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In the booming world of electric bikes, there’s an ongoing debate – torque sensors or cadence sensors? If you’re new to the scene or even a seasoned e-bike enthusiast, understanding the difference between the two can help optimize your riding experience and bang-for-your-buck. Let’s dive into the mechanics and merits of each to help you make an informed decision.

The difference between torque and cadence sensors

First let’s start with the basics. Both torque sensors and cadence sensors are methods used to activate pedal assist on an e-bike. When the rider pedals, the sensor reads that pedaling input and tells the e-bike’s speed controller to apply power to the motor. The major difference is just how the sensor reads that input, and that difference has a big effect on the e-bike’s performance.

Cadence sensors: These sensors detect the speed at which you’re pedaling. They don’t know or care how hard you’re pedaling, just how fast. Once you achieve a specific pedaling speed, they generally tell the motor to start working, providing a predetermined level of assistance. On most e-bikes with a cadence sensor, that means the assist is more of a binary system: The motor is either on or off, based on your pedaling speed. There is usually some lag time between when the pedaling begins and when the motor kicks in, which is caused by the cadence sensor waiting to see how many sensor magnets pass by in a given time period. Some e-bike companies have been able to program in slightly more refined cadence sensor-based pedal assist, such as Lectric eBikes. But at their core, cadence sensors are still a very simpler option that results in more of an off/on motor activation feel to the ride.

Torque sensors: Torque sensors, on the other hand, measure the force you apply to the pedals. They aren’t as interested in the speed of your pedaling, but rather the strength of your pedaling. The harder you pedal, the more assistance they will tell the motor to provide, making the e-bike experience feel more intuitive and akin to traditional biking. This sensor essentially gauges the tension in the bike’s drivetrain, either at the pedals or along the chain line, and adjusts the electric assist proportionally. The more effort you exert, the more boost you get. There’s also very minimal lag between the time a rider starts pedaling and the time that the assist kicks in.

The difference in the riding experience

Cadence sensors: For those who prefer a lower price tag, cadence sensors are the way to go. They’re particularly useful for riders who may not want to or be able to exert too much force, like those with certain physical limitations or those who simply prefer a more predictable, cruise-control type of ride. However, this can sometimes lead to an abrupt start, especially if you’re pedaling fast from a stationary position. The lag time of 1-2 seconds can also be a pain, especially when the bike is in high gear or riders are starting up a hill, since the familiar electric assist is absent at start. Lastly, cadence sensors can make it hard to ride in a group unless everyone is on the same type of e-bike and in the same power level. This is because each power level usually brings riders up to set speed, such as 5 mph for level 1, 8 mph for level 2, and so on.

Torque sensors: E-bikes with torque sensors often feel more “natural” to traditional cyclists and newcomers alike. The intuitive relationship between your effort and the motor’s output makes for a smoother transition between power levels, offering a ride that closely mirrors the experience of riding a non-electric bicycle (just with less sweat). It provides a greater sense of control over the bike’s power and speed, especially beneficial for tackling varying terrains. Climbing a steep hill? Push harder, and the bike responds in kind. It feels more like the bike’s power is an extension of your own power, as opposed to cadence sensor e-bikes which feel more like an e-bike on cruise control.

aventon soltera electric bike

A hybrid approach

The comparison of pure cadence vs torque sensor pedal assist is really only applicable on most hub motor e-bikes. Many e-bikes with a mid-drive motor will actually use multiple sensors, including a combination of cadence and torque sensors, as well as other sensors such as an angle sensor to help increase power on hill climbs.

The hybrid approach used on most mid-drive e-bikes is helpful because the torque sensor can be used to give nearly instant feedback and intuitive power selection, while the cadence sensor provides added information, such as if the rider is downshifting and thus pedaling at a much higher speed (likely indicating a hill).

My personal preference

I’ve been riding e-bikes for nearly 15 years and have thrown a leg over several hundred different models. While any e-bike will work for most people, the two different styles of pedal assist sensors definitely make a big difference.

For me, I prefer a torque sensor on any e-bike that I’m riding either for fitness or the actual pedaling experience (like joy rides through nature when I want to go slow and enjoy the surroundings). Unlike a cadence sensor, a torque sensor gives me more predictable and intuitive pedal assist that doesn’t rocket me up to higher speeds when I start pedaling, but instead feels more like it “checks in” with me to find the appropriate power and speed for the motor assist.

