2010 - Haibike eQ XDURO
Smiled at, frowned upon, despised: In the MTB scene, hardly anyone initially believed that the e-drive would also make a career in mountain bikes. At least until Haibike presented the first sporty production e-MTB at Eurobike 2010, paving the way for an unprecedented development. The eQ XDURO stole the show from its motorless relatives, and many competitors were left in a cold sweat. This was because dealers were clamouring for the Haibike creation, with which the Schweinfurt-based company laid the foundation for its years of market dominance. In 2011, Haibike went into series production with four models - and was even able to inspire some convinced organic bikers. Because the designers integrated the Bosch motor into the frame, the first XDURO already had an astonishingly sporty geometry. It is therefore rightly regarded as the forefather of modern e-mountainbikes.
2010 - Bosch came, saw and won
The basis for the first Haibike was the very first Bosch e-bike motor. The Swabians also entered the e-bike business at Eurobike 2010 with the Classic Plus motor. The motor already had four support levels and offered bike manufacturers the option of a variable battery position, either on the down tube or on the luggage rack. The motor also impressed sporty riders with its 50 Newton metres of torque and its controllability. With the Classic Plus, Bosch established the mid-motor system and was soon able to set itself apart from the competition from Bionix, Panasonic and Impulse.
2010 - Kurt Schär, the e-bike pioneer
Mountain biker, businessman, visionary - Kurt Schär founded the first pure e-bike company in 2001. Flyer soon became the benchmark when it came to city and trekking e-bikes. It would be years before the first real E-MTB was available. "I knew that the e-MTB would come at some point and we had already designed prototypes in the mid-2000s. But the time wasn't right because battery technology in particular wasn't quite ready yet," recalls the Swiss pioneer today. At Eurobike 2010, when Haibike also presented its original e-MTB, the time had also come for Flyer and Schär presented its X series. With full suspension, a 300-watt Panasonic drive and a 15 Ah battery, the bike was intended to set new standards in terms of comfort and off-road capability. However, with its super-long chainstays, it was designed to be less sporty than its Haibike counterpart.
2010 - Uli Stanciu and the first E-MTB-Transalp
He brought windsurfing to Europe, founded BIKE magazine in 1989 and is regarded as the The forefather of the MTB Alpine crossing movement - It is clear that Uli Stanciu also discovered the potential of e-MTBs early on. However, as a die-hard organic biker, Stanciu was also sceptical for a long time. Flyer founder Kurt Schär tried in vain for years to convince him of the advantages of his e-bikes. "Only when you provide me with a proper full-suspension e-MTB can I take the subject seriously." This happened at Eurobike 2010, when Stanciu and his partner Jürgen Renner set off on the first E-MTB crossing of the Alps from Innsbruck to Lake Garda on Flyer's brand new X series in September 2010. Under the heading "Mountains without horror", Stanciu wrote in his Book "Fascination Transalp" his enthusiasm for the E-MTB from his soul.
2013 - The Haibike model offensive
While part of the bike industry is still pondering whether it is worth entering the e-segment, Haibike is going all out with 37 models. The e-mountainbike has long been the norm for the visionaries at Haibike, while other companies are still giving the subject the cold shoulder. With 180 millimetres of suspension travel, the XDURO NDURO should even attract the freeride and downhill faction, opening up new perspectives.
2013 - Red Deer R.C1
Rotwild enters the sporty E-MTB sector with the R.C1 hardtail. Like Haibike before it, the Dieburg-based company also installed the Bosch motor upside down in the frame. This was the beginning of Rotwild's philosophy of integrating the motor as part of the chassis.
2014 - the uphill flow is coming
The fact that you can also get into a flow state uphill thanks to motor assistance is somehow obvious. Nevertheless, in the early years of e-MTBs, nobody really had the idea of moving their bike from the bottom to the top on single trails. Until the end of 2013, when Claus Fleischer, head of Bosch eBike Systems, explored the potential of the new bikes on La Palma together with trialist Stefan Schlie. To give the child a name, the term "Uphill Flow" was born. A little later, in 2014, the action film of the same name caused a furore. The film undoubtedly provided the initial spark for sporty e-biking and accelerated the development of e-MTBs enormously. The Bosch Performance Line motor with 63 Newton metres, which was released in the same year, was the first real e-MTB motor.
