Gates Carbon Drive reveals new Moto X5 belts, making electric motorcycles even more silent
Gates Carbon Drive is a global leader in belt drives used to replace chains on two-wheeled vehicles like bikes, scooters, and motorcycles. The company’s new Gates Carbon Drive Moto X5 product line was just introduced this morning, helping make already quiet electric motorcycles even quieter.
Gates Moto X5 belt drive unveiled
Gates belt drives are engineered with high-stiffness, long-lasting synthetic compounds layered with carbon fiber cords for superior strength and durability.
New nylon tooth fabric improves the Moto X5 drivetrain’s durability, and the tooth profile is backward compatible with the company’s Moto X9 sprockets.
Depending on the vehicle and setup, Gates’ belts are frequently rated for tens of thousands of miles. Compared to chain drives – those are also much quieter miles.
According to independent lab testing, the Gates Moto X5 belt drive system was shown to be up to 15 decibels quieter than chain drives over a range of operating speeds.
But noise reduction is just one of many benefits of belt drive systems like these. Reduced maintenance and efficiency gains are also key advantages.
Unlike chains, which require periodic maintenance to clean, oil, and check tension, belt drives are essentially maintenance-free.
And because they long outlive the life span of chains, that maintenance-free operation is even more impactful to the amount of time that riders have to spend wrenching instead of riding.
Gates also claims that the Moto X5 has an efficiency advantage over chain drives.
As the company explained:
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.
I’ve always heard that chains are a couple of percentage points more efficient than belts, but that may only be true for new chains. As the chain quickly wears in, its efficiency decreases. Belts retain their high efficiency in a more linear curve throughout their life spans, meaning that they can be more efficient when compared to chains across the entire useful lifetime of the drivetrain.
Gates is targeting the large markets of sit-down electric scooters and electric motorcycles used for commuting applications. These types of two-wheeled electric vehicles are skyrocketing in use across Asia, even if their numbers are growing more slowly in Europe and North America.
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.
By the end of this decade, the IEA expects over 80% of two and three-wheelers sold in China to be electric.
Tom Pitstick, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of strategic planning for Gates, explained further:
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. 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.
Those wanting to see the new Moto X5 system in person can check it out at the China International Motorcycle show from November 3-5 and the EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show from Nov 8-13.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve been a Gates fanboy for a while, and some of my favorite everyday rider electric bicycles use a Gates carbon drive.
Each time I hop on a Zero motorcycle or one of Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire motorcycles, I enjoy the quiet ride that Gates belt drives offer.
In fact, it’s rare I even see a new chain-drive electric scooter or motorcycle introduced anymore. The only two I own (yes, I own a lot of electric two-wheelers) are a Sur Ron Light Bee and a Gogoro S2 ABS Performance. I love both of them, but it’s frankly surprising how loud each vehicle is. All you hear when riding them is chain noise, which is accentuated by the lack of exhaust noise covering it up like on an ICE-powered scooter or motorcycle. Plus I know that I have to occasionally check the chains on both of them, which other than normal brake and tire wear, is pretty much the only maintenance I have to perform on a two-wheeled electric vehicle. Both Sur Rons and Gogoro have Gates belt drive options, and I’m thinking that I need to explore both of those soon.
So yea, I’m sure the Moto X5 will be a smashing success on this massively growing wave of new electric scooters and motorcycles. The noise alone is a huge benefit, but the longevity and lack of maintenance are the real deal sealer.
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With new models rolling out from General Motors, Porsche, Honda, and several others, US EV sales increased by over 10% in the first three months of 2025. Nearly 300,000 EVs were sold in the first quarter of 2025. These were the top-selling models.
New EVs drive US sales growth in Q1 2025
Electric vehicle sales showed mixed results in the first quarter. Although Tesla is the center of attention as it continues to lose market share, several new EV models made an impressive debut.
With over 30,000 EVs sold in the first quarter, more than double the number sold last year, GM surpassed Ford and Hyundai Motor, placing second behind Tesla. GM’s Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US, with the new electric Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado arriving.
GM sold 10,329 Chevy Equinox, 6,187 Blazer, and another 2,383 Silverado EVs in Q1. Thanks to its partnership with GM, Honda had an impressive sales quarter, selling over 14,000 EVs, including its luxury Acura brand.
The Prologue SUV remained one of the top-sellers with 9,561 units sold in the first quarter, while the Acura ZDX added another 4,813.