However, torque sensors can often add a few hundred dollars to the price tag of a bike, and thus when I’m looking for a budget e-bike, I know that I can make do with slightly less intuitive pedal assist as a trade off for saving some serious cash. And of course on any e-bike that is used for mostly throttle-only riding, the issue of cadence vs torque sensor is largely irrelevant.

Many e-bike models are adding torque sensors now, such as the recently updated Aventon Soltera, since more riders are starting to demand the highly refined riding experience.

In conclusion

Choosing between torque and cadence sensors ultimately boils down to your personal riding style and preference. If you’re seeking an e-bike experience that closely mirrors traditional biking with a responsive, dynamic feel, torque sensors are your best bet. This is especially true if you want to ride with a partner or in a group. However, if you value consistent, straightforward assistance regardless of pedaling force, and you want to save some cash, cadence sensors might be more up your alley.

Remember, the best e-bike is the one that aligns with your riding habits and budget, ensuring each journey is both efficient and enjoyable. So, take a moment, assess your biking goals, and choose the system that resonates best with your vision of the perfect ride. Safe cycling!

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Audi Concept C: a radical new style that may preview a new electric TT drop top sports car

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Audi Concept C: a radical new style that may preview a new electric TT drop top sports car

Audi has unveiled the Audi Concept C, an all-electric two-seat roadster that aims to redefine the brand’s design language, and which could also preview an upcoming electric TT sports car successor.

Radical Simplicity in Motion

Unveiled in Milan on 2 September 2025, this concept signals Audi’s shift into sleek, minimalist clarity.

From every angle, the Concept C embodies what Audi now calls “radical simplicity”, a philosophy built around geometric purity, emotional precision, and technical clarity, according to the release.

Central to the car’s identity is the vertical frame, Audi’s reimagining of its signature grille, inspired by the legendary Auto Union Type C (1936) and even the third-gen A6 from 2004.

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Its twin-panel, electrically actuated hardtop rocks both coupe-like elegance and open-air allure.

Inside: Clarity Meets Tactility

Inside, the Concept C embraces minimalism without sacrificing substance. Anodized‑aluminum haptic controls, including that satisfying “Audi click,” and a foldable 10.4‑inch center display, offer sleek digital interaction, but nothing feels superfluous.

Audi is calling this “shy tech”—technology that’s always present, never overpowering. Smart, emotional, and intuitive.

Clear Design Vision leaks into Corporate Clarity

This concept is apparently not just a car, it’s a sort of manifesto. CEO Gernot Döllner says that clarity now guides everything at Audi, from design to structure to corporate ethos. The Milan reveal under the banner “Strive for clarity” sets the tone for a bold, focused reimagining of the brand – making this reveal more than about just a new concept.

It’s a full‑scale reorientation, described internally as “The Radical Next” by CCO Massimo Frascella, who emphasizes design as a cultural force, not just a styling exercise.

The Concept C also makes its public debut at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, showcased under Audi’s immersive “Feel Audi” experience.

A TT Comeback as an Electric Vehicle?

Now, Autocar released a report adding a lot of context around the concept unveil: Audi is reportedly working on an electric TT‑inspired drop‑top, targeting 2027, and this concept could be fairly close to what the German automaker could bring to production.

It would be positioned as a retro‑styled EV, the car would slot in as a Boxster‑rival, potentially sharing its bones with a Porsche counterpart, which is also going electric.

Audi already retired the TT and the R8—leaving a gap in its two‑door sports car lineage. But according to CEO Döllner, sports cars are still part of Audi’s DNA, and their return is not off the table—especially when the timing is right.

Design chief Frascella has a long‑standing personal connection to the TT—it inspired him as a young designer, and he’s excited about bringing that emotional spark into a new EV concept. But, he cautions, it won’t be derivative. Expect something that captures the essence without cloning the past.

A future electric TT would be Audi Sport’s “emotional compact”, built on the surging wave of electrification, and maybe, just maybe, born from the same radical simplicity that powers the Concept C.

Electrek’s Take

As you know, it’s hard for us at Electrek to get excited about new concept cars, but it does sound like Audi isn’t just sketching a pretty concept here.

The vehicle appears to signal a new design language for the four-ring brand and could even preview a new electric sports car.

If it’s indeed the direction Audi is heading, I like it. It manages to be both retro and futuristic without doing too much. That’s impressive.

