At their mountain bike press camp in Morzine, France, FOCUS have just taken the opportunity to present the prototype of their latest E-MTB, which has managed to slot in underneath the coveted 13 kilogram barrier and now stands as the world’s lightest production model E-MTB. Here’s an exclusive scoop with the first batch of information.
Dubbed Project-Y, this prototype even manages to house a powerful 250 W motor despite its phenomenally low weight. Together with the 250 Wh battery, the motor can also be completely removed from the downtube. No mean feat of design, FOCUS had originally set themselves the goal of developing an E-MTB that would be more reminiscent of a conventional mountain bike, and could even be ridden without its motor. Much more than just ultra lightweight, however, this prototype has some pretty outstanding geometry: thanks to its super compact design for the motor casing, the chainstays are no more than 20 mm longer than the unmotorised Raven Max.
Our impression: Having set out with the aim to best replicate how a traditional mountain bike rides and performs, Project-Y is an extremely valid and successful step for FOCUS, seeing them push the limits of possibility in their pursuit of how light E-MTBs can be, and how they can best be engineered. Of course, weight is only one feature that influences how an E-MTB rides, so we’re even more excited to get a test ride in on this prototype. More information on the brand new FOCUS Project-Y will be published shortly.
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Words & Photos: Christoph Bayer
