Is EP8 "kick on" a feature from a firmware upgrade??? What is it??

[range_anxiety]

So read a recent review of the Canyon Spectraln 8 about a feature called "kick on"

"The EP8 also has a ‘kick on’ surge, that keeps the rear wheel driving for a couple of seconds even when you stop pedalling. That might not sound like much, but it’s a big deal when it comes to getting up steps or other crux moves on climbs and puts Shimano on par with Bosch for technical climbing. "

Canyon Spectral:ON CF 8: First Ride Review

Canyon Spectral:ON CF 8 gets Shimano’s latest EP8 motor and battery, but is the older chassis still competitive?

www.bikeperfect.com

I have only ever heard about it from this review but no where else.... Is this a Canyon specific EP8 tune (or) is it across all of EP8.. Was this a recent firmware update... If so has anyone tried it??

All the original reviews of the EP8 knocked the motor for not having a similar feature to the Bosch motor...

Is it similar to Bosch Extended boost???

Is the EP8 becoming on par with the other motors features, thru firmware updates?

 

[Blokie]

I've not tried the Bosch, but have an EP8 in my 2021 Merida e140. If has 3 x configurable options - Assist Character (1-10), Max Torque (1-10) and Assist (1-5), with each of the 3 being set separately for the Eco, Trail and Boost modes, and for each of the 2 x profiles.

I think that the latter Assist 1-5 option is the kick-on that you refer to. I certainly have a noticable kick-on on my assist of 5 in trail mode, whereby when I stop pedalling (or more usefully when I just get a couple of pedal strokes it to maintain speed) it keep on giving you assistance for about a second or so, meaning those 1 or 2 pedal strokes make a big difference to maintaining speed or giving you a little extra speed if you feel you need it for a jump etc.