I appreciate the minimalism all around, but especially in the interior, where, even though it’s just a concept, it already feels exceptionally refined.

You definetly should make this Audi.

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The stunning Volvo ES90 has arrived and it’s the automaker’s most advanced EV to date

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The stunning Volvo ES90 has arrived and it's the automaker's most advanced EV to date

The ES90 can drive further and charge faster than any of Volvo’s electric cars to date. Its sleek design looks like a fastback, but offers the space of an SUV. After the first ES90 rolled off the assembly line on Thursday, Volvo said its new flagship EV stands in a class of its own.

The first Volvo ES90 EV rolls off the production line

Volvo created quite a stir after unveiling the ES90 in March, its new flagship EV. Although it may look like a sedan, it offers the versatility of an SUV with a spacious interior and higher ground clearance.

It’s also the first Volvo model based on its new 800V SPA2 architecture. The advanced new platform unlocks some of the world’s fastest charging speeds, along with an impressive driving range.

Based on the new platform, the ES90 can gain up to 300 km (186 miles) of range in just 10 minutes using a 350 kW fast charger. It also provides a driving range of up to 700 km (435 miles), making it the “most technically advanced” Volvo EV to date.

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After the first ES90 rolled off the production line on Thursday, Francesca Gamboni, chief industrial operations officer at Volvo Cars, said the automaker is entering “a new era of safety, sustainability, and human-centric technology.”

First-Volvo-ES90-EV
The first Volvo ES90 enters production (Source: Volvo Cars)

By offering the best of a sedan, fastback, and SUV, “the ES90 stands in a class of its own,” Volvo claims. Powered by a 102 kWh battery, the Volvo ES90 offers a whopping 700 km (435 miles) of WLTP driving range.

The inside is just as impressive as the first Volvo car equipped with NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin. With around 508 trillion operations per second, the computer offers an eightfold improvement from the previous DRIVE AGX system.

Volvo-ES90-EV-interior
The interior of the Volvo ES90 (Source: Volvo Cars)

Volvo’s new Superset tech stack enables the ES90 to improve and “evolve” through software updates. All of that, and it’s still designed with Volvo’s advanced safety tech at its core.

The ES90 “is set to be another Scandinavian design classic from Volvo Cars,” the company boasted. Volvo has already opened ES90 orders in several European markets and will soon launch it in the Asia Pacific region. In Germany, the ES90 starts at €71,990 ($84,000) with higher trim options priced upwards of around €95,000 ($110,000).

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Orsted sues to save offshore wind farm from Trump administration axe

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Orsted sues to save offshore wind farm from Trump administration axe

Attendees during a media tour of the Revolution Wind construction hub at the Port of Providence in Providence, Rhode Island, US, on Thursday, June 13, 2024.

Adam Glanzman | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The Danish renewable energy company Orsted sued the Trump administration on Thursday to prevent it from blocking the completion of a wind farm off the coast of New England.

The Interior Department abruptly ordered Orsted on August 22 to halt construction on Revolution Wind off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut. The fully permitted project is 80% complete and would provide enough power for more than 350,000 homes across both states.

Orsted asked the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to set aside the stop-work order, calling it “unlawful” and “issued in bad faith.”

Orsted shares hit a record low on August 25 in the wake of the stop-work order.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has justified the order on national security grounds and concerns that Revolution Wind will interfere with other uses of U.S. territorial waters. But Orsted said this justification is just a pretext, pointing to President Donald Trump’s long-standing animus toward wind power going back more than a decade.

“The President has apparent hostility towards offshore wind, including based on statements made on the campaign trail,” Orsted’s attorney told the court.

Revolution Wind has undergone extensive environmental and safety reviews over nearly a decade that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Orsted’s lawsuit. Federal agencies have uniformily concluded based on thousands of pages of data that the project is “environmentally sound, safe and consistent with federal law,” the company said.

Trump has targeted the wind industry since his first day in office, when he issued an order that closed federal waters to new leases for offshore projects. But the renewable industry had hoped that the White House would allow permitted projects such as Revolution Wind to proceed.

Trump has escalated his attacks on the renewable energy industry in recent weeks. The president said his administration would not approve solar and wind projects two days before Revolution Wind was hit with the stop-work order.

And the Trump administration on Friday cancelled $679 million in funding for a dozen infrastructure projects that support the offshore wind industry.

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