While the first generation of electric mountain bikes (or eMTBs) found limited appeal among the trail and enduro community, that has changed significantly in the last five years as eMTBs evolved to become lighter, handle better, and ride downhill as capably as any traditional mountain bike. Motorized mountain bikes are now among the fastest growing segment in the sport, with more and more riders gaining an appreciation for the things they bring to your riding arsenal.
An eMTB, after all, can halve the time you spend climbing hills, allowing you to go on thrilling downhill descents more frequently compared to a regular mountain bike, as well as put previously impossible climbs within your reach with the help of its motor and battery. It can also allow you to cover the same area in a shorter time, clearing room in your day to explore places you wouldn’t have time to ride through otherwise, all while letting you hit the trails even in those moments you’re not feeling at full strength. For the more creative, an eMTB also opens up new ways of riding that may not be possible without motorized assistance, essentially expanding the horizons of what you can do on the trail.
These are our favorite electric mountain bikes today.
Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo
The top-shelf model in the beloved Turbo Levo lineup, this S-Works variant pairs the outfit’s 565W motor with a 700Wh battery, giving it enough muscle to climb the steepest hills it will encounter, while an all-carbon frame with asymmetric sidearm design and 150mm of suspension travel keeps it extremely responsive for aggressive riding on any trail. Both that motor and battery module, by the way, are exclusively engineered for Specialized, so you’re getting something entirely different compared to whatever else is out there.
Perhaps more than any other eMTB, it really delivers that genuine mountain bike feel, whether you’re riding through loose terrain, maneuvering through bends, or careening downhill at high speeds. It’s fun, it’s agile, and it’s incredibly well-rounded, offering a performance that’s pretty hard to match to this day. Suffice to say, no electric mountain bike has changed skeptics’ minds about the category more than the Turbo Levo range.
It comes with three riding modes, each of which will change the amount of pedal assist it provides, although you can also tune the pedal assist manually, from 10 to 100 percent in 10-point increments. The battery, by the way, should hold enough juice to keep you on the trail for the better part of five hours, so you can have a whole lot of fun on top of this thing.
Santa Cruz Bullit S
It’s not the top-of-the-line of the Bullit lineup, but this model offers arguably the best balance of price and performance. Equipped with Shimano’s 250W STEPS EP8 motor and a 630Wh battery, it provides all the pedal assist you need for climbing uphill and powering through rocky trails, allowing you to navigate the steepest trails in either direction. The bike does its best work at speed, just ploughing through rocks, roots, and anything else in its path as if they were nothing, with the bike providing all the control and grip you can ask for to make climbs that would otherwise be too difficult feel very manageable. On slower trails and steeper descents, the weight can require some tricky handling, but not enough to overwhelm anyone but the most novice riders.
Marin Alpine Trail E2
The outfit’s first full-suspension eMTB, the Alpine Trail E2 sports a mullet design, with a 29-inch wheel out front and a 27.5-incher in the rear, and looks very similar to a lot of their full-suspension mountain bikes. That’s a good thing, as it delivers the composed yet playful handling you expect from a good mountain bike, even while the 250W Shimano STEPS EP8 motor and the 630Wh battery step in to help propel you forward. It’s fitted with top spec components throughout and the quality of the build really shows itself once you end up on fast and rough trails, with its balanced descent and decisive turning allowing you to ride through nearly anything with confidence.
Canyon Spectral:ON CF 7
It won’t deliver the smoothest rides when tackling the toughest terrain, but it’s good enough to let you maneuver through them and have fun while doing it. Equipped with quality parts, including a carbon main frame, a rear suspension with 150mm of travel, a RockShox Deluxe Select shocks, and a 12-speed Shimano XT, it’s a versatile all-rounder that will capably handle climbs, descents, and flats alike, while the center stance and long reach makes for an exhilarating cornering feel. Pedal assist is provided by a 250W Shimano STEPS EP8 motor and a 630Wh battery, so it delivers the same power and range as many eMTBs in this list, but the real appeal here lies in its ability to deliver a fun and engaging ride in nearly any terrain.
Cannondale Moterra Neo 5
If you’re on the lookout for a more affordable eMTB option, Cannondale’s Moterra Neo 5 offers one of the better entry-level options we’ve seen. Combining an aluminum frame with 150mm of suspension travel, large 29-inch tires, and a 10-speed drivetrain, it delivers enough agility and precision to let you maneuver on technical trails, while the Shimano Steps E7000 motor and 504Wh battery delivers enough torque for extended periods to make most climbs feel effortless. It’s a very composed bike, one that will keep you confident on the rowdiest trails, although it will require some mindful handling during tight turns to make sure you keep your balance. Provided you can handle that, this mountain bike offers the joys of pedal assist at a more affordable price point.