According to Cox Automotive, Honda led EV sales growth for new entrants in Q1, followed by Acura, Jeep, and Dodge.
Jeep sold 2,595 Wagoneer S models during the quarter, its first electric SUV sold in the US. Dodge, another Stellantis-owned brand, sold 1,947 Charger EVs, or what it calls the world’s first electric muscle car.
Although Chevy’s Equinox EV made a statement in Q1, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E remained the top-selling non-Tesla with 11,607 models sold.
| Rank | EV model | Q1 2025 sales |
| 1 | Tesla Model Y | 64,051 |
| 2 | Tesla Model 3 | 52,520 |
| 3 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | 11,607 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Equinox EV | 10,329 |
| 5 | Honda Prologue | 9,561 |
| 6 | Hyundai IONIQ 5 | 8,611 |
| 7 | Volkswagen ID.4 | 7,663 |
| 8 | Ford F-150 Lightning | 7,187 |
| 9 | BMW i4 | 7,125 |
| 10 | Tesla Cybertruck | 6,406 |
After introducing the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5 (which now has even more range and an NACS charging port), Hyundai sold 8,611 electric SUVs in Q1, an increase of 26% from last year.
Porsche had the highest EV sales volume growth after launching the electric Macan. With 3,339 units added, the Macan EV made up for Porsche Taycan sales falling 18% to just 1,019.
As Cox Automotive Analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty noted, “The year certainly started strong, but the road ahead will be anything but smooth.”
Trump ending federal incentives and introducing new tariffs will “pose a monumental challenge for many automakers,” according to Valdez Streaty. Despite several new models arriving and significant incentives being offered (at least for now), the rest of 2025 “will likely be a volatile one for EV sales in the US.”
Ready to score some savings while they are still here? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on the top-selling EVs in your area.
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![Electric concrete pump truck can drive 30 miles, pump 65 cubic yards [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/04/putzmeister_electric-pump.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Based on a capable Volvo FM Electric 8×4 chassis, Putzmeister revealed one of the world’s largest all electric concrete pump trucks at the bauma equipment expo in Munich, Germany this week. The zero-emission concrete pumper can up to 50 km and pump approximately 50 cubic meters of concrete on a single charge.
50 km (a little over 30 miles) and 50 cubic meters (about 65 cubic yards) may not seem like impressive numbers, but consider this: a single cubic yard of concrete weighs a little over 4,000 lbs. (2 tons). A bit of simple math later, and you’ve got a quiet, vibration-free machine blasting (65 cu. yds ×4,100 lbs./yd = 266,500 lbs.) of construction material nearly 140 feet (42 meters) in the air.
That’s over 130 tons of construction material moved a really long way, and that’s (of course) without the use of diesel or gas.
“Volvo Trucks is the innovator when it comes to new technologies in combination with electric trucks. After presenting electric concrete mixers and heavy applications for mining, we are proud to show yet another world-class innovation for the construction segment here at bauma,” says Christoph Fitz, Head of Sales at Volvo Trucks in Germany. “With this electric pump truck, customers can have a zero-exhaust emission solution, low-noise operation and an efficient process thanks to the work-while-charging capacity.”
The Volvo FM Electric-based concrete pump is motivated by a pair of electric motors developing a continuous 330 kW (442 hp) of output through the company’s proprietary I-Shift gearbox. The truck’s four battery packs add up to 360 kWh of capacity, which can DC fast charge at speeds up to 250 kW or operate continuously (pumping even more material) with grid power or PU500 remote power connection.
Electrek’s Take
There will surely be a few nay-sayers who’ll try to cite the relatively short-sounding range of trucks like this, or the 100-ton Tadano mobile electric crane, but the range is typically more than enough to operate in urban environments and motivate the asset across even the largest job sites. Additionally, the ability to plug in to grid power and operate 24/7 makes all of that quieter, safer, cleaner … and moot.
SOURCES | IMAGES: Putzmeister; Volvo Trucks.
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes an analysis of how the Trump tariffs will affect e-bike pricing in the US, USB-C chargeable e-bikes launched by Ampler, Specialized e-bike recall, Juiced Bikes revived as a brand, kayak camping with the JackRabbit XG Pro, Walkcar’s new device that does the walking for you, and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 9:00 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:00 a.m. ET):
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