Forum Hot Seat: The E-MTB Power Discussion

LePigPen
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Location
Harbor City, CA US
11/25/2025 6:42pm
thresh wrote:
When will e-bike companies provide us with adequate chargers? Something that can charge an 500wh ebike in half an hour or so will alleviate most issues...

When will e-bike companies provide us with adequate chargers? Something that can charge an 500wh ebike in half an hour or so will alleviate most issues with range for us weekend warriors doing laps after laps.  We can plug that baby in while snacking between the runs and replenish the battery somewhat.

do you want battery fires? because this is how you get battery fires lol

i think thats a super low priority for the industry. people are on a fairly basic use till 0, then charge back at the house, and unplug before bed schedule.

what would be cool is swapping batteries out. speaking of like the Transition Relay with Fazua. dunno how much extra battery is but that sounds cool to me.

3
grinch
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Location
CA
11/25/2025 7:10pm

I think the avinox's charger is quite quick and small and i havent heard of fire issues. You can get to80% in an hourish i believe? That'd work fine in a lot of cases for me. Huge backcountry days is another thing

thresh
Posts
111
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10/18/2023
Location
San Jose, CA US
11/25/2025 7:15pm

yeah, Spec and Amflow went in a right direction providing 700w and 500w chargers. I just wish it was even faster.

11/25/2025 8:46pm
thresh wrote:
When will e-bike companies provide us with adequate chargers? Something that can charge an 500wh ebike in half an hour or so will alleviate most issues...

When will e-bike companies provide us with adequate chargers? Something that can charge an 500wh ebike in half an hour or so will alleviate most issues with range for us weekend warriors doing laps after laps.  We can plug that baby in while snacking between the runs and replenish the battery somewhat.

We have a solution for you! We now have the 3.1 Smart Charger for Levo 4's that will charge your 840Wh battery from 0 to 80% in under an hour. That's plenty of time to slam a few taco's and head back to the trails. 

4
11/25/2025 8:47pm
thresh wrote:

yeah, Spec and Amflow went in a right direction providing 700w and 500w chargers. I just wish it was even faster.

Riders spoke and we listened! 

2
11/26/2025 4:49am

Instead of a bottle cage range extender, and based on the fact you can incorporate a 900w battery in a downtube, why not have a semi permanent internal 600w battery low down in the downtube, and a removable 300w battery higher up the downtube? Can double as storage when not using the 300w, and that must be an easier connection? Would also be easier to carry a spare 300w battery in a backpack if you needed 1200w for a BIG day out.

The ebike I want, no one is going to make - DH mini mullet. But, it shouldn't be too difficult to intentionally produce a normal mullet with 170mm front and rear, which is capable of taking a 200mm dual crown 27.5 (same a2c as a 170mm 29 single crown), and option to over shock the rear end to take a 26 wheel (and adjust the motor output to suit a 26 wheel)? And wide range 8 speed please, stronger chain, and I find myself double shifting with 11 speed anyway.

1
sethimus
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CH
11/26/2025 5:04am
thresh wrote:

yeah, Spec and Amflow went in a right direction providing 700w and 500w chargers. I just wish it was even faster.

have you seen the specialized one? thing is huge

ZAKBROWN!
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Location
Salt Lake City, UT US
11/26/2025 7:00am

What are your thoughts on having a removable vs. non-removable battery?

earleb wrote:
Personally I think a mid-sized non-removeable battery and a good range extender provides a best of both worlds Removeable battery that drops out the side or...

Personally I think a mid-sized non-removeable battery and a good range extender provides a best of both worlds Removeable battery that drops out the side or the front of the downtube add considerable weight. The options that drop out the bottom of the downtube with minimal work being the best compromise. 

Do you ever ride range extender only? 

Is that even possible on any e-bike?  I thought range extenders basically charge the main battery while it’s being used, don’t they all plug into the charge port?  

I could be wrong, I’ve never actually used one.  My frame can barely fit a small water bottle so I just have 800 and 650 wh batteries.

1
TQ-Group
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Location
DE
11/26/2025 7:43am
earleb wrote:
Personally I think a mid-sized non-removeable battery and a good range extender provides a best of both worlds Removeable battery that drops out the side or...

