitation, vibration and literally every feeling that will detract from the ride experience…and NOTHING should detract from the ride experience.
So the Fazua Evation needed to be smooth using double sided torque sensors along with cadence and speed to ensure seamless power integration and then the assist needs to taper out over 25kmh and use an innovative clutch system to ensure zero motor resistance. Once the product was ready they had no small task persuading a generally resistant sportive market to try it. Luckily they found Cube willing to bet the future is ELECTRIC.
OK Sounds Good – Now Get Technical
A key feature of the Fazua Evation egroupset is the ability to remove the motor and battery and still use the bike. Because Sunstar iBike abandoned their Virtus development this ability is unique to the Evation system and allows the rider to choose when to carry the assist. The Virtus was aimed at the weekend MTB rider who also wanted to use their bike for their commute. I think Fazuas offering is even more flexible than this. It’s a completely tool-less mounting and removal and takes seconds.
Fazua Evation Battery
The battery is a 36V 7Ah (252Wh) pack which is of course Lithium ion. It goes into deep sleep after 8 hours of non use to prolong battery life. The shelf life is excellent and the advised storage charge (to 60%) only needs to be done every 6 months. On the battery you’ll find 5 state of charge LEDs each representing 20% of the capacity. We currently don’t know which lithium cell brand is used.
The battery is completely removable from the motor/battery ‘DrivePack’ and therefore can be swapped and replaced…and sent to us for repair if needed.
Fazua Evation Battery Charger
The charger charges at 2Amps and takes approximately 3-4 hours for a full charge. It connects to the battery using a magnetic Rosenberger Power Data connector.
Fazua Evation Motor
An extremely compact 250W motor peaking at 400W or 240% assistance and 60Nm with 100% decoupling above 25kmh (unless derestricted). Derestricting the Fazua motor is possible but the long term effects need to be tested and the company as yet don’t appear to offer a speed version probably due to the regulatory requirements that are fine for commuting but less than ideal for sportive use.
Fazua Evation Display
The display is simple and leaves the handlebars uncluttered. It uses colours to indicate the assist level:
white 0% or 0W
green 75% or 125W
blue 150% or 250W
pink 240% or 400W
There are up and down power selectors and an ON/OFF button. It contains a bluetooth chip to facilitate connection to the Fazua app (we’ve yet to test).
Fazua Software
There’s actually a home software toolbox available for Windows or Linux (currently Mac OS is unsupported). This allows you to update your firmware and see the usage and component information. It will also aid fault finding and aftersales support. We will have a full version of the software to help us to conduct aftersales support efficiently and most importantly – QUICKLY. We will also be able to set the response curve of the motor to suit your preference.
Fazua Evation Warranty
2 Years on all components.
What Do We Think?
We are divided. Of my colleagues that have tested the Fazua system a few miss the power supremacy of the Bosch and Yamaha drives and a few LOVE it. I personally think it’s really well suited to the eRoad market and to the Cube Agree Hybrid. When testing a new eGroupset I look for a sense that it’s been designed by people passionate about riding, people less willing to compromise the ride experience for commercial reasons or manufacturing simplicity. This system on this bike…to me….feels like a winning combination. The bikes balance, handling and responsiveness make it a joy to ride. I could not fault the Fazua eGroupset in it’s delivery of power. There is a definite sense of quality with no irregular noise or vibration. The assist integration is smooth, seamless and never takes your focus off the ride….as it should be.
