PoweredUp Retiring?

[The_Cook]

The PuP shortages could just be rather mundane manufacturing challenges.

unlike standard bricks that are fully manufactured in house by TLG and can be produced as needed; I suspect the circuit boards are outsourced. Obtaining the components to go on the circuit boards can be time consuming and there may be delays, producing a batch of boards takes time.

Suffice to say if stocks get low it could take some time to replenish; the PaB stock probably gets replenished each time they do another batch of the currently active boxed train sets. They don’t produce set continuously they produce a batch, stock up the warehouse and then the production machinery is reprogrammed to pack a batch of the next set.

[zephyr1934]

So the AAA hubs and train motors reappeared on the US S@H a few weeks ago. I bought a few of each. The train motors arrived this week, each one came in this cute little box that I've not seen before. It has been a long time since I've ordered train motors, but if these boxes are a new thing then perhaps the transition from polybag to box packaging might explain why some items went out of stock for a little while. Still, the selection of available PUP parts is lower- the sensors are gone, M motors are gone, etc. so I still think they are winding down, just slower

[The Big MC]

IF these are small white boxes they have been coming in  sets for a while. Could also show they are selling motors intended to be packaged in sets. 

[M_slug357]

Nothing like a sloWww death ey…?

Komm sußer tod lol

Edited April 4 by M_slug357
i cant spell w/o coffee

[Lok24]

On 4/4/2025 at 5:04 AM, zephyr1934 said:

M motors are gone

Perhaps cause they are were very old and the only technic motors without feedback, which is not very useful.

[JopieK]

Why do you need feedback on certain motors? E.g. a train motor has in my opinion no need for feedback (I mean slipping wheels can also not be detected by direct motor feedback, at least not without additional complex sensors).

[Lok24]

14 minutes ago, JopieK said:

E.g. a train motor has in my opinion no need for feedback

no feedback to the controller, but internally for speed control.
Starting smothly and no problems with curves and switches or heavy weights.
Have a look (0:47)

 

 

Edited April 9 by Lok24

[dr_spock]

The simple M motor without feedback is fine for GBC modules and what not.  Why pay extra for a rotational sensor when you don't need it for a particular type of MOC?  Costs add up when many motors are used and worn out from displaying at many events and shows.

[Lok24]

8 hours ago, dr_spock said:

Why pay extra for a rotational sensor

The difference between M and simple M was 3,--€, and as I reuse parts for new MOCs I'm more flexible.

 

8 hours ago, dr_spock said:

The simple M motor without feedback is fine for GBC modules

Like PF it requires some gear and external speed control afaik , both nor required with all PU-Motors except simple M and train

 

 

 

Edited April 10 by Lok24

[JopieK]

23 hours ago, Lok24 said:

no feedback to the controller, but internally for speed control.
Starting smothly and no problems with curves and switches or heavy weights.
Have a look (0:47

 

Of course I know these problems from experience. Simply replacing the DRV883x with the DRV8871/DRV8701 could already fix this, then you don't need to add (external) feedback sensors.

[Lok24]

16 hours ago, JopieK said:

Simply

Or simply use universal motors and use all other features too.

[JopieK]

7 hours ago, Lok24 said:

Or simply use universal motors and use all other features too.

Of course in theory I would also be in favor of servos, but it makes motors much much more expensive, just a little more intelligent H-bridge would make the control unit more expensive but is still way less expensive than the servo option.

[Lok24]

1 hour ago, JopieK said:

but it makes motors much much more expensive

Here are the prices from BrickSet

WeDo 2.0 Medium Motor $14.95
Medium Linear Motor $16.99

So the difference is just $2.04, not that much I think
 

 

 

[JopieK]

Yes they sell at a difference that is marginal for us, but I think the servo's are much more expensive for LEGO to make compared to the non-Servo versions.

[XG BC]

exactly. its economics of scale. and at that scale you want to reduce the bill of materials as much as possible.

[The_Cook]

Bricklink is a marketplace driven by supply and demand; there is no direct linkage to manufacturing costs. It’s perceived desirability by the suppliers and consumers,
 

PAB prices are a more direct linkage to manufacturing costs as Lego is the primary producer and is likely to price them in line with manufacturing costs.

[Lok24]

5 minutes ago, The_Cook said:

PAB prices are a more direct linkage to manufacturing costs as Lego

the prices mentioned above are the "set"-prices

Why they should now retire the motor with the lower  manufacturing costs?

[The_Cook]

The only other factor that I can think of that may affect production is component availability. Again, unlike standard bricks where TLG is fully in control, the electronics are source from 3rd party suppliers. If the suppliers end production of a component being used then that necessitates a redesign or abandonment of the product.

Industrial components tend to be in production for longer time periods but even they eventually go out of production.

 

I still suspect that the intermittent availability is that the manufacturing of the PUP components is done in more sporadic batches compared with the standard bricks that TLG can replenish more easily and frequently.

Edited April 15 by The_Cook
Punctuation

[MAB]

It may also be that they are eventually retiring both, but have large stocks of one of them so it doesn't appear to be retiring.

Back in PF days, I bought a load of the M-motor then a few weeks later went to buy more and it had already been marked as sold out then retired. Yet they still stocked and sold the L, XL and servo for quite some time after that.

[Space78]

Leaked image on Redit shows an "Explorer Train" set 60470 with PowerUp system.  So, seems like PU is continuing...

[M_slug357]

I seent the leak but i's still skeptical

lol

I see this going one of two ways:

A) The Arctic Train is part of the first wave of a PuP 2.0 system ((or at the very least PuP 1.5)) that introduces improved elements w/o changing the proprietary connectors, and also introduces some new play feature specific track elements. There's the one bump-action track piece that hopefully won't be a 1-off novelty. The other is a road crossing/ re-railler piece that I'm *really* hoping is actually two separate pieces, where that road bit in the middle is actually a giant 4x14 tile that then leaves the rest of the track hollow like the old 6x8 trapdoor plate. It's probably one piece, but HopefullYyy not

B) The Arctic Train is the last train set to use the PuP system before the next regime change is announced ((2027 perhaps?)) that will most certainly reinvent the wheel change the proprietary connectors in order to facilitate an 8 strand thick cable, the upside being a robust LiOn battery pack (sold separately). The two new track elements are merely there.

I'm sincerely hoping for my scenario A to play out!

Upon first glance at the leaked boxart, I mistook the minifig using a telescoping camera lens while seated in a tracked vehicle as some sort of mobile artillery/lawnchair that was sniping the boulders to fall onto the train... but I had to refresh myself and ask why would they want to stop their own train... unless

I wonder if the tariff wars will affect the price?

*le sigh*... Probably

[idlemarvel]

On 4/21/2025 at 4:38 PM, Space78 said:

Leaked image on Redit shows an "Explorer Train" set 60470 with PowerUp system.  So, seems like PU is continuing...

Good news about a new PU set, and an exciting one to get kids into trains, assuming the reddit leak is true. It would also mean the Powered up app would get an update for the new set. Maybe they'll be able to incorporate a fix for new Fire HD 10 devices that version 4.1.1 introduced. Saving my pennies for June 1!

[The Big MC]

Strangely, A medium motor i got at the back end of last year stopped working this week. Contacted Lego support and was told this was not being produced any more.  Strangely, they have now "found" a motor, and it is on its way to me. Hopefully, the shortages have been caused by something temporary. I don't mind Powered up, just because it came with more ports and an integrated rechargeable battery.