2015 - Bosch plays in a league of its own
Four years after Bosch entered the e-bike market with the Classic Plus, the Swabian company launches the Performance CX version. With 75 Newton metres of torque and a reinforced gearbox, it quickly became the most widely used drive in the e-MTB category. The development of the CX took place under the leadership of die-hard mountain biker Claus Fleischer, under whose influence all further innovations have taken place to date: The E-MTB mode (2018), the Performance CX Gen4 (2019) and the Extended Boost as the latest achievement.
2015 - Specialized Turbo Levo
If anything, then the right way. After Specialized had taken a long time to develop the first E-MTB, the Americans introduced a paradigm shift with the Turbo Levo. While the majority of e-MTBs still made do with clunky clip-on batteries and motors, the first Turbo Levo with a smartly integrated drive and outstanding riding characteristics. The Brose motor also became acceptable thanks to Specialized - albeit in a special Specialized version. The Turbo Levo was also a pioneer in terms of software: the newly developed Mission Control app made it possible for the first time to intervene in the motor control and customise the support levels, for example. The lack of a display was not a cost-saving measure, but part of the concept: the aim was for the motor to regulate itself automatically based on the specified key data for the respective tour. Significantly, the centre of Specialized's entire e-bike development is not located in Morgan Hill, California, but in Switzerland - with a development crew led by innovator and chief engineer Jan Talavasek.
2015 - Red Deer R.Q1+
Around the same time as Specialized, Rotwild also came up with a fully integrated system consisting of the Brose motor and a specially developed battery unit. With its carbon frame and short, sporty geometry, the bike from Dieburg was the German answer to the Specialized Turbo Levo. Rotwild soon focussed its concentrated development power solely on the e-MTB and shortly afterwards discontinued the production of classic bikes completely.
2015 - Guido Tschugg as a professional
When Guido Tschugg, one of Germany's best-known mountain bikers, became the first big name to switch to e-MTBs in 2015, there was a huge outcry. His critics accused him of "betraying the sport". But Guido didn't care. "The e-MTB opened up completely new possibilities for me and I immediately realised that this was the future," says the freeride artist and ex-fourcross champion today. Around the same time, Bosch hired another professional ambassador for e-mountain biking in the form of two-time trials vice world champion Stefan Schlie. After just a short time, the scene was amazed at moves that had never been thought possible with a heavy e-MTB. In the service of sponsor Haibike, Guido, who has always been a top motocross rider on the side, performed twisted jumps (whips) and extreme cornering manoeuvres on his XDURO NDURO. Thanks to the first E-MTB pros, the E-MTB sport soon lost its grandpa image. The critics soon fell silent and one pro after another switched to motorised bikes.
2016 - the first EMTB magazine on newsstands
On 1 March 2016, Delius Klasing Verlag celebrates the premiere of EMTB. The magazine gives the previously somewhat cumbersome image of e-MTBs a sporty face. Inspired by the uphill flow and the resulting fireworks of innovation, the EMTB crew came up with the motto: "Steep is cool". With a completely new visual language, serious test reports and an enthusiastic crew, EMTB became the market-leading medium from a standing start.
2016 - Shimano goes on the attack
The first rumours emerged as early as 2015, but in 2016 the Japanese company became concrete and presented the Steps E8000 motor. It was supposed to be smaller and lighter than the Bosch Performance CX. Above all, however, Shimano was able to dispense with the front gearbox, a neuralgic weak point in the Bosch motors of previous generations. Shimano scored a hit with the E8000 and within a year had overtaken Bosch for supremacy in the high-end E-MTB segment. With its compact design and low weight, the Steps drive also laid the foundation for a new, more manoeuvrable generation of e-mountainbikes. Today, the Shimano EP8 is one of the best-selling E-MTB motors.
2017 - Rocky Mountain with its own drive concept
They dare to do something! This is how the majority of the industry interpreted the premiere of the Rocky Mountain Powerplay. With their first e-MTB, the Canadians not only redefined the category of agile trail bikes, they also installed their own motor. The powerful Rocky unit was able to hold its own against the established competition and is still installed in the Powerplays today. The Powerplay drive concept is based on a completely new system. The motor does not drive the bottom bracket axle, as is the case with other mid-mounted motors, but is located off-centre and slightly offset to the front. The chain is deflected over the drive sprocket using a special guide. The bottom bracket, the cranks and the entire rear triangle are identical to a classic bike. The highlight of the Powerplay is the special torque sensor, which works by means of the chain tension. If you pedal harder, the chain tightens even more and more motor power is added accordingly.
