Major US e-bike brand pushes update to boost its bikes’ power

Aventon, one of the main electric bike makers in the US market, is quietly leveling up the power of its e-bike line, all without needing to buy a new bike. The brand announced yesterday that an over-the-air firmware rollout would activate a new Boost Mode on all its ACU-equipped hub-drive bikes.

According to the company, the update would result in a 20% surge in torque and peak power for up to 30 seconds. The new Boost Mode works in both throttle and pedal-assist riding.

Accessible through Aventon ’s app, Boost Mode gives riders a temporary burst of power in any riding condition, whether tackling a brutal hill or hauling serious cargo while getting rolling after a red light.

That 20% boost might not sound earth-shattering, but on a steep grade or under heavy load, it translates to meaningful assist: stronger acceleration, easier climbs, and more confidence for riders trying to get rolling quickly.

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Once triggered via the mode selector, riders get a 30-second power window followed by a built-in cooldown to keep things reliable.

The update was announced in an email to Aventon’s rider community, though the performance increase included a humorous typo promising “20x” the power instead of 20% more power, which would have worked out to a power level roughly equivalent to a mid-range Zero electric motorcycle.

Aventon’s latest generation of smart bikes already come loaded with connectivity features like GPS tracking, anti-theft alarms, and remote locking thanks to the ACU (Aventon Control Unit). But until now, ride performance was limited to what came in the box.

Boost Mode changes that by allowing Aventon to push new power curves directly to riders’ bikes – no hardware swap required. It’s an interesting move that keeps older models feeling fresh and functional, achieving what many manufacturers only promise when launching a new model with claimed OTA update functionality.

JW Zhang, Aventon’s CEO, summed it up: “We’re excited to deliver more features and performance to our riders and continue to lead the category in ride experience and value and technology. When we launched our first ACU bike we promised there was room for additional features and this is just the beginning.”

Just the beginning, you say? Do tell…