Personally I think a mid-sized non-removeable battery and a good range extender provides a best of both worlds Removeable battery that drops out the side or the front of the downtube add considerable weight. The options that drop out the bottom of the downtube with minimal work being the best compromise. 

Do you ever ride range extender only? 

ZAKBROWN! wrote:
Is that even possible on any e-bike?  I thought range extenders basically charge the main battery while it’s being used, don’t they all plug into the...

Is that even possible on any e-bike?  I thought range extenders basically charge the main battery while it’s being used, don’t they all plug into the charge port?  

I could be wrong, I’ve never actually used one.  My frame can barely fit a small water bottle so I just have 800 and 650 wh batteries.

It depends on the system you’re riding. Some range extenders only trickle-charge the main battery, but others can run the bike by themselves. On our setup, the range extender can act as a standalone power source, so riding with just the extender is no problem. It’s a nice option if you want a lighter bike for a quick lunch ride.

11
thresh
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Location
San Jose, CA US
11/26/2025 10:26am
thresh wrote:

yeah, Spec and Amflow went in a right direction providing 700w and 500w chargers. I just wish it was even faster.

sethimus wrote:

have you seen the specialized one? thing is huge

Yes.  I don't care about the size as long as it does its job.  I would appreciate a GaN or whatever the technology called for the smaller ones, but don't really care since a/ the SUV I take on the trips is large enough, and b/ generator (anker solix f1500, 1500wh battery) is also large so the charger size does not really matter on the trips.

1
ebikeluver
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Terrace, BC CA
11/26/2025 1:38pm

Hey quick one for specialized on the SL side, you guys have the smallest battery, any plans to compete with the new larger TQ in the SL bike or are you dedicated to a small battery with a range extender on the SL side? Cheers.

sethimus
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877
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Location
CH
11/27/2025 12:04am
thresh wrote:
Yes.  I don't care about the size as long as it does its job.  I would appreciate a GaN or whatever the technology called for the...

Yes.  I don't care about the size as long as it does its job.  I would appreciate a GaN or whatever the technology called for the smaller ones, but don't really care since a/ the SUV I take on the trips is large enough, and b/ generator (anker solix f1500, 1500wh battery) is also large so the charger size does not really matter on the trips.

see, that's the problem in the first place, needing a SUV to go biking. but you are an american, so you can't see the problem Smile i live #carfree btw. and with that, the size of a charger becomes a problem if you are going to take it on a tour...

1
7
veefour
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Cinderford GB
11/27/2025 1:01am Edited Date/Time 11/27/2025 1:02am
earleb wrote:
Personally I think a mid-sized non-removeable battery and a good range extender provides a best of both worlds Removeable battery that drops out the side or...

Personally I think a mid-sized non-removeable battery and a good range extender provides a best of both worlds Removeable battery that drops out the side or the front of the downtube add considerable weight. The options that drop out the bottom of the downtube with minimal work being the best compromise. 

Do you ever ride range extender only? 

ZAKBROWN! wrote:
Is that even possible on any e-bike?  I thought range extenders basically charge the main battery while it’s being used, don’t they all plug into the...

Is that even possible on any e-bike?  I thought range extenders basically charge the main battery while it’s being used, don’t they all plug into the charge port?  

I could be wrong, I’ve never actually used one.  My frame can barely fit a small water bottle so I just have 800 and 650 wh batteries.

Not sure about other brands, but some Specialized ebikes can be run on the range extender only.

 

RaggedEdge
Posts
83
Joined
12/5/2017
Location
Austin, TX US
11/27/2025 6:58am

I just started to demo e-bikes and have ridden 6 over the few weeks. I really like the Turbo Levo (ridden) and want to try the Amflow soon. For me the Amflow ticks all the boxes except an easily removable battery like the Levo (about a minute). About how long will it take the average bike hack to remove it and put it back in?

1
11/27/2025 8:22am

FYI, the person responsible for providing answers and commentary at Fazua has taken off sick this week unfortunately, so any Fazua answers will have to wait until next week.

