IN BRIEF
Panasonic is raising the torque of its GXM electric bike system: the magnesium version is now rated at 120 Nm, the aluminium version at 110 Nm. What stands out is the method — the manufacturer’s official page states that GXM motors already in circulation will be able to receive this performance increase through a software update from November, with no hardware change at all. Specialist outlet Pedelecs und E-Bikes adds that the operation does not only raise peak figures: it also alters the tuning of the motor’s assistance. That same outlet notes, however, that the software versions concerned and the conditions to be met do not emerge from the information available to it.
| GXM Magnesium | 120 Nm (designation GXM 120 Mg) |
| GXM Aluminum | 110 Nm |
| Rollout method | Software update, no hardware change |
| Timing | From November, for GXM motors already on the market |
| Other versions cited by the manufacturer | GXM 105 Mg, approx. 2.6 kg, 105 Nm · two aluminium variants at 100 Nm and 75 Nm |
A motor that gains torque without anyone opening the housing: that is the announcement. Panasonic is updating its GXM system by software, and bikes already sold are included.
The Panasonic GXM motor moves up to 120 Nm through software
The manufacturer’s page is explicit on the two points that matter. On the figure first: « With 120 Nm of torque, the Panasonic GXM Magnesium motor delivers the power to take on steeper climbs and more demanding trails. » On the method next: « The GXM Aluminum motor now delivers 110 Nm, and existing GXM motors will be able to receive the latest performance upgrade via software from November – no hardware change required. »
It is that last sentence that makes the announcement interesting. An owner of an electric mountain bike fitted with a GXM does not, according to the brand, have to change motor to benefit from the new figures: the upgrade happens on the software side, from November.
Not just a peak figure
The site Pedelecs und E-Bikes, which relayed the announcement on 4 September, highlights a point that the figure alone does not convey: « Panasonic hebt damit nicht nur die Spitzenwerte des Systems an, sondern verändert zugleich die Abstimmung der Unterstützung. » In other words, this is not merely a raised ceiling — what changes is the way the assistance is delivered. The same outlet writes that the new figures « sollen insbesondere bei steilen Anstiegen und im technischen Gelände für mehr Unterstützung sorgen », that is, a gain expected above all on steep climbs and technical terrain.
It also confirms the retroactive scope: « Auch bereits im Markt befindliche GXM-Motoren lassen sich auf die neuen Leistungswerte aktualisieren. » Motors already sold can therefore be brought up to the new figures.
What has not yet been said
The German outlet sets out the limits of what is known itself: « Welche konkreten Softwareversionen und Voraussetzungen für das Update gelten, geht aus den uns vorliegenden Informationen nicht hervor. » The software versions concerned and the prerequisites do not emerge from the available information. Neither a possible trip to a workshop, nor the cost, nor the list of eligible bikes appears in the documents we were able to read.
To place these figures within the range, the Panasonic page also describes « the GXM 105 Mg – an ultralight model with a magnesium housing that weighs approx. 2.6 kg and delivers 105 Nm of power. Additionally, two more variants with 100 Nm and 75 Nm are available with aluminum housing. » The manufacturer does not, however, present these figures as the starting point of the update: we report them as they stand, without inferring the gap.
