In addition to that, we've also changed some things around on the layout and added a few features. First and foremost is something that I've alluded to on our
GMAC product page which we're calling virtual electronic freewheeling.
This causes the Phaserunner controller to inject a small amount of phase current through the motor winding even when the throttle is off. As soon as the motor stops turning (based on the stall timeout) then the current drops to zero properly so you don't have to worry about it wasting power when the bike is parked.
For systems that have an always engaged motor (direct drive or a geared motor with a locked clutch), what you can do is tweak this value so that it's just about cancels out the drag torque of the motor itself. Then when you let go of the throttle to pedal unassisted, there will still be a small ~10-30 watts of power going through the motor in order to cancel the drag, and the experience for the rider is exactly the same as if the motor was
actually freewheeling. The downside is that this draws a bit of power from the battery (unlike an actual freewheel), but on the upside you'll almost always get more energy back from regenerative braking than you expend on this virtual freewheeling behavior.
That's our main intention of the feature, but there is another use with mid-drive or geared motor setups in order to keep the motor always engaged with the drivetrain. That way there is no windup delay and jarring kick once the motor spins and catches up with the clutch, which has been the source of many premature mechanical features.