3
thresh
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Location
San Jose, CA US
11/27/2025 10:10am
thresh wrote:
Yes.  I don't care about the size as long as it does its job.  I would appreciate a GaN or whatever the technology called for the...

Yes.  I don't care about the size as long as it does its job.  I would appreciate a GaN or whatever the technology called for the smaller ones, but don't really care since a/ the SUV I take on the trips is large enough, and b/ generator (anker solix f1500, 1500wh battery) is also large so the charger size does not really matter on the trips.

sethimus wrote:
see, that's the problem in the first place, needing a SUV to go biking. but you are an american, so you can't see the problem :)...

see, that's the problem in the first place, needing a SUV to go biking. but you are an american, so you can't see the problem Smile i live #carfree btw. and with that, the size of a charger becomes a problem if you are going to take it on a tour...

Well I feel offended now Smile I'm not American, however I do indeed live in the USA at the moment. Lots of the places in the world however require you to get to the trailhead somehow and not all of us are blessed with local trails right outside your door - or good public transportation that would allow bikes - was definitely not the case for me in my homeland in Russia. 

I understand that use cases for ebikes are different, and somewhere in the middle of developed Alps chalet/refuge/restaurant owners would be kind enough to provide a 220v socket to charge in exchange for a few euros for a crêpe et espresso. Of course fitting one in a backpack would not be great, hence my GaN comment.

1
ntm95
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Lloydminster, AB CA
11/27/2025 10:34am Edited Date/Time 11/27/2025 10:34am
sethimus wrote:
see, that's the problem in the first place, needing a SUV to go biking. but you are an american, so you can't see the problem :)...

see, that's the problem in the first place, needing a SUV to go biking. but you are an american, so you can't see the problem Smile i live #carfree btw. and with that, the size of a charger becomes a problem if you are going to take it on a tour...

Hah, where I live I have to drive quite literally across the entirety of Switzerland, to get to the nearest hill. 500kms to the nearest mountain. Which I do most weekends. Your point of view is a bit geo locked.

3
bermed
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Location
Boston, MA US
12/1/2025 9:14am

Question for Fazua: can you give us any more info on your future plans that would increase confidence in current Ride60 owners?

I recently picked up a Heckler SL with a Ride60 motor. I love the ride quality of the motor and the lower weight of the package because I enjoy pedaling to the top, I just want some extra support to do longer rides. The Ride60 supplies totally adequate power, so I don't understand why people would want or need a full-power ebike. Can currently happily get 3-4,000 feet of climbing in out of a 3 hour ride.

I was obviously bummed by the cancellation of the range extender, which I was looking forward to for longer backcountry days. I'm worried about the future of the motor and availability of batteries, which makes me feel like my Heckler will be a paperweight very quickly. Is there anything you're able to share about future motor or battery plans that could assuage concerns? Would love to get to add an updated motor or larger battery when available.

8
12/3/2025 10:59am
ebikeluver wrote:
Hey quick one for specialized on the SL side, you guys have the smallest battery, any plans to compete with the new larger TQ in the...

Hey quick one for specialized on the SL side, you guys have the smallest battery, any plans to compete with the new larger TQ in the SL bike or are you dedicated to a small battery with a range extender on the SL side? Cheers.

 

Hey! Good question.

Right now we’re pretty committed to keeping the SL platform light and true to what makes it ride so well. Once you start adding bigger batteries, the whole character of the bike changes—weight goes up, handling gets duller, and you lose a bit of what makes the SL feel “alive” on the trail.

For riders who want more range, the Range Extender is still the best solution. You get the extra juice when you need it, and once it’s drained you’re back to that super playful, lightweight feel again.

We’re always keeping an eye on new tech, but for now the priority is keeping the SL bikes fun, light, and super dialed on trail.

 


 

4
sethimus
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877
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Location
CH
12/3/2025 1:30pm
 Hey! Good question.Right now we’re pretty committed to keeping the SL platform light and true to what makes it ride so well. Once you start adding...

 

Hey! Good question.

Right now we’re pretty committed to keeping the SL platform light and true to what makes it ride so well. Once you start adding bigger batteries, the whole character of the bike changes—weight goes up, handling gets duller, and you lose a bit of what makes the SL feel “alive” on the trail.