2018 - first minimal assist drive
While most manufacturers are breeding their engines for maximum power, a small Bavarian engine manufacturer is setting a counter-movement in motion. The Fazua engine is the first minimal-assist drive on the market. It celebrates its premiere in the 15.3-kilo Focus Raven². The principle of the Fazua: the battery and motor are one unit and can be completely removed from the down tube if required. The system delivers 60 Newton metres and 400 watts of peak power and, unlike the Bosch Performance CX motor of the time, is said to be completely decoupled.
2019 - the convertible fullys are coming
The lightweight minimal-assist drive from Fazua makes it possible: the convertible e-MTB, which can be used with or without drive. After the race hardtail from Focus the French bike manufacturer Lapierre will be showcasing at Eurobike 2018 with the E-Zesty the first downhill-orientated Fully with Fazua drive. The motor and battery can be removed in a few simple steps. The gap is closed by a plastic sleeve. This transforms the bike into a lightweight enduro bike. 150 millimetres of suspension travel at the rear and 160 millimetres at the front, short chainstays and aggressive geometry. The bike weighs just over 15 kilos with its carbon chassis without the drive, which is almost three kilos less than the version with the motor. If you are riding in the bike park with a lift, simply remove the drive unit and benefit from the more agile handling. By the way, the latest Fazua drive unit is the Trek with the E-Calibre.
2019 - Powerbike with system integration
It was the shooting star at the Eurobike in autumn 2018 and overshadowed the previous power bikes: the Haibike Flyon. 120 Newton metres of torque, a massive carbon chassis and plenty of suspension travel. The centrepiece of the new Haibike flagship was the latest version of the ultra-powerful TQ drive. But the Haibike Flyon should not only shine through sheer power. Many innovations were hidden in and around the bright carbon fibre frame. The 5000 lumen lighting, rear lights embedded in the seat stays, cables that disappear into the ventilation honeycomb of the head tube, a powerful on-board computer, a tuning-resistant speed sensor - system integration wherever possible was the aim of the Schweinfurt developers. Since then, however, the zeitgeist has tended to favour light, slim and small engines. As a result, you hardly hear anything more about the Flyon today. Nevertheless, the Flyon's holistic approach remains trend-setting.
2020 - Specialised Levo SL with 17 kilos
You just can't argue it away: Bike weights far beyond the 20-kilo mark don't just limit riding enjoyment. When even just loading the bike into the car becomes a feat of strength, people often dream of a lightweight e-MTB. Specialized is presenting such a dream bike at the beginning of 2020: The Specialised Levo SL can boast a weight saving of four kilos compared to the classic Levo. At 17 kilos, it still plays in the league of heavy enduro bikes without a motor, but it sets new standards for e-MTBs. The sleek look alone is quickly appreciated. With its slim down tube and mini motor, the bike is barely recognisable as an e-bike at first glance. However, there are significant compromises in terms of performance: at 35 Newton metres, the version of the German "Mahle" motor co-developed by Specialized delivers less than half the power of the Brose drive on the classic Turbo Levo (90 Newton metres). The capacity of the battery permanently installed in the down tube is also limited to 320 watt hours. However, comparing the Levo SL with its big brother would be like comparing apples with pears. It is aimed at a clientele that is not interested in pure motor power, but rather in the riding experience of a classic, non-motorised bike.
2021 - Haibike launches anniversary model
Ten years after Haibike brought the first e-MTB to series production, it's time for a look back. And the Schweinfurt-based company is celebrating with an anniversary edition. The crown of creation - at least as far as Haibike history is concerned: the All Mtn SE. The Schweinfurt-based company remains true to its philosophy with its latest model: an e-mountainbike can also be an e-mountainbike. Inspired by the Flyon power bike, the typical e-bike attributes are demonstratively on display: bulky down tube, powerful Yamaha motor, extravagant shapes, massive tyres - the latest Haibike model is thus fully geared towards trail performance. The state-of-the-art technology is underlined by the high-quality carbon construction: main frame, rocker link, rear triangle - all individual parts are made of carbon fibre. As befits its status, a 600 Wh battery powers the Yamaha unit. The EMTB conclusion after the first tests with the new All Mtn models: A Haibike e-MTB has never been so sporty! Part of the All Mtn concept is also the newly developed Modular Rail System, which makes it possible to attach various tools, bottle cages, tool bags or a lock to the frame.
Josh Welz
Editor-in-Chief
