SCOTT’s newest incarnation of their E-Genius flaunts a brand new frame, new motor and new rear end design. In fact, other than the name, very little has remained from the earlier E-Genius generation! We’ve spent two days tearing up and down the trails in Italy’s Valle d’Aosta testing the E-Genius to bring you our First Ride review.

Scorching hot! We’ve been testing the majorly revised SCOTT E-Genius that’s just dropped!

The frame of the SCOTT E-Genius

Their newest incarnation of the E-Genius has been scrubbed and pulled in all directions for the coming season, seeing SCOTT put their focus firmly on integrating the Shimano STEPS E8000 system. They’ve stashed the battery into the airy downtube and developed their own three-part motor cover with air coolers and a skid plate. In the pursuit of aesthetics, all of the cables run internally through the aluminium frame.

By integrating the battery into the downtube there’s space for a bottle cage mount in the frame.

The E-Genius has two-position geometry adjustment via a flip-chip on the rear shock mount to alter the bottom bracket height as well as the angles. At the rear there’s clearance for up to 2.8″-wide 27.5″ tires, or 2.6″ 29ers. In terms of wheelsize, SCOTT don’t dictate so the choice is down to the customer. Stay tuned for our more in-depth testing of both wheelsizes.

The option to mount a kickstand might not win the most kudos amongst more ambitious riders, but it’s arguably an intelligent feature that many will rate.

The SCOTT E-Genius 700 Tuned specs

Fork FOX 36 Float Factory 150 mm
Shock FOX NUDE EVOL Trunnion 150 mm
Motor / Battery Shimano STEPS E8000 / 500 Wh
Brakes Shimano Zee
Drivetrain Shimano XT
Seatpost FOX Transfer
Stem Syncros FL1.5
Handlebar Syncros FL1.0 Carbon 740 mm
Tires MAXXIS Minion DHF 2,8″/ Minion DHR II 2,8″
Wheels DT Swiss H1825

The flipchip alters the angles so that the E-Genius is primed for both wheelsizes.
The cable from the TwinLoc remote lever has been ingeniously hidden to create a super clean look.
Nice detail: The speed sensor has been cleverly integrated into the disc brake mount, eliminating the risk of losing the small magnet.
All the cables run internally to their destinations.
Designed by Syncros, this mudguard slots in nicely with the look of the E-Genius.
The E-Genius comes as stock with a 2.8″-wide Minion DHF front tire, although the bike can also be ridden with 2.5″ tires or as a 29er.
The electronic Shimano XT Di2 is kitted onto the top-of-the-range Tuned model, which runs on power from the main battery.
A must-have on E-MTBs: powerful disc brakes like these Shimano ZEE ones with 200 mm rotors.
The power button for the Shimano motor on the downtube is a bit awkward to reach.
All of the information is visible and easy to read on the stylishly integrated, compact display.

SCOTT have moved on from plus-size tire chat

A glance at the list of new SCOTT E-Genius models shows that the term ‘Plus’ has seemingly fallen out of fashion, not appearing in any of the names. SCOTT’s current approach now refers solely to 27.5″ or 29″ tires and their respective widths. However, it’s purely a name-based departure, as SCOTT have exclusively equipped the 27.5″ wheels with wide 2.8″ tires, while the 29ers have a width of 2.6″. All of the wheel sizes are compatible with upwards of 2.5″-wide tires, so it’s down to personal taste.

What even is plus-size these days? On the left there’s a Nobby Nic 2.8″ on a 40 mm rim (69 mm wide), while the other three tires are on 30 mm rims. Second-left is a Rekon 2.8″, then a Minion 2.5″ WT and a Nobby Nic 2.6″ on the right. All those three tires are between 62 – 63 mm in width.

The suspension on the SCOTT E-Genius

The new E-Genius shares a lot of the same visual cues as the recently presented E-Spark. The rear shock is now parallel to the seat tube rather than under the top tube, which is a design that gave SCOTT the freedom to increase the stiffness in strategic locations and improve its suspension kinematics. Its 150 mm rear suspension has been refined to result in much more sensitivity, support and a better prevention of bottoming out thanks to enough progression at the end.

The rear shock is now aligned with the seattube for improved stiffness and optimal suspension kinematics.
The E-Genius Tuned is the only model to feature a FOX 36 fork. The rest of the line-up either have an e-bike-specific FOX 34 or a RockShox Recon.

Thanks to the TwinLoc technology, there are three travel setting, which admittedly only have a negligible impact on the bike’s efficiency but proved really practical while testing as the now higher bottom bracket eliminates the risk of catching the pedals on technical terrain.

The TwinLoc level has three positions for locking out the suspension, which doesn’t just enhance the low-speed compression damping to aid climbing, it also reduces the volume in the air chamber while in traction mode.

The geometry of the SCOTT E-Genius 700 Tuned

SCOTT have pulled off the feat of replicating the geometry of the conventional non-motorised Genius as they kitted the E-Genius with the compact Shimano STEPS E8000 system. Compared to the previous iteration of the E-Genius, the chainstays are now almost 3 cm shorter, while the frame is longer and the head angle is slacker. What this means for you is both smoothness and stability at high speeds as well as stellar, agile cornering to boot.

Size S 900/700 M 900/700 L 900/700 XL 900/700
Seat Tube 410 mm 440 mm 490 mm 540 mm
Top Tube 586/585 mm 606/605 mm 636/635 mm 666/665 mm
Head Tube 120 mm 125 mm 135 mm 145 mm
Head Angle 64.8/65.3° 64.8/65.3° 64.8/65.3° 64.8/65.3°
Seat Angle 75/75.5° 75/75.5° 75/75.5° 75/75.5°
Chainstays 462/460 mm 462/460 mm 462/460 mm 462/460 mm
BB High 342/340 mm 342/340 mm 342/340 mm 342/340 mm
Wheelbase 1216/1215 mm 1237/1236 mm 1259/1258 mm 1291/1289 mm
Reach 419/425 mm 437/444 mm 459/465 mm 486/492 mm
Stack 624/620 mm 629/625 mm 640/636 mm 649/645 mm