For riders who want more range, the Range Extender is still the best solution. You get the extra juice when you need it, and once it’s drained you’re back to that super playful, lightweight feel again.

We’re always keeping an eye on new tech, but for now the priority is keeping the SL bikes fun, light, and super dialed on trail.

 


 

Why did you go then even heavier with the Turbo plattform? Wasn't the new Mahle motor good enough?

1
ebikeluver
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Location
Terrace, BC CA
12/8/2025 2:01am
ebikeluver wrote:
Hey quick one for specialized on the SL side, you guys have the smallest battery, any plans to compete with the new larger TQ in the...

Hey quick one for specialized on the SL side, you guys have the smallest battery, any plans to compete with the new larger TQ in the SL bike or are you dedicated to a small battery with a range extender on the SL side? Cheers.

 Hey! Good question.Right now we’re pretty committed to keeping the SL platform light and true to what makes it ride so well. Once you start adding...

 

Hey! Good question.

Right now we’re pretty committed to keeping the SL platform light and true to what makes it ride so well. Once you start adding bigger batteries, the whole character of the bike changes—weight goes up, handling gets duller, and you lose a bit of what makes the SL feel “alive” on the trail.

For riders who want more range, the Range Extender is still the best solution. You get the extra juice when you need it, and once it’s drained you’re back to that super playful, lightweight feel again.

We’re always keeping an eye on new tech, but for now the priority is keeping the SL bikes fun, light, and super dialed on trail.

 


 

It's too bad you can't offer a setup like the tq, having to run a range extender to actually head out in the woods is a non starter for me, extra cable, worse weight distribution and no bottle, no thanks. 

1
sjwagner
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4
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4/27/2014
Location
Olympic Valley, CA US
12/8/2025 8:52am
ebikeluver wrote:
Hey quick one for specialized on the SL side, you guys have the smallest battery, any plans to compete with the new larger TQ in the...

Hey quick one for specialized on the SL side, you guys have the smallest battery, any plans to compete with the new larger TQ in the SL bike or are you dedicated to a small battery with a range extender on the SL side? Cheers.

 Hey! Good question.Right now we’re pretty committed to keeping the SL platform light and true to what makes it ride so well. Once you start adding...

 

Hey! Good question.

Right now we’re pretty committed to keeping the SL platform light and true to what makes it ride so well. Once you start adding bigger batteries, the whole character of the bike changes—weight goes up, handling gets duller, and you lose a bit of what makes the SL feel “alive” on the trail.

For riders who want more range, the Range Extender is still the best solution. You get the extra juice when you need it, and once it’s drained you’re back to that super playful, lightweight feel again.

We’re always keeping an eye on new tech, but for now the priority is keeping the SL bikes fun, light, and super dialed on trail.

 


 

It would be nice to have the option to buy a larger internal battery to maintain the ability to carry a bottle. 

FAZUA
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11/12/2025
Location
Ottobrun DE
12/10/2025 4:19am
segamethod wrote:
Glad to see FAZUA sent a reply, considering forum members here seem to be forecasting their imminent demise. I (reluctantly) picked up a steeply discounted FAZUA...

Glad to see FAZUA sent a reply, considering forum members here seem to be forecasting their imminent demise. I (reluctantly) picked up a steeply discounted FAZUA Ride 60 powered gravel bike for commuting and have found it to have more than adequate power for that application (can comfortably sit at 28mph when in the drops). For my mountain bikes, it’s full power all the way.

That's great! We're glad you like the system as it is. We strongly believe that it provides the perfect amount of power. 

FAZUA
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7
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11/12/2025
Location
Ottobrun DE
12/10/2025 4:25am
AndehM wrote:
It's not exactly related to the topic of motor power but I have a few questions related to ebike systems in general:1) I'd like to know...

It's not exactly related to the topic of motor power but I have a few questions related to ebike systems in general:

1) I'd like to know more about the thought process behind product managers who think LED battery level displays are still acceptable.  Everyone wants a percentage level, even if it's just a tiny little watch sized, black and white LCD screen.  Speaking from personal experience, if I know I'm at 19% juice, I will go do another lap, but if I'm at 6%, it's time to head home.

2) I'd like to hear how the motor brands are going to make it possible for consumers to upgrade to newer model motors when their old ones die.  Barring that, what is your brand's commitment (in years) to making replacement motors available to consumers once the initial warranty expires?

3) What is your brand doing to facilitate recycling or reuse of degraded batteries?

1) We take this feedback seriously. We recommend using the free FAZUA app or third-party devices, such as Garmin, to show the percentage of charge remaining.

2) In general, regulations require bike and drive-system manufacturers to provide spare parts for a certain period, even after components have been discontinued. This helps ensure that the purchased product remains fully usable.

3) We work with certified and legally mandated service providers to ensure full compliance with all regulations and guarantee the safe, responsible recycling of degraded batteries.

 

3
FAZUA
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7
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11/12/2025
Location
Ottobrun DE
12/10/2025 4:30am
ntm95 wrote:
That's great to hear !I wouldn't mind a less "natural" feel really, I find the bosch and fazua perfectly acceptable. And would be very happy with...

That's great to hear !

I wouldn't mind a less "natural" feel really, I find the bosch and fazua perfectly acceptable. And would be very happy with the current 580wh with something like a 500g increase in motor/drive weight and a bit more power. The fazua system would be great if it weren't for the reliability and efficiency issues inherent in a right angle, high reduction, drive in a low weight application. 

 

We continuously refine and advance every component of our system to deliver the highest possible performance. Our current design achieves top-tier efficiency in this segment. The 90° angle does not significantly impact efficiency, indeed our motor operates at a much higher level than comparable solutions.

2
FAZUA
Posts
7
Joined
11/12/2025
Location
Ottobrun DE
12/10/2025 4:32am
thresh wrote:
When will e-bike companies provide us with adequate chargers? Something that can charge an 500wh ebike in half an hour or so will alleviate most issues...

When will e-bike companies provide us with adequate chargers? Something that can charge an 500wh ebike in half an hour or so will alleviate most issues with range for us weekend warriors doing laps after laps.  We can plug that baby in while snacking between the runs and replenish the battery somewhat.

We share the same ambition for faster charging and closely monitor every development in this field. At present, battery technology requires us to prioritize durability over ultra-fast charging.

2
FAZUA
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7
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11/12/2025
Location
Ottobrun DE
12/10/2025 6:07am
bermed wrote:
Question for Fazua: can you give us any more info on your future plans that would increase confidence in current Ride60 owners?I recently picked up a...

Question for Fazua: can you give us any more info on your future plans that would increase confidence in current Ride60 owners?

I recently picked up a Heckler SL with a Ride60 motor. I love the ride quality of the motor and the lower weight of the package because I enjoy pedaling to the top, I just want some extra support to do longer rides. The Ride60 supplies totally adequate power, so I don't understand why people would want or need a full-power ebike. Can currently happily get 3-4,000 feet of climbing in out of a 3 hour ride.

I was obviously bummed by the cancellation of the range extender, which I was looking forward to for longer backcountry days. I'm worried about the future of the motor and availability of batteries, which makes me feel like my Heckler will be a paperweight very quickly. Is there anything you're able to share about future motor or battery plans that could assuage concerns? Would love to get to add an updated motor or larger battery when available.

We continuously refine and enhance all components of our system to ensure the highest level of performance. These include the launch of our FAZUA E480 battery which provides 50 wh more capacity, the FAZUA Mode Control, the FAZUA Toolbox, App feature enhancements and improved riding behavior through ongoing software updates.

If you don’t want to miss any of these developments, make sure to sign up for our newsletter: FAZUA | innovative drive systems for agile and light e-bikes

SPC
Posts
2
Joined
2/27/2017
Location
Clemson, SC US
12/10/2025 7:14am

@Fazua

The latest updates allow boost to be activated with the button on the new controller or if using the old ring controller in mtb mode, to push the ring to the right. Can we get an update that would allow us to turn boost off once pedaled? Currently, once boost is engaged while pedaling you have to let it run the full time. It would be nice to be able to turn it off if the hill is let's say only 7 seconds instead of having to let it run for the full time. 

Otherwise, the latest updates really have the system feeling good!

1

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